Translation in Arabic language and literature
Akram Madani; Sa’dollah Homayouni; Masoud Fekri; Javad Asghari
Abstract
Abstract Qasim Amin, the Egyptian reformer philosopher, examined women's issues—specifically the topic of veiling in Egyptian society—in his two publications, Tahrir al-Mar’a and Al-Mar’a al-Jadida. These works were translated during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi I under the ...
Read More
Abstract Qasim Amin, the Egyptian reformer philosopher, examined women's issues—specifically the topic of veiling in Egyptian society—in his two publications, Tahrir al-Mar’a and Al-Mar’a al-Jadida. These works were translated during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi I under the directive of the governing authority. Amin aimed to contest prevailing notions of veiling by reinterpreting Islamic jurisprudence, with the objective of reconstructing and institutionalizing novel social norms. This study utilizes Teun van Dijk’s Critical Discourse Analysis to investigate the correlation between social occurrences and discursive propositions as actions, while also assessing the translations of Amin’s works as translational actions within the theoretical framework of Skopos theory. The findings reveal that at the syntagmatic level, diverse types of signification—including alterations in linguistic patterns, omissions, notable additions, and changes in modality—were identified in relation to the source text. Selection processes were apparent in the choice of language, terminology, and linguistic structures, indicating semantic differences from the original text. The tactics of meaning and selection in the translated texts served to replicate sanctioned information, bolster ideologically endorsed beliefs, and foster attitudes, norms, and values consistent with state authority and hegemonic goals. This approach specifically legitimized the unveiling law and institutionalized it as a legal norm within society.Keywords: Qasim Amin, Power, Translational Action, Critical Discourse Analysis, Skopos.IntroductionThe works of Qasim Amin distinctly represent a reformist viewpoint and propose an alternate framework for tackling women's issues within the Islam/West dichotomy. He develops a dynamic and performative narrative centered on fundamental topics such as veiling, education, marriage, and divorce within Egyptian society. Notwithstanding its resistance to dominant epistemic and cultural frameworks, this discourse has significantly included cultural agents, mobilizing half of Egyptian society—namely women—as primary participants in this socio-cultural domain and establishing them as agents of change.Ahmad Mohazab's Persian translation of Amin's works arose under the unique political and social context of pre-revolutionary Iran. This study investigates the translation of Amin's writings in Iran as a translatum, utilizing Van Dijk's cognitive-social theory and Vermeer's Skopos theory to assess the selected shaping of the translation with particular purposes. Furthermore, it examines how Reza Shah, in light of the dominant Islamic, intellectual, social, and cultural currents within Iranian culture, astutely utilized the translation of Amin’s two works on Egyptian women to overtly support and validate his policy of uncovering Iranian women.Literature Review- Jafarian's article "Veiling: From Religious Arguments to Social Arguments (A Journey through the Reflection of Veiling Debates from Egypt in Iran, A Report on Farid Wajdi's Views on the Matter)" (2021 CE) posits that the discourse surrounding veiling and women's rights evolved beyond its conventional parameters and, shaped by Western ideologies, progressively transitioned towards social arguments. - The article "Parvin E'tesami and Her Influence by the Ideas of Qasim Amin, the Advocate of Women's Freedom in Egypt" (2011 CE) by Ibn al-Rasul and Mohammadī Feshāraki contends that the modern Persian poet Parvin E'tesami was significantly impacted by the writings of Qasim Amin, which were translated by her father. The research demonstrates the profound intellectual influence of Amin's ideas on E'tesami's lyrical and ideological perspective.The article "The Issue of Veiling and the Influence of Qasim Amin’s Ideas in Iran" (2001 CE) by Jafarian critically analyzes the viewpoints of individuals who have opposed Qasim Amin's thoughts on veiling. The paper examines the intellectual reactions to Amin’s position, evaluating the critique of his views on veiling and their impact on Iranian discourse.Research MethodologyThis research utilizes Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) based on Teun van Dijk’s cognitive-social theory and Vermeer’s Skopos theory. Understanding that content analysis is a crucial element of any critical evaluation, the text underwent a methodical procedure of coding, categorization, and conceptualization, consistent with the theoretical underpinnings of both methodologies. The analysis progresses through a critical examination of essential propositions, engaging dialectically with both the text and its extratextual surroundings. The study rigorously examines the formation of power in translation, followed by a systematic investigation of the content of key statements. This dual method for a detailed and thorough analysis of the ideological and power dynamics inherent in the translation process.ConclusionThe translation of Amin's works in Iran was conducted from a standpoint of political authority, expressly intended to legitimize the law of unveiling and connect society with Reza Shah's modernist goal. This strategy aimed to reframe the understanding of veiling, thus consolidating the authority of the governing power. The translation of these two works clearly reproduced both power and ideology as performance gestures.The translator adeptly utilized grammatical and semantic structures to articulate the desired ideological connotations at both language and semantic levels. The linguistic significance of the translated texts was deliberately crafted to include aspects that would fulfill the ideological aims of the governing regime. Thus, the prevailing ideology, along with the objectives of the translation commission, was articulated using diverse linguistic constructs to shape the audience's understanding of the pertinent issues, so facilitating the hegemonic reinforcement of the governing authority's intentions.
Translation in Arabic language and literature
Akram Madani; Javad Asghari
Abstract
Relying on Newmark's theoretical framework, the present study examines the quality of transferring the unit of culture and the performance of translators in translating the novels Miramar, Zaqaq al-Muddaq, and the Nile Trilogy by Najib Mahfouz, The Season of the Hijrah to the North, and Ars al-Zain by ...
Read More
Relying on Newmark's theoretical framework, the present study examines the quality of transferring the unit of culture and the performance of translators in translating the novels Miramar, Zaqaq al-Muddaq, and the Nile Trilogy by Najib Mahfouz, The Season of the Hijrah to the North, and Ars al-Zain by al-Tayyib Saleh and Daruz al-Bulgrad by Rabbi to measure the degree of conformity of translation with the components of this theory. After reviewing and adapting the original text and Persian translation based on Newmark theory, it was found that in translating these novels, the methods of transmission, localization, and cultural equivalent have been most used in transmitting the unit of culture. Cases have not been successful in conveying cultural categories. Many cultural categories, including the names of food, clothing, antiquities, institutions and organizations, customs, etc., without explanation in the footnote, are only transferred to the target culture and make it difficult for the reader to understand, which is one of the weaknesses of translators.
