Translating Emirati Folklore

Abstract

As a genre in its own right, folklore is an important element in any culture. In the United Arab Emirates, folktales are known as kharareef (sing. khrairifa), which form a type of sung folklore. The translation of folktales can contribute to intercultural interaction, but because they are culture sensitive, folktales pose serious problems for translation. Translating Emirati folktales is problematic on both cultural and linguistic levels. This thesis explores the problems of translating Emirati kharareef into English and the strategies deployed. For the purpose of this thesis, five Emirati folktales were chosen for translation into English by an Arab translator through the one-hour translation on-line agency. The analysis of the translation shows that literal translation was mostly used, and that mistranslations resulted, most likely, from the translator's lack of knowledge of the context of the Emirati culture. The problems that the translator faced were cultural and linguistic. Ultimately, the English translation of the five kharareef does not reflect their Emirati cultural spirit.