Dr. Mohammed Albakry and Dr. Joseph McAlhany take time to shed light on the often-invisible world that exists between an original text and a translated text. Each episode of OnTranslation digs into a different debate or issue revolving around translation, whose nuance and controversy is only revealed after bringing the audience up to speed with the terminology and practices of the discipline. The structure of the podcasts is well suited to retaining an audience unfamiliar with translation and piquing their interest throughout. During interview episodes, Dr. Albakry keeps these two tenets of the podcast in mind with all his questions, either clarifying terms for the audience in order to increase accessibility or allowing the speaker a chance to elaborate on the finer points of their topic.
Though most episodes are devoted to the puzzling and fascinating aspects of translation, episode 5 takes a step back and discusses the visibility and reputation of the discipline. I feel that this episode is not an exception, but that the lesser-known world of translation is a strong running theme in the podcast series. I believe the podcast’s content and format works so well because of the steep knowledge gap and because of the methods used by the speakers to bridge this gap.
The most impressive takeaway that this podcast offers is how much creative interpretation can be involved in the translation process. This is expressed in many episodes, from “Translating Idioms and Proverbs” and “Translating Humor” to “Bible Translation.” It was truly eye-opening for me, and I highly doubt anyone unfamiliar with the topic will see translation as simple and derivative after watching any of these episodes. I highly recommend this podcast for all those interested in translation studies, and, as the field is by nature interdisciplinary, all those academics and students caught in the intersection of culture, language, and history. You will learn a great deal, but more importantly, what you learn will keep you wanting to learn more.
