“The Country is Yours” contains the stories, essays and poems of 49 Nepali writers and poets of the late 1990s, writing in the Nepali language as well as in regional mother tongues. [break] Most of the translated stories and poems are related with demanding political liberation or offering more personal visions on social reformation and struggles for the survival by the people of Nepal.
In this context myrepublica caught up with some Nepali writers, authors and littérateurs whose poems and stories have been translated by Thapa in the said book, to understand what they have to say regarding the translated version of their original Nepali write ups into English language.
In a short conversation with Republica, they also talked about Nepali literature in general and how their translation in English could help many understand Nepali culture and lifestyle in abroad too.
Professor Dr Abhi Subedi is happy to read his ‘Ma Bolchhu’ translated as I Will Speak. He says that Manjushree Thapa has done justice to the feelings that he had while he wrote Ma Bolchhu during “Jana Andolan II” (people’s war).“I’m amazed to read the beautiful translation of my work. Manjushree’s canvas while writing is wide; her approach in understanding the details of any subject is worth praising. Her approach to political transition, her sensitivity towards women and even her idea of dwelling with individual stories seems graphical in her writing,” Subedi.
Like Abhi Subedi, poet Toya Gurung finds no place to complain when it comes to comparing the originality of her ‘Madhyanna’ with Thapa’s translation in Afternoon.
An ability to go to the depth of the subject, understanding of the canvas and knack of the theme are what Gurung points out as the essentials anyone who translates should be rich with. She makes it quick that Manjushree Thapa is filled with all these qualities and that is why she says she loved reading both her works translated in English. She still found them equally fresh and powerful.
“It’s sad to realize how our works have not been translated in English,” she highlighted. “Due to this reality, foreigners are compelled to go on a trek to find what Nepal is all about when we have written about everything in our pieces. When late Mahakabi Laxmi Prasad Devkota was about breathing his last, celebrated international writer Dum Moore paid visit to him. This got noticed in various books but the whole Nepali literature still stands alone.”
Gurung further elaborated how even Nepal Academy failed in translating Nepali literature while she was working there. Devkota’s son Padma Devkota was reportedly the only one who had translated Mohan Koirala’s ‘Aajako Nepal’ that became souvenirs to Chinese people when Toya Gurung visited China for official purposes.
“Other than Tara Nath Sharma and Jaya Raj Acharya, it’s good to see Manjushree Thapa as a potential candidate to market Nepali literature abroad,” Gurung added.
Poet Manjul still remembers the day when Manjushree Thapa was a student of his. He who taught her Nepali language once is in fact a proud teacher to see his student translating his Nepali piece into English.
Having read her translations Manjul said, “I feel like requesting her to translate more of my poems.”
When even publishing houses are least bothered of translating Nepali literature into English, Manjul says it’s a big contribution that Thapa has made by initiating to translate some selected stories and poems..
“I not only hope to see Nepali poems and stories translated in English, I’m also looking forward to read international books translated in Nepal,” he said as much.
On the contrary, journalist and writer Govinda Bartaman says that Manjushree Thapa still needs to exercise more to understand the exact idea of translating.
“I don’t call it a bad translation. She has worked hard to go close to the originality and feeling of my piece Bisthapan in her translated version Displacement. However a translator should know the difference between verbal and cultural translation. Manjushree has done the verbal translation beautifully but is set aback a little with her cultural translation. I don’t blame her for this because her first language in English despite she being a Nepali women,” he conquered.
Bartaman further made it loud that one needs to research a lot to translate any literary piece so as to do justice to the issue written. “She is indeed a wonderful writer in English but because she is not as good as us in Nepali, I differ to give cent percent score. Nonetheless, I have to admit this that the attempt she has made is worth praising,” he concluded.
When Govinda Bartaman comes to a critical analysis of Manjushree’s works, author and former general manager of Sajha Prakashan, Dr Dhurba Chandra Gautam rather finds himself fortunate to have his Hem Subba ate Paan translated by Thapa. He calls her works flawless and bravos her for keeping alive the mood and expressions in the translated versions.
“I’ve often read many translations and what I’ve realized is translators are often found imposing their own ideas and bringing their own conclusions while translating someone else’s creativity. Thank God! Manjushree has kept herself away from such imitation. At a time when Nepal hardly has people having sound knowledge in both written and spoken in both English and Nepali language, Manjushree has surely sparked a ray of hope that our lifestyle, society and culture will be read by people abroad,” Gautam enunciated.
Apart from these writers, other masterpieces of prominent writers like Bairagi Kainla, Bimal Nibha, Dinesh Adhikary, Shrawan Mukarung, Khagendra Sangraula, Ahuti and Momila are other major translations in “The Country is Yours.”
(The Country is Yours will be officially launched at a public event on Friday at L’Alliance Francaise in Tripureshwor. The ceremony will be followed by a unique performance by celebrated artist Ashmina Ranjit and a projection of photo-portraits of writers included in the volume by renowned photographer Kumar Ale.)
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