Translation in Arabic language and literature
Mohammad Rahimi Khoigani
Abstract
An underexplored topic in the realm of Arabic-Persian translation is the impact of translation on political discourse. The study of political discourse in translation centers on the unavoidable ideological modifications that take place in any text throughout the process of translation, which warrant ...
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An underexplored topic in the realm of Arabic-Persian translation is the impact of translation on political discourse. The study of political discourse in translation centers on the unavoidable ideological modifications that take place in any text throughout the process of translation, which warrant careful examination and evaluation. Hence, the objective of this study is to examine several renditions of the dialogues between the Qatari Minister and the Saudi envoy during the commencement of the 148th session of the Arab League. This research aims to investigate the translation and representation of a single text by multiple media outlets, taking into account their ideological and political perspectives. Drawing on Christina Schäffner's theory and utilizing a descriptive-analytical technique, the study intends to determine the variations in translation and representation among these channels. The results of this study imply that both internal and external beliefs have an impact on translation modifications, and that various media platforms have altered the language and structure of the original text through word choice, grammatical changes, and textual reproduction.Keywords: Translation Critique, Christina Schäffner, 148th Arab League Summit, IdeologyIntroductionThe focus of translation critics lies on scrutinizing and assessing the essence of translation modifications and their underlying causes. This study seeks to examine the motives and techniques employed by different news agencies when modifying the texts of speeches delivered by Qatari and Saudi representatives at the 148th Arab League summit. Additionally, it aims to determine the impact of ideology and politics on the translation process and the selection of information. In order to accomplish this, the research utilizes Christina Schäffner's theoretical framework and applies it to the specific text. The study aims to ascertain the modifications made by various news outlets to the structure of Qatari and Saudi speeches, as per Christina Schäffner's theory.What was the rationale behind the modifications made to the speeches of the Qatari Minister and the Saudi Envoy, and how did these changes affect the overall content and tone of the text?The research hypotheses are assumed to relate to the following aspects: Observable changes are made in the translation and republication of the original text, encompassing word selection, information selection, transmission, and restructuring at all levels.The primary factor influencing changes in the translation process is linked to the beliefs and macro-policies of each news agency. Literature ReviewMofeh and others (2016) have attempted to examine the type of rewriting, selection, and transmission of political data.Khalozadeh et al. (2012) have tried to identify possible translation behaviors based on ideological concepts evident in the translations by fundamentalist and reformist newspapers in foreign media.Torkashvand (2016) has endeavored to demonstrate that, through critical discourse analysis, the existing ideology in the text is also revealed as a factor in its overall direction.Firouzianpour Esfahani et al. (2018) have focused on the role of syntactic strategies in representing the ideologies of Persian translators in translated political and social texts using critical discourse analysis.Abdi et al. (2021) have delved into the verbal tenses in a corpus consisting of two political biographies and their Persian translations from a critical discourse analysis perspective.Karamzadegan and Fatemeh Mozaheri (2023) have analyzed the dominant discourse in the translation of political texts (Arabic to Persian) from 2019 to 2022, focusing on the theme of war, concluding that each country's policies have directly influenced translation choices. Research MethodologyThe stages of this research are as follows:Extracting data through the source text and target text confrontation methods based on changes in the target text;Describing and analyzing the data using the ideological analysis approach based on Christina Schäffer's theoryConclusionDomestic and foreign news agencies had different approaches to the coverage of the dialogue and conflict between the Qatari Minister and the Saudi Ambassador in Egypt. This approach was evident in the selection of words, text reproduction, and information selection.The choice of words by foreign media, especially Al-Arabiya, includes two points: Firstly, sensitive words like the Arabian Gulf were issued by Qatar's representative, and this news agency merely conveyed these words. Secondly, by using the term "regime," efforts were made to draw a line between the government and the people of Iran.3: The words chosen by domestic media are in line with everyday use and Persian language customs. These media outlets have used what is common in the Persian language without considering the original text.4: Both domestic and foreign media have tried to select what aligns with their broader policies and their governments and avoid quoting other matters. However, among them, Al-Arabiya has had the highest volume of selection and omission.5: In the restructuring process, the media have tried to use strategies such as choosing titles, changing beginnings and endings, deletion, transforming direct quotations into indirect ones, transforming the face and form of verbs, etc. All of these efforts are aimed at creating a legitimate role for themselves and delegitimizing others. Additionally, part of the media's efforts is aimed at highlighting their positive features and the negative features of others.
