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Translation challenges in the ever-changing world
Punoi: Monika Verjoni Pranoi: Prof. Dr. Viktor Ristani
1. The history behind translation.
The meaning of the word translation derives from the Latin term ‘translat’ which means “To
carry across or bring” or the Ancient Greek word ‘metaphasis’ which also mean to ‘speak
across’. The early traces of translation as a practice and an entity with an important function are
to be found in the second millennium BC, in the Mesopotamian era when the Sumerian poem,
Gilgamesh, was translated into Asian languages. Some other ancient, translated works include
the translation of Indian texts by the Buddhist monks into Chinese, and there are also evidences
of translation practices by Cicero and Horace in Rome. These are but only a few of some early
practices in the discipline of translation which were continued throughout the centuries, where
newer practices were further developed.
Conquests and invasions played a key role in the fusion of different cultures and translation often
times carried a fundamental role in the dissemination of ideas, knowledge and concepts.
Especially, the development of religious texts and spiritual theories increased the need for them
to be available in different languages. For instance, the Old Testament was a Hebrew version of
the bible translated into Greek in 3rd century BC. It was religion in particular that played such an
