Arabs from a Japanese Perspective: Cultural Representation and Translation

Abstract

Identifying similarities and differences between cultures results in the creation of certain images and representations. This thesis explores the role of translation in creating cultural images within the context of a system of representation based the promotion of certain stereotypes across cultures. Incorporating a translation and commentary, the thesis examines the strategies adopted in handling issues of culture and cultural references. The data include the translation into English of a passage from the book Arabs from a Japanese Perspective, written in Arabic by the Japanese writer Nobuaki Notohara (2004) as a source of cultural examples and references. The commentary provides an analysis of examples that indicate the role of translational choices in cultural mediation and representation. It is concluded that despite of translation's important role in bridging cultures and overcoming differences, images of the Arab culture remain prisoner of the old/new stereotypical representations.