Abdullah Hassan (translator, linguist and scholar)

TL;DR

Translation plays a minor role in the publishing industry in Malaysia, with a focus on children's and religious books.

Transcript

I'm the president of the Association of translators nation yes that's one well having retired from my teaching job other involvement but we would affirm the family owns a publishing house and so I'm the Polish busy with the publishing house okay the publishing books children's book religious books and my interest will be I both we do not have okay ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🖐️ Translations play a minor role in the Malaysian publishing industry, with a focus on children's and religious books.
• 🇲🇾 Textbooks in Malaysia are not commonly translated, as both English and Malay languages are used for teaching.
• 🏣 Malay books are sometimes translated into languages like Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.
• ❓ The quality of translations may vary, with some translations being more successful than others.

Questions & Answers

Q: What percentage of books in Malaysian bookshops are translations?

Translations make up a small portion of the books available in Malaysian bookshops, as the focus is primarily on local children's and religious books.

Q: Are translations needed for school textbooks in Malaysia?

Textbooks in Malaysia are not commonly translated, as both English and Malay languages are used for teaching. However, translations may be done for other subjects that require support in multiple languages.

Q: Which languages are commonly translated from Malay in Malaysia?

Malay books are sometimes translated into Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. However, the number of translations done in the countryside and small towns is limited.

Q: Is translation in Malaysia similar to translating between French and English?

The concepts of translation are generally the same, but there may be variations in quality and readability. Some translations may be more successful than others in capturing the essence of the original text.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The publishing house owned by the president of the Association of translators in Malaysia primarily focuses on publishing children's and religious books.

• Translations make up a small percentage of the books available in bookshops in Malaysia.

• Textbooks are not commonly translated, as both English and Malay languages are used for teaching in schools.