The art of translation…
Lingo24 translated well in excess of thirty million words in 2009. This covered everything from marketing brochures, subtitles and websites, to legal documents, technical manuals and even menus for restaurants. Translators are often the unsung heroes of international business – without them, companies would struggle to communicate with their global customer base – Google translate can only achieve so much!
Some translators go above and beyond the act of mere translation. Literary translation is a profession in itself, and often the translator’s work goes largely unnoticed as the original author retains most of the credit for the piece.
Literary translators are more than ‘literal’ translators – they are highly skilled writers in their own right. This evening sees the Times Literary Supplement’s translation awards, with the translators of seven books published in English – each from seven different languages - honoured for their work.
To take a literary masterpiece in one language and to replicate this in another language is some feat. And that is the true art of translation.