Translator Arzu Taşçıoğlu shared her professional experiences with students

Students from Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication and Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences met with Translator, Editor, and Artist Arzu Taşçıoğlu at the “A Translator's Story” talk organized as part of World Translation Day. In this context, Taşçıoğlu shared her experiences gained in translation processes, her work in publishing and editing, and her evaluations regarding artificial intelligence-supported translations with the students.

The event, held in the South Campus Socrates hall, was moderated by New Media and Communication Department faculty member Prof. Feride Zeynep Güder. The event discussed different aspects of translation and the importance of professional experience.

Translation processes of award-winning works were discussed

Taşçıoğlu, who translated the books Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune into Turkish together with Deniz Vural; also undertook the translation of works such as God, Vernon Little, If an Egyptian Doesn't Know English, and Doodles.

Taşçıoğlu, sharing her professional experiences with the students, talked about the difficulties she encountered during translation, the solutions she developed for these problems, and her experiences in the publishing sector. Taşçıoğlu's work titled Dragon: Dragons We've Loved From Ancient Times to Today, co-authored with Sevin Okyay, also stood out as an example of her production areas outside of translation.

Experiences can open doors to unexpected projects over time…

Taşçıoğlu, addressing how her artist and translator identities nourish each other, emphasized the importance of taking on different roles and being open to new experiences in professional life. Stating that no effort goes to waste, Taşçıoğlu expressed that experiences gained can open doors to unexpected projects over time.

Taşçıoğlu, advising students not to give up on creative production, shared her recommendations based on her own journey with the words, “Have friends by your side to realize the creative ideas that come to your mind, don't stay idle, don't do something you don't enjoy.”

The talk also covered employment opportunities in the field of translation and different areas of work in the profession. Students had the opportunity to ask questions about the publishing sector, especially regarding translation and editing.

The spirit of the text in artificial intelligence translations was discussed

In the Q&A session, which drew great interest from Faculty of Communication students, the possibilities and limitations of artificial intelligence-supported translations were also brought up.

Taşçıoğlu stated that the spirit of the text was missing in the artificial intelligence translations she examined, and expressed that she believes this deficiency cannot be remedied later. Taşçıoğlu, likening such translations that she believes have lost their soul to Frankenstein, drew attention to the importance of preserving the integrity and unique quality of the text in translation.

The talk, which contributed to the professional development of students and provided an opportunity to look at the field of translation from different perspectives, concluded with a group photo session.