The translation of parody from Arabic into English : problems and strategies

الملخص EN

Parotic texts are of a unique a nature in that they tend to consist of two polemical contradictory voices: an implicit voice (hypo text) and an explicit one (hypertext).

This lays on the translators the further burden of having to work out ways to preserve both voices either through developing a new mental model for the parody under translation to retain an effect similar to that of the source text (ST), or replacing the whole parody by a similar one in the target language.

The study hypothesizes that the degree of translators' awareness of both voices of the ST is crucial in obtaining a sound understanding of the message, and consequently determining the elements to be sacrificed in the translation.

To investigate this hypothesis, the study follows Hatim and Mason's (1990) translational model of the hierarchy of intersexual preferences.

The model gives priority to keeping the semiotic status (both form and function), the intentional status (the function of the original) and the informational status (the form of the original), as well as suggesting the translation strategies that could be the most suitable for realizing each of these preferences.

The study comes up with the conclusion that the cultural substitution strategy is the most suitable one for translating parody in that it preserves both the form and function of the ST, and consequently it allows the target text (TT) readers to live an emotional experience almost similar to that lived by the ST readers.