Translation is an Art

When we talk about literature and the art of language, it is hard not to mention translation. So, what is translation? Is it a skill, or is it a discipline? To me, translation is an art.

Throughout the long river of world history, language serves both as a connection and a distinguishing cultural characteristic among different ethnicities. There is an interesting saying in the Bible:

“At that time, the whole earth spoke one language and used the same words... They said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower... so that we will not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’ The Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.’ So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world.’”

In fact, the confusion of languages stems from separation. However, in the new era and the new world, isolation is no longer possible. With the increasing globalization of economy, culture, and other aspects, the Earth has become what people refer to as a "global village." In this globalized age, translation acts as a catalyst for this trend.

In Xu Jun's book, "Introduction to Translation," translation, in its concrete form, is described as an activity that involves the conversion between two linguistic symbols. The carrier of language is meaning, and the basic function of symbols is representation. Thus, through translation, two linguistic symbols can connect, communicate, and transform with each other. This is why we often metaphorically describe translation as a bridge for communication and a bond for connection.

I refer to translation as an art rather than merely a discipline or skill because translation is a process that contains creative elements. Taking literary translation as an example, literature is a written expression of thought, a fragment of the author's soul expressed through words. The goal of literary translation is to widely disseminate the ideas and culture embedded in excellent literary works, influencing more people. If one translates only by adhering to the literal meanings of words without considering the spirit and essence conveyed between the lines, then the true purpose of literary translation cannot be achieved. This demands a process of recreation by the translator. After deeply understanding the work’s connotations, the translator must use the target language to create the most suitable combination of linguistic symbols. This may not necessarily correspond exactly to the original language but can achieve an equivalent literary effect in the translated text. Sometimes, the former may not equal the latter, which tests the translator's ability to “recreate.”

When we discuss translation, we find that even these two characters can be explored in depth. It becomes evident that translation is not simply a mechanical task like typing; it requires thought and creativity—this is why translation is an art.

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