International Journal of Language & Linguistics

Representing the Other in the Translation of Culture-Specific Elements in Literary Texts: Wolves of the Crescent Moon as a Case Study
Sarah I. Aldawood

Abstract
This paper tackles the issue of representing the target language’s culture in translation. It is argued that English translations of Arabic literary works are influenced by stereotypical representations of Arabs. These representations were also supported by the selection of works to be translated and the strategies used in translation. The translation of the culture-specific elements of فخاخ الرائحة (Wolves of the Crescent Moon), an Arabic novel written by the Saudi author Yousef Al-Mohaimeed and translated by Anthony Calderbank, is assessed to determine if such a claim is valid in an era of easy access and increased communication with other cultures. The conclusion of this paper shows that stereotypical images, manipulation and domestication strategies are not necessarily presented in the translation of this work and that foreignization strategies are dominant.

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