Intercultural Issues in Translating Prosaic Works Case Study: Ahdaf Soueif’s Translation of Mourid Albargouti’s Autobiography “I Saw Ramallah

Abstract

The present work attempts to investigate the intercultural issues in Ahdaf soueif’s translation of Mourid Albarghouti’s autobiography. The intercultural issues includes many cultural nuances; such as, historical allusions, local literature and religious concepts. Thus, this research paper aims at examining the translation of these cultural nuances in an attempt of investigating the validity of the translator’s translation of these nuances. This research paper is divided into three chapters; the first chapter tackles an historical presentation of the translation evolution, explains the link between translation and culture, and between translation and literature; in addition to a brief discussion about the cultural shock “cause and effect”. The second chapter discuses critically the main already existed cultural theories. The third chapter is dedicated to a critical analysis of Ahdaf’s translation of the cultural nuances which are embodied in Mourid’s autobiography. In the process of forming this research paper, the researcher depended on the quantitative approach throughout his research along with the historical, expository and the descriptive types of research. For the historical type of research, the researcher has made use of it through the historical presentation of the translation evolution; while, the expository type of research were employed in the second chapter where the cultural theories we exposed and discussed. Concerning the third chapter, the descriptive type and the analytical approach were employed through the analysis of Ahdaf’s translation of the cultural shades. Intercultural issues in literary translations are an unavoidable obstacle that frequently encounters the literary translators. Yet, the translator is obliged to be knowledgeable about the source and the target culture alike. And he is also required to possess a good critical mind along with a brilliant analytical sight so he will be able to get the original author’s allusions, i.e. The literary translator is supposed to be multi-competent intellectual