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Spotlight_podcasts_2, The Importance of Translation

The Importance of Translation

Voice 1

Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Liz Waid. Voice 2

And I'm Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1

Aya is a student from Japan. She loves to read all kinds of books. When Aya goes to the book store, she finds books written by writers from around the world. She loves Japanese writers like Shushaku Endo and Haruki Murakami. But she also enjoys many other writers - like Russian writer Leo Tolstoy and Scottish writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Voice 2

Aya can only read in her native Japanese language. But she is able to read books that were originally written in many different languages. Aya never thinks about this. But, she can read these books because of the work of translators. Today's Spotlight is on the important work of book translation. Voice 1

Books are a special form of communication. Writers write books to communicate ideas about things like love, faith, culture, and even politics. Books are a great way to exchange ideas between cultures. However, without translation, this exchange could never happen.

Voice 2

Most people do not think a lot about book translators. Their names are not well known like writers. But they do have a difficult and important job. Translators must be very good at understanding the books they translate. They must also be very good at writing.

Voice 1

A translator's job is not just about translating each word in a sentence from one language to another. Translators must also concentrate on translating the writer's original meaning. To do this, translators must think about groups of words or even pages of a book when they translate.

Voice 2

Translators must also think about the culture of the readers they are translating for. Often, ideas and even words are particular to one culture. So, translators must explain these cultural ideas. Sometimes, a translator can simply choose a different word to express a clearer translation of the writer's meaning. Voice 1

Let us look at an example. Translators have translated the book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone” into almost 70 different languages. German is one of these languages. The British English version of the book is called “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.” But the term “Philosopher's Stone” does not translate well into German. The idea of a “Philosopher's Stone” is an old idea. Over many years, the term has become a symbol of perfect knowledge. The term has been used in English stories throughout history. However, translators did not think that German speakers would know this term well. So, the German translator changed the name of the book to “Harry Potter and the Stone of Wisdom.” Wisdom is a form of knowledge. “Stone of Wisdom” is similar to “Philosopher's Stone.” The words do not mean exactly the same thing. But, in German, “Stone of Wisdom” does express the idea of the term “Philosopher's Stone.” Voice 2

Changing a book's title is a major decision. However, translators make hundreds of small changes with every single book. These changes make the meaning clear. However, translators must be careful. Too many changes can change the style of the writing. A book's style is often what makes it interesting or easy to read. So, it is important that the translator writes the same way as the writer.

Voice 1

A good translation will be balanced. It will clearly communicate the writer's ideas to a new culture. But, it will also represent the writer's style. A bad translation does not capture the full meaning of words. And it does not make the reader feel the things the writer wants them to feel. A bad translation can completely change how people react to a book or an idea. Tim Parks is a writer in the United Kingdom. He wrote this in the Guardian newspaper:

Voice 3

“If the translator is bad…, you will understand the ideas, but not the style of the writer. Or the writing will represent the writer's style, but will miss the ideas. The good translator is the one who has a deep understanding of the original writing and the best resources in his own language. This translator will bring style and ideas together. This will be something new that is also faithful to the original writing.”

Voice 2

Becoming a good translator can take many years. Edith Grossman has been a translator for over 40 years. She recently wrote a book called “Why Translation Matters.” In it, she wrote,

Voice 4

“As a first step toward creating a good translation, translators need to develop a good sense of style in both languages. They must expand their knowledge of the emotional effect of words. They must know the society that surrounds the words, and...they must know the atmosphere the words create.”

Voice 1

Translation has always been important for exchanging ideas between cultures. However, in the past, it was often difficult for writers to get their books translated. Large publishing companies were not interested in translating most books. Translation was expensive. It required difficult research. And communication between foreign writers and publishing companies could be difficult. As a result, only the best-selling books were translated to other languages.

Voice 2

However, today, people from different cultures are communicating and sharing ideas more than ever before. This growing globalization has made translation even more important. And it is changing the publishing and translation markets.

Voice 1

Now, it is easier for readers and publishing companies to learn about popular books written in other languages. Readers are requesting translations of the books they want to read. And large publishing companies are beginning to do more translation.

Voice 2

It has also become easier for foreign writers to communicate directly with smaller publishing companies in other countries. Some smaller publishing companies concentrate on only translating and publishing foreign works. These smaller companies are better able to serve the foreign writer.

Voice 1

As the global publishing market changes, there is a greater demand for good translators. However, most people will still never know the names of even the most expert translators. But translator, Daniel Hahn, believes that this is a good thing. On the website, wordswithoutborders.org, he wrote:

Voice 5

“As translators, our job is to be as unseen as possible. The reader should not notice we are there at all. The reader should reach the end of the book and think, ‘Wait, I do not speak Portuguese! How did that happen?' It is the highest honour when our work is not noticed.”

Voice 1

The writer and producer of this program was Dianna Anderson. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet athttp://www.radioenglish.netThis .program is called, “The Importance of Translation.”

Voice 2

We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!

The Importance of Translation Die Bedeutung der Übersetzung La importancia de la traducción 翻訳の重要性 번역의 중요성 A importância da tradução Важность перевода Çevirinin Önemi Важливість перекладу 翻译的重要性

Voice 1

Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Liz Waid. Voice 2

And I'm Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1

Aya is a student from Japan. She loves to read all kinds of books. When Aya goes to the book store, she finds books written by writers from around the world. She loves Japanese writers like Shushaku Endo and Haruki Murakami. But she also enjoys many other writers - like Russian writer Leo Tolstoy and Scottish writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Voice 2

Aya can only read in her native Japanese language. Aya umí číst pouze ve svém rodném japonském jazyce. アヤは母国語の日本語しか読めません。 But she is able to read books that were originally written in many different languages. Dokáže však číst knihy, které byly původně napsány v mnoha různých jazycích. しかし、彼女はもともとさまざまな言語で書かれた本を読むことができます。 Aya never thinks about this. Aya o tom nikdy nepřemýšlí. アヤはこれについて考えたことはありません。 But, she can read these books because of the work of translators. Ale může tyto knihy číst díky práci překladatelů. しかし、彼女は翻訳者の仕事のおかげでこれらの本を読むことができます。 Today's Spotlight is on the important work of book translation. Dnešní Spotlight je o důležitém díle knižního překladu. Voice 1

Books are a special form of communication. Writers write books to communicate ideas about things like love, faith, culture, and even politics. Books are a great way to exchange ideas between cultures. 本は文化間でアイデアを交換する素晴らしい方法です。 However, without translation, this exchange could never happen. Bez překladu by však k této výměně nikdy nemohlo dojít.

Voice 2

Most people do not think a lot about book translators. Většina lidí o překladatelích knih moc nepřemýšlí. Their names are not well known like writers. Jejich jména nejsou známá jako spisovatelé. But they do have a difficult and important job. Ale mají obtížnou a důležitou práci. Translators must be very good at understanding the books they translate. Překladatelé musí být velmi dobří v porozumění knihám, které překládají. 翻訳者は、翻訳する本をよく理解していなければなりません。 They must also be very good at writing. Musí být také velmi dobří v psaní. 彼らはまた、書くのがとても上手でなければなりません。

Voice 1

A translator's job is not just about translating each word in a sentence from one language to another. 翻訳者の仕事は、文中の各単語をある言語から別の言語に翻訳することだけではありません。 Translators must also concentrate on translating the writer's original meaning. To do this, translators must think about groups of words or even pages of a book when they translate. K tomu musí překladatelé při překladu myslet na skupiny slov nebo dokonce stránky knihy. これを行うには、翻訳者は単語のグループや本のページについても考えて翻訳する必要があります。

Voice 2

Translators must also think about the culture of the readers they are translating for. 翻訳者は、翻訳対象の読者の文化についても考えなければなりません。 Often, ideas and even words are particular to one culture. 多くの場合、アイデアや言葉でさえ、1 つの文化に固有のものです。 So, translators must explain these cultural ideas. したがって、翻訳者はこれらの文化的な考え方を説明する必要があります。 Sometimes, a translator can simply choose a different word to express a clearer translation of the writer's meaning. Někdy může překladatel jednoduše zvolit jiné slovo, aby vyjádřil jasnější překlad pisatelova významu. 場合によっては、翻訳者は単純に別の単語を選択して、筆者の意味をより明確に翻訳することができます。 Voice 1

Let  us look at an example. Podívejme se na příklad. 例を見てみましょう。 Translators have translated the book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone” into almost 70 different languages. Překladatelé přeložili knihu „Harry Potter a Kámen mudrců“ do téměř 70 různých jazyků. 翻訳者は、「ハリー・ポッターと賢者の石」という本を約 70 の異なる言語に翻訳しました。 German is one of these languages. The British English version of the book is called “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.” But the term “Philosopher's Stone” does not translate well into German. Britská anglická verze knihy se nazývá „Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone“. Ale výraz „kámen mudrců“ se do němčiny nepřekládá dobře. この本のイギリス英語版は「ハリー・ポッターと賢者の石」と呼ばれています。しかし、「賢者の石」という言葉はドイツ語にうまく訳せません。 The idea of a “Philosopher's Stone” is an old idea. Myšlenka „kamene mudrců“ je stará myšlenka. Over many years, the term has become a symbol of perfect knowledge. Za mnoho let se tento pojem stal symbolem dokonalého poznání. 何年にもわたって、この用語は完全な知識の象徴になりました。 The term has been used in English stories throughout history. Termín byl používán v anglických příbězích v celé historii. この用語は、歴史を通じて英語の物語で使用されてきました。 However, translators did not think that German speakers would know this term well. Překladatelé si však nemysleli, že německy mluvící lidé budou tento termín dobře znát. しかし、翻訳者は、ドイツ語話者がこの用語をよく知っているとは考えていませんでした。 So, the German translator changed the name of the book to “Harry Potter and the Stone of Wisdom.” Wisdom is a form of knowledge. Německý překladatel tedy změnil název knihy na „Harry Potter a kámen moudrosti“. Moudrost je forma poznání. そのため、ドイツ語の翻訳者は本の名前を「ハリー・ポッターと知恵の石」に変更しました。知恵は知識の一形態です。 “Stone of Wisdom” is similar to “Philosopher's Stone.” The words do not mean exactly the same thing. „Kámen moudrosti“ je podobný „Kámenu mudrců“. Slova neznamenají přesně totéž. 「知恵の石」は「賢者の石」に似ています。言葉はまったく同じことを意味するわけではありません。 But, in German, “Stone of Wisdom” does express the idea of the term “Philosopher's Stone.” Ale v němčině „Kámen moudrosti“ vyjadřuje myšlenku termínu „Kámen mudrců“. しかし、ドイツ語では、「知恵の石」は「賢者の石」という用語のアイデアを表しています。 Voice 2

Changing a book's title is a major decision. Změna názvu knihy je zásadní rozhodnutí. 本のタイトルを変更することは大きな決断です。 However, translators make hundreds of small changes with every single book. ただし、翻訳者はすべての本に何百もの小さな変更を加えます。 These changes make the meaning clear. However, translators must be careful. Překladatelé se však musí mít na pozoru. Too many changes can change the style of the writing. 変更が多すぎると、文章のスタイルが変わる可能性があります。 A book's style is often what makes it interesting or easy to read. Styl knihy je často tím, co ji dělá zajímavou a snadno se čte. 本のスタイルは、多くの場合、本を面白くしたり、読みやすくしたりするものです。 So, it is important that the translator writes the same way as the writer. Je tedy důležité, aby překladatel psal stejným způsobem jako spisovatel. そのため、翻訳者はライターと同じように書くことが重要です。

Voice 1

A good translation will be balanced. Dobrý překlad bude vyvážený. 良い翻訳はバランスが取れています。 It will clearly communicate the writer's ideas to a new culture. Jasně sdělí autorovy myšlenky nové kultuře. 作家の考えを新しい文化に明確に伝えます。 But, it will also represent the writer's style. Ale bude také reprezentovat styl spisovatele. しかし、それはまた作家のスタイルを表しています。 A bad translation does not capture the full meaning of words. Špatný překlad nevystihuje plný význam slov. 悪い翻訳は、単語の意味を完全に捉えていません。 And it does not make the reader feel the things the writer wants them to feel. A nenutí čtenáře cítit věci, které spisovatel chce, aby cítili. そして、それは、書き手が感じてほしいと思っていることを読み手に感じさせません。 A bad translation can completely change how people react to a book or an idea. 悪い翻訳は、本やアイデアに対する人々の反応を完全に変えてしまう可能性があります。 Tim Parks is a writer in the United Kingdom. He wrote this in the Guardian newspaper:

Voice 3

“If the translator is bad…, you will understand the ideas, but not the style of the writer. 「翻訳者が悪ければ…、アイデアは理解できるが、作家のスタイルは理解できない。 Or the writing will represent the writer's style, but will miss the ideas. Nebo bude písmo reprezentovat spisovatelův styl, ale bude postrádat myšlenky. または、文章は作家のスタイルを表していますが、アイデアが欠けています. The good translator is the one who has a deep understanding of the original writing and the best resources in his own language. Dobrý překladatel je ten, kdo hluboce rozumí původnímu textu a má nejlepší zdroje ve svém vlastním jazyce. 優れた翻訳者とは、原文を深く理解し、自分の言語で最高のリソースを利用できる人です。 This translator will bring style and ideas together. This will be something new that is also faithful to the original writing.” Bude to něco nového, co je také věrné původnímu psaní.“ これは、オリジナルの執筆にも忠実な新しいものになります。」

Voice 2

Becoming a good translator can take many years. Stát se dobrým překladatelem může trvat mnoho let. 優れた翻訳者になるには何年もかかることがあります。 Edith Grossman has been a translator for over 40 years. She recently wrote a book called “Why Translation Matters.” In it, she wrote, Nedávno napsala knihu s názvem „Proč na překladu záleží“. V něm napsala, 彼女は最近、「なぜ翻訳が重要なのか」という本を書きました。その中で、彼女は次のように書いています。

Voice 4

“As a first step toward creating a good translation, translators need to develop a good sense of style in both languages. „Jako první krok k vytvoření dobrého překladu si překladatelé potřebují vyvinout dobrý smysl pro styl v obou jazycích. 「優れた翻訳を作成するための最初のステップとして、翻訳者は両方の言語で優れたスタイルの感覚を養う必要があります。 They must expand their knowledge of the emotional effect of words. Musí si rozšířit znalosti o emocionálním působení slov. 彼らは、言葉の感情的な影響についての知識を広げなければなりません。 They must know the society that surrounds the words, and...they must know the atmosphere the words create.” Musí znát společnost, která slova obklopuje, a...musí znát atmosféru, kterou slova vytvářejí.“ 彼らは言葉を取り巻く社会を知らなければならず、言葉が作り出す雰囲気を知らなければなりません。」

Voice 1

Translation has always been important  for exchanging ideas between cultures. 翻訳は、文化間でアイデアを交換するために常に重要でした。 However, in the past, it was often difficult for writers to get their books translated. しかし、過去には、作家が自分の本を翻訳してもらうことはしばしば困難でした。 Large publishing companies were not interested in translating most books. Velká nakladatelství neměla zájem většinu knih překládat. Translation was expensive. Překlad byl drahý. It required difficult research. Vyžadovalo to náročný výzkum. 難しい調査が必要でした。 And communication between foreign writers and publishing companies could be difficult. A komunikace mezi zahraničními spisovateli a vydavatelskými společnostmi může být obtížná. As a result, only the best-selling books were translated to other languages. V důsledku toho byly do jiných jazyků přeloženy pouze nejprodávanější knihy.

Voice 2

However, today, people from different cultures are communicating and sharing ideas more than ever before. This growing globalization has made translation even more important. Tato rostoucí globalizace učinila překlad ještě důležitějším. このグローバル化の進展により、翻訳の重要性がさらに高まっています。 And it is changing the publishing and translation markets. A mění vydavatelský a překladatelský trh. そして、それは出版と翻訳の市場を変えています。

Voice 1

Now, it is easier for readers and publishing companies to learn about popular books written in other languages. Nyní je pro čtenáře a vydavatelské společnosti snazší dozvědět se o populárních knihách napsaných v jiných jazycích. Readers are requesting translations of the books they want to read. 読者は、読みたい本の翻訳を求めています。 And large publishing companies are beginning to do more translation. A velké vydavatelské společnosti začínají více překládat.

Voice 2

It has also become easier for foreign writers to communicate directly with smaller publishing companies in other countries. Pro zahraniční spisovatele je také snazší komunikovat přímo s menšími vydavatelskými společnostmi v jiných zemích. また、外国の作家が他の国の小規模な出版社と直接やり取りすることも容易になりました。 Some smaller publishing companies concentrate on only translating and publishing foreign works. Některá menší nakladatelství se soustředí pouze na překládání a vydávání zahraničních děl. 一部の小規模な出版社は、外国作品の翻訳と出版のみに専念しています。 These smaller companies are better able to serve the foreign writer. Tyto menší společnosti jsou schopny lépe posloužit zahraničnímu spisovateli. これらの小規模な会社は、外国人作家により良いサービスを提供できます。

Voice 1

As the global publishing market changes, there is a greater demand for good translators. S tím, jak se mění globální vydavatelský trh, roste poptávka po dobrých překladatelích. 世界の出版市場の変化に伴い、優れた翻訳者に対する需要が高まっています。 However, most people will still never know the names of even the most expert translators. Většina lidí se však nikdy nedozví jména ani těch nejzkušenějších překladatelů. しかし、ほとんどの人は、最も熟練した翻訳者でさえ、名前を知りません。 But translator, Daniel Hahn, believes that this is a good thing. Ale překladatel Daniel Hahn věří, že je to dobrá věc. しかし、翻訳者のダニエル・ハーンは、これは良いことだと考えています。 On the website, wordswithoutborders.org, he wrote:

Voice 5

“As translators, our job is to be as unseen as possible. „Naším úkolem jako překladatelů je být co nejméně vidět. 「翻訳者としての私たちの仕事は、できるだけ目立たないようにすることです。 The reader should not notice we are there at all. Čtenář by si vůbec neměl všimnout, že jsme tam. 読者は、私たちがそこにいることにまったく気付かないはずです。 The reader should reach the end of the book and think, ‘Wait, I do not speak Portuguese! Čtenář by měl dojít na konec knihy a pomyslet si: ‚Počkejte, já nemluvím portugalsky! 読者はこの本を最後まで読んで、「待って、私はポルトガル語を話せない!」と思うはずです。 How did that happen?' Jak se to stalo?' It is the highest honour when our work is not noticed.” Je to nejvyšší čest, když si naší práce nikdo nevšímá.“ 私たちの仕事が注目されないことは、最高の名誉です。」

Voice 1

The writer and producer of this program was Dianna Anderson. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet athttp://www.radioenglish.netThis .program is called, “The Importance of Translation.”

Voice 2

We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!