Translation as a Cultural Act

Scarlett, one of my CAT Tools!

Translation is not about writing a bunch of proper words in succession.

​
Translation is not about choosing good words in your native language, so that readers or viewers can have a grasp of the story unfolding before their eyes.

When proofreading some Italian translations, I often feel like I am reading a nice sequence of words that conveys the original meaning, but nothing more. Translating a text from one language to another is like tuning different instruments together so that they can play and allow listeners to enjoy the perfect melody.

If translation were only a simple sequence of pretty little words juxtaposed in the same sentence, then translation would be totally useless. I still believe translation is a powerful medium. Far from being a mere linguistic matter, translation has a cultural and social impact that cannot be reduced to delivering an impersonal and forgettable text.

*Scarlett totally agrees with this post, but she is too lazy to type something in the comment section.*