Value of Literature in Translation

Not every society or culture obtains the ability or capability in understanding a vast majority of literary works. Not every individual on planet earth can read or understand every single literary work that is known to man, whether it be a poem, novel, short story, etc.. This is simply due to language barriers, this issue restricts many us from further enhancing our knowledge regarding other countries and their cultures. This is where translators come in, translators assist us by allowing through providing us with the opportunity to be conscious of what is occurring in our world on a much deeper and informative level. Alongside this not only are we capable of obtaining a deeper understanding we are also able to acquire both sympathy and empathy for what each country and culture are subjected to.

Translators do their best to ensure that they cover the original text, however that is not the case every single time as the majority of the time, thing change. Translations of a literary work depends on the translators interpretation of the text that is in front of them, they decide on which elements remain and which must be removed. Despite the fact that translators translate the information based on their interpretations of what they are presented with it allows us an opportunity to understand how they articulate their thinking and what they view as beneficial and essential. There are instances when translators are given quite hard times for their translated work as majority of the time the country/ culture that they come from tends to view their interpretation of a text that is relative to their home country as insulting, shocking and disrespectful. In the article ' Lost in translation' best selling Chinese author Feng Tang had received a lot of public scrutiny, in regards to his translation of “ Stray Birds” his work was labelled “vulgar selfie” alongside him being called a “ “hormone obsessed” writer with a “colossal insecurity””

Despite being called names and having their work insulted by others, translators remain to translate texts. They do so as through translating particular texts they are displaying the truth about certain people and issues that create chaos and madness in our world. In spite of swimming against the current and facing the slander of their opposers translators provide the world with the opportunity to not only be able to remain up to date with what is commencing globally but also providing the citizens of the planet with the chance to educate themselves about the different countries and their cultures.