A Differing Perspective on Translations

Translations are generally thought of as enriching the literature of a language because it widens the horizons by opening up another literature. They have been traditionally thought of as introducing the target language readers to the source culture; in fact, translation theorists believed that a good translation should aim at reproducing the same effect that the text had on the source language readership. Michael Cronin, however, argues that with the blurring of boundaries between cultures and languages in the contemporary world, it is high time that we rethought this idea of translation. He urges us to think of translation not as outside our language, but from inside our language (31). This would mean that translated texts are considered to be part of the national literature. Cronin has a sound reasoning for this – he says that target language readers place translations in their own contexts and not in the source language context. So the translation effectively becomes a part of the literature they consider their own. For example, when Tolstoy or Marquez is read in English, we do not think of them as Russian or Spanish, but as English or at best without a particular cultural context. It is difficult to find an exact Indian analogy for this as Indian literature does not have one common language. But we can think of works translated from one Indian language to another. For instance, Pavangal (Nalappat Narayana Menon’s Malayalam translation of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables), was received and appreciated by Malayalam readers as a literary work in Malayalam.

If this is the case, then translated works should find a place in the national literary canon alongside other works in the target language. English literature syllabi should have translations of works from other languages. This means that Premchand would be taught along with Dickens in India. Taking the example of English literature, Cronin argues that the best way is “not to use translated literature in English as a way into other cultures but to see translated literature as a way into English language and culture itself” (32). Translations that are seen as part of national canon also would help to dispel the myth of homogeneity in any culture. They will clearly show that what we tend to see today as a single stream of cultural heritage is actually a sea fed by numerous indistinguishable streams. This will help in instilling a healthy respect for plurality which is essential in the world today. For one of the major problems that the world is facing today is that of distrust among communities that cling to the belief in the superiority of their cultures and have no tolerance for differences in beliefs and practices.