Week16--What Wikipedia has learned from translating articles.--진사우 CHEN SIYU

 Summary:

In the process of translating Wikipedia articles, I not only practiced the language, but also gained a lot of unexpected knowledge and insights. The following are the three gains I have summarized. And some interesting ideas and reflections encountered in the process.

Interesting points:

At first, I thought translation was just about comparing English with the original text and turning it into Chinese, but when I did, I realized it was far from simple. The structure and logical sequence of English sentences differ significantly from those in Chinese, and directly translating them would appear stiff or even disjointed. Sometimes, I have to break the original sentence structure, reorganize the word order, and even delete or supplement information without changing its meaning. The most interesting time was translating an entry on ancient astronomy, which used many Latin roots. It took me a great deal of effort to find the corresponding Chinese vocabulary, as if I were doing a linguistic "archaeology" project.


Some English Wikipedia articles are very detailed, while Chinese pages are either concise or non-existent. I realized that language barriers actually limit many people's access to knowledge. And when I translate English entries into Chinese, it's not just about completing homework; it's about genuinely expanding the informational boundaries of the Chinese world. This also began to help me understand the spirit of Wikipedia's "free knowledge": every translation is an effort to make knowledge flow more equitable.

In translation, I often encounter words that may seem ordinary but carry cultural connotations, such as a simple "community" in English, which can refer to "community," "community," or even "ethnicity" in different contexts. These words do not correspond one-to-one in Chinese, so I need to judge them based on the context and cultural background. This made me realize that language is not just a tool for communication, but also carries a cultural perspective. Translation: Translation is not just about replacing words with words; it is about reconciling perspectives and cultures.

In short, translating Wikipedia not only enhanced my language skills but also allowed me to see the hidden challenges and values in knowledge dissemination as a "bridge." Translation: Translation offers me more than just words; it's a way to understand the world.

Discussion:

Finally, I wonder what issues you've encountered in translating or editing Wikipedia?

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