Translation in its essence, is always an act of betrayal.
Is it indeed a crime to betray a nuance in order to appeal to an audience? Under this one concept out of many, we seem to all be united. Though the concept isn’t foreign to us, it’s something we seem to forget at times, with it taking mere seconds to be able to consume physical and virtual media forms in a multitude of languages. Like every concept, there are positive, community cultivated factors by translating, and there is no denying that within the current day and age, the advancements in accessibility have allowed us to delve deep into the past, and bring light to archaic culture, cemented in tradition- as a way of rekindling nostalgia.
However, R.F Kuang’s 2022 bestselling novel “Babel” seeks to exploit the more multifaceted and cynical motives of translation. Set in Oxford, 1828, the narrative follows the life of Robin Swift within the fantastical realms of Oxford’s “Royal Institute of Translation”. However, being a Chinese boy raised in Britain, the inevitability of betraying his motherland is made immediately prominent when he is soon roped into a world full of conflict and colonisation at the crux of a brewing political turmoil between China and Britain.
The novel aims to make correlations between modern-day and antiquated relations through universally relatable concepts such as entrapment, identity and how conflict psychologically shapes the mind of those caught in a cognitively dissonant pursuit for academic prosperity, and retaining some form of identity and truthfulness to oneself; and is executed in such a way that leaves readers staring at a blank wall after reading the novel in its entirety. On the other hand, it has sparked controversy across the world amongst readers whom believe that the narrative structure and importance of languages has been entirely dismissed, barely mentioned at all, or too vaguely discussed, while others seem to believe that the glorification of universities such as Oxford is tiresome and exhaustingly stereotypical, funnelling into classist ideologies.
While it is completely acceptable (and encouraged) to debate about the functions of this novel, I believe it is also detrimentally important to consider the reasons and purposes behind why Kuang decided to write with a debatably unreliable and flawed perspective, channelling the consequences of internal colonisation, and being held up to expectations that seem too farcical or unattainable to achieve if you are of another race. Robin seems to act as a mouthpiece for the eternal confliction between honouring and commemorating his Chinese heritage but erasing those cultural nuances to fit a prestigious stereotype whilst attending Oxford University.
To surmise, Kuang’s “Babel” aligns with the act of translating, in turn being an act of treachery. Robin Swift’s nuances are translated into an ideal that is easily digested and understood by a community that desires to steal from communities whom slave away under the almost tyrannical rule of those residing within a plutocratic society. This idea remains prevalent today with the rise of social media, fast fashion and society’s perpetually lived trends as an attempt to fit into an unattainable ideal. While the idea will still be debated for generations to come, I truly believe that an act of translation will always be an act of betrayal.