Many classic literature books taught in schools today are translations into the Modern English language. These books teach students moral lessons and history. However, we don’t consider how much history is being lost from translating these books from their original languages. 

When translating literature from one language to another, we often lose the meaning of words or phrases due to the second language not being able to directly translate it. Although this is obviously not intentional, we are diminishing the original language’s philosophical meaning. By acknowledging a literature’s original language, we preserve its cultural significance. 

An Educator’s Perspective

Dr. Marinela Golemi, Assistant Teaching Professor at Northern Arizona University, discusses the positive impact of translated books. Dr. Golemi believes that translation is crucial to connecting societies and culture, as well as providing accessibility to diverse and cultural stories. Which is completely true. Not every person can learn the languages the books are written in, therefore translating them into a common language allows people to still read and learn the story and its cultural meaning. 

When asked what the cons of translation are, she states that “Some scholars perceive to be the loss of cultural nuances that simply cannot or should not be translated”. Dr. Golemi also says that preserving the original text in its language allows the culture to connect to its past as well. By keeping these archival texts, it allows the language and culture to live in the modern day. 

What we learn from translated literature

When reading books from different cultures and countries, students’ minds are expanded. They learn more about other countries’ languages, geography, and the way they live. Many classical translated books are from Greek or Russian regions, such as Crime and Punishment, which allows readers from other places in the world to become well-versed in their culture. As well as learn more about another country and its people, such as mannerisms, politics, location, and many other insightful things. 

Students can learn several new things from reading these translated books. Although there are some negative connotations from scholars that translated books should remain in their original languages, it does not disprove the positive impact this literature has on young minds. 

Books from other countries, cultures, and languages, help provide kids critical thinking skills in order to have intellectual discussions and societal differences. The chance to have these scholarly discussions emphasizes the preservation of these written artifacts, thus translating literature minimizes ignorance and increases cultural intelligence among society.

We not only learn these critical thinking skills and widen our minds to deeper conversations, but we also learn to appreciate the book itself as an artifact and preserve its life. Through both its original language and the translated language.