Ideology in Translating Children's Literature into Arabic

Abstract

Children's Literature is perhaps the most controversial genre of writing, not simply because of its content but also because of its origin and purpose. Long ago literature consisted of legends, fables, and myths. None were originally children's literature but because of their fantastic, lesson-oriented, primitive character, these narratives were given to children over the years for enjoyment and learning. Children enjoyed these tales and parents appreciated the moral and cultural lessons included. Attempts to create a separate genre of literature for children were thwarted and no consensus was reached regarding whether a given work is best categorized as adult or children's literature. Many books that were originally intended for adults are now commonly thought of as works for children, such as Mark Tawin's The Prince and The Pauper, or Huckleberry Finn. The opposite has also been known to occur, where works of fiction originally written or marketed for children are given recognition as adult books. Furthermore, many books are multiply marketed in adult, children's, and young adult editions. In some cases, books intended for adults, such as Swift's Gulliver's Travels have been edited somewhat to make them more appropriate for children. This speaking at multiple levels, however, has drawbacks, for many adults can find things they see at an adult level which they deem inappropriate for children - whereas a child may see no such thing. This leads to many of the good books for children also being lightning rods for being "banned" as bad for children (or anyone).