Translators Face Cultural Dilemma

The U.S.-based group Translators Borderless was in Kenya's capital recently to coach new translators on ways to put health information into Ki'Swahili and other local languages.  The learning raised an engaging dilemma: what if the word in English is just too scandalous for local sensitivities?

Healthcare information

Muthoni Gichohi is enthusiastic about ensuring that every one Kenyans get the healthcare information they want in a language that they may understand.

Gichohi is a manager on the advocacy and research group Family Health Options Kenya, which facilitated the Translators Without boundaries training.  She also heads several international health information organizations.

She says she has no problem expressing anatomical terms in English. But, in terms of her mother tongue, this can be a different situation.

“I am a Kikuyu," said Gichohi. "There are some words that i can't really check with the general public, because they're provocative, so i've got to truly put it otherwise that that's still delivering the identical message, however the words may be different.”

Acceptable language

The same problem arises for Kenya's national language, Ki'Swahili. Translator and course instructor Paul Warambo explains.

“Sometimes you're also forced to apply euphemisms - use a language that may be more acceptable to the folks," he said. "For instance, in Swahili, we can't call a body part - the vagina, as an instance - we won't call it by its name. We use “kitu chake” - her thing.  You don't just mention it by the name, you assert, “her thing,” in order that if somebody desires to know her thing, in a medical environment and a context we won't ask you questions because we're going to understand what it means.”

The use of euphemisms highlights a large issue in translation: the culture of the community through which something is being translated will largely determine how words and expressions from the source language - to that end, English - will appear in that community's language.

In some cases, the style the culture conceptualizes a selected activity or object becomes the real translation for that activity or object.

Translator Warambo explains the typical translation of “sexual intercourse” from English into Ki'Swahili.

“We always say, in Ki'Swahili, “kutenda kitendo kibaya” - to do something bad," said Warambo. "So, imagine sex was linked to something bad, emanating from the African cultural context.”

Both Warambo and Gichohi say that the culturally-appropriate use of language is vital as to whether or not a community will accept - or perhaps hearken to - the message being conveyed.

This is principally crucial within the health-care field.  A phrase translated into language unacceptable to, or not understood by, the community could, in a worst-case scenario, cause a patient's death.

Acceptance

Lori Thicke co-founded Translators Without borderlines in 1993. She says, quite often, plenty of development organizations have tended to miss the significance of language in health care behavior change.

“It is correct that folk don't consider translation," said Thicke. "It's absolutely not at the radar, nonetheless it is so critical whenever you give it some thought, for individuals to get information, if it is the right way to take their medication, if it is where to locate supplies in a crisis situation.”

But it isn't just using culturally-appropriate translation so as to make a difference.

Family Health Options Kenya's Gichohi and her team recently opened a health information center in a Maasai community. In the course of the process, she came to profit that young Maasai cannot say certain things within the presence of Maasai elders. Also, additionally it is men who address public gatherings, so the message is probably not accepted from a girl.

“I would need that the govt. would truly encourage the citizens to be told about each others' cultures because i've realized that there's a lot of richness in culture," said Gichohi. "Culture isn't just even language - it's also the style we put clothes, the style we talk, and since i'm saying, even for translation, the tone you are likely to put also will make that someone realize this person is for me, or not for me.”

Communication that goes far beyond words.   

From WhatNewsToday.net

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