Translating Beyond Cultural Gaps: Text Mutation and Appropriation
Tasneem M. Al-ghazo, Mahmoud A. Kanakri

Abstract
Al-ghazu, Tasneem and Mahmoud Kanakri Translating Beyond Cultural Gap: Text Mutation and Appropriation This study aims at examining to what extent translators can mutate a text to be appropriate in the TL culture. It also attempts to introduce permutation of the original text as a translation strategy. The study also combines theoretical and practical sides together. Theoretically, the researchers adopt a classification of culture, where they talk about four cultural dimensions. Practically, the researchers used a questionnaire that includes three suggested translations (appropriated, semi-appropriated, and not-appropriated) of 38 sentences with specific cultural expressions from various cultures. The sentences were administered to 253 Yarmouk University students to rank the three suggested translations from the most appropriate to the least appropriate, from their point of view. Then, the researchers scrutinized and analyzed the responses and applied statistical procedures to get the findings of the compiled data. The study concludes that the majority of the participants see the appropriated translation to be highly optimal. Thus, the mutation applied by the researchers is accepted. As a result, this renders the translators free to mutate the text to be translated, if the ultimate goal of the translation is to create an effect on the target audience similar to that of the original text on its own audience. It is recommended that the acceptance of the not-appropriated text and the factors that affect it be examined in further research.

Full Text: PDF