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On a personal note, translation is both an art and study . Once you have the firm grips over any given language's systems, a flair of "cultural touch" must be added to the output interpretation to achieve a balance in the conceptual understanding , and that's the "art" of communication, the lack of which may cause completely reversed effect " a bizarre" one. Consider for example the phrase in Arabic: يقطع حبل افكاره. The study of the English syntax entails to put the sentence in the following order: "cut his rope of ideas." , whose meaning is funny or weird to the English-speaking natives. Then, you have to move to the semantic component of "حبل" which must take on another meaning in their culture, which is actually " train of thoughts". Then, the whole sentence must sensibly reads: "to interrupt his train of thoughts". Thus, translation is definitely a process which entails great cultural awareness plus linguistic deftness of both languages.
Translation in my opinion is an art and also craft.
Definitely nobody will argue about the fact that translation is a science and a study. Anyhow, some issues need to be considered in translation. The study deals with the translation theory and languages characteristics; on the other hand, the translation process needs more... A creative or imaginative person can read what is behind the lines. People's cultures also need understanding if a person wish to become a good translator.
Simply, the translator is a creative person who goes beyond the language limits in order to achieve a hint or a meaning disguised around a group of words. Thus, translation is both art and study.
You cannot base your career in translation without an efficient awareness of the basics of the use of the related languages and most importantly the pragmatic effects of various utterances or expressions found in them. such knowledge is essentially a matter of study; studying the systematic use of both languages and the "cultural propriety" when addressing a language associated with a certain culture. The artistic side, on the other hand, is also found in translation as the translator not only seeks to convey meaning, but he/she try as much as possible to retain the same effect (let it be humorous, serious, emotional..etc) intended by the utterance or statement in the source language when expressing it in the target language. You need to keep in mind that translation integrates both technical application and social functions.
Translation is a sad profession but a splendid art !!!
it is art , craft . sense and culture
