Professor talks about teaching translation on ‘MTSU On the Record’

The art and discipline of translation studies was the subject of a recent “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Dr. Mohammed Albakry

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. Mohammed Albakry, a professor in MTSU’s Department of English, first aired Jan. 29 on WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 and www.wmot.org. You can listen to their conversation above.

Albakry co-hosts “On Translation,” a podcast that explores the act of translation from ancient times to the present, with Dr. Joseph McAlhany, a history professor at the University of Connecticut. The podcast is available at www.ontranslation.org.

“Translation and the Intersection of Texts, Contexts and Politics: Historical and Sociological Perspectives,” a 2017 book edited by Albakry, is being used as a text in some graduate study programs.

In it, authors cover factors affecting translations in cultures ranging from early modern Europe to contemporary Peru and China.

Regrettably, Albakry said, translation tends to be taken for granted in the academic world.

“It is sometimes not considered a scholarly activity or a creative activity,” Albakry said. “It’s assumed to be a straightforward process moving from language A to language B. Joseph and I, in our podcast, among other things, we try to change that perception.”