“At the beginning of the essay, Keya Majumdar lays out her purpose as ‘primarily to trace the translational theories with regard to post-modern times.’ In her arguments, she draws our attention to some analogous relationships between hermeneutical constructions and translatory “experiences” and then goes ahead to demonstrate how, in the modern context, translation and translational theory transverse the territories of nation, person, culture, in more ways than one, to reach and enrich the global cultural perspective.”
–Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee, re: “Appropriating the ‘Others’: Some Challenges of Translation and its Theories” by Keya Majumdar in the editor’s notes, p. 6, Indian Literature 234, Jul-Aug 2006 Vol L No 4
My good friend Tirthankar Mukherjee, English editor of the UB Post, gave me a copy of this journal for one specific poem, but I've found the whole issue particularly stimulating. It focuses on new translations of poetry from Oriya which are decidedly unexpected and beautiful.
I digress. I bold that particular passage of the above quote because I hope that is part of the reason why I am in Mongolia.
I have been, finally, reading literary critic Edward Said's Orientalism, at the suggestion of poet Sun Yung Shin, and consequently Writing Diaspora: Tactics of Intervention in Contemporary Cultural Studies by Rey Chow because I am concerned, as I'm sure other thinking people are, that as a result of the privileges I have as white person I may somehow taint this work. I must consider with rigorous honesty how is it that I personally have been able to make my way to Mongolia to do this work.
I also must believe that mindfulness and the work I have done and continue to do spiritually and emotionally will in part allow me to avoid committing the crimes of Orientalism. I cannot speak for Mongolians. I don't want to speak for Mongolians. But I do want to make Mongolian poetry accessible to more readers.
There are some theorists that write that a translator should only translate into their native languages, never out of it. I must admit that most of the translations I have read by Mongolians from Mongolian into English force me to concur. That being so, as a native English speaker, learning the Mongolian language well and then translating Mongolian poetry into English is a service I can provide to readers of English and the Mongolian poets with whom I work. And, ultimately, the work of translating Mongolian poetry into English is, for me, about being of service to others.
Poetry in particular is apt to "transverse the territories of nation, person, culture" and "enrich the global cultural perspective." I wrote as much in my application to the Fulbright Foundation and my time in Mongolia, where people speak and sing in poems, has only confirmed that belief.
There was a time when people believed that poetry could change the world. I still think this is true.
Perhaps translation is the way we can all speak together...
Posted by: Karen | 2007.08.15 at 14:08