30 April, 2007

To Translate Or Not To Translate!

There are request for me to translate my 'pantun' to English but its not easy & the meaning of it will be lost. Here's an example:

Jangan nangis, jangan sedih
Dunia masih juga berpusing
Tabahkan diri, walaupun pedih
Walaupun cuma ada wang syiling

Translated into English, we'll get this:

Don't cry, don't be sad
The world is still spinning
Brave yourself, even if it hurts
Even if you only have coins

Direct translation will not work nor rhyme & will definitely sounds funny. However if it was to be translated by replacing certain words, it might work. Like this:

Don't cry, don't be sad
The world is still spinning
Brave yourself, even if its bad
Even if you only have a shilling

Too much time & work though. Therefore, the conclusion is to stick to Bahasa Melayu : )

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