Translators as Agents of Historical Change
14/07/20 08:24 Archived in: E-zine
By Miggy Bondoc, Tomedes USA
Take an in-depth look into translation history and how the translator’s roles evolved from being advisors to historical rulers to working in a translation company.
In today’s day and age, translators usually take the back seat among the rest of what’s seen as ‘honourable’, ‘heroic’, and even ‘prestigious’ professions such as doctors and lawyers for example. I have to admit that as a language-learner, I fell prey to such thinking and never crossed to my mind the thought of becoming a translator or interpreter, or any language specialist for that matter.
I thought a career in diplomacy would be a more ‘fitting’ environment for my language skills. But I’ve moved on from that mentality quite some time ago. I’m sure many must have come across a point in their lives when they’ve associated their careers with some form of vanity. Although my desire to enter a career in diplomacy hasn't changed, I’ve now gained an immense appreciation for language specialists of all colors and the influence they yield today and in the past.
The more I look into it, the more I realize how translation was instrumental in our history but also the survival of our species as a whole. Translation is a manifestation of our innate urge to connect with fellow species across borders. Whether we choose to connect amiably or under hostile terms isn’t the point, however. Nonetheless, in ancient history, translators were revered as being able to speak in multiple tongues, combined with the ability to write and read, was a rare and valuable skill.
From unravelling the secrets of ancient civilizations to developing our understanding of the world’s oldest languages in the world, translators were influential in more ways we think. If we take a step back and look at how their skills were utilized through time, then perhaps we can have a greater appreciation for these artists and their modern-day counterparts.
Translators as treasured state assets
Translators during ancient times were regarded as important agents of the state, religion, art, and academia. Granted, they still are today but their presence is not as ‘revered’ sort of speak as they were before. But of course, their linguistic artistry still manages to astonish people including myself.
However in the past, the recognition for them came from a time when reading and writing was considered an elite privilege. Thus, the ability to write and speak with multiple tongues was an even rarer skill. If captured as prisoners, their services would still be valued nonetheless. However, it could either be an extreme privilege or a curse to be a translator depending on the situation. In that case, it’s better to not be captured at all in my opinion.
Translators as actual catalysts to historical events
While the names of many translators of antiquity were lost in the annals of history, there are those in which their efforts were so noteworthy that their names have endured to this day. In fact, they have changed so much of history to an extent that it has shaped the world, its cultures, and its borders to what we’re familiar with today.
If the name Malinche rings a bell, then you’re probably aware of how crucial her service was to Hernán Cortés' conquest of the Aztec Empire. She was a native who served as Cortés’ Nahuatl interpreter and even became his mistress. Apart from her interpreting skills, she also acted as his advisor, teaching Cortés how to navigate the tribal political landscape of the Aztec Empire. Her reception today is mixed as some view her as a traitor who betrayed her own people. While others see her in a more forgiving light as she was initially sold to slavery by her own mother, which in turn voids any form of loyalty that show owes to her people. Regardless of how contemporary audiences view her, one can only imagine the amount of power she wielded.
Another more familiar name is Martin Luther. By translating the Latin Bible into common German, he granted the common people access to texts that were only available to those who speak liturgical Latin in the church and aristocracy. By doing so, he influenced modern Christianity and modern European history as we know it. Luther’s efforts fuelled further clamour against the papal authority and in the ensuing decades led to the European Wars of Religion, most notably the Thirty Years War.
All in all, these two names, along with many others, have been echoed throughout history as to the power of language in swaying the actions of civilizations.
Preserving works and discoveries of ancient civilizations through translation
Translators today and in the past have deliberately sought to preserve the works of humanity. One of the most quintessential moments in translation history was the finding of the Rosetta Stone in 1799; a granite slab inscribed with Ancient demotic Egyptian hieroglyphics and its Ancient Greek translation. The translation helped Egyptologists understand how one of the oldest languages in the world was written and in turn, allowed them to unravel more mysteries of Ancient Egypt.
But the discovery of the Rosetta Stone had been a chance encounter and would have continued to be buried under Egyptian sand if it weren’t for Napoleon Bonaparte’s campaign in Egypt. That being said, our understanding of ancient civilizations would be considerably less if translated works entirely depended on archaeological findings and chance encounters.
For that, we have to be thankful for all translation movements in the past and present that deliberately sought to archive and preserve human civilization's most important documents, literature, and scientific discoveries.
Translation of religious texts
Translation and religion naturally go hand in hand as history has shown us. It is the objective of many religious institutions to archive their records and have it stand the test of time as a testament of their enduring presence. The most notable example is the Bible. The patron saint of translators and the so-called ‘godfather’ of translation is Saint Jerome. He was responsible for translating the Old Testament from Ancient Hebrew and Greek to Latin. Throughout ancient history, the Bible was then translated into numerous languages—with some efforts proving to be controversial to say the least for their times as made evident by Martin Luther.
Arabic translators importing Ancient Greek works
The Islamic world during the late 1st millennia was fascinated with Ancient Greek works and Hellenic Culture. Realizing that they could significantly advance their civilization and establish themselves as centers of thought and scientific progress by importing ideas and findings from Ancient Greek, well-funded Arabic translators set to work.
The translators of ancient Baghdad were faced with a monumental undertaking since Arabic and Greek are linguistically unrelated. Nor were there established language conventions and translation resources that translators enjoy today. This made the efforts of Arabic translators even more challenging and equally noteworthy.
The Toledo school of translators continuing the legacy of Arabic translators
After the Arabic translators came the Toledo School of Translators in medieval Spain. In between the 12 and 13th century, Toledo scholars who were well-versed in Arabic decided to translate the Arabic works available to them. Thanks to the Arabic translators in the centuries before, the Toledo scholars now had access to classical Greek works. Under the guidance of Archbishop Raymond de Sauvetât of Toledo, scholars continued the practice of preserving the ancient works of Greek philosophy and sciences from anatomy, algebra, to astronomy and more.
Food for thought
In a time where translators and language specialists are easy to come by be it in an academic institution, translation company, or travel agency, it’s somewhat understandable that their role in our society is generally under-appreciated to say the least. But it makes you wonder what our world would be like without translation.
Without the translation movements, would the European Renaissance be possible, considering the great minds of the Renaissance were largely inspired by classical Greek works? And with it, democracy and modern society? In fact, would our species have survived the test of time if we looked exclusively to our own borders? Would we have endured without acknowledging our primordial need to breach language barriers, to connect with each other, and to share ideas?
I’m sure that there are others who can do a better job of explaining the importance of translation in our history and its artistry. Rather, consider this as my way of sharing my newfound appreciation for our society’s so-called ‘unprestigious’ occupations and skills.
Submitted by M. Bondoc, Tomedes USA
Take an in-depth look into translation history and how the translator’s roles evolved from being advisors to historical rulers to working in a translation company.
In today’s day and age, translators usually take the back seat among the rest of what’s seen as ‘honourable’, ‘heroic’, and even ‘prestigious’ professions such as doctors and lawyers for example. I have to admit that as a language-learner, I fell prey to such thinking and never crossed to my mind the thought of becoming a translator or interpreter, or any language specialist for that matter.
I thought a career in diplomacy would be a more ‘fitting’ environment for my language skills. But I’ve moved on from that mentality quite some time ago. I’m sure many must have come across a point in their lives when they’ve associated their careers with some form of vanity. Although my desire to enter a career in diplomacy hasn't changed, I’ve now gained an immense appreciation for language specialists of all colors and the influence they yield today and in the past.
The more I look into it, the more I realize how translation was instrumental in our history but also the survival of our species as a whole. Translation is a manifestation of our innate urge to connect with fellow species across borders. Whether we choose to connect amiably or under hostile terms isn’t the point, however. Nonetheless, in ancient history, translators were revered as being able to speak in multiple tongues, combined with the ability to write and read, was a rare and valuable skill.
From unravelling the secrets of ancient civilizations to developing our understanding of the world’s oldest languages in the world, translators were influential in more ways we think. If we take a step back and look at how their skills were utilized through time, then perhaps we can have a greater appreciation for these artists and their modern-day counterparts.
Translators as treasured state assets
Translators during ancient times were regarded as important agents of the state, religion, art, and academia. Granted, they still are today but their presence is not as ‘revered’ sort of speak as they were before. But of course, their linguistic artistry still manages to astonish people including myself.
However in the past, the recognition for them came from a time when reading and writing was considered an elite privilege. Thus, the ability to write and speak with multiple tongues was an even rarer skill. If captured as prisoners, their services would still be valued nonetheless. However, it could either be an extreme privilege or a curse to be a translator depending on the situation. In that case, it’s better to not be captured at all in my opinion.
Translators as actual catalysts to historical events
While the names of many translators of antiquity were lost in the annals of history, there are those in which their efforts were so noteworthy that their names have endured to this day. In fact, they have changed so much of history to an extent that it has shaped the world, its cultures, and its borders to what we’re familiar with today.
If the name Malinche rings a bell, then you’re probably aware of how crucial her service was to Hernán Cortés' conquest of the Aztec Empire. She was a native who served as Cortés’ Nahuatl interpreter and even became his mistress. Apart from her interpreting skills, she also acted as his advisor, teaching Cortés how to navigate the tribal political landscape of the Aztec Empire. Her reception today is mixed as some view her as a traitor who betrayed her own people. While others see her in a more forgiving light as she was initially sold to slavery by her own mother, which in turn voids any form of loyalty that show owes to her people. Regardless of how contemporary audiences view her, one can only imagine the amount of power she wielded.
Another more familiar name is Martin Luther. By translating the Latin Bible into common German, he granted the common people access to texts that were only available to those who speak liturgical Latin in the church and aristocracy. By doing so, he influenced modern Christianity and modern European history as we know it. Luther’s efforts fuelled further clamour against the papal authority and in the ensuing decades led to the European Wars of Religion, most notably the Thirty Years War.
All in all, these two names, along with many others, have been echoed throughout history as to the power of language in swaying the actions of civilizations.
Preserving works and discoveries of ancient civilizations through translation
Translators today and in the past have deliberately sought to preserve the works of humanity. One of the most quintessential moments in translation history was the finding of the Rosetta Stone in 1799; a granite slab inscribed with Ancient demotic Egyptian hieroglyphics and its Ancient Greek translation. The translation helped Egyptologists understand how one of the oldest languages in the world was written and in turn, allowed them to unravel more mysteries of Ancient Egypt.
But the discovery of the Rosetta Stone had been a chance encounter and would have continued to be buried under Egyptian sand if it weren’t for Napoleon Bonaparte’s campaign in Egypt. That being said, our understanding of ancient civilizations would be considerably less if translated works entirely depended on archaeological findings and chance encounters.
For that, we have to be thankful for all translation movements in the past and present that deliberately sought to archive and preserve human civilization's most important documents, literature, and scientific discoveries.
Translation of religious texts
Translation and religion naturally go hand in hand as history has shown us. It is the objective of many religious institutions to archive their records and have it stand the test of time as a testament of their enduring presence. The most notable example is the Bible. The patron saint of translators and the so-called ‘godfather’ of translation is Saint Jerome. He was responsible for translating the Old Testament from Ancient Hebrew and Greek to Latin. Throughout ancient history, the Bible was then translated into numerous languages—with some efforts proving to be controversial to say the least for their times as made evident by Martin Luther.
Arabic translators importing Ancient Greek works
The Islamic world during the late 1st millennia was fascinated with Ancient Greek works and Hellenic Culture. Realizing that they could significantly advance their civilization and establish themselves as centers of thought and scientific progress by importing ideas and findings from Ancient Greek, well-funded Arabic translators set to work.
The translators of ancient Baghdad were faced with a monumental undertaking since Arabic and Greek are linguistically unrelated. Nor were there established language conventions and translation resources that translators enjoy today. This made the efforts of Arabic translators even more challenging and equally noteworthy.
The Toledo school of translators continuing the legacy of Arabic translators
After the Arabic translators came the Toledo School of Translators in medieval Spain. In between the 12 and 13th century, Toledo scholars who were well-versed in Arabic decided to translate the Arabic works available to them. Thanks to the Arabic translators in the centuries before, the Toledo scholars now had access to classical Greek works. Under the guidance of Archbishop Raymond de Sauvetât of Toledo, scholars continued the practice of preserving the ancient works of Greek philosophy and sciences from anatomy, algebra, to astronomy and more.
Food for thought
In a time where translators and language specialists are easy to come by be it in an academic institution, translation company, or travel agency, it’s somewhat understandable that their role in our society is generally under-appreciated to say the least. But it makes you wonder what our world would be like without translation.
Without the translation movements, would the European Renaissance be possible, considering the great minds of the Renaissance were largely inspired by classical Greek works? And with it, democracy and modern society? In fact, would our species have survived the test of time if we looked exclusively to our own borders? Would we have endured without acknowledging our primordial need to breach language barriers, to connect with each other, and to share ideas?
I’m sure that there are others who can do a better job of explaining the importance of translation in our history and its artistry. Rather, consider this as my way of sharing my newfound appreciation for our society’s so-called ‘unprestigious’ occupations and skills.
Submitted by M. Bondoc, Tomedes USA