AQUINNO VOLUME 4 ISSUE 2 JUNE 2024.cdr SYNTHETIC TRANSLATIONS PREVENTING INDETERMINACY OF MEANING AND INSCRUTABILITY OF REFERENCE IN LANGUAGE TRANSLATIONS Ikechukwu Monday OSEBOR, Ph.D. Department of Philosophy University of Delta, Agbor, Nigeria Email; Ikechukwu.osebor@unidel.edu.ng & Rev. Fr. Dr. J.F Mordi Email: John.modrdi@unidel.edu.ng Department of Philosophy University of Delta, Agbor, Nigeria Abstract Translation philosophy has played a key role in understanding thoughts and is a tool for effective communication in unfamiliar languages. Language translations serve as intermediaries between the source and the target language text. Without translation services, effective international relations would not be possible. The philosophy of translation helps build bridges across cultures, enabling individuals to experience and learn about cultural diversities that would otherwise be too alien and inaccessible to grasp through a single cultural lens. Language translation (LT) is the manual or electronic conversion of a source language text to exactly match the target language text using signs and symbols. It is challenged by insufficient professional teachers or translators; it is cumbersome, wastes a lot of time, and does many other things. The gaps in traditional language translation have led to the embracement of web translation with the implication of its originality. Using the method of hermeneutics, the paper maintains that traditional and web- language translations are affected by the indeterminacy of meaning and the inscrutability of reference. The study concludes with suggestions for the implementation of language proficiency in translation by policymakers, both in oral and written communication through synthetic language translation. Synthetic translation involves integrating two or more pre-existing elements or translations to create the targeted text from a source text that would be epistemologically infallible. Keywords: Web, Translation, Synthetic, Language, Targeted, Traditional, and Source Text Introduction Nigeria has diplomatic relations with many countries around the world. Friendly relations involve foreign exchange in education, agriculture, and various other areas. Currently, Nigeria is Thailand's fourth-largest trading partner in Africa and a significant exporter of crude oil, rice, natural gas, and gemstones to Thailand (วันที่ปรับปรุงข้อมูล, 2022). The diplomatic relations and agreements between these countries provide opportunities for addressing technical barriers to trade, promoting education, and fostering development (Meyer, N. et al., 2010). The question is: can there be an agreement or relationship without effective communication? The bilateral relationship between Nigeria and many non-English-speaking nations is challenged by cultural factors and differences in languages (Fidrmuc and Fidrmuc, 2016). The role of language translation in international politics is largely invisible; the science of translating and interpreting languages is interwoven with social, political, cultural, and economic communication, both in the 147 mailto:Ikechukwu.osebor@unidel.edu.ng mailto:Ikechukwu.osebor@unidel.edu.ng mailto:John.modrdi@unidel.edu.ng mailto:John.modrdi@unidel.edu.ng context of business negotiations among the parties involved. Language translation acts as a mediating agent by re-contextualizing statements and documents across languages and cultures. (Zanettin, 2016). The diplomatic relationship between nations requires smooth interaction across linguistic boundaries in inter-lingual relations. The relationship between nations would require the practices of giving meaning to language, "at least a minimum of shared meaning to mutual relations in order for inter-lingual relations to function smoothly" (Wigen, 2015). Currently, professional foreign language translators in Nigeria show slow progress in the effort made, and the same is true for the English language in Thailand, Spain, or any other non-English country (Amrita et al., 2016). This challenge discourages effective communication in foreign languages in Nigeria. For this reason, language translation is an important determinant of effective communication. In trade, inter-human communication is crucial; even academic courses require proficient language translation. The term translation refers to an outcome (the translated text) or the process of production (the translation process). It involves translating a text, including the grammatical structure, lexicon, cultural context, and text analysis (Duklim, 2022). Translation is not just about replacing words, signs, or symbols but also about reaching the target market or audience. It involves transmitting the meaning or idea that the translator aims to communicate. Considering the role of language translation in international business and communication, synthetic translation would be needed to produce proficiency in the source and target language text (Hart-Rawung& Li, 2008). This includes applying the knowledge and talent obtained in written, traditional, electronic, or thesaurus dictionaries, as well as the translated field source, to achieve a meaningful translation (Duklim, 2022). Professional language translators assign characters or sets of linguistic meanings to signs or symbols that affirm the content of a source text in the target text. It is the act of reconstructing a text domain with different semiotic resources to present an exact match of the source text to the targeted text (Tom, 2018). This approach is challenged by low self-confidence, carelessness, anxiety, and the "indeterminacy of translation, naturalistic language concepts, behaviorism, theory of meaning, and semantic holism" (Jianghua, 2019; Duklim, 2022). The translation of language is problematic in the conventional sense: the inability to arrive at a closed interpretation of the targeted text with the source language text because of linguistic variations in the targeted audience has continued as a problem in translation studies (Vaughan-Williams, 2005). This study argues for an alternative approach that embraces the radical indeterminacy of meaning in order to incorporate translation proficiency into analyses of the world of diplomatic relations (Vaughan-Williams, 2005). Additionally, philosophers do use technical terminologies and jargon in business. Sometimes, they invent their own terms, assign new meanings to old terms, or use ordinary words in a new way (Gerald, 2004). These technicalities have far-reaching implications for the philosophical study of translations. Material And Method The origin of hermeneutics can be traced back to the works of Gadamer, which contributed to developing the work of Heidegger (Dowling, 2004). Modern hermeneutics began with the systematic hermeneutics of Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher in the early nineteenth century (Forster, 2007). Hermeneutics is the science of the interpretation of texts, concepts, and words used in research (Forster, 2007). Hermeneutics is the study of interpretation and plays a role in a number of disciplines whose subject matter demands interpretative approaches, typically because the disciplinary subject matter involves the meaning of human intentions, beliefs, and actions, or the meaning of human experience as preserved in the arts, literature, historical 148 Aquino Journal of Philosophy, Vol 4 Issue 2, June 2024. ISSN: 2786-9792 testimony, and other artifacts (George, 2020). This study adopts the philosophical method of hermeneutics. Hermeneutics helps achieve an in-depth understanding of texts, concepts, and the challenges of language translation, with the aim of proposing solutions to the identified problems. In such contexts, hermeneutics is sometimes described as an "auxiliary" study of the arts, methods, and foundations of research appropriate to a respective disciplinary subject matter" (George, 2020). Additionally, the science of interpretation can help understand the truth of translation approaches and how a source text is translated into a target text for exactness and precision. The fundamental goal of hermeneutical studies is to unravel misinterpretations of the source text in the targeted language and explore research from a scientific and philosophical standpoint that could led to post traumatic disorder (Pringle et al., 2011;Monday, 2020). Although the science of interpretation may not solve all the problems confronting translation philosophy, we maintain that the act of interpretation would help to present well-ordered language translations for effective communication among diverse citizens Language Translations Web translations use computer algorithms to translate text quickly and efficiently(Groth, 1997). While web translations are convenient, they may not always capture the nuances and cultural context of the original text. It is important to consider the purpose of the translation and the intended audience when choosing between traditional and web translations (Groth, 1997). There are two types of language translations: traditional (expert or individual) and web translations. The traditional method of language translation has remained unchanged for centuries." On the other hand, web translations use computer algorithms to translate text quickly and efficiently. While web translation is an experimental method of replacing the signs and symbols of a source text with those of another language or languages and this has led to misinterpretations of the text due to the emotions or background of the translator. Western tradition began soon after its beginnings when a number of the basic words of the early Greek thinkers were sometimes mistranslated into Latin, and as a result, the thought of the pre-Socratics and the classic Greek philosophers, especially Aristotle, has remained re convenient, they may not always capture the nuances and cultural context of the original text. It is important to consider the purpose of the translation and the intended audience when choosing between traditional and web translations. These gaps have led to the rapid adoption of web language translations. Web translation language is a "modern method of translation through computer assistance, which is a sub-field of computational linguistics" (Grace and Paul, 2009). It is the act of using computer-based programs to translate text from the source language to the target language without the help of a human translator (John, 1995). Web language translation uses tools to avoid the risk of employing mediocre, multilingual translators, displacement, and low-quality translations. It has been argued in some quarters that web language translation flips the meanings of words when the translation engines are unable to "understand" what the sentences mean. This type of error (incorrect terminology, omissions, and mistranslations) sometimes occurs no matter how fluent the translation machines are. This approach may not present perfect translations but provides the context, the basic grammatical structures, or both in the target language. A review of web and traditional language translations would show ambiguities, algorithmic bias, a lack of controlled language, and a lack of an exact match between the old and new translations. The boundaries between machine-aided translation (MAT) and human-aided translation (HAT) are often uncertain (John, 1995). This study argues that both methods are not sufficient to deal with the problem of indeterminacy of meaning and references (Xiang, 2010). This study recommends the 149 Osebor & Mordi Synthetic Translations Preventing Indeterminacy Of Meaning and Inscrutability... adoption of a synthetic language translation to fill the gaps observed between traditional and web translations. Traditional Language Translation Traditional language translation is manual. Manual translation involves the linguistic replacement of signs across languages—Interlingua translation. It consists of symbolic replacement across symbolic systems, such as in the case of translation from a full language into a narrow system of icons intersemiotic translation by a professional language translator (Jakobson [1959]; 1992; Gelavizh et al., 2012). However, manual language translations have been criticized for misrepresentations and cultural adaptation of thoughts due to vocabularies that recompose the source text (Groth 1997). Traditional language translation is manual. Manual translation involves the linguistic replacement of signs across languages—Interlingua translation. It consists of symbolic replacement across symbolic systems, such as in the case of translation from a full language into a narrow system of icons—intersemiotic translation by a professional language translator (Jakobson [1959]; 1992; Gelavizh et al., 2012). However, manual language translations have been criticized for misrepresentations and cultural adaptation of thoughts due to vocabularies that recompose the source text (Groth, 1997).A Thai-English translator also faces the barrier of cultures and communication because translation is one of the essential ways of transferring culture. The implication of traditional translation is the capacity to evoke the same response as the source in the targeted text without inserting irrelevant words into the target text (Gelavizh et al., 2012). Translators often run into a mental block now and then, where nothing sounds right and they just want to flip tables. Although the traditional method of translation aids learning, this approach is not efficient in addressing the contemporary relevance of education. Students might interact with one another, but they may not have the opportunity to access the online library, collaborate, or report information via electronic media. It is sad to know that translators may use this kind of method for power control, manipulation of translations, and gaining power over the targeted text. Digital Language Translation With the growth of information and technology, Translation Studies have evolved from traditional paperwork genres to multisemiotic or multimedia texts. Multimedia Translation or Web translation is an electronic translation of languages. It involves the rewording of the syntax and semantics of a source language text into the target language text via the electronic medium. It is characterized by concatenation, which saves time (Mansoor, n.d.). Web translation focuses on the use of technology, articulating content through online applications, and concordance translation across different cultures (Sujit Kumar et al., 2018). A translator can use professional translation software, such as Redokun, which offers built-in web translation services. Translation memories and AI-generated translations are provided as suggestions while the user is translating a document using the software's editor (Duklim, 2022). Web translation can be efficient in any context and at any time, regardless of the subject matter (Amorighoye, 2020; N.D. Oye et al., 2011). It assists in analyzing grammar, syntax, semantics, and word functions. The paradigm shift from traditional to modern language translations is good, but traditional language translation has been criticized as obsolete. However, it remains one of the best approaches to language translation because it involves a professional native speaker. Web translation is a supplement rather than a replacement for traditional translation. There is an assumption that machine translation is here to replace human work. It is not. To save time, language schools must 150 Aquino Journal of Philosophy, Vol 4 Issue 2, June 2024. ISSN: 2786-9792 make appropriate changes to aspects of their technological infrastructures, instructional methods, and resources for language translation (Carmen, n.d.). Although the totality of all possible empirical evidence cannot always determine whether a given translation, to the exclusion of other contrary translations, is right or wrong, even though the translations in question are incompatible and perhaps even contradictory (Ranganathan, 2007), sceptics of web translation are forced to reconsider their views on text, genre, and meaning when faced with the web page. It is a multisemiotic object made up of written language (and occasionally spoken language), graphical elements (icons, images), graphic elements (layout, typographic features), and acoustic components (sounds, music). Thus, meaning is produced by the combination of verbal and nonverbal cues. The web page genre can be characterized as a group of communicative events that interact verbally and non-verbally, serving a variety of communicative functions (such as informing the audience or influencing their behavior), and that can be further subdivided into subgenres, such as the web advert and the blog, which can both be misunderstood (Pierini, 2007). Translation theorists argue about the role of translation philosophy in general and normative questions. What is the rationale for translation? To what extent is translation culturally sensitive? "How to translate, in particular, is a red herring removed from the actual practice of professional translators who define norms in translation through their work" (Ranganathan, 2007). One of the major challenges of language translation is the misinterpretation of the source text webcast, the lack of electricity to power translation machines, and low computer literacy among language operators in Nigeria. In Nigeria, more than 50 percent of rural schools have no access to electricity Oye et al. (2011) argue that irregular and frequent interruptions in power supply in Nigeria are a perennial problem affecting smart education and have been a major setback for sustainable development. Corruption, economic recession, and poor school administrators affect the implementation of web learning mostly in public schools (Mansoor, n.d.). The frequent policy changes also affect the learning of foreign languages and the translation of languages. Web translation studies "display many myopic claims about meaning and language that philosophers of language are well trained to recognize and improve upon" (Ranganathan, 2007). Synthetic Language Translation Different 'translational' approaches have been adopted in translation studies. The interpretive theorists, such as Hayward Alker, Richard Ashley, Friedrich Kratochwil, John Ruggie, and Robert Cox (Neufeld, 1993), dominate meta-theoretical discussions. These approaches are qualitative and not distinct from the traditional and web-inspired methods of language translation. The synthetic method embraces both the traditional and web methods of language translation (Osebor & Iwegbu, 2024). Synthetic philosophy is one of the central themes in Kant's philosophy (Osebor et al., 2022). Synthetic or localization of language translation is a technical translation that performs two roles: The synthetic translation is an act of adapting traditional and web translation to reinterpreting a particular locale or group of people who share a language, a writing system, and other properties. This could be a region, a country, or just a language community (Sandrini, 2005). Synthetic translation helps to avoid misunderstandings in the target text from the source text (Sandrini, 2005). A critical review of web and traditional language translation shows that although both produce proficient or high-quality translations, they have failed due to the ambiguity of meanings between the source and the target text (Irabor, & Monday, 2021). Synthetic translation "involves transmitting a meaning or idea from the source text to the target text, including rephrasing texts, messages, or meanings from one language to 151 Osebor & Mordi Synthetic Translations Preventing Indeterminacy Of Meaning and Inscrutability... communicate meanings from the source language in the target language as precisely as possible to prevent misinterpretation or erroneous translation" (Duklim, 2022). The practice of synthetic translation usually requires both outputs to be revised (post-edited) by a second translator to eliminate the ambiguity of meaning and reference before dissemination (John, 1995). Collaborative translation follows the segmentation rules of the Exchange (SRX), crowd- sourcing translations of ideas, whether they are universal or specific. It bridges the gaps between traditional and web translations. Synthetic language translations can be viewed through the lens of radical hermeneutics and text analysis. Source text analysis provides the necessary framework for the targeted Jianghua (2019).This would help establish an exact match between the source and the target text. The synthetic translation uses an alignment tool to achieve optimal equivalence between the traditional and web-language translations and to balance the tension between accuracy and ease of reading to avoid ambiguity. Localization of translation involves internationalizing translations for suitable and efficient diplomatic relations or business (Sandrini, 2005). Therefore, the linguist must compile a translation manual through observing both translations to ensure precision, clarity, quality control, and quality improvement (Dave, 2011; Xiang, 2010). The goal of synthetic language translation is to be culturally sensitive and create an equivalence known as word-for-word translation (Zanettin, 2016). The attempt is to translate the source text as literally as possible, keeping the sentence structure and idioms intact through the implementation of synthetic translation (Dave, 2011). Although traditional and web translations are two sides of the same coin, with both contributing to the originality of the target text from the source text. These perceptions recognize the power of cognitive judgment, specifically intuitive sensibility, which generates sensations and conceptual understanding of thought (Osebor et al., 2022) Conclusion Synthetic language translation involves recognizing human expertise, transcending the limitations of traditional and web translations, and embracing the necessity of crossing these boundaries. This study aims to recommend a pragmatic synthetic translation approach that can effectively convey the same referential and interconnected meanings between the source and targettexts. While translation indeterminacy may impact the originality of the target text compared to the source text, synthetic translation offers revisions and additions to enhance clarity and readability, thereby reproducing the pragmatic effects of the source texts in the target text. It involves borrowing parts of traditional and web-based translations and synthesizing them for originality. This would result in a pragmatic effect in language translation techniques and the proficiency of thoughts. Synthetic language translation is literal for readers or audiences and is easier to evaluate and document. It affirms the literal recasting of a text from one language to another and "unites" both traditional and web translations, discouraging the insertion of new words into the target text and damaging the sources. Overall, this approach encourages bilingual and bicultural, if not multicultural, translations. 152 Aquino Journal of Philosophy, Vol 4 Issue 2, June 2024. ISSN: 2786-9792 References AmorighoyeT (2020). COVID-19 has exposed the education divide in Nigeria. This is how we can close it. Available from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/education- nigeria-covid19-digital-divide/ Amrita, K. David, Y., and Robert, K. (2016) English Education Policy in Thailand: Why the Poor Results? English Language Education Policy in Asia, 2016, Volume 11. 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