The History of the Art of Translation from Yesterday to Today

The art of translation is the process of conveying a thought expressed in one language into another while preserving its meaning, style, and essence within the bounds of the target language. Having evolved from ancient times to the present day, this art has served as a bridge between different languages and cultures, and has taken both written and oral forms.

Written translation is the most traditional and widely practiced form of translation. It encompasses the translation of literary, scientific, technical, legal, and economic texts.

Literary translation highlights the translator’s creative abilities. Its primary objective is to preserve and convey the aesthetic qualities and emotional impact of the original text within a new linguistic and cultural context. Scientific and technical translation requires accuracy, terminological precision, and logical consistency. Translators in these fields must possess deep knowledge of the relevant subject matter. Legal and economic translation must comply with strict regulatory and legal standards, as any inaccuracies may lead to serious legal consequences, thus placing a high degree of responsibility on the translator.

The history of written translation dates back to the 3rd millennium BCE. During this period, in ancient Mesopotamia—present-day Iraq—religious texts in Sumerian and Akkadian were translated from one language to another. These texts were inscribed in cuneiform on clay tablets. One of the earliest known examples of written translation is the Rosetta Stone, inscribed in 196 BCE, featuring ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic script (a simplified form of Egyptian), and Ancient Greek. Another significant milestone is the 3rd-century BCE translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, known as the Septuagint, which was intended to make religious texts accessible to Greek-speaking Jews.

Written translation also held great importance during the Classical and Medieval periods. For example, Greek literature was translated into Latin during the Roman Empire; Buddhist texts were translated from Indian languages into Chinese; and during the Abbasid Caliphate—particularly under the reign of the Abbasids—philosophical works in Greek, Indian, and Persian were translated into Arabic at the House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikmah) in Baghdad. Beginning in the 20th century, translation studies started to emerge as an academic discipline.

In Azerbaijan, the first written translations began with the translation of religious and scientific texts from Arabic and Persian into Azerbaijani Turkish. Following the spread of Islam in the 7th century, Arabic became the primary language of science and religion. The local population learned Arabic and needed translations to understand religious texts. Translations from Persian into Azerbaijani became particularly widespread in the 14th and 15th centuries, as seen in the works of prominent classical poets such as Nizami Ganjavi and Muhammad Fuzuli. In Azerbaijan, translation activities were not confined to religious and literary texts; they were also widely used in administrative and cultural spheres. During the Shirvanshahs period, especially in the 13th and 14th centuries, translators worked in royal courts. Written translations also flourished in various scientific fields, including astronomy, medicine, mathematics, and philosophy.

One of the most essential forms of translation is oral translation, or interpreting. This refers to the real-time rendering of spoken language from one language into another. With the emergence of multilingual societies, the need for interpreting became increasingly important. Similar to written translation, the earliest examples of interpreting can be traced back to the 3rd millennium BCE in Mesopotamia and Egypt, where interpreters were employed in royal courts. In the 5th century BCE, the Greek historian Herodotus noted the presence of “language-knowers”—interpreters—at diplomatic meetings. Interpreting became more widespread during the Roman Empire and Ancient China, facilitated by the expansion of trade and diplomatic relations.

In modern times, simultaneous interpreting was used for the first time in 1945 during the Nuremberg Trials, where Nazi leaders were prosecuted after World War II.

In Azerbaijan, the history of interpreting also dates back to ancient times and can be divided into five periods:

1. The Albanian period (4th century BCE – 7th century CE),

2. The Islamic expansion period (7th–10th centuries),

3. The Safavid period (16th–18th centuries),

4. The Tsarist Russian period (19th century),

5. The Soviet and modern periods (20th–21st centuries).

During the Soviet era, interpreting became an official profession, and universities began training professional interpreters. As in other countries, interpreting in Azerbaijan is now commonly used in international events, academic conferences, diplomatic meetings, and court proceedings.

Expert on the Caucasus region, translator

Hasan Ahmadov