Damascus-SANA
Translation is a human bridge for communication between peoples and acquaintance with the cultures of other nations. Therefore, the Syrian General Book Authority paid special attention to transferring knowledge and sciences to the Syrian reader through translating types of literature and intellectual and scientific works from various foreign languages. It exerted great efforts in selecting and translating works and attracting the most qualified translators to produce books A high technical and technical level.
Regarding the importance of the symposium held annually on the occasion of the International Day of Translation, which was recently announced by the authority between the director general of the authority, Dr. Nayef Al-Yassin, in an interview with SANA, that the symposium is held annually on the thirtieth of September, which is the feast of St. Jerome, the patron saint of translators, with the aim of stimulating interest in translation and highlighting the work of translators and focusing on The great importance of translation as a creative act and a means of conveying global works to the Arab reader.
Al-Yassin explained that this year's symposium on creativity and translation will be held in cooperation with the Higher Institute of Translation and Interpretation at Damascus University, the Arabic Language Academy, the Arab Writers Union, and the Syrian Publishers Union, and its focus is what is related to the areas of creativity in translation or the translation of creative works.
The Director General of the authority indicated the great demand for translated works published by the authority for two reasons. The first is that a large number of these works include books originally included in the national translation plan developed by a group of specialists in all fields of knowledge, which are books published by reputable international publishing houses by prominent authors in Their fields.. The second is because the translators of these books are among the most qualified Syrian translators, and therefore the reader is attracted to the quality of the translated material.
Al-Yassin pointed out that the increase in the translation tariff enabled the authority to attract a larger number of qualified translators, despite acknowledging that the tariff is still below ambition due to the great effort, cumulative knowledge and great experience that translation requires, pointing out that there is a shortage of translators for important languages such as Chinese and Japanese, for example. .
When asked about the importance of partnership between institutions concerned with translation and culture, he pointed out that all of them are national institutions that are integrated in their work. The Higher Institute of Translation is reliant on it to produce trained translators who contribute to translating the works published by the authority. In addition, the Arabic Language Academy is acquainted with the new expressions and terms that appear every A day in foreign languages and seeks to establish them and harmonize them with the correct linguistic use, pointing out that the structure of the Arab Writers Union includes a translation committee that is also concerned with translating literary works, and that a large number of translators of the books of the Syrian General Book Organization are members of the Arab Writers Union, and therefore there is reciprocity, participation and integration in The work of institutions.
Al-Yassin stressed the importance of exchanging experiences and expertise between the government sector, represented by the Syrian General Book Authority and the Syrian Publishers Association, to serve the Syrian writers, writers and translators.
Regarding the difficulties facing the work of the Commission in light of the unjust economic siege on Syria, Ben Al-Yasin said that the Commission, like other Syrian institutions, faces many great difficulties in securing work requirements such as paper and printing inks and problems in maintaining printing machines and providing the fuel needed to transport books from the printing press to the warehouse to the outlets. In addition to the shortage of skilled labour.
He stressed the authority’s constant endeavor to innovate solutions, cooperation and resort to the support and support of the Ministry of Culture to continue producing and delivering a book of high quality and at an appropriate price so that the book remains within the reach of the broader segments of the Syrian society, pointing to the authority’s work on electronic publication also of books and magazines to make them available to everyone, whether on computers or tablets or cell phones.
Al-Yassin pointed out that the commission is also interested in translating books that talked about the war on Syria from different countries into Arabic as a national duty, as a number of Syrian writers have been working on developing books that explain and clarify the dimensions of this war, and among these books are the cultural dimensions of the war on Syria and the dirty war.. Targeting Syria and Syria in the face of global war.
He explained that translators are doing an important job in this context, as translating a book published in a country such as Britain, France or the United States takes an objective approach and talks about the existence of a conspiracy against Syria, gaining a different kind of credibility, for example, a storm over the Greater Middle East, the Syrian wars and the Syrian plight.. Why? The West made a mistake and exported the revolution... the technology of destroying the state and Washington's long war on Syria.
Regarding his assessment of the reality of translation and translators in Syria, Ben Al-Yasin said that despite all the efforts made, the status of translation and translators is still far from ambitions, as the number of translated books is still small compared to the number of books that should be completed and also compared to what is published and translated in the world.
Regarding his future vision for the mechanism of the commission’s work, Al-Yassin indicated their ambition to be a habitat for distinguished writers, translators, researchers and investigators by attracting and motivating them, and for the book issued by the commission to be a duty to read thanks to its quality and by emphasizing the work of reading committees and selecting specialized readers and reviewers with a high degree of knowledge, objectivity, integrity and distance About attribution and moods.
Shatha Hammoud and Muhammad Al-Khidr
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