A Short History of Translation
The history of translation is a long and complex topic too deep for a blog post. However, knowing you need professionally translated documents for your citizenship application might have you more curious about the process and history behind the field. Just as we find it a joy and pleasure to bridge two countries in handling translations for prospective dual citizens, translation itself has inherently involved a connection of cultures. Read on to learn more, and perhaps get inspired to learn Italian in Italy once you have your citizenship.
The Earliest Translations
The practice of translation goes back millennia, perhaps as early as the Mesopotamian era. Around 2100 BC, Gilgamesh, a poem written in Sumerian, was translated into various Asian languages. Indian texts adapted to Chinese by Buddhist monks are other examples of ancient, early translations. This might seem surprising, as many probably associate early translations with the Bible. However, there are other non-Biblical examples. For instance, there is evidence that the princes of Elephantine in Ancient Egypt had a whole class of interpreters. Rather than translating texts though, these people facilitated communication with outsiders who did not speak Egyptian. This was especially important because, in this period (3rd millennium), Egyptians typically didn’t learn other languages. The interpreters were primarily sons of foreign royal families who were raised Egyptian.
One of the first translators with an identifiable name was Livius Adronicus. He was from modern-day Taranto, Puglia, which was conquered by the Romans in 272 BC. Livius was a slave to Roman nobles but was later freed and became an accomplished poet. He translated Homer’s Odyssey into Latin around 240 BC, although there are only 46 extant lines. Within these lines, we see translations both literally and freely, the latter aiming to preserve the sense of the text even if the words were not one-to-one. Unfortunately, our translators at ICT cannot be so artistic in their translations of vital records.
Two Roman translators following Livius—Cicero and Horace—further developed these practices of word-for-word and sense-for-sense translations. However, it would be nearly two more millennia before a proper methodology of translation came.
Translation Spreads into New Areas
Entering the end of the ancient era, religion was the primary drive behind translation as a way to spread texts and knowledge outside of confined areas. Translation was developing from a basic communication method, to sharing stories with other cultures, to now bridging communities of people together.
It is probably not surprising then that the Bible is one of the most translated books in the world. This began with the translation of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) into Greek in the 3rd century BC. This translation is called the ‘Septuagint,” the name coming from “seventy,” and a reference to the 70 translators who worked on it. Later on, St Jerome translated the Bible into Latin (4th century AD), and once Protestantism developed many more translations came along. In fact, John Wycliffe and his assistants are credited with the first translation of the Bible into English (that is, Middle English) in the 1380s. However, it was William Tyndale’s translation in the 1530s that greatly influenced later English translations.
The Bible was far from the only text translated into English during this period. Earlier, in the Middle Ages, Alfred the Great, King of England, commissioned a translation of The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius and Ecclesiastical History by Bede. Thomas Malory also reworked the tales of the Legend of King Arthur into what we know today as Le Morte d’Arthur.
Early on, translation was not considered much of an art form. It was for pure communication and transmission of meaning, whether literally or “sense-to-sense.” Thomas Malory could perhaps be said to be an exception to this, in his reworking of the King Arthur tales. Another development came with John Dryden in the 17th century, who translated the works of Virgil. His translations were known more for being loose, expanding on passages that he believed to be too short in the original Latin, and paraphrasing. This method differed from faithful translations, which sought simply to relay the same message of the text. With Dryden comes a glimpse of transparent translation, which primarily sought to serve the target language reader by adapting all aspects and masking the fact that it originates from a foreign text.
The advent of the printing press also greatly influenced translation as it made texts more accessible to a wider range of people from all classes. It also meant Latin was no longer the predominant language of texts.
Translation Moves into the Modern Era
With the Enlightenment and following Industrial Revolution, with its new machinery and technology, came a more efficient, productive society, one that wanted to branch out even farther into the world. This world was also using the vernacular more in the learned classes. Translation greatly contributed to this early globalization, allowing people and businesses to communicate easier.
The 19th century also saw proper theories and methodologies of translation develop. Two of these were already noted above, the question of whether a translation should remain faithful above all else to the text or “give” a little to meet the reader halfway. It wasn’t until a century later, around the 1950s and 1960s, though, that translation became a proper discipline in universities.
Translation practice today, is of course greatly helped by computers and the assistance of translation apps. Anyone (translator or not) who has used these apps, though, knows that they are not completely reliable on their own, thus the need for a qualified professional with knowledge of the target language.
It is also indispensable for the tourist industry, to better distribute information and share with visitors all the useful, informative, and entertaining aspects about the place they are visiting.
ICT Proudly Fits into this History
Here at ICT, we are honored to follow the translators that came before us and developed this discipline into the useful practice it is today. By translating vital records and other crucial documents, and certifying these translations, we facilitate a bureaucratic exchange that affords our clients the satisfaction of obtaining dual citizenship and living abroad. This then fosters global connections and, for many clients, the nostalgia of experiencing their ancestors’ homeland.
This short history of translation has in no way meant to be comprehensive, but it has hopefully given you an idea of the complexity of the industry, as well as why qualified professionals are indispensable for translations for your citizenship application.
We would be happy to work with you, so don’t hesitate to contact us at info@italiancitizenshiptranslators.com