Source text

Context (archaeology)

Linguistics

Philosophy

Psychoanalysis

Suicide prevention

Pedophilia

Literature

Arabic

Archaeology

Innocence

Environmental health

Poison control

Psychology

Politics

Political science

Sociology

Representation (politics)

Medicine

Literal translation

History

Open Cultural Studies

Given the conservative nature of Arab societies, Vladimir Nabokov’s English novel Lolita (1955) poses considerable challenges to Arab translators because of its pornographic nature and controversial themes: pedophilia, incest, and young teenage sex. This study mainly examines the translation of Lolita by Mola with occasional references to Jubaili’s translation of the novel. It also investigates the translation strategies employed by the two translators. The findings showed that Jubaili followed the literal approach of translation with no significant deviation from the novel’s themes and characterization. On the other hand, Mola dysphemized the expressions and eroticized the events, which were more euphemistic in the original. Mola’s utilization of some translation strategies such as omission, addition, and substitution affected the representation of the main characters, namely, Humbert (stepfather) and Lolita (stepdaughter), by shifting their roles as victim and victimizer, making Humbert’s actions less culpable, and removing any traces of Lolita’s innocence. In so doing, Mola reinforces sexual norms for young American women and diminishes the pedophile/incest angle. This study is significant, particularly within the context of translators’ training and for those interested in literary translation.

Erotizing Nabokov’s <i>Lolita</i> in Arabic: How Translation Strategies Shift Themes and Characterization of Literary Works

Erotizing Nabokov’s Lolita in Arabic: How Translation Strategies Shift Themes and Characterization of Literary Works