--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_re...@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > <snip> > > > Seeing this lama was one of my first exposures to Translation > > > As Artform. I don't know if you have ever seen Tibetan > > > teachers speak, and how their words are translated, but it's > > > a fascinating experience. It's not the teacher saying a > > > sentence, pausing while it's translated, and then speaking > > > the next sentence. It's the teacher speaking for maybe five > > > minutes at a time, completely free to craft his dharma talk > > > the way he wants, without interruption, and the translator > > > sitting there at his side listening. Just listening. No note- > > > taking. Then, when the teacher "runs down" and pauses, the > > > translator repeats what the teacher said in another language. > > > ALL of what he said. Verbatim, just translated. Try to > > > imagine the strength of mind and focus necessary to be able > > > to do this. > > > > Totally agree that translation can be an art form. > > > > But two questions here: > > > > 1. Are you fluent in Tibetan? If not, how could you tell > > how faithful his translation was, or even that he'd > > translated all of what the speaker had said? > > The person who invited me to go with him to see > the Dalai Lama is fluent in both Tibetan and French. > He assured me that the translation was word for word. > > > 2. Are you quite sure the translator had never heard the > > talk that he was translating before? > > In the first case, yes, I am sure of it. He had > just flown in to replace the previous translator, > who I was told had become ill. He had supposedly > never even met the lama he was translating for > before. > > For the Dalai Lama, it is conceivable that he had > heard the talk before. But he had never heard the > questions from the audience and the DL's spontaneous > answers to them before. > > It's an artform.
As I said, I agree. Thanks for adding those details.
