The importance of a literary translation culture

He further observed that some translators deliberately attempted to reshape the original to suit his or her language and style, causing considerable damage to the status that the original works may already have acquired. вЂњI should say that some people had work that had initially been published decades ago, for example, Wimal DissanayakeвЂ™s poetry that was submitted was published two decades ago, but that particular translator had selected this anthology because of their own interest in the subject,вЂќ he noted. This was what made them realise that translators need to be aware of what they pick to translate and it is better if the source text has a semblance of recognition. The strength of the original text was a significant point that Seneviratne, along with the panel of judges noticed, as some translators had selected work that were not so popular or great in Sinhala: вЂњThe biography for example, was based on political ground perhaps that is what motivated him to translate it, but it simply lacked the captivation that Senkottan had.вЂќ вЂњThe storyline of the original casts a significantly refreshing light on life, humanity, and the history of thought, while giving us a nudge-and-a-wink reminder of their dark faces which thrive even today,вЂќ he expressed. We were told that the strength of the winning translation was largely on the original being a gripping text itself. He further noted that Malinda hadnвЂ™t foreignised certain emotive expressions, rather domesticated them, which was a highlight in his translation. He added that this is challenging work because all the translations were of different forms and genres: вЂњIt would not be ideal to cherry-pick the best translation from such a mixed collection due to the inherent limitations and potential of the structures and genres to which some entries belong, but we followed a detailed assessment scheme that impartially covered all technical and artistic aspects of the translations to select the winning work.вЂќДЄfter much deliberation, they unanimously decided on awarding Malinda SeneviratneвЂ™s translation of Mahinda Prasad MasimbulaвЂ™s Senkottan as The Indelible the grand prize. They were to pick the best English translation from five novels, three collections of poetry, one anthology of poetry and short stories, and a biography. Seneviratne commented that they had to read 10 entries nine of which were in Sinhala and one in Tamil. Goonetileke Prize for Literary translation.Дescribing to us his work as a member of the jury on the board this year, Prof.

While serving as вЂ‹вЂ‹University of Peradeniya Faculty of Arts Department of Classical Languages Head, he is also on the judging panel for the H.A.I. SeneviratneвЂ™s interest in literature and how languages change overtime is what prompted his interest in his career. Rohana Seneviratne has translated many classics from Sanskrit to English and Sinhala to ensure that literary work will continue to thrive in both Sri Lanka and the rest of the world. Well versed in the language of the gods вЂ“ Sanskrit вЂ“ Prof. Goonetileke Prize and the literary culture in SL

Sinhala novels-senkottan