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Challenges of Cross-Cultural Translation in the Arabic Versions of Jane Eyre and Frankenstein

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Challenges of Cross-Cultural Translation in the Arabic Versions of Jane Eyre and Frankenstein Texts between Two Cultures: Challenges of Cross-Cultural Translation in the Arabic Versions of Jane Eyre and Frankenstein Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy At the University of Northampton Year 2018 Hanaa Abdulhafiz Jan © [Hanaa A. Jan] [2018 (PhD)]. This thesis is copyrighted material and no quotation from it may be published without proper acknowledgment. Dedication To my family… II Abstract The purpose of undertaking this research is to identify the cross-cultural translation challenges that Arab translators often encounter while translating nineteenth-century English novels. This has been done by examining translations of two well-known texts of the period, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley as case studies. The selection of the two texts emerges from the observation of the parallels between the values and conservatism of nineteenth-century English society and contemporary Arabic society as well as the underlying similarity between the two novels regarding the Eastern imageries as produced for a Western audience. Upon analysis of three different Arabic translation of each text, it became clear that cultural difficulties are the result of the areas of challenge between Western, particularly British and Arab cultures. The evaluation of the selected translations of Jane Eyre and Frankenstein is further grounded on postcolonial and feminist literary discourses and theories of literary translation that were explored in order to situate the thesis in the theoretical framework of translation studies. Laurence Venuti’s translation theory of domestication and foreignization proves to be the paradigm most relevant to analysis of the case studies. However, neither domestication nor foreignization is advocated in this study. Instead, an eclectic approach that combines both strategies is valued in translating literary texts into Arabic. The combination of the two strategies preserves the source text’s cultural context including the historical, religious, cultural, political, and gender-related elements and it also respects the sensibility of the Arabic reader. The cross-cultural translation challenges as demonstrated in the two novels and their translations are then categorized and addressed, aiming to generate a unified list of challenges that are applicable to other nineteenth-century novels in Arabic translations. The study results in acknowledging that Arabic translation is lagging III behind other countries in quality and quantity. Spreading awareness of this fact and unifying the efforts of translators, publishers, organizations and governments involved in translation processes or practices is considered necessary to overcome the cultural, religious, gender-related and political challenges facing literary translators of English texts. For this purpose, a list of recommendations has been developed to be sent to concerned translators, translation projects and organizations devoted to translation in the Arab world. IV Acknowledgements First and foremost, I thank Allah the Almighty for giving me the strength and perseverance to complete this work. It gives me profound pleasure to express my respect and my deep sense of gratitude for my esteemed supervisor and director of studies at the University of Northampton, Professor Janet Wilson, who dedicated her time and expertise to offer me guidance and insight that made the completion of this work possible. I am extremely obliged, furthermore, to Dr. Phillippa Bennett for co-supervising this study and being a constant source of assistance, intellectual stimulation, and encouragement. I would also like to acknowledge the invaluable role of Professor Ebtisam Ali Sadiq, my internal supervisor at King Saud University, who has given much time, effort and knowledge to aid in the completion of this thesis. I am indebted to the External Joint Supervision Programme at King Saud University for overseeing and sponsoring my study and making my Ph.D dream a reality. With love and gratitude, I would like to acknowledge the role of my family in this journey. To the ones that I lost, my memorable parents, Ayshah and Abdulhafiz Jan, for implanting a love of knowledge and an aspiration to achievements in me and my siblings, it is with their bestowed blessings that I have completed this enormous task. May your souls rest in eternal peace. A special thanks is attributed to my beloved husband, Mamdouh Altashkandi, for his endless encouragement and support. Without him by my side, I could not have finished, nor even begun, this thesis. To my precious children, Hala, Yusuf and Sama, V I can’t express my heartfelt appreciation in words. It would not have been a success without your endless love, patience, and understanding. Lastly but most especially, I want to express my gratitude to my siblings for their unconditional love and support. I am particularly indebted to my dear sisters, Thorayya and Sana, for their constant help, care and prayers over the last four years and for many years before that. I also would like to thank my brother, Abdulhamid, for believing in me and offering sympathetic ears during my moments of need. For you all, I am forever grateful. VI List of Figures Figure 1. Figure 3.1. Cover Design of Dar Al-Bihar’s English/Arabic translation of Jane Eyre published in Beirut, Lebanon, 2007 Figure 2. Figure 3.2. Cover Design of Helmi Murad’s Arabic translation of Jane Eyre published by The Modern Arabic Est. in Cairo, Egypt, 1986. Figure 3. Figure 3.3. Cover of Muneer Albalabki’s Arabic translation of Jane Eyre by published by Dar Alelm “Malayin” in Lebanon and Morocco, 2006. VII Contents ABSTRACT II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IV LIST OF FIGURES VI CONTENTS VII INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 1 THIS PROJECT ...........................................................................................................1 2 BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW .................................................................................1 3 RESEARCH PROBLEM ...............................................................................................4 4 CRITICAL CONTEXT ................................................................................................ 10 5 AIMS AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS ........................................................................... 15 6 METHODS AND METHODOLOGY .............................................................................. 17 7 CHAPTER OUTLINE ................................................................................................. 20 CHAPTER 1: THEORIES OF TRANSLATION ................................................. 22 1.1 INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS TRANSLATION? ............................................................. 22 1.2 LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................... 30 1.2.1 The Linguistic Era in Translation Studies .................................................... 32 1.2.2 The Transitional Stage ................................................................................. 34 1.2.3 The Cultural Turn in Translation Studies ..................................................... 36 1.3 LITERARY TRANSLATION THEORY ....................................................................... 43 1.3.1 Post-Colonial Translation Theory ................................................................ 43 1.3.2 Feminist Translation Theory ........................................................................ 50 1.4 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................... 56 CHAPTER 2: THE CHALLENGES OF CROSS-CULTURAL TRANSLATION OF JANE EYRE ..................................................................................................... 59 2.1 JANE EYRE SYNOPSIS ............................................................................................ 59 2.2 CRITICAL CONTEXT ............................................................................................. 61 2.3 ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON OF THREE ARABIC VERSIONS OF JANE EYRE; COVER DESIGN, STRUCTURE, AND CONTENT. ......................................................................... 69 2.3.1 Cover Design .............................................................................................. 72 2.3.2 Content ........................................................................................................ 75 2.3.3 Structure ....................................................................................................... 76 2.4 CHALLENGES OF CROSS-CULTURAL TRANSLATION AS EXEMPLIFIED IN JANE EYRE 77 2.4.1 Challenges Related to Individual Translators............................................... 77 2.4.2 Religious Challenges ................................................................................... 79 2.4.3 Cultural and Gender-Related Challenges ..................................................... 94 2.5 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 106 CHAPTER 3: THE CROSS-CULTURAL TRANSLATION CHALLENGES OF FRANKENSTEIN ................................................................................................. 108 3.1 FRANKENSTEIN SYNOPSIS .................................................................................... 108 VIII 3.2 CRITICAL BACKGROUND AND RECEPTION .......................................................... 109 3.3 CONTEMPORARY
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