Cultural Translation Issues in Mikhail Naimy’s Short Stories

Abstract

Translators of Arabic into English encounter many impediments that hinder the process of transcending the literal translation and rendering the true spirit of the original text. The lack of English equivalences and the different cultural dimensions are two elements that may disguise the true or “correct” rendition of the translation product. Therefore, many translators adopt the Arabic phrase or expression, thus solving some of the problems of translation, and simultaneously enriching the English language with novel foreign words. While J.R. Perry adopted certain Arabic words, he interpreted some expressions “unidiomatically” in his translation of three short stories by the Lebanese Mikhail Naimy: A New Year, Noblesse Oblige, and His Grace.