TRANSLATING CULTURAL MARKERS FROM ARABIC INTO ENGLISH: A FOREIGNIZING APPROACH

Qusai Al-Thebyan, Jordan, CLEaR2016-307;     This paper shows the distortive effects of using domesticating translation strategies, especially when it comes to translating cultural elements. The paper makes use of excerpts extracted from some Arabic novels translated into English. The paper will analyze the examples and their translations, showing the translation strategies used, and their effect on the quality of the translation. In most of the cases, a contorted translation is produced due to the use of domesticating translation methods. Much of the intended meaning, if not all, is lost, the identity of the original text is sacrificed, and its uniqueness and particularity are denuded. Each selected text is going to be retranslated by the researcher using a foreignizing approach. The suggested translation is going to be analyzed and compared to the original translation to show which translation is closer to the original text and keeps its identity; and to show which translation adds to the knowledge of the TL reader, and enriches the TL text. It goes without saying that translation should be faithful to the original text in the first place. But it should also teach the target audience about the source culture, its people, literature, and language. As a process of transculturation, or even cross-fertilization, translation should also help enrich the target language, its literature and culture through introducing new linguistic, stylistic, and cultural elements to the target language and culture. Domesticating methods of translation deactivate and disrupt this vital function. Foreignizing methods, however, will prove to be better, especially when it comes to translating cultural elements.

Keywords: Translation, Cultural Markers, Arabic, English, Domestication, Foreignization.