Storied translation as a bridge between selves

Think of a trip to a museum.

It typically involves visiting a physical space, looking at the exhibits, reading the descriptions, making sure we don't touch anything and consuming at the coffee shop and gift shop. A delightful, educational, but usually rather passive experience. As a grumpy teenager dragged to archaeological museums in Greece, I wondered how this ancient civilisation could possibly be relevant to me, at a time when I couldn't find my place in contemporary society.

In the UK, I've been called a 'culture vulture' by friends I dragged to museums, but still, I feel I run through the exhibition in a rather superficial way. How can we make the museum experience more positive and inclusive in a troubled and divisive world?

One way is to create online activities where members of the public are asked to contribute to the museum. This is what the magnificently relaunched Manchester Museum has done, showing us its objects and encouraging us to 'translate their information, talk about them, and find your own language(s)'.

The collaboration with academics Rebecca Tipton (Translation Studies) and Yaron Matras (Linguistics) centres on a website, where we can view photos of exhibits and upload our translations as typed text, photos, and/or recordings. The flexibility and freedom to express ourselves increases that all-important intrinsic motivation. Volunteers are also encouraged to upload thoughts about the objects, and reflections regarding the process of translation – what the museum calls 'storied translation'.

I was reminded of the work Shufang Cheng has published on the positive relationship between emotion regulation, critical thinking, and translation performance. Critical thinking is involved (and perhaps even enhanced) when translating, an act that involves a complex interaction between text, reader, and the two languages. This could help translators engage with other cultures in a deeper way than is afforded to those who simply read information.

The fact that the Manchester Museum emphasised that they were not expecting a professional translation helped me regulate my own emotions, ensuring I didn't become overly self-critical. As Barbara Fredrickson has talked about in the context of 'broaden and build' theory, this relaxing, positive and non-judgemental space makes it easier to negotiate different parts of our identities and engage with the world in a more resilient, creative, and playful way.

I am not used to typing in Greek, and I am too lazy to start now. So, I either acquired the translation from Google Translate (which is usually scarily good quality) or used it from another Greek translator. I made some changes, handwrote it, and added some doodles around the text (because who doesn't doodle when handwriting?); finally, I typed information about my thought process and actions in the comment section. I find handwriting very moving and meditative. I felt connected with other participants and cultures and true to their mission, the curators were very positive about my contributions. The activity was flexible enough to allow me to be honest, creative, and authentic.

Why has this activity resonated with me? Language is a major cultural vehicle. When translating, we carry meaning across cultural barriers: between languages, cultures and different identities. Language can also carry internalised inequalities. This innovative museum could help change these power relations, bringing people from a variety of backgrounds together as equals.

At this point, it might be a good idea to introduce my two identities. My Greek self includes being a schoolgirl who handwrites in Greek and doodles a lot, a student of social sciences and music who actively despises computers and is worried about her professional future. My British self is mostly a professional academic who lives on a laptop, reading, exploring, reflecting and writing about psychology, and loves cycling, plants and the bright colours of South Asian culture.

The Multilingual Museum encouraged me to appreciate equally both my Greek and my British identities and experiences, fostering a more plurilingual and multi-cultural attitude. I realised that as a Bristol-born anglophile member of the Greek diaspora, I had been overly keen to switch off the Greek part of myself and become as British as possible.

I used to feel resentment towards Greece for not providing enough job opportunities, and grateful to Britain for doing so; it hadn't occurred to me that I could combine both identities, becoming an agent of positive change rather than just demanding that the world gives me things. Celebrating and combining aspects of my identities is healthier and more enriching for me and the world around me.

Not a bad way to celebrate my 20 years since I came to Britain.

Reviewed by Dr Aspasia E. Paltoglou, Chartered Psychologist and Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University

See more details about the exhibit.