Translators for Foreign Gov'ts: Sellouts or Patriots?

[Midnight_Sun]

I started this debate in the old Pashto.org forum, but let's throw it in here and see what you people think.

Translators working for foreign military & intelligence: Are they patriots or sellouts? Or neither? Do you know someone doing this? Your thoughts are appreciated.

[unknownprince]

all foreigners in Afghanistan are criminals, and their lackeys and translators are traitors.

[Midnight_Sun]

My understanding is...when Afghans did the exact same thing for the Russians they were locally known as traitors, spies, and sell outs.

Now under a new occupier (NATO), would this feeling persist? I personally think nobody in their right mind would do this job if they were paying $9/hour for it. I believe money is the largest factor here. I've seen Hazaras, Tajiks, Iranians, NIGERIANS, all trying to learn Pashto.

[unknownprince]

most all Muslim Afghans except the traitors have a problem with these sell-outs.

[Midnight_Sun]

I wish that was the case, but I'm not a Talib and I have a problem with it that these same people who claim to be Afghans and patriots are in fact, doing this only for the money. Some do not even know what they are translating and have others in the same group do their work for them.

I know of people who are/were involved in this and they speak about the corruption, non-professional behavior, sabotage, crony-ism that happens with these private contractors and their Afghan translators. Those that speak out have their contracts terminated, some even get arrested. Some of these stories would make you want to wish all these translation companies should have their contracts terminated.

[ScimitarXEdge]

It's a false dichotomy

It's like asking are people living in the west hypocrites or legitimate?

Everything is contextual; if people live in the West and live off of a benefits system; yeah that's pretty hypocritical

I wouldnt assume a translator is automatically a traitor, it really depends on how and what they're doing. Some translators actually have helped people in danger. Others have put people in danger. It takes a bit more of a nuanced understanding than to paint everything with the same brush.

[khushal]

I belief these translators should get paid in translating books from English to Pashto. So it can be beneficial to students. Instead of translating walkie-talkie radios.

there is no money in that

[Midnight_Sun]

It's a false dichotomy

It's like asking are people living in the west hypocrites or legitimate?

Everything is contextual; if people live in the West and live off of a benefits system; yeah that's pretty hypocritical

I wouldnt assume a translator is automatically a traitor, it really depends on how and what they're doing. Some translators actually have helped people in danger. Others have put people in danger. It takes a bit more of a nuanced understanding than to paint everything with the same brush.

You are correct, but the headline is meant to get people to discuss things. I honestly don't think they are all traitors, but I have a moral problem with people who join for the main factor of making money, and not saving lives or as those flashy commercials put it, "Making a brighter future for Afghanistan"

[ScimitarXEdge]

when I said saving lives; I mean help innocent Afghans from being brutalized and persecuted. Not saving lives by helping the Onslaught of Neoimperialism turn Afghans into a nice domicile ,colony it can turn into a sex tourist resort.


Also some translators work in medical field which is important as well.

[Midnight_Sun]

Most of those translators are not high enough in position to prevent abuse or persecution. They are just a cog in the wheel of a giant system. These Sell-out translators wouldn't risk their jobs or lives to save an Afghan, even if they were being abused..I'm sorry to say that, but I know this is true.

[ScimitarXEdge]

well you're talking about translators with Invading Military Occupiers; this is what I was referring to by context. It is sad, I would say such individuals are indeed traitors. But the ones who work in medical fields are generally good.

[Shayesta]

I am very well aware of the translation-drama in Southern Afghanistan. I know that nearly all those translators are either Pakistanis, either Iranians or either non-Pukhtoon Afghans. But tell me, why would you blame those people? If a Pakistani or Iranian can earn at least $5000 a month without harming himself and his own people, then why shouldn't he go for it? Those non-Pukhtoon Afghans who go for translation jobs in Kandahar and Helmand aren't very wealthy here in West, and they end up earning a fortune in the country they abandoned during wars. But do you have any idea how many Pukhtoons' lives have been ruined because of these mistranslating? Those translators are there only for money, they don't care what happens to those people. They are not their people, so why should they? Just to save their jobs and keep earning thousands of Dollars a month, they keep on 'translating' even though they can hardly converse with those Pukhtoons! As for Pukhtoons calling translators incompetents, traitors, etcetera, do they actually know how many lives they can save? With all the fortunes they earn, instead of keeping the money they can actually use it to spend on the poor ones? Do you have even know that a bigger traitor is called the one who allows mistranslating and let's people's lives be ruined, just because his 'Ghairat' thinks it's a sign of slavery?

Obviously, you imply they are Pashtuns from Pakistan, who somehow don't care how many Pukhtoons in the south of Afghanistan are killed...and that non-Pukhtoon Afghans are doing it out of desperation for not being very well off in the West.

Just to clarify your misunderstanding, Toramana:

My point wasn't to blame Pakistanis who take the jobs as a translator, no. I was blaming Afghans who can speak very good Pukhto, are capable of taking this job and are able to take the job don't consider applying for this job but yet have the nerves to accuse of others doing their jobs wrong; May they be Iranians, or Pakistanis. The Iranians and non-Pukhtoon Afghans are just there for money, most of them possibly don't even have the idea how much of a harm wrong translation can cause the individual. Even if it's mistranslated by just one word. Especially those non-Pukhtoon Afghans are mainly those who have hardly lived in Afghanistan and only see Afghanistan as an income, not their nation. Many of them think Pukhto won't differ much from Dari anyway, and when they hear what Pukhto actually sounds like, they are left puzzled. Very selfishly, they continue anyway. Thinking 'hey, they are not my family or anything?' Or 'hey, they won't get into that much trouble?' Some of them go to ridiculous extend to save their jobs and keep earning money, seriously!

And as for the Pakistanis as translators, they aren't translators from those areas of Pakhtunkhwa who can speak and understand real Pukhto. There are many Pekhawris amongst them and whenever a Pekhawri speaks with a Kandahari, the Kandahari thinks he is speaking Urdu or Dari (this is in fact a well known saying). They just do not understand it, nor do Pekhawris understand the hard-core Pukhto of Southern Afghanistan. Even though I myself was born in Pekhawer, I stil struggle to understand their Pukhto and they keep telling me my Pukhto is way too rough. Those Pukhtoons of Pakistan who speak real Pukhto, live in real Pukhtoon areas and feel more of a Pukhtoon than a Pakistani also consider translating for 'foreigners' as a traitor's job. Therefore they don't even do such jobs. Though, this was even shown on Ariana Afghanistan on Brekhna Tarik's show, amongst the Pakistani translators there are also some from Karachi who have 'learned' Pukhto in weeks and think they know enough Pukhto to translate. What else but disasters can you expect from such translators?

I am not accusing Pakistanis or Pukhtoons of Pakistan who can't communicate easily with Afghan Pukhtoons for ruining Afghan lives, I am just gutted that equally money-lusted individuals amongst all Iranians, Pakistanis and non-Pukhtoon Afghans don't realize they are spoiling their Akherat by ruining someone's present. All for the sake of money. And I am even more gutted that those Pukhtoons who can actually stop all these disasters, put his pride at a side and save lives by preventing mistranslations, are too arrogant to do a 'slavery' job. If you you can be a traitor for translating for foreigners, then you can also be a patriot to take this job to save your people's lives. And in my personal opinion, if I can even save one Afghan's live by putting aside my pride and do this 'slavery' job for a few foreigners, then to hell with my pride.

[Bahadar Khan]

of course they are big traitor and ghadahr. they are assisting kufar that is wrong. they also watch american do night inspection in afghan home. if no afghan do this kind of work they realzie that they dont watn them in afghanistan. they are big traitors and translating is not all they do. that is lie some are spies.

[graveyardofempires]

if they work with some charity organisations than i guess its ok