Translation- Is it a science or a form of art?

Category: Translation          Written by: Daqeeq          Date: 26 Apr 2022

Daqeeq says….

Translation- Is it a science or a form of art?

Translation can be a craft when done by machines or in a literal translation style, but good translation is more of a creative art.

Whether translation is believed to be a form of art depends on whether you are yourself a translator or a non-translator. It might seem that translation is not a form of art, but rather a craft or a science; however, the creativity that transforms translation into art lies in mind of the translator, who uses the words of a language as a brush to portray the images of another language.

As for what distinguishes a craft or science is the set of rules and algorithms that govern them. Let’s take woodworking – There are clear formulas that can be followed. When these are applied, you create beautiful woodworks, regardless of whether you have a full grasp of the science behind the process or a sense of creativity or not. Because you can always reproduce the same pieces following the same set of rules, with zero flaws when you master the craft.

With science, let’s take performing a scientific experiment as an example; you combine the elements of experimental method (observations, hypothesis, testing and analyzing data) with clear awareness of the cause-effect relationship.

But what about art? Art needs that touch of creativity. And that’s what makes translation a form of art.

Craft and Machines

Translation is only a craft when it is machine or word-for-word translated, which deprives the produced translation of soul, rhythm and essence, though they are systemically correct. But such translations are poor, as they sound inaccurate, unclear, and confusing for the audience.

The Art of Translation

Why is translation an art? Simply because once you transcend the limits of the verbatim aspect of translation, you begin a journey to play with words, grammar, style and feel of a text, which all melt into a creative masterpiece.

Hence, creativity is the core of the translation process.  It’s not always easy to beautifully and truly convey the message of the source text. The translator sometimes has to bring the author to life as a character and paint their personal traits with tone and style. Here comes the risk that the translator will incorporate their own ideas or views into a text, thus replacing the originally intended meaning.

However, it’s this very risk that transforms translators into artists. That is because they come up with a new work of art every time they work on a translation project, something that reflects the meaning of original text, but with a new soul. No matter how hard they try to adhere to the linguistic aspects of the original text, they cannot help but infuse it with new touches of their own – and thus they dive into creativity.

To answer the question if translation is science or a form of art, well, it certainly is a form of art if the translator is a creative one.

Now, are you looking for the optimal translation service that guarantees translating your text into an “as if it were not translated” type of text? Well! Look no further! Daqeeq will convey the actual meaning of your source text with a touch of creativity that will transform it into a work of art.