Identity and the Cultural Effect of Translation

الهوية والأثر الثقافي للترجمة

Abstract

Translation is a vital process that enhances cross-cultural communication. However uncontextualized translation can have a devastating effect on collective cultural identity. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the latent effects of translation on cultural identity, and how individuals and communities negotiate with the translated text and perceive its impact on their sense of identity. Through a critical analysis of select instances, we demonstrate how translation can perpetuate and/or disrupt cultural identity and its norms through deploying imported underlying cultural conceptualizations. It has been found that translation can lead to a sense of linguistic loss and cultural erosion, as translators/interpreters unconsciously ignore an integral part of the translation process-namely, the collective cultural sense of their produced meaning-which enters into the shaping of our sense of identity and belonging