Value of Literature in Translation

Literature is an artistic form of expression in which authors present their aesthetic excellence of writing in different forms as well as languages. Literature itself and in translation serve a lot of values and purposes that can teach a variety of things to people. Through literature, we are able to place our mindset into that of someone else’s and sympathises with other people's situations. It helps people develop skills that are applicable outside their range of schema and explore beyond their usual capacity. Hence, when looking into literature in translation, there is so much more that can be taught. It opens doors for developing a new understanding as well as a cultural appreciation for cultures that are being studied and might not be known about. 

It provides perspectives and emotional insights to topics and cultures that might not be familiar to certain people but expands their knowledge.

Yet as beneficial and valuable it is to learn and study texts in translation, one must also be aware of the challenges that occur from it.  

Each writing and writer has their unique was of expressing them self and their ideas in a way that best resembles them and their culture and therefore when translating such a text a lot can be lost through translation and in certain times there is a loss of cultural context that isn't necessarily expressed thoroughly for instance when reading Chinua Achebe's things fall apart, Achebe would sometimes express his sentence or certain words in his native language that cannot be directly translated and  he actually explains it in order to allow the readers to obtain a more in-depth understanding of what is happening. As well as Naguib Mahfouz's Thief and the dogs, having only read a couple pages in Arabic, I can already distinguish the difference. Naguib Mahfouz is known in the Arab world for his amazing  and outstanding writing as well as his creative way of using language and his use of Arab expression that are visible when seen through the Arabic text but are  lost in the translation. The language itself has a great use of flourishing language and expressions that have strong meanings to them but when directly translated seem exaggerated or not right and hence are translated in another form to suit the understanding of the audience and lose their intentional meaning.  

A text read in class of an interview showed the perspective of two different translators and their approach to their technique. One proposed that translating is impossible and it is rather a create way to express yourself though the author to your approximate level, unlike the other translator who thought that the cultural ambience was key when translating texts in order to make people fully understand the approach the author is making. 

Overall studying translated texts is truly an eye opener to another side that people aren't well aware off. This relates back to the learning outcomes of part 3 of this course which requires students to consider the changing cultural and social context as well as understand the attitudes and values expressed by the texts and their impact on readers.  This, in turn, demonstrates the importance of studying a translated text and consider the cultural and social context of it.