ISSN 2454-8537

Volume 2 | Issue 2 | July 2016

International Journal of Humanities in Technical Education – ISSN 2454-8537
Vol.2, Issue-2 – July – 2016 –Pages-42-46
Department of Communication Skills, Marwadi Education Foundation’s Group of Institutions, Rajkot – Gujarat (INDIA)

Reviewing the English Translation of Akoopar

Mihir Dave
Marwadi University, Rajkot
Introduction:

There can be seen a trend of regional Indian literary works being translated into English in
the last two decades (Kothari 2). Gujarati literature is not an exception in it. One can see
canonical Gujarati literary novels such as Manvini Bhavai, Karan Ghelo, Malela Jiv,
Angaliyat, Akoopar, to name a few, being translated and showcased along with main stream
Indian writing in English. There has been a rise in the proposals for doctoral research on
translating Gujarati literary works into English. However, there is a dearth of research
pertaining to the evaluative aspects of the translated texts keeping in mind the best practices
of translation.

The present paper aims at studying translation of Akoopar, a Gujarati novel by Dhruv Bhatt,
into English. While translating an Indian text into English, a translator has to consider
difference of two language systems, cultural and social dimensions and usages of both the
respective languages. As Akoopar is written in distinct dialects of Gir and Ghed regions of
Gujarat, it would be interesting to study whether or not, the translation has come up with the
acceptable equivalence into the target language i.e. English; what are the creative solutions
the translation has offered in the cases of untranslatable terms? Does the translation stand as a
creative text in itself into the target language?

The Text and Context:

Dhruv Bhatt has been a prominent name in the contemporary Gujarati fiction writing. His
works represent his personal life experiences and acquaintances of the common people.
However, these common people’s tales have the universal appeal. These tales also depict the
collective wisdom that these common people have contributed in every walks of life. On the
other hand, various regions of Gujarat find their vivid descriptions with their cultural, social
and geographical peculiarities in his novels.

Akoopar by Dhruv Bhatt has come out not only as a canonical text representing the forest
region of Gir and the coastal area of Ghed in Gujarat but also a detailed anthropological study

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International Journal of Humanities in Technical Education – ISSN 2454-8537
Vol.2, Issue-2 – July – 2016 –Pages-42-46
Department of Communication Skills, Marwadi Education Foundation’s Group of Institutions, Rajkot – Gujarat (INDIA)

of the harmonious coexistence of mankind with nature. The novel documents the
sociocultural aspects of the people, dead and alive, aesthetically and authentically. Unlike the
imaginative world of the romantic nature with shades of truth in it, the author recreates the
real world of his first-hand experience and adds shades of imagination to his novel. He
eulogies the inclusive nature of the mother Earth and also of those larger than life characters
who live with harmonious coexistence with nature rather than against it. Owing to its
universal appeal, it is indisputable that the novel deserves to be translated into other
languages in order to unleash the treasure that it carries within for the English reading world.
Hence, translating Akoopar into English is a welcome idea.

The (Mis)Translation:

The first impression that the translated text gives is that of a poorly and hastily done
endeavor. It has got typo-errors on pages after pages starting from the cover page itself. There
are numerous lapses of contexts from the text and sentences are left incongruously
incomplete every now and then. It is not only that the issues of equivalence have been
compromised, but in many instances the meanings are tempered so poorly that they badly
require repair. These issues of inadequate translation can be summarized into three broad
categories: viz. 1) Grammar-typo Errors, 2) Contextual Errors and 3) Issues of Equivalence.

1) Grammar-typo Errors:

In the era of MS word, English typing (if not writing) is felicitated greatly with spell-check
and grammar-check facilities. Many of the present day authors have openly acknowledged
the assistance of MS word. However, it is surprising to see that the English translation of
Akoopar consists of many typo-errors that could have been rectified merely by a right-click
of a mouse. It is even more surprising that some of these errors are so trivial that they can be
easily spotted by a novice in English language. One of the striking instances appears on the
cover page itself: “The writer creates a narrator which is a unnamed painter…” (Joshi,
Piyush et al. cover page). Further, on the same para: “…characters dead and alive presents
the life on the Gir and the Ghed region.” Here one can see that the errors are as basic as that
of articles, numbers and that of subject-verb-agreement which can be rectified by either of the
filters available to the user i.e. MS word spell and grammar check facilities or the basic

IJHTE – July - 2016 - ijhte.marwadieducation.edu.in Page 43

International Journal of Humanities in Technical Education – ISSN 2454-8537
Vol.2, Issue-2 – July – 2016 –Pages-42-46
Department of Communication Skills, Marwadi Education Foundation’s Group of Institutions, Rajkot – Gujarat (INDIA)

knowledge of English language as a user if not a translator. Other such minor but vital errors
– “in to” (Joshi, Piyush et al. 16, 87) for “into”; “sweat” (Joshi, Piyush et al. 249) for
“sweet”; “It is all right, Have complete rest.” (Joshi, Piyush et al. 264) for “It is all right, have
complete rest.”; “stoed” (Joshi, Piyush et al. 287) for “stopped”, “can not” (Joshi, Piyush et
al. 295) for “cannot” or “can’t” – could have been avoided by the help of the aforesaid filters.
At several instances punctuation marks are missing or used unnecessarily. Yet another
recurring typo-error is the word spacing. There can be seen one or more spaces left between
two words that are visible from a bird-eye-view which also could have been spotted and
rectified.

As a result of these grammar typo errors the flow of the reading gets interrupted and the
translated text does not create the statute of flawless first impression. The narrative,
developed in the source text so beautifully by the author, fails to create itself as a twice
removed from reality version in the target language.

2) Contextual Errors:

Translation is not just replacing one language structure with other, it is transformation of one
cultural, social or emotional manifestation into another language. The translation of Akoopar
seems to have failed in transferring most of these manifestations into the other language. One
comes across many instances of translation where the translation fails to transfer even
syntactical elements of the source text. For instance the anonymous narrator of the novel
expresses his surprise when Lakshmi unpretentiously mocks at him. The translation goes like
this: “This Lakshmi I had just met, I was her guest and yet she was taking liberty of making
fun of me comparing me with a buffalo.” (Joshi, Piyush et al. 17). It reads as if it were an
assertive sentence. There is no element of surprise no exclamation (mark) expressed. Many of
the sentences such as: “Close to her was another one sitting beside.”; “For stay you have a
large region, why only in the Gayr?” (Joshi, Piyush et al. 26); “Should I walk up and down
the bazaar?” (Joshi, Piyush et al. 69); or “And he has to stay put wherever a lion is seen.”
(Joshi, Piyush et al. 36); convey neither context not syntax. Further, the literal translation
leads to not only miscommunication but to the misinterpretation. For instance, while referring
to the men of dark complexion, the transition goes as, “dark coloured young men” (Joshi,
Piyush et al. 27), without realizing that in English speaking world the expression ‘coloured’

IJHTE – July - 2016 - ijhte.marwadieducation.edu.in Page 44

International Journal of Humanities in Technical Education – ISSN 2454-8537
Vol.2, Issue-2 – July – 2016 –Pages-42-46
Department of Communication Skills, Marwadi Education Foundation’s Group of Institutions, Rajkot – Gujarat (INDIA)

men is referred as a racial comment! At yet another instance, the transition goes as: “Has ever
any tourist been attacked or molested?” (Joshi, Piyush et al. 81). Now the fact is that this
question was asked by the narrator with reference to the lion. How does it make sense? Can
or would a lion ‘molest’ a tourist? One does not need to be a scholar or linguist to avoid such
blunders.

The grandeur of the source text, thus, does not get reflected in the target language. There can
be seen a few sparkle of good pieces of translations here and there. However, the translation
does not achieve the continuous flow of thoughts as an independent text.

3) Issues of Equivalence:

While translating cultural, regional or unique linguistic expressions, there are many strategies
applied by a translator such as equivalence, substitution, retention to name a few. Perhaps one
of the most challenging aspects of translating is to find an equivalent counterpart of the
source text expression into the target language. The translation of Akoopar has offered all the
above mentioned strategies while translating cultural and dialectical features of the source
text. For instance the very first expression that opens the novel, “‘Khamā Gayrne’ (May the
Gir be blessed)” (Joshi, Piyush et al. 7) is retained with explanation of the expression given in
the bracket. Further, many dialectical and regional features are also retained in the same
manner: “jhok”, “nes”, “sui jā”, “Bas” (Joshi, Piyush et al. 13), “dātan” (Joshi, Piyush et al.
19), “Rotlā”, “shirāman” (Joshi, Piyush et al. 21). However, some retention are
inappropriately explained that change the connotation of the terms significantly. “Tapa”
(Joshi, Piyush et al. 65), for instance, is explained as ‘penance’, which stands for ‘a
punishment undergone in token of penitence for sin’ (Webster’s Random House Dictionary).
However, the term “Tapa” does not stand for an act of ‘punishment’ to purify oneself from
‘sin’ but a dutiful pursuit of once work devoid of the worldly expectations. While referring to
the dressing of the women of the regions, the words are retained, but either without
explanation “…she should now dress herself in pernu instead of jimi?” (Joshi, Piyush et al.
185) or have been translated creating grotesque miscommunication, “Clad in black
undergarment, covering the upper part of the body with brown coloured odhani.” (Joshi,
Piyush et al. 21).

IJHTE – July - 2016 - ijhte.marwadieducation.edu.in Page 45

International Journal of Humanities in Technical Education – ISSN 2454-8537
Vol.2, Issue-2 – July – 2016 –Pages-42-46
Department of Communication Skills, Marwadi Education Foundation’s Group of Institutions, Rajkot – Gujarat (INDIA)

One of the purposes of the translation is to carry forward the replica of the source text into the
target language. It may not convey the whole of the source language grandeur into the target
language but it must provide the glimpse of source text to the second language so as to
inspire the second language reader to read the original text. Nevertheless, the translation of
Akoopar seems to fail in inspiring the target language reader towards the source text due to
above mentioned blunders and illogical and inconsistent retentions and inappropriate
equivalence of dialectical and other socio-cultural features.

Conclusion:

Starting from its first reading as a separate entity in a target language, i.e. English, to the
second and detailed reading the translated text appears to be disastrous. It seems to be neither
‘beautiful’ nor ‘faithful’. If at all the endeavor serves any purpose then it is in the fact that it
enlists blunders of translation. It may help in proving once again that while translating the
rich dialectical features of a language into another the quick fix solutions at the cost of
intelligibility would not help. The translation of Akoopar offerings a few ‘Don’ts’ for the
future translations if not ‘Dos’.

References:

Bhatt, Dhruv, Akoopar. Ahmadabad: WBG Publications, 2014. Print.

Joshi, Piyush, et al. (trans.) Akoopar: The Infinite. Ahmadabad: WBG Publications, 2015.
Print.

Kothari, Rita. Translating India. Hyderabad: Foundation Books Pvt. Ltd. 2006. Print.

Bassnett, Susan and Trivedi, Harish. eds. Introduction, Post-colonial Translation. London
and New York: Routledge Publication. 1999. Print.

Bassnett-McGuire, Susan. Translation Studies. London: New Accent Series, Methuen

Publication. 1980. Print.

Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Random House Inc.1999. Print.

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