Q:  What do you usually read? Which language do you prefer to read

Fiction, non-fiction, history, mythology. I read anything I can lay my hands on. I prefer to read in Kannada and English.

Q: Do you have a favourite book / author and why is it a favourite?

Yes, 'Mankutimmana Kagga' and 'Kaanoorina Heggadati' in Kannada are my favourite books.

Q: You have contributed for us immensely. How has the StoryWeaver journey been?

It has been a wonderful journey, I have enjoyed every bit of it.

Q: Could you share with us a story or anecdote from the translations / reviews? Or one big thing that you take away from this experience?

I have loved experiencing my childhood again with children surrounding me while I read them these stories.

Q: How does it feel when your story gets published online?

Oh! It brings a smile on my face.  

Q: You have translated / reviewed a handful of stories for us. Which one has been your favourite and why?

There are two books I am particularly fond of: 'Jadav and the Tree Place' and The Wall Book.'Jadav and the Tree Place' is a very positive story showing how we can create wonders and that efforts do not go wasted. The Wall Book was full of information on human race and its civilisations, which I loved.

Q: What is your key driver in taking this up? 

I do feel strongly about my language. And I enjoy translating stories for children so that they can read in their mother tongue.

Q:  How else do you think we can join hands in taking bigger steps for children’s literature?

I think introducing story telling sessions, where the kids can narrate stories would be a good step.  

Q: How has the overall experience with StoryWeaver been?

ಅತ್ಯಂತ ತೃಪ್ತಿದಾಯಕವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಅದ್ಭುತವಾದ ಕಲಿಕಾ ಅನುಭವವಾಗಿತ್ತು

Immensely satisfying and a wonderful learning experience.

Q: You seem to be having fun with the translations and reviews…could you share your 'secret recipe' for this with us?

I just love what am doing!

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September 30th is celebrated around the world as International Translation Day. We're very fortunate that some of our wonderful translators and language reviewers shared their thoughts on translation and children's books with us on this occasion.

Meera Joshi has been a journalist for the last about 25 years. Currently, she is into free-lance content writing, translations and editing, with more focus on children’s informal education.

Translation of children’s books? I would do it in a jiffy, I had thought in the beginning. I soon realized how naïve I was.  It’s not difficult, but not easy either! The choice of words has to be meticulous and the language simple, child-friendly. We cannot presume anything, since children are still learning the language. So, as I translated more and more children’s stories/texts, it became a new learning experience each time. And an absolutely enjoyable one.

मुलांसाठीच्या गोष्टी/लेखनाचा मराठी अनुवाद करायला सुरुवात केली, तेव्हा वाटलं होतं मोठ्यांसाठी अनुवाद करण्यापेक्षा हे सोपं असेल. फार गहन मजकूर नाही. छोटी वाक्यं, सोपे शब्द वापरायचे. थोडक्यात, हसत-खेळत होईल. माझा हा भ्रम लवकरच दूर झाला. ही अनुवाद प्रक्रिया आनंददायी नक्कीच आहे. अनुवाद करतांना आपण लहान मुलांच्या निरागस, रंगतदार जगात वावरतो. पण अनुवाद ‘चुटकीसरशी झाला’ असं होत नाही.

इथं शब्द खूप विचारपूर्वक वापरावे लागतात. अर्थाच्या दृष्टीनं मूळ लेखनाच्या अधिकाधिक जवळ, तरीही सहज, प्रवाही, मुलांना रस वाटेल अशी भाषा हवी. मुलांना ‘हे माहीतच असेल’ असं गृहीत धरता येत नाही. कारण ती अजून भाषा शिकत असतात. वाचनपातळी डोळ्यासमोर असली तरी मुलांची शब्दसंपत्ती किती असेल याची पक्की खूणगाठ बांधता येत नाही. म्हणजे, मुलांच्या वयानुसार त्यांचं शब्दज्ञान कमी-जास्त असणार हे एक. पण शहरी, निमशहरी भागातली वाचक-मुलं हा एक स्तर. याखेरीज, मराठी मातृभाषा असलेली, पण इंग्रजी माध्यमात शिकणारी हाही एक वर्ग ह्ल्ली डोळ्यासमोर ठेवावा लागतो. भरीला, इंटरनेट, मोबाईल फोनवरून शुद्ध-अशुद्ध भाषेचा मारा होत असतो. अशा सर्व स्तरातल्या मुलांना, वापरलेल्या भाषेबद्दल जवळीक वाटली पाहिजे.

लिहिण्याच्या ओघात शक्य तिथं नवीन शब्दांची ओळख करून देणं हे एक उद्दिष्ट असतंच. पण नव्या शब्दांचा फार भडिमार करूनही चालत नाही. कारण वरचेवर न ऐकलेले शब्द येऊ लागले तर वाचनातला रस जाऊ शकतो. उदा. ११-१४ वर्षे वयोगटातील मुलांच्या एका गोष्टीचा (`माझ्या दोन पणज्या’) अनुवाद करताना भणाण वारा, समुद्राची गाज हे शब्द वापरावेत का असा प्रश्न मला पडला होता. विचारांती हेच शब्द योग्य वाटले. मात्र याच गोष्टीत ‘अंत्यसंस्कार’ (मूळ इंग्लिश गोष्टीतील great grandmother’s funeral) हा शब्द जरी मी एके ठिकाणी वापरला, तरी राहून राहून मला तो मुलांच्या दृष्टीनं जड वाटत राहिला.

राजा-राणीची एक गोष्ट होती (कोट्टावी राजाची झोपाळू नगरी). त्यांच्या राजवाड्याच्या बागेत असलेल्या ‘जाई-जुईच्या मांडवापर्यंत’ ते फिरायला जातात, असा उल्लेख मी केला. पूर्वी जवळपास घरोघरी अंगणांमध्ये जाई-चमेलीचे मांडव असायचे. आता ते कमी झालेत. मग मुलांना कसं कळेल? पण काही गोष्टी त्यांच्या कल्पनाशक्तीवर सोडून द्यायच्या. शिवाय मदतीला गोष्टींबरोबरची चित्रं असतातच.

त्या-त्या प्रादेशिक भाषांमधले, संस्कृतीदर्शक काही खास शब्द मराठीत आणताना पेच पडू शकतो. पोशाखांचे, खाण्याचे प्रकार याची मूळ नावं तशीच राहू शकतात. कारण एकतर त्यांना मराठी प्रतिशब्द असतीलच असं नाही. आणि दुसरं म्हणजे, मुलांना अन्य संस्कृतीतील शब्दांची ओळखही होऊ शकते. इतर प्रादेशिक भाषांमधले ``अम्मी-अप्पा-अब्बा’ हे मराठीत बहुधा आई-बाबा होतात. पण एका हैदराबादच्या परिसरातील गोष्टीत, मुलांच्या आईला ‘अम्मी’च ठेवणं मला गोष्टीतल्या एकंदर वर्णनाशी सुसंगत वाटलं.(गोष्ट: दम दमादम बिर्याणी).

मात्र वर उल्लेख केलेल्या पणज्यांच्या गोष्टीतल्या सांस्कृतिक संदर्भानं मला जरा कोड्यात टाकलं. मूळ गोष्ट नॉर्वेजियन होती. वाचन पातळी ४, म्हणजे आपलं आपण वाचू शकणाऱ्या मुलांसाठी. गोष्टीतली मुलगी तिच्या दोन पणज्यांबद्दल सांगते आहे. त्यात ती सुरुवातीला सांगते, “`माझे बाबा एका लांबसडक, तपकिरी केसाच्या मुलीच्या प्रेमात पडले. मग तीच माझी आई झाली.” नंतर विचार करतांना वाटलं की मूळ गोष्टीतलं हे वर्णन मराठीत तसंच ठेवतांना आपण आपल्या मुलांना जरा जास्तच गृहीत धरलं की काय!! ती मुलगी आणि तिच्या दोन पणज्या यांच्यातले भावबंध मात्र अगदी आपल्याकडच्या नातवंडं-पतवंडांसारखेच.

अर्थात अशा विचारमंथनातूनच अनुवाद प्रक्रिया अधिकाधिक सरस होत जाईल, हे नक्की.

अनुवादित गोष्ट एकदा मोठ्यानं, कथन केल्यासारखी वाचून बघणं या उपक्रमाचा पण फायदा होतो. त्यातून काही भाग बाद होतो, काही नव्यानं लिहिला जातो. अनुवादाची भट्टी नीट जमली आहे की नाही हे आपलं आपल्याला कळण्याचा तो एक मार्ग असतो.

प्रत्येक अनुवादागणिक काही नवीन दृष्टी मिळते हेही खरंच. आणि म्हणूनच त्यातला आनंद कायम राहतो.

-मीरा जोशी

 

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Azad India Foundation (AIF) was founded by Yuman Hussain in 1998 to seed initiatives in education & primary health care. The organisation's activities reach out to marginalised women, adolescents and underserved children from rural and urban areas of the Kishanganj district in Bihar. 

We are delighted that AIF is participating in our Freedom to Read campaign for the second year in a row. They are also our first partner-translator this year to have completed their goal of translating 70+ Surjapuri bilingual books (English-Surjapuri and Hindi-Surjapuri). In an email interview, Yuman Hussain, Executive Director of Azad India Foundation, tells us about the importance of bilingual books and how these books have helped children read and  learn in their mother tongue.

The Azad India Foundation team and the children in their learning centre in Bihar

“Azad India Foundation is delighted to be part of the #FreedomToRead campaign for the second year in a row. Foundational learning skills like reading are essential for a child’s  progress. StoryWeaver is a unique platform that allows children to learn these skills joyfully in their mother tongue.”

- Yuman Hussain, Executive Director, Azad India Foundation

We are delighted that Azad India Foundation has participated in the Freedom to Read campaign for the second year in a row! How does it feel to be a part of the campaign for the second time?

It feels great to be part of the Freedom to Read campaign once again and to complete the translations well before time! The credit goes to the team. It was quite challenging this year as we chose to create bilingual books in English-Surjapuri.

Do tell us about the Surjapuri community and language: What is the mother tongue footprint and what resources are currently available? What are the challenges faced by Surjapuri children when they enter school? 

Surjapuri is a dialect that is spoken in the Seemanchal area comprising Kishanganj, Araria, Katihar and Purnia of Bihar, and with minor variations in some parts of Bengal, neighboring Kishanganj.

I am currently not aware of any resources that are available for children in the local dialect of Surjapuri. In most schools, children learn in Hindi. In some schools, they are also taught in Urdu.

Can you tell us a little bit about how the Surjapuri books created from last year’s campaign are being used? Do the children have any favorites?

We have taken printouts of the Surjapuri books from last year’s Freedom to Read campaign and these are being used in classrooms for supplemental reading. Some of the STEM books are being used to explain maths and science concepts. The kids really like Gappu Can’t Dance (Gappu nachwa ne sakche)  and enjoy enacting it in class. However, Fat King Thin Dog (Moto Raja Patla Kutta) is their all-time favourite!

This year, you’ve chosen to create bilingual books in English-Surjapuri and Hindi-Surjapuri. Could you tell us about the need and benefits of these books? 

Bilingual books help children understand concepts easily, and if created in the local dialect, then it becomes so much easier for children to learn. The English-Surjapuri books are great teacher learning material (TLM) for non-Hindi or English speakers. Through StoryWeaver, we have access to thousands of free storybooks. We are aiming to create at least 200 books in Surjapuri on the platform.

We do not have reading material/storybooks in English for our children, so these bilingual books for level 1 and 2 are helping our children learn and read English. Aakansha, our India Fellow at AIF, helps with the reading sessions in English–Surjapuri.

Do tell us about your team who worked to create these 70+ Surjapuri bilingual books, and how they went about the translation process.

We have an enthusiastic young team of translators: Chand Quasar, Juhi and Saqlain, supervised by Muzzamil, who rose to the challenge once again. First, they translated storybooks from Hindi to Surjapuri. Then, I added the English version and uploaded the books on StoryWeaver. It was slightly challenging finding the corresponding words/sentences in English that matched the Surjapuri version, but it was fun.

Azad India Foundation's Team Badhte Kadam

Thank you so much, Azad India Foundation, for giving children the #FreedomToRead in Surjapuri! 

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You can read all the storybooks translated by Azad India Foundation here. 

Read more about the organisation here.

Do join the conversation by leaving your thoughts in the comments section below. You can also reach out to us through our social media channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

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