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

A:  I read whatever I get to and whatever I find interesting: from newspapers, magazines, online articles, my children's academic books to everything! I prefer to read in English the most.

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

A: I find no particular book or author as my favorite, I love many books, many authors and many languages.

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

A: Simply GREAT! I have learnt many new things, I discovered the ability to express my thoughts in a simple manner.

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?

A: Not just one or two things, I have learnt so much and experienced so many things from these children books. In one of Pratham Books’ Annual Storytelling sessions in Delhi, I went to a Telugu school to conduct a Telugu story-telling session, I was apprehensive about the response of the staff and most importantly the kids with whom I was supposed to interact. But to my surprise, at the end of the session I was very emotional with tears in my eyes, I was encircled by so many small children, requesting for more stories.  I was totally a stranger to them but the stories made me their favorite, the feeling was indescribable. It was a moment I will treasure all my life.

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

A: Great! Because being a person of seventies and eighties, that too coming from Odisha a state, wrongly labeled as backward and poor it feels GREAT when I think I am not lagging behind with the modern time and methods, and whatever I am doing I am repaying my debt to my mother state.

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

A: My favorite book is 'We Call Her Ba', the book is about Smt.Kasturba Gandhi. Though I had read about the freedom struggle and Gandhiji in my student days, this book took me to a period of time not familiar to me. I loved the language, narration and everything about it.

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

A: The driving cause is the concept of introducing children to stories of languages other than their mother tongue. The exposure to different kinds literature in one’s childhood  transforms the child into a person of responsible nature, knowledgeable, and more tolerant towards other cultures which is the need of the hour at present.

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

A:  I feel I have no such high intelligence to offer any constructive ideas but in my small mind I feel that, in these TV addiction days it will get more attractive for children if the story telling or narrating session could be telecast on television.  

Q: How has the overall experience with StoryWeaver been?

Ans.  ବହୁତ ବଢ଼ିଆ , ତୃପ୍ତିକର କାମ |  Very Pleasant, Highly satisfying .  

Q: How did you cross the technology barrier for this?

A: Without facing much difficulty. I always want to change with times and like to keep pace with my grown up children so my children taught me everything . They encouraged me a lot and boosted my confidence. So it was smooth sailing.

To read all the wonderful translations by Indugu on SW, click here!

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Kumarika Mohanty is an Electrical Engineer and an Infosys staffer. She loves writing about causes that are close to her heart. She is very passionate about her mother tongue Odia and believes in making good use of  Social Media channels to do her bit in propagating the use of Odia by the people who speak the language. 

Here, she writes about Indic language software and tools, and how they have helped her work as a translator. You can read this post in English, here. 

ମୁଁ ଓଡ଼ିଆ fonts ପ୍ରଥମ ଥର 1997  ରେ କମ୍ପ୍ୟୁଟର ସ୍କ୍ରିନ ରେ ଦେଖିବାକୁ ପାଇଥିଲି |ମୋ ବାପା ପୁନେ ରୁ ଶ୍ରୀଲିପି ଓଡ଼ିଆ ସଫ୍ଟୱେରକିଣି କି ଆଣି ଥିଲେ | ଯଦିଓ ସେ ଇଂରାଜୀ କିବୋର୍ଡ଼ ରେ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅକ୍ଷର ଖୁବ ଦକ୍ଷତା ସହ ଆଜି ଯାଏଁ ଟାଇପ କରନ୍ତି, ଯେଉଁପ୍ରକାଶକ ମାନଙ୍କ ପାଖରେ ଏହି ସଫ୍ଟୱେର ନଥାଏ, ତାଙ୍କୁ ଲେଖା ଗୁଡିକ ଦେବାରେ ବହୁତ ଅସୁବିଧା ହୋଇ ଥାଏ | ଲେଖା ଗୁଡ଼ିକଆଗ ପ୍ରିଣ୍ଟ କରି ପୁଣି ଥରେ ଟାଇପ କର ଯାଇ ଥାଏ |

କିଛି ବର୍ଷ ପୂର୍ବେ ୟୁନିକୋଡ ଫଣ୍ଟ ରେ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଲେଖା ଟାଇପ କରିବାର ସୁବିଧା ଥିବାର ଜାଣି ଖୁବ ଭଲ ଲାଗିଲା | ୟୁନିକୋଡ ରେଭାରତୀୟ ଭାଷା ଲେଖା ଯିବାର ସୁବିଧା ଏକ ପ୍ରକାର ବରଦାନ ସ୍ୱରୂପ | ଏବେ ବିଶ୍ୱ ସାରା ଭାରତୀୟ ଲେଖା ଅତି ସହଜ ରେପଠା ଯାଇ ପାରିବ | ସୋସିଆଲ ନେଟୱର୍କିଙ୍ଗ ର ଚାହିଦା ଏବେ ବଢ଼ିଛି ଏବଂ ଭାରତୀୟ ଭାଷା କୁ ଏହା ମାଧ୍ୟମ ରେ ବହୁତପ୍ରୋତ୍ସାହନ ମିଳୁଛି | ମୁଁ ମୋ Windows ଫୋନ ରେ "Type Odia" ନାମକ ଏକ ଆପ ଇଂସ୍ଟଲ କରିଛି  | ଏହାକୁ ବ୍ୟବହାର କରି ମୁଁଟ୍ୱିଟର ଓ ଫେସବୁକ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଅଗଣିତ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ମାନଙ୍କ ସହ ମୁଁ ଯୋଗାଯୋଗ କରି ପାରୁଛି | @nidhi_budha, @wearebbsr, @BBSRBuzz, @akala_kushmanda ପରି କିଛି ଟ୍ୱିଟର handle ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଓ ଓଡ଼ିଶା ବିଷୟରେ ଭଲ ତଥ୍ୟ ଟୁଇଟ କରନ୍ତି| କେତେକ ବ୍ଲଗ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅଛି ଯାହା ମୁଁ ସମୟ ସମୟରେ ପଢ଼ି ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଓ ଓଡ଼ିଶା ବିଷୟରେ ବହୁତ କଥା ଜାଣିବାକୁ ପାଇଥାଏ, ଯେପରି-https://akalakushmaanda.wordpress.com/ , http://www.ameodia.com/ and http://www.bhubaneswarbuzz.com/ 

                                               

ଗତବର୍ଷ ମୁଁ Pratham Books ସହ କାମ କରିବାର ସୁଯୋଗ ପାଇଲି ଓ ଦୁଇଟି ଅନଲାଇନ ଏଡିଟର ସାହାଯ୍ୟ ରେ ପୁସ୍ତକଅନୁବାଦ ଓ Proof Reading କରୁଥିଲି - Branah (https://www.branah.com/oriya) ଓ  Tamilcube (http://tamilcube.com/oriya/). ଦୁଇଟି ଏଡିଟର ଏଥିପାଇଁ କାରଣ ମତେ ଯୁକ୍ତାକ୍ଷର ଗୁଡିକ ରେ ଅସୁବିଧା ହେଉ ଥିଲା| Pratham Books ର ମେନକା ରମଣ ଙ୍କୁ  ମୁଁ ଧନ୍ୟବାଦ ଜଣାଉଛି କାରଣ ସେ ମତେ Google Input Tools  ବିଷୟ ରେଅବଗତ କରାଇଲେ | ଏହା ଉପଯୋଗ କରି ଖୁବ ସରଳ ରୂପେ ସୁବିଧା ରେ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ୟୁନିକୋଡ ରେ ମୁଁ ଟାଇପ କରି ପାରୁଛି | ଏହାର ଉପଯୋଗ ରେ ବନାନ ରେ ତ୍ରୁଟି କରିବାର ସମ୍ଭାବନା ଖୁବ କମ ରହୁଛି |

କିଛି  ଦିନ ପୂର୍ବେ ମୁଁ ଏକ ଉଇକିପିଡିଆ ର ନିର୍ଦେଶ ପୁସ୍ତିକା କୁ ଇଂରାଜୀ ରୁ ଓଡ଼ିଆ କୁ ଅନୁବାଦ କରୁ ଥିଲି | ସେଥିରେ ମୁଁ ଜାଣିବାକୁପାଇଲି ଯେ MediaWiki ନାମରେ ଏକ ଅନଲାଇନ ଅନୁବାଦ କରିବା ଉପକରଣ ଅଛି | ମୁଁ ଏ ଯାଏଁ  ତାହା ବ୍ୟବହାର କରିନାହିଁମାତ୍ର ଏତିକି ଜାଣିବାକୁ ପାଇଲି ଯେ ସେଥିରେ ଛୋଟ ଛୋଟ ବାକ୍ୟ ଅନୁବାଦ କରାଯାଇ ପରେ |ଅନୁବାଦକ ମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ଏହିଅନଲାଇନ ଉପକରଣ ବହୁତ ଉପଯୋଗୀ ହେବ | 

ଓଡ଼ିଆ ୟୁନିକୋଡ ପାଇଁ ଆଜିକାଲି ବହୁତ ଗୁଡିଏ ସଫ୍ଟୱେର, ଅନଲାଇନ ଉପକରଣ ଓ ଆପ୍ପ ଆସିଲାଣି | ଏହି ଲିଙ୍କ ରେସେଗୁଡିକ ରୁ କିଛି କିଛି ଲେଖା ହୋଇଛି - http://odia.odisha.gov.in/it-tool-for-viewing-odia-in-browser.html

You can read some of Kumarika's translations to Odia on StoryWeaver here and you can follow her on Twitter @kumariika

Do you have a favourite software on online tool for translation? Tweet us @pbstoryweaver or write to us [email protected] and tell us what it is! 

Be the first to comment.

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Kumarika Mohanty is an Electrical Engineer and an Infosys staffer. She loves writing about causes that are close to her heart. She is very passionate about her mother tongue Odia and believes in making good use of  Social Media channels to do her bit in propagating the use of Odia by the people who speak the language. 

Here, she writes about Indic language software and tools, and how they have helped her work as a translator. You can read this post in Odia, here. 

The first time I saw Odia fonts typed on a computer screen was in the late 90's. My dad had ordered Shree Lipi Oriya software. Though he got accustomed to the English key equivalents for Odia letters, a key issue that he faced with this software was its portability. The entire typed text (at times the entire volume of a book) was printed and then sent to type setters who used to retype the entire content, if the same software was not available with them. Though, tedious in this aspect, he still uses this software and has gotten it upgraded over the years.

Kumarika's Reccomendations

Few years back, I came across Indic fonts in Unicode. A boon, I must add, for people who want to write in Indian languages. I instantly installed 'Type Oriya' app on my Windows Phone. I am sure, it is available for iOS & Android too. This app lets me tweet in Unicode Odia and I have been able to connect to numerous Odias across the globe, like @nidhi_budha, @wearebbsr, @BBSRBuzz, @akala_kushmanda to name a few. I have also come across these blogs in Odia/ about Odia that I thoroughly enjoy - https://akalakushmaanda.wordpress.com/ , http://www.ameodia.com/ and http://www.bhubaneswarbuzz.com/ 

                                              

When I got associated with Pratham Books last year, I came across couple of more online editors for Odia. I am comfortable with two online editors- Branah  and Tamilcube. I have to use two editors as one overcomes the shortcomings of the other. One striking issue is, due to a major use of 'juktakhyaras' (letters made from various combinations of vowels and consonants). While Branah allows 'juktakhyaras' that are not valid/used in Odia, Tamilcube does not let me create a couple of valid 'juktakhyaras'! 

While I was interacting with Team StoryWeaver, regarding this blog, they mentioned Google Input Tools. I gave it a try and I find it to be very helpful. The interface is quite user friendly, in case of Google and it also eliminates the possibility of making spelling mistakes. I would like to thank StoryWeaver for introducing this to me.

Last month, I was involved in translation of a particular Wikipedia document. Here, I got to know of an online translation tool - MediaWiki. Though I am yet to use it, I am aware that it can translate smaller chunks of texts from a source language to target language. Such a tool would be very useful to translators, I am sure.

This webpage has a good collection of online editors and softwares available -http://odia.odisha.gov.in/it-tool-for-viewing-odia-in-browser.html

You can read some of Kumarika's translations to Odia on StoryWeaver here and you can follow her on Twitter @kumariika

Do you have a favourite software on online tool for translation? Tweet us @pbstoryweaver or write to us [email protected] and tell us what it is! 

Be the first to comment.

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