Archive for the ‘Translation’ Category

Aug
10
2010

Ley de Idiomas Indígenas fue traducida en 13 lenguas originarias

Caracas, 09 Ago. AVN .- Con el objetivo de reivindicar las culturas ancestrales y fortalecer el pensamiento indoamericano, este lunes fue presentada la Ley de Idiomas Indígenas traducida en 13 lenguas originarias.

Así lo informó el presidente del Parlamento Indígena de América, diputado José Poyo, durante un acto conmemorativo por el Día Internacional de los Pueblos Indígenas, que se celebra el 09 de agosto de todos los años, efectuado en la sede parlamentaria y en el que participaron indígenas mapoyo del municipio Cedeño, estado Bolívar.

En ese sentido, señaló que “la labor editorial estuvo a cargo del personal del Parlamento Indígena de América, Grupo Parlamentario Venezolano (PIA-GPV), quienes tuvieron la tarea que traducir la ley al idioma barí, inga, jivi, kurripako, pemón, piapoco, puinave, pumé, warao, warekena, wayunaiki, yanomami y ye”kuana”, dijo.

De igual forma, indicó que el PIA-GVP continuará trabajando para lograr la traducción de los otros cinco idiomas restantes: akawayo, baré, kariña, piaroa, yeral.

Estas novedosas publicaciones forman parte de la Colección Legislación Indígena, 516 Años de Resistencia, inaugurada en el 2008, cumpliendo con lo emanado en el artículo 02 de la Ley de Idiomas Indígenas.
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Jul
18
2010

Indígena embera baudó de 23 años traduce La Biblia a su lengua nativa

Tilson Papelito Nampia estudia pedagogía infantil y también ha escrito nueve cartillas en embera y castellano para difundir la cultura de su pueblo.

La historia del origen del mundo que Tilson Papelito Nampia escuchaba en palabras de su abuela Alicia, a orillas del río Baudó, en el Chocó, cuando era niño, tiene mucho parecido con la que cuenta el libro del Génesis, en La Biblia.

Así lo comprobó este joven indígena, de 23 años, cuando se embarcó en la tarea de traducir el libro sagrado a su lengua nativa, el embera baudó.

Tilson pertenece a la comunidad indígena de Guadualito, que está asentada a orillas del río Baudó, en el Chocó, y que queda a dos días de viaje de Pereira (Risaralda). A esta ciudad llegó hace seis años con el propósito de terminar sus estudios de secundaria, tarea que pudo cumplir gracias al apoyo de la Fundación Desarrollo Marginado para los Pueblos Indígenas.

“Vivía en mi comunidad, que está conformada por unas 500 personas. Gracias a una profesora de Istmina hicimos el contacto para venir a estudiar aquí en Pereira”, cuenta el joven, que está casado con Gloria Inés, una indígena de 20 años, con la que tiene dos hijos: Deisy, de un año y medio y Cristian, que nació hace dos semanas.

Tilson estuvo un tiempo en su resguardo, dedicado al cultivo de plátano, de arroz y a la pesca de camarón, cangrejo y barbudo, que son su comida favorita.
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Jun
25
2010

Corey J. Hodges: Putting in a good word for getting a Bible in every language

By Corey J. Hodges. Updated 2 Hours Ago

Wycliffe Bible Translators’ Last Languages Campaign is aiming for a lofty goal: See the Bible translated into every one of the world’s 6,909 spoken languages by 2025.

Wycliffe, the largest Bible-translation organization, estimates more than 350 million people do not have these Scriptures written in their language.

The estimated 2,200 languages that remain without a Bible fall mostly in the area Christian missionaries commonly refer to as the 10/40 window. This is a rectangular region of the Eastern Hemisphere that extends from 10 degrees to 40 degrees north of the equator, stretching from North Africa across to China. This region boasts the largest population of non-Christians and is reported to be home to most of the world’s poor.

Translating the Bible is an endeavor that began almost 2,000 years ago. The original Old Testament text was written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek. The first English translation appeared in the 14th century. Translating the Bible is an arduous task because of the vast differences that exist in languages and cultures. But many of the languages that still do not have a biblical text have the added challenge of being nonwritten. Translators, therefore, must first develop an alphabet before even beginning the Bible work. Additionally, primers must be created to teach many people to read their language; otherwise the written Scriptures are of no avail.

While technological advances have hastened the process, Wycliffe acknowledges its ambitious goal will require vast monetary resources and missionaries willing to transplant themselves to some of the poorest places on the planet.
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Apr
27
2010

Language cops nail store for English-only sex toy

By Max Harrold, The GazetteApril 26, 2010 4:46 PM

MONTREAL – Quebec’s language police have cracked the whip on a Montreal sex-toy emporium.

Distribution Percour Inc., owner of Boutique Séduction in Montreal North, has been ordered by a Quebec Court judge to pay $500 for selling an item called Sleeve Super Stretch whose packaging was in English only.

The April 19 ruling came after a failed six-year effort by the Office québécois de la langue française to get the store to stick French labels on Sleeve Super Stretch boxes.

Acting on a citizen’s complaint, an OQLF inspector visited the store in 2004 and photographed the packaging of the sex-toy accessory worn by men.

Subsequent meetings between OQLF officials and store manager Mireille Gaudreau aimed to force the store to produce French labels to conform to the law.

Though court records show that the store agreed to translate the packaging, it never followed through.

In his 10-page ruling, Judge Gilles Michaud slammed the defendant’s claim that the device is exempt under Quebec’s law on the language of commerce and trade.

For safety reasons, Michaud said, it’s important for consumers to be able to understand written instructions on the items they buy.
(more…)

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Apr
04
2010

Creating translations that are faithful, not literal

By Anna Mundow. Globe Correspondent / April 4, 2010

Marian Schwartz is an acclaimed translator of Russian fiction, history, biography, and criticism. Her most recent translations include Ivan Goncharov’s 19th-century novel “Oblomov” and Olga Slavnikova’s futuristic novel “2017.” Schwartz is also the principal English translator of the works of Nina Berberova.

She spoke from her home in Austin, Texas.

Q. What is a good translation?

A. I think a translation is considered “good’’ when the reader likes it, even if it’s tough going. Bulgakov’s “White Guard,” for example, was known for years in the Glenny translation, which was a pleasure to read but had little to do with the original text and omitted crucial bits; everyone but Slavists loved it. I hope that my new translation reproduces the full range of devices and effects of the original. Incidentally, our capacity — and willingness — to appreciate difficult texts seems to have changed, particularly for canonical texts.

Q. In what way?

A. I think we’ve become more receptive to foreign elements. Constance Garnett, whom I will defend to the end of my days, is now criticized for not being faithful to Tolstoy’s text, for setting his books in what feels like an English garden, but in my view it cannot be bad when a translation gives people access to works that they would never otherwise have read. As I was saying, though, our taste for foreignness has increased. A simple example: 50 years ago, names of Chinese characters were translated — “Peach Blossom’’ and the like — whereas now the preference is for the transliterated Chinese names. There is an ongoing debate among translators about “foreignizing’’ and “domestication,’’ but wherever a translator’s choice falls, today it will probably be closer to foreignizing than it would have been 50 years ago. (more…)

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