Exporting cultural goods through the medium of translation in the Arab world: the (not so) strange case of L2 translation

• Published in: Translator (Manchester, England) Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 173 - 188
• Main Author: Jamoussi, Rafik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 04.05.2015
• Subjects: Arabic literary translation; L2 translation; sociology of culture; translation agents; translation functions
• ISSN: 1355-6509; 1757-0409
• DOI: 10.1080/13556509.2015.1069044

The Arab literary translation scene offers a context that accommodates the common translation-as-import paradigm, where translation is typically accounted for as an opening onto the outside world, and the less common translation-as-export paradigm, which usually expresses an eagerness to have one's literary heritage occupy, through translation, a larger share of the international literary scene. Where the Arab context stands out is that this second paradigm is frequently performed through the mediation of L2 translation - that is, involving translators working into their second language. Usually considered as atypical, the dynamics of this literary translation practice are examined from a sociological perspective within the framework of Bourdieu's sociology of culture. This exploration reveals three main driving forces (the quest for visibility, resistance and preservation), which, through their coexistence, make L2 literary translation a socially and culturally plausible modus operandi. Investigation of the various factors affecting such export projects shows that success or failure does not depend on the linguistic dexterity of the translators - the typical argument against L2 translation - but on the amount of cooperation with, and involvement of, various agents from the recipient context in these projects.