Translating orality in the postcolonial Arabic novel: A study of two cases of translation into English and French

Abstract

This article explores the translation of orality in two postcolonial Arabic novels, namely Najīb Mahfūz's Awlād Hāratinā and Muhammad Shukrī's al-Khubz al-Hāfī, into English and French. It is argued that assimilation and non-assimilation of cultural aspects of foreign texts can have both positive and negative effects depending on the case examined. Specific examples are analyzed to show the various factors that can influence the way orality is translated as well as the hybridity of the methods used by the translators. This article further illustrates the complexity of evaluating assimilation and non-assimilation as they have an impact on linguistic, semantic, aesthetic, discursive, and cultural levels. It also sheds light on the translator's role by analyzing the effects of his/her interpretation and choices and the patterns detected in his/her work.