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Reformation of Culture through Language and Translation
The Creative launcher, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 36-42, 2021
Perception Publishing

Conference Articles


Published: 30 October 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.53032/tcl.2021.6.4.06

Abstract: This research paper sheds light on the reformation of culture through language and translation. It introduces the definitions of language, culture, and translation. It further explains the relationship between culture, language, and translation concerning the scholarly papers. The phenomenon by which the culture is built by different languages linking to the way we emote feelings and thoughts, which is achieved through the process of translation. This paper shows the study of how the culture gets reformed through language and translation getting even more transformed structurally in the upcoming generations. The reformation is seen not only in non-fictional works but also traces the fictional plays and novels that are cited with authentic references. Limitations such as not translating the words with accurate meaning may give the pessimistic approach but how it promotes people in learning varied concepts of language getting introduced to vast culture is dealt detail. This paper also deals with cultural refinement through linguistic anthropology and postcolonialism. This study shows the level of consciousness of people towards language and translation giving allowance to get introduced to particular cultures that promotes unity with examples. The language reflects culture, providing the study of refinement in language mirroring the culture, hence proving literacy is directly connected with the culture in education. The translation is the best influencer taking its turn of shifting people from one culture to taste another. To build up a valid society, the need for inculcating in-depth knowledge of language and culture through translation helps in building the culture for posterity.

Keywords: Language, Culture, Translation, Reformation, Linguistic Anthropology.

Introduction

This paper on language, culture, and translation shows how the reformation of culture builds a bridge between language and translation. The definition of culture by Edward Taylor stating, who opens his seminal anthropology text with that culture, “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”(Taylor 1), showing the complexity of culture. The love for language increases when it is translated, paving the way to different cultures vibrantly. This paper aims to bring the key concepts to notice where transformation and reformation are not only seen in recent times but also during early centuries as stated in the postcolonialism period. This is important because knowing vast culture through different languages leads to introducing further more cultures that are to be inherited to generations after generations. This study elaborates the relationship between language, culture, and translation to get reformed, getting the tint of classical examples and also the study related to linguistic anthropologies. Taking reformation into account the methods of gaining the profound knowledge of language reflecting in enunciating the cultural norms is discussed. The translation is no lesser held than language which transmits not only the language but also the culture from the source language to the targeted people, enhancing the structural culturalism.

Language

There are several definitions of language that are introduced here shortly. Language is the medium of communication that distinguishes us from animals. Language is stated by Gumperz as “A language is a set of rules enabling speakers to translate information from the outside world into sound.” Which in turn reflects in culture. Languages differ from country to country and a vast count of languages is spoken worldwide. It is not just framing letters to words and words to sentences to make the receiver active but also to maintain the healthy development of our culture.

By the words of Hrivikova and Tatiana “The borders between/among various cultural communities are drawn by the means of the mother tongue and last, but not least, language serves its speakers as a medium for expressing their cultural identity” (Hrivikova and Tatiana 43), shows language as the medium through which the culture take its growth. Language has become an unconscious method to transfer ideas but the central idealism gets action and later reaction. People possess love for the specific language by praising them and promoting the development of habitual of their life. For instance: the poetic lines of V.K. Gokak in the poem English words, “O winged words! Like homing bees you borrow”(2012), here this shows his perspective of how the English language takes its place and is cherished, respecting its dignity and power of knowledge.

Culture

“If we are to present culture we must continue to create it”, -Johan Huizinga

Culture determines the behavioral pattern based on thoughts, instruction, beliefs, and institutions. It doesn't depend only on behavior, clothing, fashion, etc., but it is the way we maintain relationships with people reflecting the cultural insights, transferring them through certain languages. Inventions and habitual practices of culture between people enhance their style of living in a particular place in which the culture is being practiced to. The culture of one place can be learned and shared. Culture changes the person’s identity and habits as seen in the play “She stoops to conquer”.

Marlow: As I behave to all other ladies Bow very low, answer yes or no to all her commands” (Goldsmith 23)[Act II Scene I 140] This shows how Marlow is reserved and timid towards girls, Marlow later realizes his mistake when Kate disguised as a barmaid, Marlowe would not be changed, if Kate did not happen to be disguised. “Marlow to Kate: By heavens, madam! Fortune was ever my smallest consideration, your beauty at first caught my eye;” (Goldsmith 83 84) [Act IV Scene III]. Here Marlow after knowing the truth understands. Marlow has undergone a drastic change where there is a change in the culture of Kate, that changed the character of Marlow. Hence this shows how one’s culture creates the impact of man’s nature. Culture promotes unity, sharing, and adopting the culture of others to make people stand unified. As the same, he explains the flourishing of culture, in the novel, The Vicar of Wakefield. “Let us, then, without repining, give up those splendors with which numbers are wretched, and seek in humble circumstances that peace with which all may be happy” (Goldsmith 12). Here the protagonist Vicar’s daughters need to be fashionably dressed when once they entered the village, they continued to wear the same. Vicar made them wear simple costumes as villagers do. This shows the humble natured culture is inculcated in the minds of the young girls, leading them to be united as a whole.

Translation

The translation is a work of art with the motto of conveying messages from one language to another. It can also be defined as the sameness of meaning across distinct languages worldwide. According to Amira Osman “Translation is a mental activity in which a meaning of given linguistic discourse is rendered from one language to another.”It can be either spoken or written in conveying the language and message. It undergoes the process of encoding to derive meaning in different forms. By performing such procedures it may take the quality of the original text or language, but one thing to notice, it promotes a strong foundation to other languages letting people know facts conveyed by the native language. This helps people to taste and relish the essence of the content and concept that they wished to read and apply. Translation takes place from the source language to the target language, where the language that is to be translated is called source language and that which is translated is called the target language. We can also notice how the translation refines culture by translation of various books, movies, and series, for example, The book Alchemist by Paulo Coelho which has been translated in English but originally written in Portuguese, now it is the international bestseller in English than in Portuguese. Different forms of writings are also translated, by the words of Basil Hatim and Jeremy Munday, “Poetry needs to be translated at the level of the text and not the word if their message is to function in the large culture” (Hatim and Munday 24). This depicts the translation of verses, especially the poetry that transfers the heightened emotions following different cultures and languages.

Relationship between language and Culture

“Language is the road map of a culture, it tells you where they are going”,- Rita Mae Brown

One must know the language to understand the culture. In any culture, language plays an important part where communication leads to the transformation and reformation of culture. Language and culture are inseparable having a specific language that refers to a particular cultural group. Culture cannot be learned by imitation whereas it can be learned by oral instruction. The complete understanding of the knowledge is achieved by visualizing language through the medium called the cultural lens. The saying “The heightened preoccupation with cultures led later to the creation of an interdisciplinary study of cultures and their components, especially language” (Hrivikova & Tatiana 41), shows the profound and excessive concern on the study of culture that reflects its language. This is an interface that helps in linking language and culture. The culture is strengthened not only by simple language but also through semantic language which creates a perfect base of culture for professionals leading them to invent more. For instance, to carry out complicated and complex speech, that is achieved through semantic language which reforms culture even at a higher rate.

Refinement in language refines culture

The language that is spoken without any essence will remain barren throughout the years, but infusing the methods of learning different languages with a refinement that will simultaneously refine the culture. Change in language style will also reflect in culture refinement. This can be seen in the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, in this play Shaw shows the transformation of the culture of the poor girl, Eliza Doolittle, who is a flower girl selling flowers with a poor accent without refinement in her language where she lacks in her manners and culture. The flower girl: (picking up her scattered flowers and replacing them in the basket) There’s menners f’ yer! Ta-oo branches o voylets trod into the mad” (Shaw 15)Act-I. This is how Eliza talks before learning the language. Later, Henry Higgins, professor of phonetics, took Eliza to train for six months, turning her into a complete lady. “Eliza, who is exquisitely dressed, produces an impression of such remarkable destination and beauty, speaking with pedantic correctness of pronunciation and great beauty of tone” (Shaw74)Act-III. This quotation shows the transformation of Eliza after learning the absolute language with the help of Professor Higgins, where her language proved to be the language of the duchess. We can observe how the perfect language has changed the cockney flower into a socially acceptable woman. This study focuses on how the quality of language refines the culture of an individual. Pygmalion which was written in the 20th century depicts the impacts of language reforming culture. This proves literacy is directly connected with culture in education.

Language - a depiction of culture

The native language depicts the native culture-making, the same way the power of knowledge and transmission of knowledge helps in transferring the culture. The play, “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare,

Cal: “You taught me language, and my profit on’t Is, I know how to curse: the red-plague rid you For learning me your language,” (Act I Scene II)

This dialogue shows Caliban was taught the language by Prospero, who is his mentor. But Caliban saw Prospero as oppressive, the only power of the language and knowledge gained by Prospero made him teach Caliban that he used to take revenge on himself. This shows how the power of language is transmitted from one individual to the other. The culture reflects the expression of language. For instance, how are you? And how do you do? The informal way has gained its popularity, As it is said by Hrivikova and Tatiana, “The reason why the formal version of the phrase has not been accepted can be found in the separate and very different historical and political development of the United States of America and the United Kingdom since the War of Independence of the 13 British colonies in 1775”( Hrivikova & Tatiana 43), this depicts the numerous changes in the lives of people creating an everlasting impact for the further improvement of the English Language.

Refinement through linguistic anthropology

Anthropology surveys how a human experiences their life, covering culture, habits, and translation. In short, it is the scientific study of humanity connected to behavior and culture from ancient times. Under this study we can relate the existence of language and the existence of culture, also its reformation whose concepts contribute in abundance to the study, this study is called linguistic anthropology. Learning a language cannot promote the change but the application of methods targeting to structure the culture “Both a knowledge of the language and fair acquaintance with the center are called for if inquiries and statements about the relationship between language and culture or society are accurate and valid” (Salzmann, Santlaw & Adachi 20). This shows how the knowledge of language and culture reflects in the future society. This in turn changes the culture of anthropologists who take steps to refine culture through the study of linguistic anthropology.

Translation as a Bridge for Refinement of Culture

Translation interfaces with a wide range of other disciplines from linguistic and modern language to cultural studies and postcolonialism. Subtitles of intralingual and interlingual enhance the infusion of varied cultures among people. Translation holds linguistics on one hand and cultural studies on the other hand. The most thriving point of contact between cultural studies and translation studies leads to the area of postcolonialism, which is a broad cultural approach to study the power of the relationship between different groups and people in which literature, language, and translation play a role. From this note we can see not only in recent times the culture got structured but also in ancient centuries that sowed the seeds, later germinated to provide us with structured culture. The translation is a process that involves analysis, transfer, and restructuring.

Rafat Y. Alwazna who wrote The Cultural Aspect of Translation, says, “Translation has with no doubt a substantial role in intercultural communication, which has led to large cultural shifts from one culture to another, thus having a great deal of communication between diverse culture through language” (Alwazna 183). This portrays the role of translation in refining the culture. Translation stands as a key in unlocking the language creating a profound impact on culture. Even though there happens some drawback of not getting the accurate translation of words that lacks the essence produced by that specific language. Thus methods of translation also change in the process of translating them to different languages. Hence the reformation can be attained by present and future generations through preserving the existing culture and also by exploring a wide variety of cultures.

Conclusion

Not only in the early centuries even now and in the future we people can adopt different learning methods of different languages to taste different cultures by having a glorified study of anthropology and postcolonialism that promotes reformation “Culture links the past, present and future together” (Language, Media, and Culture, 86). Here this article shows how the culture knots tie from past till future. This proves the culture will be inherited generations after generation making it purer and well refined. We can also see the love for language that is exemplarily seen in various works, tempting authors to pen them. The impact of language on communication stays longer in one's mind helping them to make use of it later. Through this study, we can also conclude that culture changes one's personality and habits. Culture also promotes unity when people collaborate to dwell with equality.

To conclude this research article, the study connects language and culture that resulted in the formulation of reformation taking translation as a cultural art. Language and culture go hand in hand and they cannot be detached but the bond between them increases gradually when the studies about them are widened in the upcoming years. For instance, postcolonialism which depicts the ancient era’s culture instills the pathway to grasp those cultures to put them into usage. There is no doubt this will pass to further generations taking the present culture, language, and translation methods as examples to reform as structured culture heritage.

Works Cited

Tylor, E.B. (1871). Primitive Culture: Researches in the Development of Mythology, Philosophy, Religion, Language, Art and Custom. London: John Murray. Taylor, E.B. (1871). Primitive Culture: Researches in the Development of Mythology, Philosophy, Religion, Language, Art and Custom. London: John Murray.

Hrivikova, Tatiana. (2020). The language of culture and the culture of language. Porta Lingua. 41- 53. 10.48040/PL.2020.4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347555158_The_language_of_culture_and_the_culture_of_ language

V.K. Gokak-poems-2012, poemhunter.com- The world’s poetry archive.

Oliver Goldsmith-She stoops to conquer, Macmillan Publication,(2013) ISBN: 13 978 0 333-912188

Oliver Goldsmith. (2009). The Vicar of Wakefield(e-book #2667)

Shaw, George Bernard. Pygmalion, Fingerprint publication, 2018.

Basil Hatim and Jeremy Munday, Translation: An advanced resource book, (2004), ISBN(e-book): 0-203-50188-8

Digital facsimile of the Bodleian First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays, Arch. G c.7 (Act I Scene II 480) https://firstfolio.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/text/25#

Zdenek Salzmann, James M. Stanlaw and Nobuko Adachi, Language, Culture and Society-An introduction to Linguistic Anthropology, Westview Press.

Basil Hatim and Jeremy Munday, Translation: An advanced resource book, (2004),

11. Dr. Rafat Y. Alwazna. The Cultural Aspect of Translation: The Workability of Cultural Translation Strategies in Translating Culture-Specific Texts. Life Sci J 2014;11(11):182-188] (ISSN:1097-8135). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292052788_The_cultural_aspect_of_translation_The_worka bility_of_cultural_translation_strategies_in_translating_culture-specific_texts

Language, Media, and Culture, Vol:33 (2012), IACSIT Press, Singapore.



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