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    Clough's Avatar
    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #1

    Feb 19, 2008, 12:57 AM
    Translating Words and Phrases Into Sanskrit. The Ins and Outs of It.
    I am just wondering what is involved in the translation of words and phrases from the English language into the written or spoken language of Sanskrit. From time to time, we get some questions about how to translate words or phrases from the English language to the Sanskrit language or script, and I am just interested in the process that might be involved in doing that. It seems to be more complicated than just a simple translation such as might be done with Western-World languages.

    One statement that I would appreciate translated into Sanskrit would be a Clough original, and that would be "It's not practice that makes perfect, but perfect practice that makes perfect."

    Now, I have no doubt that somewhere, sometime and at some place someone has thought of the same saying. But, for the time being, please humor me, that it is mine!
    supriya _82's Avatar
    supriya _82 Posts: 241, Reputation: 24
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    #2

    Feb 19, 2008, 01:06 AM
    जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी. Can you please translate that in English for me?

    Well if I translate it in English SCRIPT IT BECOMES:
    Janani Janmabhoomischa Swargadapi Gareeyasi.
    जननी - Janani
    जन्मभूमिश्च - Janmabhoomischa
    स्वर्गादपि - Swargadapi
    गरीयसी - Gareeyasi



    Now perhaps you can read it. It is a bit of a mouthful but if you try you might eventually be able to read it & pronounce it. But can you tell me what it means? No because though the script has been translated the language is still Sanskrit.

    For that you need to translate it in the English language.
    Here is translation in English LANGUAGE:
    https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/lounge...tml#post854268

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    supriya _82 Posts: 241, Reputation: 24
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    #3

    Feb 19, 2008, 01:13 AM
    So the dilema arises when people request tranlations in Sanskrit. Proper nouns are not a problem because you would call a person by his/her name whatever the language.
    But when one asks phrases to be translated what does one want?

    Let us take the word "cuirassé". It is French "Language". The script for French & English is the same. Any one who can read English can read it. So if someone requests a translation in English it is implied you want it translated in English Language which would be "battleship"!

    So if I want the word जननी translated in ENGLISH SCRIPT it would be JANANI (JA+NA+NEE), but more meaning fully in English LANGUAGE it would mean "Mother".
    Clough's Avatar
    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #4

    Feb 19, 2008, 01:47 AM
    So, are you saying that you can't translate the sentence that I have asked to be translated because of the way that I have worded it?
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    supriya _82 Posts: 241, Reputation: 24
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    #5

    Feb 19, 2008, 01:53 AM
    Conversely if someone asked me the translation of Mother.
    The Sanskrit script would be:
    Name:  MOTHER.jpg
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    The Sanskrit language would be
    Name:  janani.jpg
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    supriya _82's Avatar
    supriya _82 Posts: 241, Reputation: 24
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    #6

    Feb 19, 2008, 01:56 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by Clough
    So, are you saying that you can't translate the sentence that I have asked to be translated because of the way that I have worded it?
    I personally cannot just of the top of my head into Sanskrit language. I can easily translate it into written sanskrit or Sanskrit script.
    Clough's Avatar
    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #7

    Feb 19, 2008, 01:58 AM
    That still doesn't answer the question that I asked. Thank you.
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    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #8

    Feb 19, 2008, 01:59 AM
    You beat me to the answer to my question. Please let me rephrase...
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    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #9

    Feb 19, 2008, 02:02 AM
    If you can easilly post the phrase that I was requesting into written Sanskrit or Sanskrit script, please do. Thank you!
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    supriya _82 Posts: 241, Reputation: 24
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    #10

    Feb 19, 2008, 06:23 AM
    Hmm.I guess I have not been able to clarify.
    For what it is worth here it is the translation in SANSKRIT SCRIPT. (It is all gobbledygook for sanskrit language though.) It is read exactly as you have written Clough i.e.. If you HEAR someone reading it you would think he was reading an english phrase. It will SOUND exactly as it would sound reading your phrase written in English. (Am I making any sense?)

    Name:  clough.jpg
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    Clough's Avatar
    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #11

    Feb 22, 2008, 03:39 AM
    Just to be a little more direct to you, it would help us to know how you are able to translate the words or phrases that you have already on this site. Would you please let us know how you are able to do that? You seem to be awfully good at it! Thank you!
    supriya _82's Avatar
    supriya _82 Posts: 241, Reputation: 24
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    #12

    Feb 22, 2008, 07:30 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by Clough
    Just to be a little more direct to you, it would help us to know how you are able to translate the words or phrases that you have already on this site. Would you please let us know how you are able to do that? You seem to be awfully good at it! Thank you!
    I have probably shared before. I have the fonts downloaded which I work with in Corel. Also I am reasonably good in the "script".(Modesty isn't one of my virtues). Hence the phonetic translations are a breeze. You know how it sounds in English and you put it in Sanskrit (actually DEVNAGRI) script. The script is written "exactly" as it sounds. Unlike English each character is used to produce a certain syllable - the SAME SOUND EVERY TIME. No silent characters either. So if you know how each consonant & vowel is written in Devnagri, there is no ambiguity in reproducing verbally communicated words in print. Hence translating Names, Proper nouns is a piece of cake.So far as the phonetic translation goes.

    Now the difficult part is the linguistic translations.
    drkpp's Avatar
    drkpp Posts: 670, Reputation: 21
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    #13

    Feb 28, 2008, 10:21 AM
    "It's not practice that makes perfect, but perfect practice that makes perfect."
    =
    प्रवीणताभ्यासेन न लभ्यते तु योग्याभ्यासेन प्रवीणता लभ्यते
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    tyrenne Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #14

    Apr 17, 2008, 04:22 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by drkpp
    "It's not practice that makes perfect, but perfect practice that makes perfect."
    =
    प्रवीणताभ्यासेन न लभ्यते तु योग्याभ्यासेन प्रवीणता लभ्यते

    Hi, Iam wanting to translate 'lead us not into tempation' into sanskrit witing, could you help??
    Kurtisstorey123's Avatar
    Kurtisstorey123 Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #15

    Aug 16, 2009, 05:34 PM
    Ok I think suprya_82 means "transliterate" not "translate". Transliteration is writing a language in an alphabet other than that of the original language. Sanskrit uses the devanagari script and English makes use of the Latin alphabet. Translation is actually transferring the meaning from one language to another.
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    kmcbarnes Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #16

    Apr 13, 2010, 02:08 PM
    Yes it makes perfect sense. I am hoping to have "Peace to those who know no peace" translated into the sanskrit language if at all possible. Can you help me?
    lucky30's Avatar
    lucky30 Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #17

    Jan 6, 2011, 06:13 PM
    Can you translate " Life is Karma " into sanskrit please
    drkpp's Avatar
    drkpp Posts: 670, Reputation: 21
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    #18

    Jan 6, 2011, 08:06 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by lucky30 View Post
    can you translate " life is karma " into sanskrit please
    जीवनं कर्मास्ति

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