National Translation
Movements
Historical examples have shown how translation introduced one culture
to another. For example, we have the translation of the Buddhist
scriptures from various Indian languages into Chinese. We also have
translation works of Greek philosophy and science from Greek and Syriac
into Arabic, thereby introducing them to the Islamic world. It is
translation which has led to a constant movement of ideas and forms, and
how these cultures absorb new influences because of the work of
translators.
In the history of translation, major periods tend to coincide with eras
when there was a vast inequality between two cultures or two people
speaking different languages. We give below the list of national
translation movements that took place in different periods which have
played a major role in the developmental path of world culture,
according to historians.
- Prehistory: Prevalence of interpreting and mediating with
marriage-brokers, peace-seekers, deal-makers etc.)
- Sumerians, Acadians, AsSyriacs: The need to create tales
and other scriptures, make laws and economic norms which are known
to peoples using different languages.
- Egyptians: The need to connect with the Hittites and
people living in Southern Egypt.
- Greeks: The need to understand and know Egyptian
civilization
- Romans: The need to understand and know Greek
civilization
- Chinese (Seventh Century A.D.): The need to understand
and know Indian civilization, for example Sanskrit and Pali
scriptures.
- Arab and Persian World: (Jundishapur and Baghdad, Eighth
to Tenth Centuries): The need to integrate various languages like
Sanskrit, Hebrew, Syriac, and Greek knowledge into Persian and
Arabic cultures.
- Irish (Eighth Century A.D.): After the conquest of Spain
by the Muslims, there was a decline of Latin influence in Europe and
hence the need for a decisive mediator between late antiquity and
the Western Middle Ages.
- Japanese (Ninth to Tenth Centuries): The need to
understand, know and absorb Chinese culture, with Korea as an
important bridge between the two.
- Western Middle Ages: The need to reabsorb and integrate
Hebrew, Greek, Arabic knowledge into medieval Europe.
- Renaissance: This implies the reintegration of Ancient
Greek culture in the West
- Conquest and colonization: The need to understand
American, Asian and African languages and dialects.
- Age of Enlightenment and Nineteenth Century: Showed the
period of decline of Latin, emergence of modern national languages
as the measure of human knowledge.
- Modern Times: Many competing major and minor national
languages.
