The Emergence of Two Sets of Stylistic Norms: In the Early Literary Translation into Modern Arabic Prose

Abstract

The first half of the 19th century is regarded by historians of the Middle East as a period in which the Arab-speaking society was first exposed to European cultural influence. One of the manifestations of this influence is the emergence of what is often described as the translation movement (harakat al-targama) from European languages, mainly French and English. In the beginning, the efforts of translators were directed first and foremost at translating technical, legal, and journalistic texts. However in the course of the 19th century, we witness an increasing interest in Western literature which brings about the first attempts at translating works from that literature. Toward the end of the century, translated novels, plays and short stories became a common feature in the flourishing Arabic popular journals and book industry, mainly in Egypt (see Tagir; Badr, 1963: 122-136). The choice of the earliest literary texts translated from European languages was rather fortuitous, being the outcome of the private initiative of translators, whose main interest was in non-literary texts. Yet the impact of their translations, especially in the field of prose fiction, was immense. The early translators served as a model which was soon to be imitated by local writers who had little or no knowledge of European languages. In passing it is worth noting that unlike prose, poetry was relatively slow in adopting European models. For while the rise of modern Arabic fiction was only marginally influenced by classical Arabic literature, poetry in the 19th century took a totally different course. It turned to the poetry of the classical era and tried