Dr. Amrita Sharma Associate Professor, Dept.

of English, BPS Womens University, Khanpur Kalan, Sonipat

The Alchemy of Translation and the Translator

We live in a multilingual and multicultural world. In this age of science and technology, the words of a statement like the world is shrinking fast into a global village are being fostered in their true spirit. As the prefix trans- conveys the meaning across, beyond changing thoroughly, translation today has emerged as an invisible yet indispensible bridge not only for language and literary studies but also for socio-cultural, business and trade, research and many other fields crossing all kinds of barriers and boundaries. Roman Jacobson, perceives translation as an interpretation of verbal signs by means of signs in some other language (Steiner, p.260). J.C. Catford regards translation as the replacement of textual material in one language (SL) by equivalent textual material in another language (TL) (p.20). Undoubtedly, though these definitions provide an insight to the nature and scope of translation yet they are not comprehensive because a work of art relates to human life and literature of any language is a mirror of human life and culture. As a result, translation is seen today as a way of establishing contact between cultures. There is certainly a fusion of cultures, languages, styles, and ideas etc. opening new vistas for the reader. This paper unfolds the nuances of translation with reference the creative eye and consciousness of the translator.