Tarjome

Tarjome is the act of translating written text from one language into another and the result of that process. The term is used in several languages, including Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and Turkish, and is often rendered as tarjome or tarjomeh in transliteration. Its etymology traces to the Arabic tarjama, meaning to interpret or translate.

Historically, translation has played a central role in cross-cultural knowledge exchange. In the medieval Muslim world, institutions such as the House of Wisdom in Baghdad sponsored the translation of Greek, Persian, and Syriac texts into Arabic, fueling advancements in science, philosophy, and medicine. Persian, Ottoman, and South Asian literary cultures later incorporated extensive translation activities, producing works that bridged linguistic and cultural divides. Translation has continued to evolve with global contact, expanding into many languages and domains.

Practices and types of tarjome vary by text and purpose. Translation can be literary, technical, official, or legal, and may extend to audiovisual media through subtitling and dubbing. In practice, translation also involves interpretation of meaning, tone, and cultural context. Modern methods include machine translation and computer-assisted translation tools, which complement human expertise. Theoretical approaches distinguish formal equivalence (word-for-word) from dynamic or functional equivalence (sense-for-sense) to balance fidelity and readability.

Challenges in tarjome include handling idioms, culture-specific references, humor, and stylistic nuances. Quality control, ethical considerations, and localization—adapting content for target audiences—are important aspects of professional translation. Tarjome remains a central activity in education, diplomacy, literature, and international communication, facilitating understanding across languages and cultures.