My name is Lorantiya Fernando-Geekiyanage and I am a recent graduate of UBC after majoring in psychology and minoring in Spanish. After translating leisurely at my local community centre and during my volunteer trip to Cusco, Peru I became fascinated with the world of Spanish to English translation and vice versa and then thought to myself “why don’t I take María’s class now since I have a little extra time on my hands.”

One aspect of this class I did not expect, was the community engagement component (which would bring me back to Cusco virtually), this has honestly been a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Translating for both Mosqoy and Ratón de Biblioteca presented me with unique challenges and learning opportunities. With these projects, I have realized the complexity of translating, which ultimately resulted in my Spanish bettering beyond just literacy and conversation. This is especially true when it comes to learning all that goes into a translation such as cultural and political context, the importance of gender, grammar and tone. Most of all, working on both texts has taught me how to think outside of the box, colouring in the lines is not always useful when it comes to translation.

Alone translation is a powerful entity, and having the power to be able to convey a message that was intended for one audience to a completely different one and that in itself is an incredible act that I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to take part in.

 

 

Thank you so much and here is a picture of me with my favourite  little giants, Ben and Loki.