Metaphors Are Missing: Critique of Arabic Translation Strategies of Gendered Metaphors

Abstract

This article falls within the broad area of translation studies in the context of feminist translation. It focuses on the strategies employed in translating gendered metaphors, and it carries out a critical analysis of gendered metaphors translation in Doris Lessing’s novel The Cleft (2007) and its two Arabic translations. The first translation is done by Mohamed Darwish under the title (The Female) (Al- Ūntha) 2008 and published by Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation. The second translation is done by Mohamed Ibrahim Al Abdalla under the title (The Rift) (Al- Ṣād)) 2012 and published by the Arab Writers Union. The article focuses on and examines the cases where the translation of gendered metaphor presents challenge to Arab translator because of cultural differences. It argues that the areas where the translation of unconventional gendered metaphor challenges target culture deserve attention and need to be examined. The article offers a critique of the translation strategies employed by Arab translators for these unconventional metaphors. The article argues that gendered metaphors that appeared in feminist literary works invites different translation strategies when it is translated from English into Arabic. The article shows to what extant feminism values and agenda are reflected in Gendered metaphors that are developed by female writers. The analysis of translation strategies that Arab translators utilised in their translations of these metaphors intends to show which strategy is able to ensure a balanced representation of the author's and the translator's voices and render gendered non-traditional images in different cultures. The study vouches for hybridity as a strategy in translating gendered metaphors from English into Arabic, the article argues that Arab translators who are dealing with verbal gendered metaphor might need to adopt new approaches/ translation strategies to render the purpose of these metaphors in a different culture and bridges the gap in feminism discourse.