Original Source Material Research Articles

Lost in Adaptation: Exploring the Phenomenon of Over-Translation in Arabic Translations of English Movies

This study examines the process of Arabic translations of English movies, focusing on their impact on cultural and linguistic fidelity. It uses comparative, textual, and linguistic analysis and audience perception surveys to understand the differences between the original English source material and the Arabic translations. The comparative analysis reveals significant differences in cultural references and humour between the two languages, with over-translation being a significant theme. However, the study acknowledges instances where fidelity to the source text is maintained, showcasing the translators’ success in preserving cultural authenticity. The textual analysis highlights occasional deviations from the original text due to cultural and linguistic adjustments, impacting the overall translation quality. The linguistic analysis examines translators’ strategies to bridge linguistic gaps, highlighting cases of over-translation and substantial deviations. The study also highlights translators’ challenges in conveying humour, wordplay, and cultural references within subtitles and dubbing constraints. Audience perception surveys reveal instances where translations fail to convey specific cultural nuances, indicating a minor loss of impact and understanding. The findings highlight the need for a refined and culturally sensitive approach to audiovisual translation to enhance the quality and authenticity of cross-cultural narratives.

Moving from a Textual to Visual Medium: Transposition of Ruskin Bond’s The Blue Umbrella to the Cinematic Canvas

Intertextuality, which emphasizes the interaction of various works of art, is associated with adaptation studies. According to comparative literature scholar James Naremore, modern life's nerve center is remaking. Additionally, based on the interpretation of the original source material, remaking brings out ideological and aesthetic beliefs. According to the intertextuality school of thought, the novel always comes before the movie, but a consumer is more likely to see the movie first. However, the novel and the movie complement one another visually and aesthetically due to the components they contain. The study attempts to explore how Vishal Bharadwaj's adaptation of Ruskin Bond's novella The Blue Umbrella differs from the original and how they stay connected. The paper will try to find aspects of film and literature that are not easily changeable while considering the convergence of these two art forms.

  <em>“Large wen” or “swelling”?</em> <em> Exploring Myths and Misconceptions about Nicholas Sander’s Description of Anne Boleyn and Its Link to Witchcraft</em>

Despite the recent surge in Anne Boleyn-themed books and articles, scholars still cannot agree on the subject of Anne and witchcraft. There are two polarising schools of thought: one is that Anne had “the physical characteristics of a witch,” based on the hostile account of Nicholas Sander, and the other that she was never “branded a witch in her own lifetime.” This essay argues that neither of these two views is correct and that there is enough compelling evidence to refute them both. It is time to return to the original source material and re-evaluate this part of the narrative of Anne Boleyn’s life.

Adaptation Odyssey: Tracing the Evolution of Postcolonial Narrative from Fiction, Film to Digital Gaming

The vibrant advancement of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is observed in this essay through an ongoing process of modification and alteration. The novella, which first appeared in 1902 and was based on Conrad’s experiences in the Congo in the 1890s, has subsequently been the subject of numerous adaptations that have sparked debates and criticisms. As a Nigerian writer, Chinua Achebe engaged in a thoughtful analysis of the novella, scrutinizing it for potential instances of racism. Conversely, Francis Ford Coppola fearlessly reimagined the narrative within the context of the Vietnam War in his film “Apocalypse Now.”This cinematic adaptation, in turn, influenced computer game narratives, notably seen in Far Cry 2. The study follows the path from a detached and passive reading of the novella Heart of Darkness to an active involvement in morally dubious choices and virtual war crimes through digital gaming.. The study reflects on whether the interactive nature of digital games impacts the audience’s sense of immersion and responsibility, particularly within diverse narrative contexts. Additionally, the paper provides a unique perspective on storytelling and retelling by scrutinizing how Conrad’s narrative has transformed across various mediums. A comparative analysis of the original source material and its adaptations explores the interplay between historical facts and fictional elements, examining how the narrative distortion generates new layers of meaning. Ultimately, this comparative exploration serves as a lens through which we can comprehend the dynamic relationship between adaptation, interpretation, and the evolving perceptions of our world.

Methods for Evaluating Database Coverage

Purposes: In this article, we describe two methods to evaluate database content coverage, illustrating their use with the example of evaluating databases for coverage of medical education literature. Method names: Though several methods for evaluating database content coverage have been described, the two used herein, referred to as the reference list search method and the journal method, use traditional librarian skills and tools and can be used across a variety of topic areas. Description: In this paper, we describe two approaches to evaluating database coverage. For each method, we use the example of evaluating databases for their coverage of medical education literature. In the reference list search method, we search for references from comprehensive reviews or bibliographies to determine their presence in databases. In the journal method, we describe the indexing status and coverage of key publications in databases. Strengths: These methods use established librarian skills and tools and can be applied to a wide variety of topics. Limitations: The results of each method depend on the quality and comprehensiveness of the original source material: comprehensive reviews and bibliographies for the reference list search method and publication lists for the journal method.

Establishing the true identity of Passiflora nephrodes (Passifloraceae), resulting in Passiflora rosacea, a new species from Santa Cruz, Bolivia

The identity of Passiflora nephrodes, a species of Passiflora subg. Passiflora ser. Menispermifoliae, has been re-evaluated and the true species is here illustrated. This name has been long associated to cultivated material widely found in Europe, however recent collections made in Bolivia revealed that this name does not correspond to P. nephrodes as to type. Recent collections in Bolivia have shown that this plant does not correspond with the original source material for P. nephrodes. Endemic accessions, both from field collections and herbarium specimens of true P. nephrodes and plants commonly found in cultivation under this name have been closely examined and compared to the original literature and their respective type-materials. The cultivated plant, now found to be originating from the department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, relates to a new species which is here described as Passiflora rosacea. New populations of true P. nephrodes have been found in the department of La Paz, Bolivia, and the original description for this species has been further improved based on those recent collections. The taxonomy, ecology, and conservation for both species is discussed.

Transforming Attitudes Towards the Turk in Edward Ravenscroft’s Mamamouchi, or The citizen turn’d gentleman (1672) and Molière’s Le bourgeois Gentilhomme (1668)

When Edward Ravenscroft approached the polarising figure of the Turk in The citizen turn’d gentleman (1672), an adaptation of Molière’s Le bourgeois gentilhomme (1668), he inherited certain structures and motivations that stem out of very specific attitudes towards the Ottomans that were not easily transposed onto the English context. This did not stop him from penning one of the most successful plays of his time, but it also did not stop the critics from deeming his adaptation a cheap knock-off that hardly altered the original and was closer to a translation than to any exercise of real talent. His adaptation, however, builds on the expectations of his London audiences and the trends on narrative-building regarding East–West relations to cleverly alter the reception of the play rather than the execution thereof, resulting in a minimal style of adaptation that produced a profound outcome. This study explores Ravenscroft’s way of dealing with the very central figure of the Turk in The citizen turn’d gentleman and the relation to the original source material in order to prove that his decision was a conscious act, part of a much more complex adaptative procedure than he is given credit for.

The Whitworth: a place for Industry and Art

The Whitworth has been making art useful since 1889. Originally founded in the memory of the pioneering engineer Sir Joseph Whitworth (1803–87), the gallery was built for ‘the perpetual gratification of the people of Manchester’. As the Whitworth celebrated its 130th year, the gallery hosted a major exhibition which explicitly explores and acknowledges the history of the Whitworth institute, gallery and park. A proponent of standardisation, Sir Joseph revolutionised precision engineering through his development of interchangeable parts in machinery. While he maintained a natural interest in technical education throughout his life, less is known about whether this support extended to the fine and decorative arts. Conversely, today the Whitworth is celebrated for its internationally significant collections of art and design and its contemporary exhibitions programme, but for many visitors the gallery’s association with the great Victorian mechanical engineer is less clear. This paper, which was presented at the Science Museum Group Research Conference 2019: The Place of Industry, reflects on research that was first carried out in preparation for the exhibition ‘Standardisation and Deviation: the Whitworth Story’ (14 December 2019–January 2022). It is not intended to be an original piece of research nor to provide a comprehensive history of the gallery. What follows is a reflection on some of the original source material and research papers that were consulted in preparation for curating the exhibition. Together they have been used to illustrate how the history of the Whitworth provides an object lesson in how art and technology unite.

Ghostbusting in the Late Anthropocene

This paper examines the latent ecocriticism of the horror-comedy Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) against its original source material in the context of climate catastrophe culture. As a sequel to the Ghostbusters films (1984, 1989), Afterlife shifts the setting: (geo)physically, from metropolitan New York City to a ‘dirt farm’ in Summerville, Oklahoma, and generationally, from the original middle-aged, male ghost-catchers to the teenaged grandchildren of the brightest among them. While the original antagonist – the (fictive) Sumerian god Gozer – returns once more to end the world, the Anthropo(s)cenic landscapes of Afterlife establish the film as a geopolitical intervention in the debate on the already-in-progress environmental apocalypse. In its (partial) rejection of the values of its 1980s-era source material, which is critically assessed herein, I argue that Afterlife speaks to humanity’s emergence as a geological agent defined by geopolitical cultures rooted in human exploitation, hydrocarbon extraction, agro-industrialisation, and nuclearism. Indeed, the decade of Reaganism haunts the film, serving as a ghostly reminder of how we arrived at our current Anthropocene predicament through white heteropatriarchal triumphalism, neoliberal excess, and ecocide.

Seven years with Orion

The collection managed by the Voices of the 20th Century Archive and Research Group offers unique opportunities for social researchers. Due to the nature of the march of time, a seemingly endless series of one-time, unrepeatable and irreclaimable moments awaits the masses of researchers so that they take the old research with a new approach and a fresh perspective. The collection does not only provide a chance to quote and refer to the research materials that have remained from the 20th century. We can plan to re-analyze or even to continue or repeat them. Researchers maneuvering through the restrictions of state socialism have left us a legacy that deserves special attention. I believe that these researchers deserve attention looking back even from the 21st century, and that their research should form the basis of today’s research. As a result of the change of regime, social environment and everyday life have changed significantly. Countless aspects of the transformation affecting the whole of people’s lifestyle have remained unexplored to this day, although studying and processing them would be urgently needed. The Orion research, commissioned by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and led by Judit H. Sas, is one of the treasures of the archive which offers sources for researchers dedicated to the field of the life of workers. In my study, I give an account of my most important personal practical experiences, from the sorting and digitization of original source materials written by typewriter to the partial repetition of research.

The ENA Source Attribute Helper: An API for improved biological source data

Metadata management for sequence data is essential for the accurate description of Earth’s biodiversity. Within metadata attributes, those that reference the biological sources of sequences and samples and allow linking to the specimen or sample of origin are fundamental for facilitating connections between molecular biology, taxonomy, systematic biology and biodiversity research, increasing the discoverability and usability of data by researchers worldwide. Sequence data is publicly archived at the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC) that includes the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ) and the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA). Sequences stored at INSDC have associated a considerable range of metadata, including attributes related to its biological source, such as references to natural history collections or culture collections. But, these source attributes are not always submitted or may be incomplete, limiting the association of the sequence records to the original source material, hampering further data connections (e.g., biological data associated with the voucher or species distribution data). Therefore, we have developed the ENA Source Attribute Helper API, a tool that aims to assist users on the submission of accurate attributes referring to the biological source of samples and sequence data. This tool was developed within the scope of BiCIKL (Biodiversity Community Integrated Knowledge Library) (Penev et al. 2022), a Horizon 2020 project which targets building a wide, biodiversity related community for connecting data along the different axes of biodiversity research. The first version of the tool was designed to support correct annotation of the attributes that identify the source material from which the sample or sequence were obtained, namely /specimen_voucher, /culture_collection, and /biomaterial (INSDC 2021). These attributes follow a Darwin Core Triplet format (Wieczorek et al. 2012), composed of institution code, collection code and the specimen, culture, or material identifier, accordingly. Since the submission of the biological source attributes to the INSDC may be performed both when data is initially uploaded or on following updates using a variety of tools, we developed the API as an open source tool that is publicly accessible and may be used as a free-standing service. The API is built using Representational State Transfer (REST) API Architecture and it is designed to use the data available in the NCBI BioCollections (Sharma et al. 2018). NCBI Biocollections is a curated database of metadata for natural history collections, associated with records in INSDC, that includes the institution and collection codes. The API main functions include the querying of the metadata (the API presents both exact matches and similar matches) for the institutions and collections based on the user input, validation of institution and collection codes in the attribute strings provided by the user, and the construction of the attribute string based on the user-provided information. The API does not include the search or validation of the voucher specimen codes. The API is designed in a way that it can be extended easily for any future enhancements and initially expected to promote and support the submission and any subsequent curation of better structured and more richly described source data. We expect this tool to contribute to better connected biodiversity data and hence provide a stronger foundation to strengthen the value of natural history collections, taxonomic expertise, and biodiversity knowledge.

The Pedagogical Readings as a unique historical source for research on the pedagogical work with disabled pupils in the GDR educational system

ABSTRACT German Democratic Republic (GDR) pedagogy is still a topic that is as fascinating as it is controversial – in particular, when it comes to school and teaching. This article is dedicated to a source that has so far remained internationally unnoticed, the Pedagogical Readings as a written recording of experiences and providing innovative proposals implemented by GDR pedagogues. A total of about 9500 have been preserved to date in the Library for Education History Research, a source unique in the history of education that has hardly been appreciated until now. The article describes the contours of the corpus itself, and reports on research undertaken so far. Using the part of the corpus that refers to the pedagogical work with cognitively impaired pupils, it shows, through examples, that a closer analysis of this highly original source material has the potential to give new impulses to social narratives concerning GDR pedagogy as well as to the related academic discussion.

Logistics Contracts and the Political Economy of State Failure: Evidence from Somalia

ABSTRACT Scholars have long sought to understand how economic rents may inhibit the formation of effective and accountable government. Prevailing interpretations of empirical state failure do not adequately account for economic connections and rents. Based on in-depth ethnographic fieldwork and original source material from the Somalia context, this study shows how the dominance of the logistics economy, as a system of ‘graft’ endogenous to state-building, has contributed to empirical state failure. Empirical state failure is characterized by intra-elite struggle, endemic political violence, and insecurity including the threat posed by Islamic extremism. Contributing to the study of political settlements, political clientelism, and business–state relationships in Africa, findings from this study offer new insights for understanding how the dominance of logistics rents and lead firms within a political system may prevent the establishment of legitimate, centralized authorities. These findings contribute to the broader study of Africa’s political economies which have experienced protracted civil war and post-conflict reconstruction. In conclusion, it argues how economic development, procurement reform agendas, and efforts to withhold or withdraw aid through economic sanctions fail to resolve endemic conflict and governance issues due to vested interests, elite fragmentation, and polycentric aid practices. Instead, both government policy and foreign interventions continue to empower lead logistics firms (as skilful political entrepreneurs) that destabilize the Federal Government of Somalia.

The Elwyn Archives and Museum

ABSTRACT Elwyn is found outside Media, Pennsylvania, and houses extensive historical archives that include original source material from four separate organizations. These include Elwyn itself (historically, the Pennsylvania Training School for Feeble-Minded Children), the Vineland Training School (historically, the New Jersey Home for the Education and Care of Feeble-Minded Children), Philadelphia Orphan Society, and Speaking for Ourselves. This article includes a brief description of each organization and then describes the museum and archival holdings in some detail.

Embracing the Crowd: People-powered Research to Preserve the History of Astronomy

Project PHaEDRA (Preserving Harvard’s Early Data and Research in Astronomy) is a collaborative initiative led by Wolbach Library to digitize, transcribe, and enhance the metadata of over 2,500 notebooks and logbooks created from the mid-18th through early 20th centuries by the Harvard Computers and other researchers at the Harvard College Observatory. Digitization of the notebooks began in 2016, and was completed in 2019. As the notebooks were digitized, they were made available online through the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS). At the same time, the digital scans were sent to the Smithsonian Transcription Center for full transcription by volunteers. While the full transcriptions will prove useful to researchers when completed, they do not provide a mechanism for linking the PHaEDRA notebooks back to their original source material: over 500,000 glass plate photographs identified by unique plate numbers. To remedy this, PHaEDRA team members are now working with volunteers on the Zooniverse platform to identify and transcribe the plate numbers found in the notebooks. This new component of Project PHaEDRA is called Star Notes and will eventually allow for deep linking between the notebooks and the digitized glass plates. As other observatories and astronomy libraries consider what to do with their glass plate collections and associated logbooks, Project PHaEDRA may be used as a model to make our shared astronomical heritage accessible for future generations.

Improving birth certificate data accuracy in Alabama.

ObjectiveAccurate vital statistics data are critical for monitoring population health and strategizing public health interventions. Previous analyses of statewide birth data have identified several factors that may reduce birth certificate accuracy including systematic errors and limited data review by clinicians. The aim of this initiative was to increase the proportion of hospitals in Alabama reporting accurate birth certificate data from 67% to 87% within 1 year.MethodsThe Alabama Perinatal Quality Collaborative led this statewide collaborative effort. Process measures included monthly monitoring of 11 variables across 5–10 patient birth certificates per month per hospital. Accuracy determination, defined as ≥95% accuracy of the variables analyzed, was performed by health care specialists at each hospital by comparing birth certificate variables from vital statistics with data obtained from original hospital source materials. Three months of retrospective, baseline accuracy data were collected before project initiation from which actionable drivers and change ideas were identified at individual hospitals. Data were analyzed using statistical process control measures.ResultsThirty‐one hospitals entered data throughout the course of the initiative, accounting for 850 chart analyses and 9350 variable assessments. The least accurately reported variables included birth weight, maternal hypertension, and antenatal corticosteroid exposure. At baseline, 67% of hospitals reported birth certificate accuracy rates ≥ 95%, which increased to 90% of hospitals within 2 months and was sustained for the remainder of the initiative.ConclusionStatewide, multidisciplinary quality improvement efforts increased birth certificate accuracy vital to public health surveillance.

American Warsaw: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Polish ChicagoPoles in Illinois

American Warsaw: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Polish ChicagoPoles in Illinois

The distribution of fake British pounds in the biggest money counterfeiting scheme in history

ABSTRACT Operation Bernhard was the largest money counterfeiting scheme of all time. The secret Nazi operation, set up in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp with a workforce of Jewish prisoners, produced many millions of near-perfect counterfeit British pounds with the aim of destabilizing the currency. The initial plan to airdrop the counterfeits over Britain was adapted to distribution on the ground all over Europe. While the production side of the operation has enjoyed coverage in academic and popular publications, scarcely anything is known about the distribution of the counterfeits. This vacuum in the history of Nazi Intelligence is the focus of this article. Historical network analysis was employed as this framework proved particularly useful where original source material is scarce. A graphic visualization of the distribution network further facilitates the understanding of a complex semi-structured arrangement of people under the control of the SS. Nazi officials passed fake pounds to agents who bought other currencies, gold, valuables, weapons, scarce materials, and information with it. The distribution of the counterfeit pounds was cause for the greatest embarrassment in the history of the Bank of England.

Azusa Street and the Lost Doctrine of Humility

This article delves into original source material from the Azusa Street Revival to rekindle an awareness of the heavy emphasis that participants placed on humility as a deep and vibrant experience, both as a precondition for receiving the fullness of the Spirit and as an ongoing Pentecostal encounter. Re-lighting the Pentecostal fire is necessary to respond to the struggles of the movement in North America where disillusionment with “triumphalism” has created an uncertain future. Voices from the past and present echo the imperative that the Holy Spirit experience should be balanced by personal sacrifice. A revival of deep self surrender is a key for the movement to adequately address the challenges of the twenty-first century.

The Rand Transcript Revealed

AbstractIn this essay, the authors analyze and interpret facsimiles of important original documents—published here for the first time—that are deeply relevant to the education of the young Ayn Rand at the University of Petrograd. This definitive reading of source material provides significant documentation of Rand’s courses, teachers, and textbooks—and what she might have learned from them. Other original source materials are revealed to advance further investigations of this key period in Rand’s life. Recent commentary on Rand’s education in Gary H. Merrill’s book, False Wisdom, is also considered.