Nagham Abu Assaf ~ The “Other” in Translation: On Representation, Power, and the Untranslatable

This paper explores the representation of “the other” in translation. It starts by acknowledging translation as a site of encounter where the self and the other meet. It examines philosophical arguments and theories in translation studies and connects these discussions to case studies in literary translation and artworks that navigate similar themes, such as those by the Palestinian artists Emily Jacir and Sharif Waked. The thesis further highlights the political dimensions of non-translation, re-translation, and mistranslation to demonstrate that translation is far from a neutral act. In addition, the paper provides a reflection on issues of “unconditional accessibility” and the “right to access information” in the context of commodified identities as I see it reflected in the realm of world literature, suggesting it as an extension of imperial logic where everything is presumably translatable and accessible all the time. The paper provides a critique of these presumptions, as well as other connected issues exemplified in translation strategies and the search for equivalence. While this paper does not propose definitive solutions to the challenges of translation, it still suggests alternative approaches by looking at ideas surrounding untranslatability as proposed by the French Philosopher Barbara Cassin and The American academic Emily Apter, which suggests a view on the untranslatable as an energy, a process of that which we never stop (not) translating.

Author: Nagham Abu Assaf