Bhubaneswar: Books in Indian languages should be translated in such a way so that a global audience, including Americans and British, can easily understand them, opined experts while speaking at an international conference on translation organised by the English department of Utkal University here on Thursday.
Titled ‘Translating Literatures of the Global South: Challenges, Questions and Debates’, experts also emphasized that the quality of translation needs to be improved.Others laid stress on improving the quality and reach of translation to promote and propagate literature and knowledge texts of regional languages.
Peter Constantine, a professor at the University of Connecticut, USA, mentioned that translated texts coming from Indian writers should reach a global audience. “The translated texts are written in a kind of English that is very accessible, vibrant and readable to the Indian public but difficult for Americans. Most Indian writers think about the Indian readers and they use regional words in the English translation. When this is presented to a British or an American audience, they find it difficult to comprehend,” he added.
Citing examples, he explained that the use of Hindi words like ‘Babaji’ or ‘Kaka’ in an English translation is fine for Indians, but an American cannot understand this. “These words can be replaced with an easier English word. If an Indian translator wants a global audience, he or she can focus on such small things,” he added.

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