One Sunday morning, I was trying to do homework for my translation course. I genuinely believed it wouldn’t take much time because the text I was translating seemed simplistic. However, the most self-evident things gave me the worst headache. As someone who is currently studying translation at university, I constantly struggle with finding proper equivalency between source and target language. I’m not supposed to translate given texts word by word just like Google Translator. My main task is to convey the message from one language to another (in more or less similar tone and style). However, quite often I notice that some things are not transferable.The original beauty of expressions gets totally lost in translation. Brilliant metaphors turn into dull and dry statements no matter how hard I try to avoid it. Yes, the lack of vocabulary is an issue but the actual root of the problem lies in cultural differences. No cultural phenomena, no corresponding vocabulary.
Next time you are talking with your foreign friend, try to explain the Finnish word kalsarikännit. That would sound like underweardrinking. Makes no sense, right? So what kalsarikännit is then? In short, that is when you are getting drunk at home alone in your underwear, obviously with zero intention to go out. Or let’s explain the Swedish word fika? Usually, it is translated as “a coffee and cake break”. Any Swede would say kind of correct but not really. Something is missing. Fika is not just about drinking coffee and eating cakes. It is a concept, a whole ritual, culture after all. It is about making time for friends and colleagues, spending time together in a certain way. Just so you know, fika even made its own way into Swedish corporate culture.
What I am trying to say is… please, don’t be too quick to judge translators for their “bad translation decisions” or people from different cultures, especially when you have no common language. Some cultural aspects are not translatable but they can definitely be explained. Instead, try to practice intercultural communication skills and develop your cultural awareness. Analyze, compare, and show your interest. Add some compassion to this equation. All these things will add up to your understanding of the world.