Translating Taboos in Literary Texts: The Case of Translated La Nuit Sacrée

Abstract

In translating taboos, the translator considers the literary text's culture and language. Taboo language is a part of the cultural dimensions of a given society and forms an integral part of the translated text. The translator faces difficulties translating the cultural dimensions of the target society in general and taboos in particular. The current paper attempts to shed light on translating taboos from French into Arabic by taking Ben Jelloun’s La Nuit Sacrée as a case in point. It also outlines whether the translation process may reduce the impact of these taboos. The study results indicated that taboos did not separate from the translation of literary texts. It found that the translation process does not reduce the impact and power of taboo words. The analysis also revealed that the translator did not fail to translate taboos from French to Arabic. Still, it is the ideology of the writer who tends to follow the Western standards in writing about his culture and representing its taboos.