BHUBANESWAR: Translation has the power to make or mar the reputation of a writer, said Md Asaduddin, Dean (Academics) and professor of English, Jamia Millia Islamia here on Friday.
Speaking on ‘Premchand in Translation: The Story of an Afterlife’ at Basant Satpathy Memorial Lecture, Prof Asaduddin said translation should not be considered as a secondary activity and one needs to be careful while translating a literary work.
“With Premchand, translation becomes a bit problematic. If a text is loaded with cultural content, the problem of translation is compounded. Premchand was a culturally-rooted writer who dealt with Hindu-Muslim relationship, Indian values and traditions and settings of rural society. It is, in fact, a challenge to translate Premchand’s work,” he said.
Prof Asaduddin further said, “We would be confined to a particular linguistic world without translation. There would be no border crossing.” Translation has transformed the way people think. It has shaped our outlook, he added.
The lecture concluded with a dramatic reading of one of Satpathy’s stories ‘Bhadrami and Chhenapoda’ by eminent dramatist Ananta Mohapatra, who also presided over the function.
Professor of English, Utkal University Jatindra K Nayak also spoke.