Difficulties in Translation with Names in Arabic, Japanse, Chinese Languages into English
Translation with Names into English
All of us are too quick to become fans of good things. Shiny, sparkly stuff attracts our attention immediately and we never stop to think that something bad could come out of it too. Countless examples have proven that a good thing is only beneficial when used modestly and not excessively. Every time we tried too much of a good thing, we ended up with a disaster at our hands. There are countless inventions that were invented to help humanity move forward. They were supposed to be means for betterment, and not the destination. But our love for all things new kept us from using them for their benefits only. Humans have always abused good things without realizing that they have limits.
Nuclear power is one of the best examples. It can help us produce electricity and power machines to help different industries. But when used in the wrong way, it can cause destruction beyond repair. When atomic bombs were dropped on Japan by the US, the world saw the destructive power of nuclear weapons in its worst form. But humans have a short memory and they forget the things they don’t want to remember pretty quickly. The internet is one of the greatest inventions of all time. It is supposed to help us with information and keep us connected with each other. But even that is something we have abused a lot. Even if you don’t particularly misuse the internet in any way, its excessive use keeps you from tending to your responsibilities and therefore affects the quality of your life. A lot of accidents every year are caused by people who can’t keep their eyes off of their phones.
We need to understand that every invention has its limits. Accepting that will help us plan things accordingly and not suffer from failure each time we are faced with a problem due to the limitations of an invention. Creative fields like writing are a useful way for people to express their feelings and reach out to millions of readers through their words. But the language barrier acts as a limitation here. Sure, books get translated in multiple languages but are the interpretations always accurate? Maybe not. There is always something that will get lost in translation without due to the interpreter’s error or the limitations of a language. For instance, there is only one word in English to address other people: ‘you’, but in a few other languages like Urdu, there are different words to address people based on their age or the speaker’s level of frankness with them.
Such differences between languages have been keeping translation restricted. There is also the issue with machine translation which people think they can trust when it is far from being reliable. Translations carried out by qualified experts are limited in their options too then how can a machine be better at such creative tasks?
Can names translate?
Names cannot be translated into different languages. But there are a few exceptions to this. If a name exists in different languages with a few spelling differences, then it can be translated, only if it is in a book or movie. But if it is a unique name that does not exist in different languages, then it should not be translated.
Do you translate proper names?
Proper names should not be translated under any circumstances. They are one of the few things that are kept as it is during translations. Honorifics can be added with names if a document is being translated into another language, but the names themselves should not be changed in any case.
What are some examples of translation?
Translation is the process in which the language of a document or text is changed. One example of it is when ‘thank you’ becomes ‘arigato’ in Japanese. There are different words to greet people in every language. What is ‘hello’ in English becomes ‘bonjour’ in French, ‘hola’ in Spanish, and ‘salve’ in Italian.
How do you translate your name into Spanish?
You cannot translate your name into Spanish because translating proper names is not a good idea, especially when it comes to real people. You can translate the names of your story’s characters, but not your own. If you want to ask someone’s name in Spanish, then you can do that by saying, “¿Qué es tu nombre?”
What are the difficulties in translation?
- Dialects: Every language has different dialects. If the linguistic expert is not familiar with the dialect of the target audience, they won’t be able to carry out accurate translations.
- Culture: The cultural aspects matter a lot during translation. But if the translator is not familiar with one aspect of a culture, they can mess up the translation.
How are foreign names written in Chinese?
Whenever a document is being translated from a foreign language into Chinese, the names are transliterated into Chinese characters. The transliteration is not based on the meaning of the name, but rather on its sound. This way, the name can be read and pronounced easily by a native Chinese speaker.
What is your name translated in Chinese language?
If you have met a Chinese, and you want to ask them what’s their name in their language, then you can do so by saying “nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?” Although Mandarin characters are complicated, you can learn the basic phrases by reading the Romanization. This way, you won’t have trouble getting around during your trip to China.
What are the process of translation in language?
- Reading the Source Text: The process of translation begins with the linguistic expert reading the source text.
- Creating a rough draft: They translate the text.
- Polish the draft: They review the draft and eliminate all the errors from it and make sure it is accurate.
- Hand over to the client: Once the linguistic expert is certain of the quality of their work, they hand it over to the client.
Difficulties in Translation with Names in Arabic, Japanese, and Chinese Languages into English:
Arabic, Japanese, and Chinese are one of the most difficult languages on earth. But they are not only difficult to learn, they are also very difficult to translate. Although it is better to choose native speakers for the translation of a language, it is absolutely to pick one when dealing with Arabic, Japanese, and Chinese. No one who learns these vernaculars can develop a thorough understanding of the three in a short period of time. People have to regularly talk to the native speakers if they want to become good at either of the three tongues. Translators, however, face very specific problems when dealing with the three vernaculars.
Translating names, whether they are of food, places, festivals, or people from Arabic, Japanese, and Chinese into English are not that easy. Names in these three languages often have deep meanings and changing a single part of the name can change the meaning of the name too. In works of literature, the names of characters sometimes foreshadow their fate or their true purpose in the book, but when translated into English, they lose their original meaning, sometimes all meaning. When a name is central to a story, losing its meaning can also impact the book as a whole.
Culture is one of the biggest reasons why it is difficult to translate the names from Arabic, Japanese, and Chinese into English. There are also religious factors involved in naming a child in Arabic that are quite hard to interpret in English. Simply because the religious factors are also in Arabic and cannot be conveyed to an English speaker easily. The alphabets in Japanese and Chinese can be pretty confusing for a non-native speaker but even though they make sense to a native speaker, they will not be easy to translate. When it comes to the names of festivals, the translation in English simplifies them and take their essence away from them.
There is no definite solution to this problem. One way to convey the meaning behind a name in books is adding it in a footnote. When it comes to festival, the spirit of it can be explained on the website or on a banner. Because it will always be difficult to translate names in Arabic, Japanese, and Chinese into English due to cultural differences and meaningful alphabets. Hiring an expert translator to do the task, however, can save you from unnecessary errors and make sure the problem with interpreting names is reduced.
