Translation

I was just thinking about translation after having Dad W here for a few days. I regularly translate for Eric, but having guests gave me a lot more to do. I don't really mind. I kind of enjoy it, in fact. First, I'd have to say that my Thai is not beautiful. Our language learning coordinator, who is also a sort of coach, tested me last year and said that I was not the sort to master a language. When she tested me, she graded me at elementary fluency and said "You can understand quite a bit and you've learned to talk your way around most everything you want to say, so I don't think you're going to get much better. You go for the simple communication." That's definitely true. When I took French I got a high score on the AP not because I had a wide vocabulary or because I was a master of conjugation but because I could always think of a simple but correct way to say everything. My secretary says I talk like a child, but she does understand me.

However, translation isn't just about language mastery. It's also about cultural accuracy. I don't always translate exactly what is said because I'm trying to translate the meaning and make the speaker more acceptable to the hearer. It can also be a matter of embarrassment for me. Thai people think it's totally acceptable to comment on a person's body. I feel a bit awkward translating "You're really fat!" or "You have a great body!" Or in some cases I don't really want to translate what is said because I would never say it myself and don't want to be associated with the comment. Sometimes it's humor and I don't really get it. For example, Dan said to some ladies, "I'd rather have darker skin." I translated and one of them said, "He should pour hot water on himself," and then the Thais laughed uproariously about that for several minutes. I could translate the words, but none of us got the meaning.

However, sometimes I think the translator has too much power. The translator is the only person in the conversation who really knows what everyone is saying. For me, the temptation to steer the conversation in the direction I want is often too much for me to resist.