Roderick Bovingdon reviews Translation Practice for the Maltese Bilingual: English-Maltese-English course book for translators of Maltese and English by Charles Briffa and finds it to be a ‘milestone in contemporary Malta’s approach to facing the various linguistic challenges posed by a world society in a constant state of change’

Charles Briffa’s contribution to the study and practice of translating from Maltese to English to Maltese in his recent publication Translation for the Bilingual... moves within certain parameters published by the relatively newly established body, the Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Malti.

One of the lasting but sadly little regarded qualities of language, the spoken human kind, is its transient nature. Governments and their agencies, broadcasting authorities, universities, other tertiary institutions and educational establishments the world over have consistently and insistently tried to impose their convenient standard modes of spelling, of pronunciation, of meaning and of syntax, as well as of other less obvious aspects of the nature of human language.

Time after time, one sees it written or hears it in the populist print and sound media as well as in academic journals and at similar formal gatherings, of the desire to standardise a people’s mode of expression. To a considerable degree this aim has been achieved but in no single instance around the world has it proven to be a perfect solution.

A persistently recurring problem in this approach is that these influential and power wielding bodies all too often collude to form a formidable but not necessarily trustworthy front, enabling them to implant their singular version of reality, irrespective of actual reality and with little if any respect for language nuances so precious and profound in societal interaction. Official recognition (i.e. universal imposition) is accorded them only because those holding the reins of power and influence sanction it. Oftentimes this is further reinforced by granting the “official” form protection through legislative measures (as is the case with Maltese) with the resultant provision of a contrived safe haven. So much for our broadly flaunted democratic institutions!

The manner in which modern linguistics is taught at some universities and other tertiary institutions is symptomatic of the tunnel vision approach adopted by so many in academe. All too often their didactic attitude is dogmatic, leaving no room for challenge and intelligent debate: an approach anathema to a healthy university training.

The essential basic originator and user of human language, that most complex of creatures, the human individual, instead of being accorded his inherent involvement as the essential protagonist, is rendered marginalised when he ought to perpetually occupy centre stage in all language considerations. As this mode of communication emanates and originates from no other source around us, other than from within the individual human person, it makes no rational sense to attempt to ignore this principal source in seeking answers and providing solutions to our many language uncertainties. This phenomenal mode of communication deserves and should be allowed maximum freedom within a set of agreed but all-inclusive flexible parameters.

In the case of English, we have a good example where British English and American English, aside from several other variants of English worldwide, differ in various modes without causing any serious ripples at any linguistic level. In contrast we have Maltese, a language spoken by well upwards of one million persons worldwide, (a demographic reality not included in Briffa’s work and mostly overlooked by language planners and others in Malta) which through formal administrative means and without true regard to the realities “on the ground” as much as the potential resultant harm that could befall Maltese, the powers that be are seeking to restrict to excessively rigid rules of orthography.

It is my considered view that such actions are seriously endangering the demise of our ancient tongue by alienating its formal standardisation from the realities of a large proportion of Maltese speakers scattered around the worldwide diaspora. The progressive desemiticisation of Maltese is clearly not solely the result of contemporary societal trends. The causes lie far deeper within the national psyche. These are reflected at differing degrees of intensity from within the various stratifications of Maltese society.

I find myself at variance on different linguistic levels with certain aspects of Briffa’s approach to translation in this work. That is not to say that one of us is correct to the detriment of the other. There can be no absolutes in any translation exercise precisely because of language’s itinerant nature. For the same basic reason I believe that no single dictionary of any language ever provides a complete and comprehensive verbal interpretation of our individual worlds. Actuality and reality as perceived by each individual can be as diverse as the current raging world climate debate.

Briffa’s initial premise of the translator having a good knowledge of both the source as well as the target languages provides for a sound basis. But the factors just highlighted, of the itineracy of language, of a constant awareness of the individual speaker’s intent and understanding and of respect towards individual cultural language nuances, must necessarily form part of the equation in any translation exercise. These are language factors, subtle in their nature, which reach far beyond the requirement of a mere good knowledge of a language. Additionally, all these factors together essentially require a good basic understanding of human psychology, of philosophy, of anthropology, of sociology and of the art of thinking, as well as a good knowledge of the basic tenets of linguistics. How often do we encounter the problem of two people speaking the same language to each other without the one really knowing what the other is trying to convey?

Beneath the itinerant nature of language lies deeply engraved within each individual’s psyche the private meaning he or she derives from within themselves as they interact with their individual perception of the environment. Hence within the same language code each individual is at variance with every other person in the universe. Thus we communicate at very imperfect levels of comprehension. Before we traverse the boundary from one language to another, our initial, individual and private verbal mode of interpreting our environment already suffers in its transition from the notional form to its spoken mode. It then ventures to project itself even farther afield, into the written mode.

The switching of codes (translating) from one language to another, in this case from Maltese to English and from English to Maltese, further complicates language realisation at its initially intended semantic level. As no two words from the same language ever mean precisely the same, how much further from the original semantics does the translated form take us?

No translation can ever render a perfect reproduction of what is intentionally expressed in the original code (the source language). In translation one can only ever hope for the closest possible proximity of meaning.

An example of a Maltese term which has no equivalent in English is the iconic pastizzi – a term belonging solely to the realm of the ethnically Maltese cuisine. With respect to one’s ethnic sentiments therefore, such terms must be left in their original Maltese form to properly convey a faithful semantic rendering. Briffa has rendered it in English with the socially divisive referrent of “cheese cakes” whilst further on in the same work he accords it its rightful original Maltese retention.

In every language code, instances exist of untranslatable words, the sanctity of which demands the respect of their users by their very uniqueness in retaining their sole and original identity. Other similar terms in Maltese which cannot and should not be translated into any other language code include such terms as ghonnella, dghajsa, sahha (as a form of greeting) and a host of other indigenous expressions. That is precisely why the English language does not anglicise or translate a host of borrowed terms such as savoir-faire, arpeggio, picador, coup d’etat, sfumato, flamenco, aficionado and so many other ethnically specific terms.

Saussure favours a universal application to his significant – signifié interpretation of language. This concept ignores the indispensable individual. But it is the individual who determines language and not the other way around, as Saussure would have us all believe. Lacan goes a step further in embracing the psychological aspect of language. Yet he too fails to consider the initial, private input of the individual, a factor that is ever present and peculiar to that singular person in the entire universe. No two individuals upon this entire planet see the world in precisely the same manner as the other.

In Translation Practice… Briffa makes an audacious attempt at providing a rationale to the ancient art of translating in spite of insurmountable aspects intrinsic to human language here referred to en passant.

Exponentially this work lays the foundations for a more vigorous approach towards, and development of, this relatively recent addition to the academic disciplines offered at the University of Malta.

Having myself practised professional translations, mostly of a technical nature, for a number of years in the seventies, without the aid of the ESI and Aquilina dictionaries, I have experienced at first hand the nature of the numerous and diverse difficulties one encounters.

With this line of reasoning, and bearing in mind the difficult and complex task involved in this academic endeavour, Briffa’s book is a milestone in contemporary Malta’s approach to facing the various linguistic challenges posed by a world society in a constant state of change. It is an invaluable contribution to the laying of basic principles for a healthy and productive exposition to the art of translating.

Briffa Charles: Translation Practice for the Maltese Bilingual: English-Maltese-English, University of Malta, Dept of Translation and Interpreting Studies.

ISBN 978-99932-86-38-7; Price €24.99