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Something about Translation
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Today, I translated a piece of poetry written by Tagore. I have to say it’s a big challenge. Luckily, it’s not very difficult to understand this poem (Gitanjali 20), but it’s not easy to produce a good translation.
To translate a poem, I think the most important thing is to understand the poem. Our transation should be as faithful to the original text as possible. Before I was gonna translate it, I read the poem again and again. By doing this, I can understand it better and I am able to feel the rhythm of the poem. I think it helps a lot. Then I surfed on the Internet to find out some information about the poet. It is true that the more you know about the poet and his or her life, the better you are able to understand the nuances of the poem. Finally, I read my transtion to my friends. They can tell me which part can be better. Thank them a lot.
Well, I have another point to say. I really want to say that translation is not easy. I know there are some great computer programs that are designed for translation. And we have dictionaries. But we can’t rely on them too much, especially when we are translating literary works.
On the day when the lotus bloomed, alas, my mind was straying, and I knew it not. My basket was empty and the flower remained unheeded.
Only now and again a sadness fell upon me, and I started up from my dream and felt a sweet trace of a strange fragrance in the south wind.
That vague sweetness made my heart ache with longing and it seemed to me that is was the eager breath of the summer seeking for its completion.
I knew not then that it was so near, that it was mine, and that this perfect sweetness had blossomed in the depth of my own heart.
莲花盛开的那天
唉，那时我思绪飘荡，未曾察觉
我的花篮空无一物，花儿我却视而不见。
时有一阵忧伤袭来
我从梦中惊起，只觉一丝甜美的异香，随南风而来
淡淡的幽香牵动了我内心的渴望
我的心隐隐作痛，仿佛夏天急促的喘息，等待它的结束。
那时的我啊，竟不知它离我如此之近
它，是属于我的，那完美的芬芳，早已盛开在，我心深处。
It can be better~~
I will polish it later.
