All Communication is Translation
I recently had the good fortune of meeting up with a friend of mine who does language translation on the side. I was marveling to them that I was in the middle of two literary classics – Divine Comedy and Tale of Genji – that were not only not written in English but were also penned several hundreds of years ago. Hence, these intrepid modern-day translators had to transcend language, culture, and time. Furthermore, both are partly or fully poetry, so the English translations had to rhyme! An astounding amount of considerations when trying to figure out how to faithfully represent the author’s intentions.
It occurs to me that, in a sense, all communication is translation. Even when we speak the same language and exist at the same time, there is a sense in which what I say comes from a specific perspective and context, and someone listening to me does not necessarily share (or even know) that perspective and context. And the reverse is true, as what I hear from others I naturally process from my own perspective and context but cannot assume that that is correct to do.
Good speaking involves acknowledging these differences and figuring out a way to clue listeners in to things they may not know and need to know in order to understand what you’re saying. Similarly, good listening involves acknowledging that how you absorb something may not be accurate, so some humility and follow-up clarifications are likely in order.
All this for two people speaking the same language and
living at the same time! But if you think about it, all conversations involve
some bridges that must be crossed, whether age gaps or cultural differences or ideological
diversity. Reading an Italian book from the 1300s and a Japanese book from the
11th century, plus conversing with an actual translator, has helped
reinforce this point for me, and has given me a lot more insight as to how best
to speak and listen.
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