ABSTRACT
This essay examines the multilayered, multilingual, and multicultural aspects of Joginder Paul’s stories with special reference to works that Keerti Ramachandra has translated and/or edited. The issues discussed range from the eligibility of any translator, the resources available to her, the confidence/skill with which she can mould the target language to serve the purpose of the original text, and the informed choices she makes. The essay posits that this becomes very challenging when there is just one variety of standard English to convey what the author has said in multiple tongues. The question of fidelity, therefore, also becomes a contentious issue. Ramachandra says that to locate the author within a context and the need to retain his distinctive voice and style are extremely important. Translations, finally, are a deeply personal and subjective act in which a translator makes choices and these choices are never arbitrary, rather always dictated by the needs of the original. As a result, a translation is never complete nor can one claim it is perfect.
