Lost In Translation
Professor Pilinovsky’s discussion during Tuesday’s class meeting was both interesting and enlightening in a couple of respects. Obviously the most significant notion that her discussion contributed, for the purposes of a research class, is the idea that research is, as Professor Rhodes so often puts it “a living thing.” In a college setting, which usually involves writing countless research papers for various classes, it is easy to begin to see research as some foreign, redundant, and boring activity that exists no where else besides the classroom; and is only useful in the respect that it will earn you a grade on a paper. Hearing experiences from someone actively doing research in her field, however, kind of brings a sense of renewal and appreciation for the research process and the idea behind it. When you begin to think of research in terms of what it actually is, a of quest for knowledge, it becomes this whole new thing. Research doesn’t always have to be done for the sole purpose of producing a paper. Research can actually be just discovering things you didn’t know before, answering burning questions you have about something, or gaining a more in-depth and comprehensive knowledge about your profession or chosen field of study. In any case, it is a quest for knowledge, not a formulaic process designed by Professors to make writing papers more difficult.
Some of the things Professor Pilinovsky had to say, specifically, about translation were also quite interesting and seemed to be fairly relevant to the concerns involving a research class. She discussed translation as involving elements of “revision”, “collection”, and “adaptation”. Understanding translation as involving these elements provides a way to think more criticly about texts, especially when it concerns using various texts and documents for the purposes of research. Looking at the translated version of a text means that some kind of manipulation has ocurred. That is not to say that the translation has no value, it just helps to make one more aware how it has been adapted to fit a given social, cultural, or historical context. Considerations concerning translation basically adds another layer to the research process (looking at original manuscripts, including other scholars in your research whose translations you trust, etc.).
Professor Pilinovsky’s discussion also helped in opening up the prospects for potential research interests. Her interest in researching fairytales demonstrates that you really can take your research anywhere you want it to go. Essentially, for the purposes of academic and professional research, you just need to be concerned that you are grounding your passion in an accessible field, so that it makes sense to other scholars, or members of the given community, that you share it with.
