The Interplay of Linguistic and Cultural Factors in Translating Theatrical Concepts: A Comparative Analysis of Translation Theories and Practices

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  • Abdelmajid El SaydAbdelmalek Essaadi University, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Department of English, Tetouan
PDF (backup copy)Official version on IMISTDOI
Journal
Confluence Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies (e-ISSN 3085-5411)
Issue
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025)
Section
Articles
Pages
139-151
Published
10 July 2025
DOI
https://doi.org/10.34874/PRSM.cjms-vol1iss1.5023
License
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Copyright (c) 2025 Abdelmajid El Sayd

Abstract

This article examines the translation of English theatrical concepts into Arabic through a comparative analysis of Moroccan scholars Hassan Mniai and Khalid Amine. Using key terms—tragedy, comedy, performance, and site-specific performance—as focal points, the paper evaluates each translator’s strategies against major linguistic and cultural translation theories, including those of Catford, Nida, Newmark, Bassnett, and Lefevere. The study highlights the challenges of (non)equivalence and emphasizes the role of translators as cultural mediators. By assessing divergent translational choices, it argues for the development of culturally rooted and theoretically informed practices in Arabic theatre translation. The paper contributes to the understudied field of Arab theatre translation by proposing more standardized, context-sensitive approaches.

Keywords

TranslationTheatreTheatrical conceptsEquivalenceArabicTerminology

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