Lesson 3

P20123 : Other Areas of Translation

This lesson discusses the translation of Scientific, Political, Legal and other texts in Tamil. The advent of the British had a major impact on the Tamil Literary scenario. The British introduced journals and the publication of these contributed a great deal to the growth of translation. The chief aim of these journals was dissemination of information. Journals carrying translated articles on a wide range of subjects were published as early as 1856. Since then, these journals have grown steadily in number. Medical journals, scientific journals, film magazines, legal journals and business magazines publish translated articles on the latest developments and current happenings in their respective fields all over the world.

    After the industrial revolution, there was a rapid growth in science and technology. Since English was largely used to report the findings and progress in these fields, the need for translation of scientific books arose. A number of medical and science books have been translated into Tamil. Fish Green’s Tamil translation of “Anatomy, Physiology and Hygiene” was the first English medical book to be translated into Tamil. The universities have played a major role in encouraging Tamil translations of scientific texts. Annamalai University, Madurai Kamaraj University, Thanjai Tamil University and Anna University have spearheaded numerous projects and research in this direction. Other organizations such as the Tamil Valarchi Kazhagam and the Then Mozhigal Puthaga Niruvanam have also contributed to the translation of scientific and technical books in Tamil.

    Yet another important area where translation plays a key role is, in the use of Tamil as an official language. Since the Indian constitution was originally written in English, most of the terms used in official correspondence are in English. Hence, there is a need for translation here. The government of Tamil Nadu is also taking efforts to translate judicial and legal terms in Tamil.