What about our cheerfulness in childhood with books, cartoons etc.? We spent a whole new world behind our parental care. We were so delighted to enliven the minds with the sounds of words on a page of our much-interested book. It could be the Harry Potter or Sherlock Holmes book series. We enjoyed them as it was the only miracle living on earth. Both book series are by British authors. And, we were not more knowledgeable in the English language. But we know the plot of the story by heart. How marvellous it is! The role of the translator comes to appear in this matter.

Translator is the person who converts one language's ideas into another language. It depicts the vividness of one's cultural heritage through the bridge, translator. Language is the way we communicate with each other. It is a priceless essence grabbed only by human beings. World embodies with several languages. It occupies up to 5000 languages including dialects. Anyone has no capability of learning each and every language on earth for his lifetime. Here, the translator does an extraordinary job.

Translators embark on an extraordinary expedition of other exceptional humane stories through the edges of books. He lightens the corridor of great stories of other cultures. It is intriguing to take part in this kind of trek through our own mother tongue. It is the dignity of translation. It could make you feel as if it happened in your own region when you read the story in your mother tongue. Translator takes you to unconditional destinations by this power.

The role of a translator is exceptional in many aspects. He spreads the humanity throughout the world without any discrimination. He is the magnificent creator of other spectacular dimensions. He is a humanitarian envoy as he ensures the reconciliation among nations of humanity. When we learn other cultures through translations, we can hold the true identity of that relevant culture and most of the time, we love to see it with our own eyes. Translator breaks the language barrier down as every person in the world is packed with very same emotions, feelings. We all feel happiness, sadness, cheerfulness, violence etc. The task of a translator is to convert the experiences of someone into another language. Doing this , the translator has the ability of self contentment. He would receive universal acclaim. A pride of being a polyglot would make him outstanding and filled with humbleness. That's because he has taken part in peace for humanityTranslation defines the enthusiastic readers a new horizon of Hogwarts in Sinhalese in translation of Harry Potter. We, the readers who are eager to know the next level of the plot, did not have an awareness of translations as we read it as our own thanks to the translator's immense role. Most Sri Lankan kids love Enid Blyton. It does not matter what she has used as her language, we know what happened to Ann in the Famous Five series. Peter Rabbit is in English. We know the amazing plot somehow. We learnt of Jean in Les miserable by our language. It is the translator who does that magic elaborating the words.

It is crystal clear that the translator paints the colourfulness through a translation in a beautiful manner. The translator could showcase a read on novel pathways by his huge creativeness and innovativeness splendidly. We have witnessed the glory of the translations since our cheerful childhood. And, those are the wondrous and awe-inspiring memories for us for the lifetime to remember.

Sachini Somarathna

Second year 

Department of linguistics

Faculty of humanities