(ANS - K'Long) - The first meeting of the translators of the East Asia-Oceania Region ended at K'Long, Vietnam, on Friday 11 October. Twenty-two people from eight different countries participated – fifteen Salesians, three Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and four lay missionaries.. "I ask you, please, to do everything possible to ensure that this service become  a splendid success," the Rector Major wrote in a letter to the participants, to motivate them in their efforts on behalf of the entire congregation.

In his letter Fr Ángel Fernández Artime repeated the same message.

 “I have already expressed my belief on various occasions concerning the importance that translations have and that translators especially have for the Congregation, keeping in mind the important objective that translation of family and official letters needs to happen in as many languages as possible, so their contents can be communicated in the language that confreres speak.

He went on to say: “I would like to strongly emphasise that this service is much more than just an assignment, much more than a job to do. We are really dealing with a ministry here, a true service of quality, a very important task that means a lot and has many implications for the life of the Congregation.  If there should ever be a lack of translators it will be very difficult to communicate and pass on the charism, animation and government of the Congregation in general, along with animation of each of the confreres.”

Looking at work already done, we can report some satisfactory results:

• the importance of a spirituality proper to the translator is acknowledged. It is a spirituality of patience, humility, self-emptying, and trust in the Spirit;
• the availability in the Salesian Digital Library of many Salesian translations in local languages​​is appreciated;  
• we re-affirm the importance of translating not only historical texts or key documents, but also other contributions from around the Salesian world.

Among the best practices shared at the meeting, mention should be made of Thailand, which provides an official translator appointed by the Provincial; South Korea, where there is a provincial commission for the task; and Vietnam, where all the young Salesians in formation are asked to do short translations from English, with the result that great progress has been made in the translation of texts and the possibility of having a high quality service.

For the future, moreover, guidelines have been drawn up at provincial, regional and Congregational level. The following are especially important:

• particular attention should be given to developing a Salesian glossary in every language of the region;
• a commitment to offer young Salesians the opportunity of spending time in English-speaking environments;
• the importance of sharing at all levels (with Provincials and with the Rector Major and his Council) the results of the meeting in Vietnam and reflections on the same.

All materials of the meeting are available in the Agora> East Asia-Oceania section of the web site sdb.org.

Published 13/10/2014