Language and Translation Studies (LTS)

Abstract This study draws on Genette’s theory of transtextuality to examine and categorize content-based transformations in thirteen English translations of the Rostam and Sohrab Episode, seeking to address a research gap in translation studies in this area. The findings indicate that above half of the narrative is transformed across the English translations, with the transformations falling into four main categories: “reduction,” “expansion,” “event substitution,” and “character substitution.” Reduction, the most frequent form of transformation, often weakens the epic’s causality and polyphonic structure through omitting characters, scenes, or philosophical and ethical elements. Addition, through the introduction of unprecedented narrative components, at times results in a shift in genre from heroic epic to romantic or fantasy-oriented narratives. Substitution, by altering events and characters, reconfigures key concepts such as destiny, identity, and individual responsibility. The findings suggest that English translators have rewritten the story, adapting it to the tastes and expectations of target readerships.

Abstract Translation criticism makes a great opportunity for the audience to look at translation’s quality from a new perspective. Though a comprehensive criticism is not possible sometimes, critics have always been trying to provide the audience with as much information as possible. Using Reiss’s criticism model, this research tried to examine two translations of The Handmaid’s Tale of Atwood and show the differences and similarities between the two translations. This study showed that Sommi, one of the translators, has endeavored to follow the original writer’s style. His endeavor in rendering the dialogues is suitable and cultural elements have been considered in rendering the text. Eshaghian, however, uses literal translation and this strategy have made her translation more accurate but regarding the cultural elements and the effective they may have on the reader, seems to fail.

Abstract How the quality of game localization affects players’ experience is an uncharted territory and is yet to be addressed empirically. Thus, 30 casual video game players (two groups of 15) were recruited to participate in the present quasi-experimental study with a between-subjects design to play a high- (Group A) and low-quality (Group B) Persian localization of Mafia: Definitive Edition ( Hangar 13, 2020). The quality issues incorporated into the low-quality stimulus included linguistic issues revolving around incorrect translation, missing translation, game terminology, punctuation, and contextual mistranslation spread across three game situations. Players’ experience was measured through an immersion questionnaire. Additionally, players’ subjective perceptions of the quality issues existing in both Persian localized game versions were gathered. No significant differences were unraveled across the two groups in terms of players’ immersion scores, yet more quality issues were perceived in Group B, particularly in game situations with lower interactivity.

Abstract The analysis of the spoken style of fictional characters is significant because gender identity in literary texts is largely constructed through characters’ speech patterns and tone. Examining this in translation can reveal how gender roles are transferred or transformed. Drawing on Lakoff’s (1975) and Tannen’s (1990) models of language and gender, this study investigates the speech styles of three main female characters in Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore, in the original Japanese and in its two Persian translations. The data comprise 150 utterances, analyzed based on indicators such as indirect questions, conversational tone, and mitigation of criticism. The Persian translations were produced indirectly, using Philip Gabriel’s English version as the source. The findings suggest that mediation through English has led to the reduction or omission of some stylistic features of feminine speech, underscoring the importance of accurately conveying tone and gendered nuances in indirect translations.

Abstract Translated literature in Iran has always attracted attention. While editing literary works improves the final text, the process in Iranian publishing remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify and examine the editing process. To this end, 57 participants were interviewed, and their responses were analyzed using thematic analysis within a qualitative approach. Based on Actor–Network Theory, both human and non-human actors were identified. Five of the human actors played a direct role in editing, and more than half showed overlapping responsibilities. The findings revealed a spectrum of interaction methods among actors, ranging from direct communication to no interaction at all. Most actors preferred file-based exchanges over other channels. These results may help improve interaction quality among actors, as well as for curriculum designers and instructors of editing and translation.

Abstract Writing books about women and their issues with the aim of teaching and guiding them was among the main tenets of the literary system’s poetics during the First Pahlavi era. This study examined 150 translated works and found that this tenet was incorporated into the translation poetics of the period through the practices of translating about women. Drawing on Hermans’ (2007) concept of ‘attitude’, this study investigates attitudes of 17 translators toward women as reflected in their translated works. The content analysis revealed that translators expressed their attitudes in the translations’ texts and paratexts. While some translators were aligned with Persian authors’ intentions and translated works aimed at warning and guiding women, most conveyed a sympathetic attitude. The strategies employed included altering the original title to a feminine name or positive traits, stating translation’s purpose in prefaces or afterwords, and producing a summary translation (Talkhis) to highlight the works’ themes. 

Abstract In the translation of children’s literature, the translator keeps various considerations in mind and makes various adaptations and creations in order to find out what is suitable for the child in that work and how this translation will be presented based on socio-cultural conditions of that society in order to simplify reading and understanding the content for children; so, translator pays attention to the concept of “recreation” based on translation considerations. In this research, it is intended that two of the stories from Superscope (48 Dastan) company will be analyzed and investigated according to methods which are used in its “transcreation” based on the content of the stories, conversations between the characters, their poems and musics. The results of this study represent some examples of “transcreation” and “cultural adaptation” concepts in the stories which generally leads to recreation of mentioned works or localization of them for children.

Abstract This study investigated the impact of integrating self-regulated learning strategies into AI-based translation training. Twenty-one undergraduate translation students were divided into control and experimental groups. While both groups used ChatGPT for doing translation tasks, only the experimental group received instruction based on SRL principles. Targeted weekly feedback also played a critical role in guiding students’ learning processes. Translation performance was assessed through pre and posttests using Waddington’s model, and SRL development was measured using the MSLQ and weekly reflective journals. The results showed significant improvement in the experimental group's translation quality and self-regulatory behaviors. Thematic analysis of journals indicated a shift from dependence on AI to empowered decision-making. These findings suggest that SRL-based instruction, when paired with structured feedback, enhances not only the students’ interaction with AI tools but also their autonomy, critical thinking and engagement. The study highlights the value of pedagogically grounded use of AI in translator education. 

Abstract This exploratory research views translation as a socio-economic act within the cultural goods’ production, distribution, and consumption chain. It examines the contribution of literary translation to the economics of the arts in Iran over three years. The data were gathered in collaboration with the Iran Book and Literature House, and the focus was on the publication of original and translated books in the field of literature. The study’s theoretical framework integrates Bourdieu’s field theory, the creative economy, and Lefevere’s rewriting theory. In addition to providing statistics on translation production as an economic indicator, the findings implicitly reflect cultural literacy and the public’s reception of literary translation. Furthermore, the findings provide a picture of translation’s share in the cultural and economic value of art, which can serve as a basis for cultural policy-making, institutional support for translators, and the enhancement of cultural literacy in society.

Abstract Translation serves as a powerful medium for transmitting knowledge, culture, and ideas from one culture to another. The efficacy of translation hinges on social, cultural, and political contexts. The transmission of scientific and philosophical concepts from ancient Greece to Iran sparked intellectual vitality and broadened perspectives on existence and the cosmos. Historically, translation in Iran has experienced cycles of flourishing and decline: during eras when cultural openness, patronage from rulers, or a collective thirst for knowledge prevailed, translation, and with it, philosophy and science, prospered. Conversely, in more culturally neglectful periods, translation and its influence waned. Exploring various socio-cultural and political conditions across epochs, this study demonstrates that external factors such as governmental support, societal demand, and a predisposition toward knowledge have shaped the translation of scientific and philosophical texts.

Abstract This study was an attempt to compare the neural processes of two proficiency levels through employing a stroop-like multi-word units task. The participants were selected based on purposive sampling through a test of language proficiency. Analysis of the data revealed no significant differences in the reaction times. There was a significant difference between two levels of proficiency and Plausible Target Distractor (PTD) condition in F3, F4, C3, C4, Fz, Fp1 and P3 channels and PDT in Fz, F8 and O2 channels and Implausible Target Distractor (ITD) in F8, Fz, C4 and T4 channels. A greater recruitment of the frontal lobes was observed as the participants needed to make judgments. The findings provide insights for the understanding of processing mechanisms related to multi-word units such as collocations in the brain. They also reveal the different areas of the brain involved in terms of cognitive variances.

Abstract This study is a scientometric analysis of research on translation history in Iran published between 1971 and 2021. To this end, 1212 relevant works were identified through databases and categorized into nine groups: works published in Iran (including monographs, book chapters, scientific journal articles, general journal articles, newspaper articles, and theses/dissertations) and works published abroad (including monographs, book chapters, and scientific journal articles). Bibliographic information of these works was then collected and analyzed using VOSviewer software. The analysis focused on five key components: language, date of publication, place of publication, top scientific journals, and top academic institutions. The findings indicate that most research on history of translation in Iran was published in Persian and English, with a relatively increasing trend over the fifty-year period. Furthermore, the majority of these works were published in cities, journals, and academic institutions that have a direct connection to the field of translation studies.

Abstract Despite their significance, periodicals have received scant scholarly attention in translation studies. This study aims to examine the status of translation, the language of translation, the content of translated texts, the backgrounds of the translators and societal reactions to translation in the three magazines of Danesh, Al-Kamal and Dabestan in Mashhad. The findings indicate that translation held significant importance in these magazines, aligning with their objectives. A considerable volume of their content comprised translated texts from French, Arabic and English. The translations covered a wide array of subjects, including social, cultural and scientific issues, as well as biographies, novels, and discussions on scientific and religious topics. The translators of these journals were often journalists, merchants and civil servants who engaged in translation of foreign publications and books non-professionally. Translation in Mashhad encountered several challenges, particularly when translations conflicted with Islamic and Iranian cultural values, which led to opposition from clergymen. This research, while examining the status and role of translation in periodicals, can pave the way for future studies in translation history.

Abstract This article, based on Michel Foucault’s epistemological framework, investigates the challenges of translating the fragmentary and aphoristic writing style in Pascal’s Pensées. It argues that translating classical philosophical texts is not merely a linguistic operation but a conceptual act that requires reconstructing the epistemic foundations embedded in the source discourse. Employing a qualitative and interpretive method, three fragments (nos. 218, 173, and 151) are analyzed in terms of lexical equivalence, interpretability, and conceptual transfer. The findings reveal that epistemological tensions-such as the conflict between science and theology, the critique of superstition, and the pedagogy of praise-pose structural obstacles to translation. To address these challenges, the study proposes strategies including conceptual annotation, re-creation of ironic tone, and historical contextualization. Ultimately, the translator is redefined as an epistemological actor who must navigate epistemic ruptures and discursive complexities to produce a responsible and critically informed translation.

Abstract Employing Bourdieu's “theory of practice”, this research examines Jamalzadeh’s position in Iran’s literary field and his motives for translating Ibsen's An Enemy of the People. First, the field of theater and the subfield of dramatic translation in the 1940s are reviewed. Then, Jamalzadeh’s habitus as a “translator in self-exile” is explored and the 1950s events leading to the 1953 coup are paralleled to those of the drama. Furthermore, deploying Bourdieu's and Derrida’s notions of “trajectory” and the “ideal translator,” respectively, Jamalzadeh’s earlier writings, including Saharay-e Mahshar, are analyzed to explore his position and the possible reasons behind his Ibsen translation. The research demonstrates how silenced voices in history can be heard through translations. Moreover, based on a sociological analysis of this translation, the authors argue that Jamalzadeh chooses Ibsen's text as a tool for identifying the then-political elites’ shortsightedness as the root cause of confusion among the people.

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to analyze the trilingual advertisement of Emirates Airlines by three levels of analysis in translatological eco-paradigm presented by Gangshen Hu (2004, 2020). It seeks to investigate how this company increases the effectiveness and acceptance of its brand in the destination ecosystem by “adapting” and “selecting” the (para/peri)text of its advertisements. It is assumed that, the (para/peri)textual elements accommodated in the content and form of the ad, and also adequate “adaptation” and “selection” of linguistico-cultural ecosystems would maximize the optimal communicative effect on target audience. The results indicate that the (para/peri)textual elements (color, sound, schema, logo, etc.) in the Emirates advertisements are more prominent than the linguistic aspects. Also, the “cultural dimension” has achieved a higher level of paratextual language by selecting multiple elements, codes and universal symbols (such as rhythm, dance, and physical-sportive movements) and therefore has created a higher impact factor among audiences.

Abstract This study aims to identify the magazines and publishers influencing the introduction and translation of American fiction from the beginning to the late 1960s. First, the list of short stories and novels translated during the period under study was extracted from the bibliographies and other related resources and the bibliography of American novels and short stories translated into Persian from the beginning to the end of 1970 was compiled. Then, given the information in the compiled bibliography, those publishers that had a significant role in introducing American works to Iranians as well as in the flourishing of the translation of these works in the 1950s and the 1960s, were identified. The results suggest that the translation of American stories began piecemeal in the 1920s through institutions such as Khavar and Beryani Shabestari and flourished from the late 1940s to the 1960s with the establishment of institutions such as Ibn-e Sina, Amirkabir, Keyhan and particularly, Franklin Book Program.

Abstract Employing Hermans’ (2022) approach to translation historiography and drawing on Baker’s (2006) narrative theory along with the notion of framing through selective appropriation, this study focuses on the first forty-one issues of Ruznameh-ye Vaqaye’e Etefaqiyeh to investigate the role of translation in challenging the discourse of royal despotism and crystallizing the discourse of progress as a result in Iran under Qajar dynasty. To do so, first the translated section in the newspaper was analyzed to see what texts had been selected for translation. The data was then organized around some themes to see how the selected news had (re)narrated the royal despotism discourse. The results showed that the greatest number of news items had concentrated on political/intellectual developments in Europe which clearly undermined the discourse in question

Abstract This paper conducts a postcolonial analysis of A. J. Arberry's 1960 English translation of the Taḏkerat al-awliāʾ (Memorial of God's Friends) by Farid ud-Din ʿAṭṭār. While ʿAṭṭār's 12th-century biographical compilation offers profound insights into Persian Sufi traditions through its portraits of Islamic mystics, Arberry's translation reflects mid-20th century orientalist perspectives common among Western scholars. Through close examination of Arberry's translation strategies, including selective abridgement, extractive appropriation, interpretive additions, mythologizing language, and reductive section divisions, this study reveals how his orientalist positioning influenced his rendering of the text. The analysis demonstrates how Arberry's ideological framework led him to reshape ʿAṭṭār's work to align with Western expectations and colonial attitudes, thereby reinforcing unequal power dynamics in cross-cultural representation. The paper argues that Arberry's translation choices, from his organizational framework to his selective emphasis, ultimately serve to filter this seminal Persian text through a distinctly orientalist lens.

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the techniques adopted by Iranian translators in translating non-normative social content in children’s literature from English to Persian. The corpus of the study included three Persian translations of the novel Matilda by Roald Dahl (1988). First, the social non-normative content was categorized into two main categories: verbal and non-verbal (behavioral). The verbal category was divided into insults, threats and lies, while the non-verbal category was divided into aggressive behavior, child negligence, physical child abuse and revenge. Secondly, Molina and Albir’s functionalist model (2002) was employed to identify social expressions in the original text and explore their equivalents in the Persian translations. Results indicated that the translators primarily employed a literal translation approach. The frequent use of literal translation technique preserved the negative implications of the socially non-normative content.

Abstract The initiation of translation from European languages in Iran during the Qajar era was driven by the need to acquire modern sciences. This motive remains one of the primary drivers for translation, particularly from European languages. Therefore, examining the agency of translation in introducing various sciences to Iran seems essential. This study investigates the agency of translation in facilitating the academic introduction of psychology to Iran during the 1960s. It focuses on institutions, such as the Safialishah Publishing Institute and the Kaviyan journal, and individuals, including the Moshfegh Hamedani brothers and Ali-Akbar Kasmaei, who had agency in this process from 1920 to 1960. A detailed examination of the content and topic of the translated works, along with the activities of these key figures and their introductions, reveals the significant role that translation and translators played in laying the groundwork for the academic establishment of psychology in Iran.

Abstract This study investigated how the concept of gender as it relates to femininity was modified in movie adaptations of literary works through intersemiotic translation. Two movies, Pari (1995) and Mom’s Guest (2004), which were directed by Dariush Mehrjui, along with their respective original works were selected as the research corpus. Perdikaki's (2017) model was used to examine the key elements of storytelling, including plot, narrative techniques, characterization and setting, and the data were then analyzed using an integrative theoretical framework. Results indicated that by employing a de-feminizing technique and highlighting the influential traits of women, the director challenged societal stereotypes and portrayed female characters in a more empowered manner than in the original works. Also, Pari, an adaptation of a foreign work, has undergone more changes due to cultural considerations than Mom’s Guest which is an adaptation of an Iranian story.

Abstract The present descriptive-comparative case study used purposive sampling based on the framework of Tabibzadeh. Fifteen translations of the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were examined to determine the translators’ strategies in transferring the ideological load of the original text and the ups and downs of social-class conflicts between the characters through their use of language. The narrator of the story was an illiterate boy who spoke in non-standard English which could make the translation challenging for the translators. The analysis of the 15 translations revealed that when the translators used informal language and conversational syntax, the translation was more coherent. However, when non-standard colloquial words were employed, the text’s clarity and fluency were disrupted, potentially leading to a significant loss in the Persian language due to the introduction of unfamiliar terms

Abstract This article compares four Persian translations of Shakespearean sonnets, analyzing selected verses through the lens of Holmes’s translation strategies. The study aims to identify prevailing translation strategies. According to Holmes, the translated poetry is a ‘meta-poetry’, and the translator, a ‘meta-poet’, attempts to recreate the verbal essence within a structure that closely mirrors the original poem. The employed methodology is qualitative-analytical and is positioned within the framework of translation studies. The four types of meta-poem—imitative, analogical, organic, and deviant—are categorized into two approaches:  the first two are form-derivative, while the latter two are content-derivative. Results show that Tabibzadeh’s translation follows an analogical strategy, producing translations that resemble the meta-poetry of Shakespearean sonnets in Persian. Tafazzoli’s translation is form-derivative, Moghadam’s translation employs a deviant strategy, and Abjadiyan’s translation adopts a middle path. Overall, this study highlights the importance of translation strategies in creating effective and faithful translations of poetry.

Abstract Nowadays, translation studies can be used as a tool for analyzing literary texts in the field of imagology. Among literary texts, plays play an important role in presenting the image of the national identity of each country. Molière presented the image of French national identity in the 17th century in her plays.
This research aims to study the transformation of images in the translation of The Misanthrope by Mirzahabibullah Esfahani. For this, we will adapt Ditze's point of view in the field of imagology and Etkind's opinions regarding translation. By analyzing and comparing the images of the source text with those of the target text, we will examine the changes that have occurred. This research shows that the translator modified some images intentionally or not. His translation falls into the categories of translation-approximation and translation-recreation according to Etkind's opinion