How Chronicles of Civilization Molded Translation Practices?

 

How Chronicles of Civilization Molded Translation Practices

How Civilization Molded Translation Practices?  

Exploring Translation Through History, Themes of Humanity, and Masterpieces in English, French, and Arabic 

The Timeless Journey of Translation - How Civilization Molded Translation Practices

Translation, at its core, is more than a linguistic act; it is the essence of human connection, a bridge across civilizations. From clay tablets in Mesopotamia to the multilingual digital age, translation has been the key to preserving knowledge, transferring emotion, and nurturing cross-cultural understanding.

As early as 2500 BCE, Sumerian proverbs were translated into Akkadian. Fast forward to the legendary Library of Alexandria (circa 3rd century BCE), where Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and Indian texts were translated and archived—a true cradle of global scholarship. But how has this legacy shaped our current translation practices, especially when translating universal themes such as family, love, trust, loyalty, and passion?

Let us dive into the historical milestones, the emotional core of human expression, and how famous translators have handled some of the world’s most moving masterpieces, translating not just words, but worlds.

The Foundation of Translation and How Civilization Molded Translation Practices

The earliest significant translation endeavor in the Western world was The Septuagint; the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible in the 3rd century BCE. This moment marked a shift: translation was no longer only a practical act, but a spiritual, philosophical, and cultural one. 

The Arabic world followed with the Bayt al-Hikma (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad (8th–9th century CE), translating Greek philosophical works into Arabic and preserving them for Europe’s later Renaissance.

In each of these epochs, translation was transformative. The techniques varied; literal translation (word-for-word) gave way to "sense-for-sense translation (or dynamic equivalence), especially when emotional or abstract concepts like “divine love” or “fate” were involved.

Themes of Humanity Across Time and Translation

Let’s now look at how central human themes have been expressed across languages, through masterpieces, and how translators have handled their subtleties.

1. Love and Passion: From "Divine Comedy" to "Majnun Layla"

Example: Dante Alighieri’s "Divine Comedy"  

Original Language: Italian  

Translated Into: English by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow | French by André Pézard | Arabic by Hasan Osman

The English Quote:  

"The love that moves the sun and the other stars."  

(“L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.”)

Translation Techniques Used:  

- Modulation: Translators often modulated “moves” to “sets in motion” or “drives,” adapting abstract metaphysical concepts into culturally intelligible metaphors.

- Transcreation: Arabic translations contextualize “divine love” within Islamic cosmology, invoking parallels to Ishq Haqiqi (True Love of the Divine).

Cultural Challenge: 

Translating Dante into Arabic involved navigating religious and philosophical frameworks while preserving his passion for Beatrice as both divine and earthly.

2. Loyalty and Tragedy: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Original by: William Shakespeare  

Translated Into: French by Jean-Michel Déprats | Arabic by Khalil Mutran

The English Quote:  

"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."

French: 

"Sois fidèle à toi-même ; et comme la nuit suit le jour, tu ne pourras être faux envers personne."

Arabic:  

"كن صادقًا مع نفسك، فإذا بك لا تكذب على أحد كما يتبع الليل النهار"

Translation Techniques Used:  

- Equivalence: The essence of moral clarity is preserved across versions.

- Cultural Adaptation: Arabic translation employed elevated literary Arabic, evoking the Qur'anic rhythm to match Shakespearean gravitas.

3. Family and Identity: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Original Language: French  

Translated Into: English by Norman Denny | Arabic by Munir Al-Ba’albaki

The French Quote :  

"Il n’y a ni mauvaises herbes ni mauvaises personnes. Il n’y a que de mauvais cultivateurs."  

English:  

"There are no weeds and no worthless men. There are only bad farmers."

Arabic:  

"لا توجد أعشاب ضارة ولا أناس أشرار، بل هناك فقط مزارعون سيئون"

Translation Techniques Used: 

- Domestication vs. Foreignization: English versions often domesticate the rural metaphor, while Arabic translators preserve the agrarian analogy deeply familiar in Arab culture.

- Amplification: In Arabic, translators added nuance to “weeds” to preserve the dignity of human worth in collectivist family structures.

4. Trust and Betrayal: One Thousand and One Nights

Original Language: Arabic  

Translated Into: French by Antoine Galland | English by Richard Burton

The Arabic Quote:

"من كتم سرّه كان الخيار بيده"  

English:  

"He who keeps his secret has the key to his fate."

French:

"Celui qui garde son secret détient la clé de son destin."

Translation Techniques Used:  

- Literal vs. Cultural Translation: Galland romanticized and sometimes altered tales for a European audience, introducing characters like Aladdin not found in the original.

- Reduction & Adaptation: English translations, particularly Victorian ones, often toned down erotic or mystical elements—sacrificing some authenticity for acceptability.

5. Feminine Passion and Social Constraint: Anna Karenina

Original by: Leo Tolstoy (Russian)  

Translated Into: French by Henri Mongault | English by Constance Garnett | Arabic by Ihsan Abbas

The English Quote:

"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

French:

"Toutes les familles heureuses se ressemblent, mais chaque famille malheureuse l'est à sa façon."

Arabic:  

"كل الأسر السعيدة تتشابه، ولكن كل أسرة تعيسة، هي تعيسة بطريقتها الخاصة"

Translation Techniques Used:  

- Faithfulness vs. Stylistic Freedom: Arabic rendition preserves the philosophical weight while enhancing the lyrical flow to match Arabic literary tradition.

- Contextualization: Family structures differ; the Arabic version subtly reflects extended-family dynamics prevalent in Arab cultures.

The Translator as a Cultural Steward - How Civilization Molded Translation Practices?

From sacred texts to secular novels, translation is an evolving craft shaped by the history, politics, and philosophies of each era. Whether transmitting loyalty in "Hamlet", longing in "Majnun Layla", or the torment of love in "Anna Karenina, translators must navigate syntax, idiom, culture, and context.

George Steiner once said: “Without translation, we would inhabit parishes bordering on silence.”

Today, as AI and machine translation tools emerge, the human translator’s role remains critical, especially when dealing with the poetry of emotion, the weight of loyalty, the nuances of family, or the fragility of trust.

To translate is not merely to carry over words, but to carry over hearts, histories, and hopes.