The Translation of Postcolonial Themes in Contemporary Arabic Fiction into English: A Sociosemiotic Study
This study examines the translation of postcolonial themes in contemporary Arabic fiction into English. It contends that the context of culture and the context of situation are essential to preserving the intended meaning, particularly in postcolonial Arabic fiction. The novelty of this study lies in its application of a sociosemiotic approach, developed by M.A.K. Halliday (1978), to the translation of postcolonial themes in contemporary Arabic fiction into English, an area that remains underexplored. The study investigates how translations reconstruct the ideational, interpersonal, and textual metafunctions that convey postcolonial themes prevalent in contemporary Arabic fiction, such as identity, the representation of women, nationalism and anticolonialism, and Arab resistance. Specifically, this study analyses extracts from six contemporary Arabic novels published between 2007 and 2015, examining and analysing 24 extracts that represent four postcolonial themes. Furthermore, the translation strategies employed across the selected texts are examined, with particular attention to understanding how these strategies are used to maintain the context of the situation. This study also critically analyses the types of loss or gain in the target texts.
Preliminary findings suggest that while many translations effectively convey the ideational content of the source texts, challenges remain in fully capturing ideational, interpersonal, and textual nuances. Additionally, the findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the sociosemiotic approach in understanding the complexities involved in translating postcolonial themes. The study reveals variations in the effectiveness of translation strategies, depending on the type of strategy applied, and the context in which it is used. Although complex, the sociosemiotic framework provides a systematic method and vital tools that enhance translators’ capacity to maintain the integrity of the source text.
History
Supervisor(s)
Ahmed ElimamDate of award
2024-11-22Author affiliation
Department of Modern LanguagesAwarding institution
University of LeicesterQualification level
- Doctoral
Qualification name
- PhD