Diverse Voices in Translation: Mediating between cultures in translation of a Taiwanese American memoir into Arabic.

Abstract

This dissertation delves into the experiences of Taiwanese American immigrants in the US through excerpts from Stay True: A Memoir by Hua Hsu (2022). Hsu’s memoir is a unique addition to the genre of autobiography, as it sheds light on a unique perspective. Hsu, a Taiwanese American, is a New Yorker staff member, Bard College literature professor, and Asian American Writers’ Workshop executive board member. His parents immigrated to the US to pursue their education and met there. To ensure that the author’s voice is conveyed precisely, I have crafted the translation to make it feel like the reader is directly listening to the author’s words. My focus has been on the intercultural mediation aspect of translation, taking into account the cultural and ideological nuances of the source material. Following Venuti’s approach, I have implemented a subtle “foreignisation” tactic to successfully immerse the reader into the ST’s cultural and historical context. Thorough cultural and historical research is imperative in order to accurately convey the writer’s intended message and address any knowledge gaps in the target audience. Nevertheless, additional challenges arise when attempting to familiarise the reader with an unfamiliar world and recapture the author’s voice and style by drawing inspiration from parallel texts. This commentary offers insight into these facets of reconstructing the writer’s experience in the target language, the broader scope of immigrant autobiography, and its impact on translation. Ultimately, I present my strategies for making meticulous decisions regarding the target text.