By Bhavana Kumari
Power and politics are two core factors which define the significance and longevity of any society and culture. “Translation has been a major shaping force in the development of world culture” (Lefevere/Bassnett 1990:12). From Ottoman Empire to the Czar, from Tang Empire of China to the Maurya Empire in India, every empire’s glory and ruin story is understood by studying the power politics of that particular period. They might be sharing some common features and might differ on many fronts. Translators and their translated texts play a very critical role when these stories are used in inter-culture interaction discourse. Translated texts are referred for political aims and motives. They are misused and even criticized.
As Van Dijk mentions, ideology is nothing but the amalgamation of “basic beliefs that underlie the social representations of a social group”. And it is these ideologies that are scripted by the distinguished writers and scholars and recorded for centuries. As there used to be court historians in the past, there were also court translators, who translate the original texts in the other language and helping in spreading the ideas and thoughts of the empire to transnational boundaries. Role of translators has always been appreciated as well as questioned by the different units of the society. Their laborious and noble efforts were acknowledged and praised but in some cases the biasness and too much loyalty for their masters were also criticized. Hegemony, norms, language and target group are the constraints linked to the power politics happening in translation.
There are many reasons because of which misinformation might happen. Sometimes because of lack of knowledge of source language and the target language translators just provide the summary/gist of the original work; omission of main points which is not significant as per the translators and leading to discontinuation in information transfer; and translators’ biased social embeddedness, social status and non-neutral contacts. Translators are sandwiched between the power holders and the power seekers.
Translation is the reflecting image of the original texts. It helps a person from different culture, society and even time period to gain knowledge and learn from the existing literature and find solutions to his/her problem. The lack of inability to access the original text is fullfilled by the work of translators and through their translated texts.
Power relations have always been there in the society where any one hand is trying to subjugate or overrule the other. It is a continuous and unending process. Great Chinese leader Mao Zedong talked about the concept continuous revolution. He was influenced by the communist thoughts which were given by the Karl Marx in Germany. Karl Marx wrote in German language and as per the European circumstances. It was the translators who interpreted the idea into different languages of the world and Mao learned it in Chinese. Applied it in Chinese society as per the local circumstances. Ideas flourish and they might have different spectrum but the basic core remains the same.
If one talks about the Hindu methodologies, many of the ancient Hindu holy texts are written in Sanskrit, the language of elite scholarly class. It was difficult for layman to understand the essence of those texts. Later it was translated into other national and international languages and knowledge was exchanged. Today approximately three hundred versions of the Indian epic poem, the Ramayana, (originally titled Kaavyam Ramayanam Kritsnam Sitaayaas Charitham Mahat) are known to exist. The oldest version is generally recognized to be the Sanskrit version attributed to the sage Valmiki. Same with the Mahabharatha (Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty). In both the ancient epic poems the politics among the families and power relations among the societies are shown. While translating it into other languages translators play an important role. Translations also enrich the culture and societal system of the target language. It inputs more knowledge to the existing literature. Translators play every effort to interpret and reinterpret the original text in the target language in the best of their knowledge .Finally it is up to the society how they accept the work.
In concluding words, translators play an inseparable role in the field of exchange of knowledge between two different culture, polity and society. Translators are the first linguists that have access to the original text, their work and knowledge is definitely of great significance. It is such a tedious job that one has to have knowledge of everything if he/she is into this profession. A single mistake can create trouble especially in the case of political and military texts translations. The meaning which is not being conveyed properly is said to be lost in translation. Translator and interpreters are supposed to do thorough research on the topics that they are working on. So that the outcome result would be the best reflection of the original text. And the meaning is conveyed without any differences.
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