Rice

I currently teach a module on translation at UBD. Translating from one language to another can provide interesting insights into the nature of language, the ways that it represents certain concepts, and the ways it reflects differences between societies.

In English, we have the word rice. In both Malay and Chinese, however, there are three different words:

• if it is still growing in the fields, it is padi in Malay and 稻 in Chinese
• if it is for sale in the shops, it is beras in Malay and 米 in Chinese
• if it is ready to be eaten, it is nasi in Malay and 饭 in Chinese

First, within the framework of semantics, we can say that English only has the superordinate (more general term), while Malay and Chinese only have the hyponyms (more specific terms).

Next, we can consider why this difference occurs. That is easy: rice has always had a central role in Malay and Chinese society, so it is natural that finer distinctions should be drawn in the way it is discussed. In contrast, rice has in the past had a less important role in English-based societies.

Finally, we can discuss what to do about it when we are doing translation. If we are going from Malay or Chinese into English, using the word rice is not generally a problem, as usually the context is sufficient to indicate which sort of rice is involved. But we should remember that there may be some degree of loss of meaning if we use a superordinate term when the original had a hyponym. In the opposite direction, translating out of English, care must be taken to ensure that the appropriate word is chosen in the target language, either Malay or Chinese.