Introduction
This task has been assigned by Archita Ma’am as part of our classroom activity for Unit 3 & 4: Translation Studies. The purpose of this activity is to give us hands-on experience in translating a paragraph from Gujarati or Hindi fiction into English. Through this exercise, we not only practice the skill of translation but also reflect on important aspects such as equivalence, untranslatability, cultural gaps, and the effectiveness of translation tools. This blog is my response to the given task.
1. Title of the Fiction Chosen :
Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (Gujarati Translation Edition used)
(I take this image from google)
2. Original Paragraph :
સ્કૂલમાંથી ઘર તરફ જવાના રસ્તે, ઘરની બિલકુલ પાસે રસ્તાને એક છેડે તોત્તો-ચાને એક લોભામણી વસ્તુ જોઈ. ત્યાં રેતનો એક મોટો ઢગલો હતો. દરિયાથી એટલે દૂર રેતનો આવો ઢગલો જોઈને એ આશ્ચર્યચકિત થઈ ગઈ. આ સપનું તો નથી ને? એ ખુશખુશ થઈ ગઈ. કૂદકો મારીને એ રેતીના ઢગલાની ટોચે ચઢી ને જોરથી એની વચ્ચોવચ કૂદી.પણ આ ઢગલો ખરેખર રેતીનો હતો નહીં. એમાં, દીવાલ પર પ્લાસ્ટર કરવા માટે તૈયાર કરેલો સિમેન્ટ હતો. એટલે ' ઝપ્ ' લઈને એ એમાં અંદર ઊતરી ગઈ. દફતર ને જૂતાંના ઝોળાસમેત એ છાતી સુધી અંદર જતી રહેલી. એ ચીકણા પ્લાસ્ટરમાં તે, જાણે કોઈ મૂર્તિ ન હોય એમ, જકડાઈ ગઈ! બહાર નીકળવા એ મથામણ કરવા લાગી પણ એમ કરવામાં તો એનાં બંને પગ અંદર ને અંદર ઊંડા લપસતાં જતા હતા. પગમાંથી બૂટ પણ નીકળી જાય એમ લાગતું હતું. અને હવે તો, આખી ને આખી અંદર ઊતરી ન જવાય એનું ધ્યાન પણ રાખવાનું હતું. એટલે જૂતાંનો ઝોળો પકડ્યો હતો એ એનો ડાબો હાથ ઉપરના ચીકણા પ્લાસ્ટર પર ટેકવીને એ છેવટે હાલ્યચાલ્યા વિના ઊભી રહી ગઈ. એટલામાં, એક-બે અજાણી સ્ત્રીઓ ત્યાંથી પસાર થતી હતી. એમને જોઈને હળવે અવાજે એણે કહ્યું - ' એય…, જુઓને…!' પણ એ લોકોને લાગ્યું હશે કે છોકરી કંઈક રમત કરી રહી છે એટલે સ્હેજ હસીને એ લોકો આગળ ચાલ્યાં.
3. Translated Paragraph :
On her way home from school, right near her house, at one end of the road Totto-chan saw something very tempting. There was a big heap of sand. Seeing such a heap of sand so far from the sea, she was amazed. Isn’t this a dream? She became happy. Jumping up, she climbed to the top of the heap and leapt right into the middle of it. But this heap was not really of sand. In it was cement prepared for plastering walls. So, with a “thud,” she sank inside. Along with her satchel and shoes, she went in up to her chest. In that sticky plaster she got stuck, as if she were some statue! She tried to get out, but the more she tried, the deeper her legs slipped inside. It even seemed her boots might come off. And now she had to be careful not to sink in completely. So, holding the strap of her satchel, she pressed her left hand against the wet plaster above her and managed to stand still at last. Just then, one or two unknown women happened to pass by. Seeing them, she called softly, “Hey… look!” But the women must have thought the girl was just playing some kind of game, so they simply smiled a little and walked on.
4. Context Behind the Paragraph :
This paragraph comes from the part of Totto-chan, which written originally in Japanese where the little girl, curious and playful, mistakes a heap of cement for sand and jumps into it. The scene reflects her innocence, adventurous nature, and the misunderstanding between her perception and reality.
5. Briefing of the Book :
Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window is a semi-autobiographical memory by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. The book narrates her childhood experiences at Tomoe Gakuen, a unique school in Japan. It highlights themes of freedom in education, creativity, child psychology, and the importance of nurturing individuality in children.
Reflection Questions
Q1. Is there any translation available on the fiction you chose?
Ans: Yes, Totto-chan has been translated into many languages, including Gujarati, Hindi, and English.
Q2. While conducting translative reading, did you encounter any cultural issues or
gaps?
Ans: No, in the paragraph I selected there were no cultural issues or gaps.
Q3. Did the problem of untranslatability or equivalence occur in the chosen fiction?
Ans: Yes, some words like “ઝપ્” (thud sound) are difficult to capture fully in English.
Q4. Which tools and sources were used while conducting the translation? Were they
effective in achieving accuracy?
Ans: I used Google Translate and ChatGPT for finding the meanings of some words, and they were helpful in making my translation clear and accurate.
Q5. Describe your experience as a translator.
Ans: The translation was both challenging and enjoyable. I faced some problems like maintaining accuracy and finding the exact meaning of the source language. Translation is not as easy as I thought; it requires patience, practice, and a careful choice of words.
Conclusion :
Through this activity, I learned that translation is not just about words but also about meaning and emotions. I faced some problems during translation, but they improved my understanding and made my thoughts about translation clearer and better.
