Shrestha deliberates on translators' honesty

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Apr:2: The Society of Translators Nepal featured author Avaya Shrestha in its third episode of Anubad Bimarsha (Translation Discourse).

During the virtual session held via Zoom on Sunday evening, chaired by Dr. Bal Ram Adhikari, the President of the Society, prominent poet, short story writer, and journalist Shrestha shed light on the practical sides of translation.

Sharing his perspectives on the theme 'Translation: Experience and Perspective,' Shrestha emphasised that being an expert in languages alone is not enough for a translator; a high level of integrity is important. 

Criticising certain malpractices within the Nepali translation sector, he remarked, "The tendency of claiming to translate from the original source while actually relying on Hindi versions has undermined the dignity of translation."

He claimed that such deceptive acts go against the fundamental ethics of translation.

Shrestha mentioned that he was fortunate to have read world-class literature, including Russian fiction, through translated books. “They inspired me to translate world-class short stories for Nepali readers who cannot read English,” he said.

He also revealed that he is going to publish a book of translated world-class short stories titled Mahan Katha (Great Short Stories). 

Shrestha, who has translated works of global literary icons ranging from poets like Shelly, DH Lawrence, Brecht, Pablo Neruda to fiction writers Chekov, Guy de Maupassant, Milan Kundera, and Marquez into Nepali, defined poetry translation as a quest for 'internal rhythm.' 

He further shared his experiments in adapting Gabriel García Márquez's long and intricate sentences to suit the linguistic nature and consciousness of Nepali readers. "I have analysed Marquez's single long sentence into multiple shorter ones while translating it into Nepali," he said.

Shrestha also discussed the translation process and the socio-psychological nuances of French short story master Maupassant’s famous stories such as 'The Necklace,' 'Fancy Love,' 'The Ball of Fat,' 'In the Bed Room' and 'The Signal.'  

He stressed the need for state institutions like the Nepal Academy to send Nepali translators abroad for translation studies and organise international-level workshops and training programmes to ensure the quality of the translation. 

Moderator Chandra Bahadur Lama announced the presentation of a 'Digital Certificate of Appreciation' to Shrestha on behalf of the Society. Society chair Dr. Bal Ram Adhikari expressed the Society's commitment to making the discourse series even more effective by involving more academic figures, established writers, and expert translators in the future.