THEY ARE A GODSEND FOR THE MEDIA
The lost-intranslation factor is minimised when official statements are readily translated into the different languages
AS a media practitioner in the administrative capital for more than five years, I have been bombarded with press statements in the Malay language.
A ballpark figure to it would easily be more than 90 per cent of government official statements are in Malay. I envy my colleagues from the Malay media because they do not have to kill their brain cells to translate these statements. And so, when I’m given the English version of any press statements, it certainly makes my day.
The English translated versions are a big help; I take less time to process them, and this is much welcomed, especially when speed is paramount in this line. Plus, readily translated versions help to reduce errors, particularly when technical terms are used. It goes without saying that the Chinese media would feel the same when they get readily translated versions in Mandarin.
Hence, I’m floored by the recent brouhaha over press statements being issued in three different languages by the Finance Ministry.
In fact, I am baffled — why the fuss? Perhaps, the convenience of having English version press statements has made me partial about this. But, to be fair, I can relate why some have voiced their concerns. It looks like they are sending a clear message to everyone that Bahasa Melayu as the country's official language must be defended at all costs.
The key position of the Malay language is clearly stated in the Federal Constitution under Article 152(1), stating that Bahasa Melayu is the national language.
Section 2 of the National Language Act also states that the “national language must be used in official matters”, which is taken to mean that Bahasa Malaysia, or Bahasa Melayu as stated in the Constitution, should be used in all government matters.
The use of English, said the unit, is permitted when necessary, including for the purpose of translation or to explain international policies as well as the government’s stand.
Point taken. I will not argue on this. But, being a journalist, who is always on the edge to meet deadlines, translated statements are godsend.
So much so, when we get the translated versions from the same source that issued the official statement in Malay, we can breathe easier knowing the lostin-translation factor has been minimised.
The stress level of translating a statement can reach an all time high when it is “super important”, or issued by high-ranking government officials, including the prime minister.
Most of us who are stuck with the task will be exhausted by the end of it. It is physically and mentally draining. Just imagine when you have more than one statement to process and translate — we usually end up looking like zombies. This, I kid you not. It’s a good thing I’m neither a smoker nor drinker, or I would have smoked to glory or downed gallons of brews.
Experts in the field have said that translators aimed to achieve as close as possible a “true” translation of the original statement, but it is also said that a translated version cannot be a direct translation as the end result would be gobbledygook.
When we have ministries making an effort to come up with the translated version of their official statements, you will not hear complaints from us in the media industry. We welcome them with open arms and a huge smile on our faces.
As Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said, it was not an issue or a big deal for ministries to come up with translated versions of their official statements into other languages, including English and Mandarin.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had said the government maintains the use of Bahasa Malaysia as the official language in all government matters. There was no need to politicise the issue, she added.
I salute those responsible in making our jobs a tad easier. It is not easy to churn out these trilingual statements. The easy way would be to stick by issuing the statement officially in Malay. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
Experts in the field have said that translators aimed to achieve as close as possible a “true” translation of the original statement, but it is also said that a translated version cannot be a direct translation as the end result would be gobbledygook.