A Study of the Linguistic and Cultural Shift in English Translation of Umera Ahmed’s Amarbail

Abstract

Literary translation is not a simple exercise in language but a complicated negotiation process on two language and cultures. The study also raises the issues that translators encounter in their quest to be faithful to the original text and at the same time make it easy to understand by English speaking people. In particular it explores the ways in which idiomatic phrases, metaphors and culturally held references within Urdu are either retained, adapted or changed during translation, and how these decisions affect the interpretation of the reader. This article opts to analyze English translation of an Urdu Novel Amarbail by Umera Ahmed, a well-known Pakistani writer, whether a domestication or foreignization strategy is more apt for the English translation of the Novel Amarbail. The study highlights the importance of cultural adaptation as a tool of overcoming socio-cultural differences, but also warns against oversimplification at the expense of the personal traits of the original.