To Domesticate or to Foreignize: An Approach to Translating Fables and Fairy Tales

Abstract

The present study deals with the strategies used in the Arabic translations of the most popular genres of children’s literature; namely fairy tales and fables as an attempt to identify the best methods and strategies to be adopted in translating these genres to fulfill the ultimate purpose of enriching the children’s knowledge in addition to attracting their interest and arousing the joy sought for in every piece of literature. The study sets off from three dominating trends: the first calls for the adoption of domestication strategy of translation as the most appropriate and effective strategy in translation for children. In the same line, the second opposes using the foreignization strategy, while the third trend advocates for the joint employment of various strategies to fulfill certain requirements and needs that would be called upon within the context such as didactic purposes. Throughout the process of examining and verifying the theses of these trends, samples of translations of the genres are chosen based on the most popular and well known fairy tales and fables either circulated in written form or televised as movies or cartoons; namely Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales and Aesop’s Fables. These samples are subjected to translation quality assessment to come out with a quality statement to highlight their merits and demerits. The receptors’ (children) impact is also sought via conducting a field study that has been designed for children of two age groups defined by specialized scholars as intended receptors of the genre