[W Forum] Translation Is Important

Professor Jeong Eungwi, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

This spring, I once investigated the supplementary symbols of books. I had translated a poetry collection, but the school refused to recognize it as a research achievement. This was due to some claims that books intended for general readers, based on the supplementary symbols of the book number (ISBN) required for book distribution, could not be acknowledged for research expertise. Although the issue was settled after translators raised concerns and the regulations were changed, the small commotion made me reflect deeply.

How is an individual's research achievement judged? How do the values of papers and books differ? What is literature? As a specialist in poetry translation between Korean and English, I have consistently worked on translating Korean poetry because I believe it is important to introduce Korean literature to the world. Last year, when I published the American poet's collection More Brave at Night, I realized the strong desire of our readers to read foreign poetry and felt the social responsibility of translation even more deeply.

When the Nobel Prize in Literature season approaches, newspapers are flooded with news about who won the prize, but there are few channels to introduce the authors beforehand. Currently, I am translating the poetry of Louise Gl?ck, last year's Nobel laureate, and I recall the flood of calls from people wanting to know about the poet because her name was so unfamiliar at the time.

A poet's greatness is not because of the prize. It is the fruit of a long struggle confronting one's own experiences and language that culminates in the Nobel Prize. Literature, which gauges a society's cultural capacity, is important to keep the channels of exchange open regularly through active translation.

There are always good writers. To introduce them to other cultures, good translators are needed. But translators do not grow alone. Society must nurture them. Therefore, I urge you: translators are not mere translation workers. Let us recognize the professionalism of translation.

If institutions and universities responsible for discovering and encouraging research achievements, such as the Korea Research Foundation, evaluate research by the standards of science and engineering, the avoidance of translation by humanities researchers will deepen. Without translation, intercultural communication is impossible, and the value of scholarship cannot be shared with the public.

Some ask whether translators are needed in the era of machine translation. There are fields where machine translation is possible and fields where it is not. When translating poetry, I sometimes ponder over a single line for days. That one line is the experiment and fruit of my arduous study path. Research is not only what is derived from numerical statistics. Literary translation is a process that mobilizes language, culture, history, philosophical knowledge, and the eye of the heart. When society properly recognizes the value of translation, our culture can also raise its own voice in the world.

On the spring day when I was investigating supplementary symbols, I thought about how important it is for those who decide policies at universities or national institutions to understand the value of scholarship without prejudice. Our university is also attempting a series of changes, such as establishing a translation award. Even today, sitting at my desk translating poetry, I think: literature is the ballast water that supports the ship called the world. Translation is the arduous rowing that gauges that ballast water, willingly lowering oneself to become a bridge. Where else have two different worlds met without a bridge?

Jeong Eun-gwi, Professor, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.