If You Don't Read, Don't Translate

Our contemporary reading culture gets a lesser share of voice in this fast-paced digital world. Instant gratification of learning through videos and infographics is increasingly competing with time-honored reading. In fact, the shift is so great that it affects not only the depth of our knowledge but also presents a formidable challenge to the field of translation. That is to say, at the center of reading and the discipline of reading, the artistry of translation lies.

Reading is much more than the interpretation of text; it is an ennobling journey that opens the mind, increases vocabulary, and develops the ability to empathize. Any translator, therefore, should read extensively in both the source and target languages. This offers them the intricacies required to understand subtleties in culture, idiomatic and jargon nuances, and technical terminologies—everything necessary for sensitive translation that has to be at the same time faithful and subtle.

Complexities in Translation

Translating involves more than just the conversion of words from one language to another. That type of translation is a sound understanding of the original, involving the cultural kernel of the source language and emotional color and style of the language. A translator whose competence is not built on a very good understanding of both the source and target languages will only mutilate or dilute the original meaning. They will open opportunities for the translator to engage with a variety of topics and literary forms that will in turn enhance their translation skills, besides allowing the translation process to be negotiated with more flexibility. The practice keeps translators on tap, ensuring that their translation is up to date and not out of place or time.

To be relevant to someone in the translation field, not reading is equivalent to an artist who shuns the reading of the different styles of art or a musician who does not check out how other genres of musicians are doing what they do. This cripples their professional growth and quality in translation. This neglect can even translate into mistranslations of the most serious kind, sometimes with injurious effects—above all, naturally, in those areas in which criticism of mistranslations and error-avoidance behavior has largely been neglected.

A Rallying Cry

"If You Don't Read, Don't Translate" is one such rallying call for translators and language professionals. It further reiterates the position that continuous learning and self-development through reading are very important. What is more, committing to an extensive reading program will not only polish the translation skills of the translator but will also guarantee that the essence of the original is well captured and communicated.

Translation is more than a linguistic task; it is a delicate kind of art that requires thorough understanding not only of the language that needs to be translated but also of the target language it needs to be translated into. The said kind of understanding is chiefly developed through broad and intensive reading. Thus, those who would like to get that same translation sense should develop a strong habit of reading, not just for needed ones.