The Endeavor of Japanese Translation

Every person, every event, and every encounter in life seems to have a predestined number. Before I started learning Japanese, I had never paid attention to the existence of translation. It was not until I came into contact with Japanese that I truly became aware of the endeavor of translation.

My initial encounter with translation was like the sprouting of a tree—arduous yet full of vitality. In my first Japanese class, facing those unfamiliar symbols, my eyes were filled with novelty and desire. I learned and explored cautiously, with no predictability about the future. Perhaps it was this spirit of seeking knowledge of the unknown that slowly opened the door to Japanese. What followed were rather dull vocabulary words. Every day, I would chant and memorize the meanings, making awkward sounds like a child who hasn't yet learned to speak. This might be the very beginning of translation—boring and tedious, yet the most critical phase.

Becoming familiar with translation was like a young tree, fragile but full of vigor. Surviving the breakthrough of soil, absorbing nutrients, and growing robustly, the journey was full of twists and turns. Recognizing kana and memorizing their Chinese meanings was only the first step in the long journey of translation. Next came learning simple Japanese conversations. In Japanese, from words to sentences, particles are indispensable, with case particles, coordinate particles, and adverbial particles appearing consecutively like twins, dazzling to the eyes. Additionally, to form a complete sentence, grammar is knowledge that must be understood. For those who are new to Japanese, just hearing about these might be enough to deter them. However, once the path of learning Japanese sentences is cleared, a huge sense of achievement is gained. Symbols that were once very unfamiliar, through the study of particles and grammar, understanding sentence structure, and transforming them into one's most familiar native language, this might be the magic of translation. It closely links two originally unrelated things. The process, though difficult, is the most rewarding phase.

The integration with translation is like a robust tree, bearing the marks of time, yet fearless against wind and rain. Growing from a young tree to a robust one is not an easy task. The young tree must continue to absorb nutrients while withstanding the elements. The sturdy trunk is the best reservoir, with each annual ring a testament to growth, and the hardships known perhaps only to oneself. From sentence translation to article translation, to the translation of professional field documents, it requires daily practice. Doing the same thing every day, but gaining different nourishments, the joy of which can only be understood by those who are truly passionate and immersed in it. When a second foreign language becomes one's own, translation can truly become something integrated into one's blood, achieving integration.

The melodious sound of the piano in my ears is the creation of fingertips touching the strings; the colorful painting before my eyes is the melody of pigments on paper. In fact, not only strings and paper, but translation is also such a beautiful thing. Translation is a medium between two different languages, and through translation, everything unfamiliar becomes familiar, which is its greatest charm.

Translation, like tasting coffee. The initial encounter may be bitter, but upon closer inspection, one finds its flavor, and upon further tasting, it becomes an enjoyment. As the saying goes, "Constant dripping wears away the stone," and perseverance is key in everything, including translation. 

—  Translation Intern, Cheng Yuxiang

◀️：Artificial Intelligence and Translation

▶️：What is Translation?