‘Inconsistencies’ in native language translations uncovered–Macaranas

Inconsistencies in the translation of the native language have prompted the Language Policy Commission to establish a committee that would certify official translators for the Chamorro and Carolinian languages.

Board chair Bill Macaranas said the board is committed to addressing the issue by formulating a unified procedure in translating the vernaculars to English.

Macaranas, who was also former executive director of the Language Policy Commission, said it has been over 20 years that “inconsistencies and misperceptions” were noted in the translation of the native dialects. However, the concerns were not addressed due to the changes in the statute that created the language commission.

He said the board is drafting the proposed amendments to the law, which will create a certification committee for translators.

“We’re working on the rules and regulations that will be the guiding path for the committee that will certify the language translators,” Macaranas told Saipan Tribune yesterday.

The board chairman believes the translation of the indigenous languages helps create a wider understanding of the culture but inconsistencies in translations have resulted in the proliferation of “misconception and misunderstanding” of Chamorro and Carolinian words.

At present, the language commission employs only two translators: one each for Chamorro and Carolinian. The “demands and requests” for translation of official documents from various government agencies continue to hamper the other duties of the commission.

Macaranas said the commission will incorporate the proposal to authorize these translators to conduct trainings for government agencies.

“We don’t want the language commission to be the translating agency for all government departments. The idea is to conduct training to their personnel so in case there are some translation works such as official documentations, they can do it at their level,” Macaranas said, adding that the commission wants to fulfill all its mandates for the improvement and preservation of the native languages.

“Translation is just part of our multiple functions…and we want to fulfill all the mandates for the commission, including activities that would help in the preservation of our native languages,” he said.

Although he believes that modernization and federalization will bring a lot of changes to the indigenous dialects, “I am confident that ours will survive,” citing the two languages’ history since the U.N. Trust Territory era.

A survey released in 2003 has shown that only 15 percent of students speak the local dialects on island.

Macaranas believes that parents are “partly” to blame as they didn’t utilize and practice these languages at home.

“We need the parents’ cooperation because it’s in our home where we start everything,” he said.

The lack of financial support to carry out promotional activities for the languages remains the top factor why the commission failed in some of its activities.

Macaranas cited that the planned annual language symposium is also being hampered by a shortage of funding.

“We want to hold our next symposium on Tinian…but it will still depend on the funding available,” he said, adding that majority of their activities rely on donations and sponsorship.

He believes that the economic hardship will affect this undertaking.

The language commission is also working on the revision of the Chamorro-English dictionary to incorporate important “updates” on the native languages.

However, completion of the project relies on the funding commitment of an off-island university.

For the Carolinian-English dictionary, federal funding was sourced out for the yet-to-be completed project spearheaded by the Carolinian Affairs Office.