A Translation Workshop
for
for
the Visually Challengedby latha RamakrishnanTreasurer,
Welfare Foundation of the Blind
"My eyes that read in the dark
Are my index-fingers "
"My eyes that read in the dark
Are my index-fingers "
These lines of poet G.Kannan’s poem so precisely and poignantly highlights the significance of Braille in the lives of the visually challenged. In six dots Louis Braille had changed the life of the visually challenged from darkness, i.e. ignorance to light i.e. Education which paves the way for one’s emancipation. Today, the visually challenged excel in various fields such as Teaching, Medical Transcription, Computer Operation etc., thanks to the pioneering efforts of stalwarts like Louis Braille.
And, to highlight this exemplary service of Louis Braille, especially at a time when all over the world the Bi-Centenary year of Louis Braille is being celebrated the WELFARE FOUNDATION OF THE BLIND, jointly with the TAMIL TRANSLATORS’ ASSOCIATION had organized a Translation workshop for the Visually Challenged with a view to give expression to their potentials as translators and also to help them find avenues to make use of their skill in translation as a possible means of livelhood. The Translation Workshop was held on the noon 12th of October 2008 in Chennai.
The Founder-President of Welfare Foundation of the Blind, Dr.G.Jayaraman ( who had worked as an English Professor for more than two decades in Madras Christian College, Tambaram and who has penned several books on the plights and potentials of the visually challenged), Mr.V.Sivaraman, one of the Secretaries of Welfare Foundation of the Blind a lecturer in English in Presidency college, Chennai who is very keen to impart the knowledge of computer operation to the Visually Challenged and on whose efforts there was a session on computer and the demostration of the skill of the visually challenged in handling computers, in the Annual Day Celebrations of WELFARE FOUNDATION OF THE BLIND which was held in the month of June 2008.
Several visually challenged students and also teachers along with some sighted students took part in the Workshop.Mr.Raghuraman ( He teaches English in a Higher Secondary School; A prolific writer whose articles on various topical issues are awaiting publication), Mr.Udhayaraj, a visually challenged student of Presidency college, Chennai, Dr.G.Jayaraman, founder-President, Welfare Foundation of the Blind, Mr.V.Sivaraman, (one of the secretaries of Welfare Foundation of the Blind. He works in Presidency college and his is the Convener of the Joint Committee for Louis Braille Bicentenary Year Celebrations, Tamil Nadu) were also among the participants of the Translation Workshop.
Articles on the life and works of Braille and also on the various aspects of Braille were chosen for translation. There were volunteers to read out the articles to the visually challenged participants and to write down their translations. Several dictionaries were placed in the hall and it was said that the participants could consult each other in matters of translation. The participants and volunteers formed themselves into groups of three – the visually challenged participant, the scribe and the reader – and at the end of the Translation workshop the participants and those who formed the panel of evaluators sat in a circle and discussed the various aspects of translation and shared the difficulties and challenges they they had encountered while translating in the Workshop.
The President of Tamil Translators’ Association Professor R.Sivakumar, who is also a renowned translator having a number of translated works to his credit, Thiru. Kochadai, former presidetn of Tamil Translators’ Association and also another noteworthy translator of Tamil, Mr.Tha.Ve. Natarajan, a social activist who has always been a pillar of support to the initiatives of Tamil Transaltors’ Association right from the day of its inception, Dr.G.Jayaraman, Founder-President of Welfare Foundation of the Blind formed the panel of evaluators and they gave valuable suggestions and advices to the participants of the Translation workshop. Before setting forth to translate a text the translator should ask himself or herself the questions Why the translation work is being undertaken, how it is to be done and who are the target readers etc and only then he or she should start translating. Mr.Kochadai said that when translating in Tamil one should take care to use proper Tamil words and that one should translate in harmony with the language and culture of the target readers. Mr.Sivakumar said that when we set out to translate no theory of translation would come to our help and that only through vast reading and hardwork and sheer practice one can evolve into a good translator. Amarantha, a noteworthy translator of Tamil who has wrked hard for the formation of Tamil Translators’ Association and who is the present treasurer of it had sent her best wishes for the success of this pioneering initiative as she was out of station.
The students who took part in the Workshop observed that it would prove very helpful to them if such workshops would be arraged at regular intervals.
The Students of AMET University, belonging to the Marine Technology Department and the Department of Naval Architecture took part in the Translation workshop as volunteers and contributed significantly for its success. Captain Rajesh, Students Affair-in-Charge of AMET, contributed to the success of the Workshop a great deal by sending his students to thelp the visually challenged participants and by his direct participation as volunteer in the workshop. It is worthy of mention here that he, a reputed Rotarian and his father served as the scribe and reader for Dr.Jayaraman, in the workshop!
Students from the Department of English of Presidency college also need to be applauded for their active participation in the workshop.
We take this opportunity to thank all those who help us in our cause of serving the cause of the Visually Challenged!
And, to highlight this exemplary service of Louis Braille, especially at a time when all over the world the Bi-Centenary year of Louis Braille is being celebrated the WELFARE FOUNDATION OF THE BLIND, jointly with the TAMIL TRANSLATORS’ ASSOCIATION had organized a Translation workshop for the Visually Challenged with a view to give expression to their potentials as translators and also to help them find avenues to make use of their skill in translation as a possible means of livelhood. The Translation Workshop was held on the noon 12th of October 2008 in Chennai.
The Founder-President of Welfare Foundation of the Blind, Dr.G.Jayaraman ( who had worked as an English Professor for more than two decades in Madras Christian College, Tambaram and who has penned several books on the plights and potentials of the visually challenged), Mr.V.Sivaraman, one of the Secretaries of Welfare Foundation of the Blind a lecturer in English in Presidency college, Chennai who is very keen to impart the knowledge of computer operation to the Visually Challenged and on whose efforts there was a session on computer and the demostration of the skill of the visually challenged in handling computers, in the Annual Day Celebrations of WELFARE FOUNDATION OF THE BLIND which was held in the month of June 2008.
Several visually challenged students and also teachers along with some sighted students took part in the Workshop.Mr.Raghuraman ( He teaches English in a Higher Secondary School; A prolific writer whose articles on various topical issues are awaiting publication), Mr.Udhayaraj, a visually challenged student of Presidency college, Chennai, Dr.G.Jayaraman, founder-President, Welfare Foundation of the Blind, Mr.V.Sivaraman, (one of the secretaries of Welfare Foundation of the Blind. He works in Presidency college and his is the Convener of the Joint Committee for Louis Braille Bicentenary Year Celebrations, Tamil Nadu) were also among the participants of the Translation Workshop.
Articles on the life and works of Braille and also on the various aspects of Braille were chosen for translation. There were volunteers to read out the articles to the visually challenged participants and to write down their translations. Several dictionaries were placed in the hall and it was said that the participants could consult each other in matters of translation. The participants and volunteers formed themselves into groups of three – the visually challenged participant, the scribe and the reader – and at the end of the Translation workshop the participants and those who formed the panel of evaluators sat in a circle and discussed the various aspects of translation and shared the difficulties and challenges they they had encountered while translating in the Workshop.
The President of Tamil Translators’ Association Professor R.Sivakumar, who is also a renowned translator having a number of translated works to his credit, Thiru. Kochadai, former presidetn of Tamil Translators’ Association and also another noteworthy translator of Tamil, Mr.Tha.Ve. Natarajan, a social activist who has always been a pillar of support to the initiatives of Tamil Transaltors’ Association right from the day of its inception, Dr.G.Jayaraman, Founder-President of Welfare Foundation of the Blind formed the panel of evaluators and they gave valuable suggestions and advices to the participants of the Translation workshop. Before setting forth to translate a text the translator should ask himself or herself the questions Why the translation work is being undertaken, how it is to be done and who are the target readers etc and only then he or she should start translating. Mr.Kochadai said that when translating in Tamil one should take care to use proper Tamil words and that one should translate in harmony with the language and culture of the target readers. Mr.Sivakumar said that when we set out to translate no theory of translation would come to our help and that only through vast reading and hardwork and sheer practice one can evolve into a good translator. Amarantha, a noteworthy translator of Tamil who has wrked hard for the formation of Tamil Translators’ Association and who is the present treasurer of it had sent her best wishes for the success of this pioneering initiative as she was out of station.
The students who took part in the Workshop observed that it would prove very helpful to them if such workshops would be arraged at regular intervals.
The Students of AMET University, belonging to the Marine Technology Department and the Department of Naval Architecture took part in the Translation workshop as volunteers and contributed significantly for its success. Captain Rajesh, Students Affair-in-Charge of AMET, contributed to the success of the Workshop a great deal by sending his students to thelp the visually challenged participants and by his direct participation as volunteer in the workshop. It is worthy of mention here that he, a reputed Rotarian and his father served as the scribe and reader for Dr.Jayaraman, in the workshop!
Students from the Department of English of Presidency college also need to be applauded for their active participation in the workshop.
We take this opportunity to thank all those who help us in our cause of serving the cause of the Visually Challenged!
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