The multi-faceted Cantonese culture poses translation challenges if done by non-native Cantonese translators especially when dealing with educational content. Considering the Cantonese people’s deep-rooted culture and language ambiguity, translating educational materials requires accurate adaptation.
Therefore, cultural sensitivity in Cantonese translation takes center stage when ensuring the actual message is conveyed to the target audience. What cultural nuances are likely to affect your translation and interpretation accuracy? Continue reading to understand how cultural elements influence Cantonese translation.
How Cultural Nuances Affect the Meaning and Interpretation of Educational Content
Whether it’s e-learning materials, textbooks, training materials written or audio content, it should be adapted to suit Cantonese speakers. When adapting the content, the translator should know the audience’s cultural diversity and Cantonese vocabulary influenced by other languages.
Every region has its official language. However, different language dialects within the same region represent the cultural nuances likely to affect the pronunciation, meaning, and interpretation of educational content.
Here’s an example: Educational content written for Yale Cantonese speakers is likely to be misinterpreted by Pīnyīn speakers who are also Cantonese speakers. Due to pronunciation, beliefs, and alphabet character differences, Cantonese document translation should be done by professional natives to protect educational materials from losing their intended teachings.
When interpreting educational content, pronouncing the number “four” may affect how your audience will perceive the statement. Because number four is homonymous with the word “death”. There are also many other words whose pronunciation is the same but due to beliefs, values, and ritual attachments, the same word is understood differently.
In the provinces of Hong Kong, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Macau, and Guangdong, Cantonese is the most spoken language. This translates to over 85 million people. These provinces represent culturally diverse groups with different human behavior patterns best described as “cultural nuances”.
People’s historical language, customs, rituals, sexual identity, and values are cultural nuances that also affect the meaning and interpretation of educational content.
Cantonese Cultural Elements Translators Should Consider
When translating educational materials, you can only get it right if Cantonese cultural elements like language ambiguity, beliefs, symbols, and art and literature are considered during translation. Cultural elements are sensitive components of any language and they influence the choice of words translators will use.
The cultural adaptation elements you should consider in translation include:
1. Cultural symbols
The Chinese culture is characterized by symbols that may determine one’s likelihood of becoming more wealthy, having better health, and getting opportunities. Every region in the world has cultural symbols that linguistically can be translated to give a specific meaning.
In Hong Kong and Guangdong where Cantonese is the lingua franca, imagery, character, and text symbols are not only found in buildings but also educational content. Since Chinese cultural symbols exist in many different forms, you should be aware of the message they convey in your translation.
2. Values and Beliefs
Social values do influence Chinese-English translation and vice versa. The messenger conveyed in the Chinese highly treasured values such as 孝 xiao (Filial piety), 义 yi (Righteousness), and 忠 zhong (Loyalty) should be delivered with the exact meaning in translation. The social culture, economic social values, and moral values in linguistic expressions aim at conveying a specific meaning and shouldn’t be separated during translation.
The historical and religious Chinese beliefs do determine the word choices to use. The use of euphemisms in Chinese literature is attached to beliefs and translators should equally use euphemisms in Cantonese translation.
3. Phonology
The Cantonese rules of pronunciation and speech structure if not given aforethought when translating educational content can result in incorrect translations. When translating and interpreting your content, consider using Guangzhou as your standard Cantonese pronunciation.
4. Artifacts
Material objects or artifacts are part of the Cantonese material culture and represent their historical culture. The expressions on these artifacts whether on products, training materials, or wall streets are meant to send a certain message. In your translations, ensure the message is passed as is to the target audience.
Painting and calligraphy are notably almost everywhere in China and are partly used to portray the Chinese way of life. Misinterpretation is likely to lead to incorrect translations thus connoting a different culture. The result is misunderstanding the content.
Challenges Faced In Maintaining Cultural Sensitivity While Translating Educational Materials
In translation, culture is more prevalent than the literal translation. In maintaining cultural sensitivity while translating educational materials translators should be more attentive to the culture and beliefs of the target students. When you think of culturally sensitive elements, consider the people’s religion, politics, idioms and figures of speech, habits, and social cultures.
Here are the challenges translators face in maintaining cultural sensitivity during translations.
1. Culture Specific Expressions
Culture-specific expressions are full of idiomatic expressions which are difficult to comprehend and translate. The cultural terms linguistic structure and socio-cognitive relevance are best understood by the natives with deep cultural relations than by just a trained professional translator.
2. Misunderstanding of Cultural Texts
Taking the example of the traditional Chinese language, the people’s values are embedded in deep-rooted cultural texts. This leaves few translators with the knowledge and understanding of the cultural texts.
Compared to plain texts, cultural misinterpretations in cultural texts are at a higher percentage unless their translation is done by a native within cultural understanding.
3. Poor Cultural Background
Unless you understand the origin of Cantonese culture, denoting the true meaning of any culturally relevant text and conveying the exact message in another language is a challenge. Cultural unawareness and lack of interaction with the language culture are the foundations of the challenges in maintaining cultural sensitivity in translations.
Conclusion
For readers to feel the cultural relevance of your content, cultural texts should be given their correct interpretation and translation. This is mainly achieved by ensuring words, expressions, and other language elements are given the deserved cultural sensitivity.
