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Roshanak Lotfipour
Professor Amy R Wilson
English 102 ENA
26 March 2013
The Short Love
The play Translation, by Brian Friel which, took place in the Hedge School in Baile
Beag an Irish speaking community. The play Translation is mostly deals with language,
culture and communication and how important they are. The play indicates how difficult and
almost impossible it is to understand a foreign language. The play occurs in the Irish town of
Baile Beag. The British army is trying to map out and translate place names in the area from
Irish to English. The play is reminding us that language play a very important role in
society and civilization. We observe many different scenes in the play and each one them are
important. The Tobair Vree scene, that occurs in the middle of the play in Act two scene two
between Maire and Yolland is an important scene in the play. This scene is indicating to us that
people can communicate through love and they really do not have to speak a same language to
interact to each other. For example, Maire and Yolland did not know what each one of them
were telling to each other but, they communicate through their love. The Tobair Vree scene
between Maire and Yolland which, occurred in the play has a significant meaning in the play. It
indicates that the actual words are not important and what is important is that people can
communicate through feeling, emotion and love.
First of all, in the play Translation we observe a love scene between Maire and Yolland,
which has a significant meaning in the play, because it indicate that two different people with a
completely different languages are able to understand each other through their feelings. Maire is
a native speaking character and Yolland who came to Baile Beag to help Owen translate the
words from Irish to English and Yolland only speaks English. Maire, who has a relation with
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Manus falls in love with Yolland and forget about Manus. In this scene we observe that
Yolland goes to the dance party that was going on and then left the party secretly with Maire.
According to O Doherty , Cahir Captain Yolland is unable to speak Irish and Maire the
woman who has captivate him, is unable to speak a word of English. They gesture and sign their
intentions to each other , but their courtship is over the moment it is observed. Yolland is lured
away by local toughs presumably to his death, Maire discovers that love is only possible in the
right contexts. I am agree with this point of view even though both of them speak two different
languages they still communicate through their feelings. Understanding people does not always
happen when they speak a same language it can occur when people understand each other by
feelings.
In addition in the play Translation the love scene that occurs between Maire and Yolland
indicates that people can communicate through their emotions. We observe in the Act two scene
two that even the both character do not understand each other languages they communicate. For
example, after they leave the dance , they start talking in their own languages and they suddenly
kiss and feel for each other. Maire and Yolland approach laughing and running hand in hand and
they are very excited that they left the dance and are alone now (62). Yolland tries to explain
Maire that he was always watching her day and night in past but, Maire does not understand
what is Yolland is saying (63). It does not stop them from communicating even though they do
not understand each others language.
Also, in the Play Translation by Friel we observe a love scene between Maire and
Yolland that indicate that it is not important if two people do not understand each other
languages they can still communicate and understand each other. In the love scene that occurs
between Maire and Yolland they have a long conversation together without really understanding
each other words and what they are saying to each other. They are in love with each other and

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that is how they understand each other by their feeling and emotion and not by their words that
they are saying. According to Helen Lojek Maier understanding only Irsih and Yolland
understanding only English are forced to communicate across the barrier of language.At one
point, Maire says in Irish The grass must be wet, my feet are soaking. and Yoland responds in
English Your feet must be wet, the grass is soaking. In away meaning is repeated in this
exchange. But in addition to the altered meaning whch derives simply from this or any repletion
the variation of word order reveals opposing deduction and inductive logics. Love how ever
enables Maire and Yolland to communicate despite their inability to understand each others
words. I am agreeing with author observation and expression. I believe love plays an important
role in the communication. People communicate through love and express their feeling
In conclusion, the play Translation, by Brian Friel which, took place in an Irish speaking
community is a strong play about language and culture. The scene called Tobair Vree is one the
the scene that has a significant impact and meaning on the play. The scene is basically indicate
to us that it is not important if people speak same language or not, but they can still understand
each other by feeling, emotion and love.

Works Cited
Friel, Brian. Translations. London; Faber and Faber , 1981. Print.
O Doherty, Cahir. Friel loses nothing in Translation. Irish Voice; 23.2007. Proquest. Web.
20. Mar.2013.
Lojek, Helen. Brian Friels play and George Steiners Linguistics; Translating the
Irish.Contemporary Literature 35.1 (1994); 83-. Proquest. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.