Project: Green Living

How does literature become internationally known? In what way have collections of literature and scientific research have travelled the seas? How have various cultures and religions communicated with one another? How does one understand what has happened in remote areas? In the first place, with the aid of translators and interpreters who act as cultural ambassadors between countries and regions, cultures and religions.
In ancient times, interpreters were essential in trade, government and international affairs. When books and newspapers became available, translators acquired the role of the interpreters to enlighten the public in subjects like philosophy, history or literature. Spreading the literary tradition of a language would be impossible if translation were not used. When the Bible was rendered into German by Martin Luther who provided his German Translation Services, the German language became better known. By tracing the routes of translation we can see that it has always been the major designator in shaping up cultures around the globe. No other service in the world has provided such a key contribution in internal and foreign affairs but translation. International economic and political relations have so widely used translation that it has become a threatening issue, even a nagging problem. Some envisage the adoption of a global language as a possible solution, and English offers to take over, just as Latin did in the Middle Ages.

Even nowadays, Latin is still not a dead language. Latin is the language of medicine and a high quality Medical Translation should provide a fair amount of expertise in this area. Reasonably, pre-med study programs include a minimum of one year of Latin in their curricula. Anyone who studies law or intends to provide Legal Translation should also have a solid preparation in Latin. Most of the terminology used in court cases is based on the language of ancient Rome - namely Latin. The knowledge of Latin, therefore, helps to bridge communication gaps even if the language is no longer spoken.

It is still far-fetched to imagine one global village speaking the same language - a future that is anything but promising. The terms “local” and “global” are intrinsic in the translation process which governs the way they are rendered and delivered. In the world of literature, and in many domains of knowledge and culture, the need for translation is as great as ever. It is also a necessity for understanding between diverse cultures speaking different languages. The blazing of such trails also facilitates understanding within cultures which may be more internally divisive than is apparent. Another by-product of translation if the discovery of the other within ourselves. It is the role of translation to allow us to look through that world or ours. For when we learn how peoples of other cultures live and think, we also learn about ourselves, which often leads us to question ourselves. Finally, understanding the others means tolerating them for their differences.

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