Senior translator, Lin Wusun, has been interpreting and translating Chinese into English in the People's Republic of China since 1950. At a recent conference entitled "translation and diversified culture," he discussed his experiences and views regarding the well-respected profession.
He states that translating is exhausting, yet very rewarding. "Such an experience can be amazing and I feel a strong sense of achievement after recreating a work in a second language," Wusun proclaims.
Wusun is no longer a young man, yet believes a translator is never "past it" or unable to translate properly due to aging. In fact, he believes older translators can handle urgent needs better than those who are younger.
Nevertheless, good translators are hard to find, according to Wusun, yet there are over 500,000 interpreters and translators in China. Nevertheless, many are not aware of the cultural influences that surround translating in a diverse, global environment.
Wusun states, "Many species in nature become extinct, but never again should this happen to a culture. Cultures do not simply belong to a specific country, but are a treasure deposited in the long history of humanity." Thus, translation makes a fantastic contribution to cultural protection and sustenance.
11 August 2008
