Language shapes the way we think, feel and act right from the day we are born. The words used to soothe us when we cry, cajole us into eating, berate us for any wrongdoing or even envelop us with love and affection also push us into thinking a certain way throughout our lives. They inform our choices, our way of life and eventually our world view. So is it any surprise to know that language plays a predominant role in influencing our reading choices too?
As human beings, most of us prefer the known and comfortable to the unknown and jarring. The need to seek out the familiar is visible in our book choices, when we tend to stick to a favourite genre, author or even language. They provide us with a sense of comfort in an otherwise chaotic world. After all, isn’t that one of the main reasons why book lovers exist, to find a safe haven to escape to? But literature serves a higher goal – to try to bring about a reformation among the masses by holding up a mirror to society without attempting to sound preachy. A difficult task, but one that is successfully accomplished by many across the world. All that is required is for us to find them.
In this quest to unearth these masterpieces, language can often come across as a barrier that stops us from appreciating the true depth of potential that the world possesses. Literature in translation solves that problem too. It allows us to understand and acknowledge the different cultures in the world, truly making us a global community. By giving voice to the otherwise unheard of authors, we bring in new perspectives to age-old issues and shed light on newer ones that are in danger of going unnoticed. History that is taught is so different from the history that is lived. Setting the record straight is imperative and translated works give people the freedom and opportunity to do just that.
Literature in translation is an attempt to subvert the colonialism that still exists in society to this very day. It uses the language of the colonizers to hit back and show them the error of their ways. So, we have decided to dedicate July to reading more translated works from all around the world. While nothing can ever compare to reading a work in its native language, knowledge of its content, intent and motivation is enough to get the ball rolling.
“Without translation, we would be living in provinces bordering on silence.”
-George Steiner