The following study primarily aims at exploring the impacts of political ideologies on news reports translation (Arabic and English) as well as their influence on political discourse and speeches. Similarly, it will delve into the ideological interference which results in lack of accuracy, reliability through biased views from the translators especially between Arabic and English. To this end, it will proceed to analyse the extent and level of bias in the translations by media news translators. Moreover, the research will discuss the shortcomings of such translators on interested readers as well as the public opinion with a view to illustrating the impartiality and bias that characterize translation from media news translators.
To accomplish this and create a lucid impression of the situation, the study will investigate particular political speeches in the Arab political landscape and compare them with other discourses. Likewise, the research will carefully examine Arabic news reports production in both Aljazeera Arabic and New York Daily News networks. It is important to note that the former (Aljazeera Arabic) enjoys full support of the state of Qatar while the latter (New York Daily News) enjoys undivided support of Americans.
Finally, the research will present particular political discourse samples in both English and Arabic languages as well as the level of bias and manipulation in the translation with respect to the political ideologies and interests of the translators
TRANSLATION; BIAS; MEDIA REPORTS; POLITICAL IDEOLOGY; MANUPULATION; POLOTICAL DISCOURSE
Chapter 1:
Mass media encompasses newspaper, social media, television, journalism and news reports. It plays a central part in the dissemination of information not only on policies but also political events in various nations and regions. The overall impact is a great influence on public reactions and perspectives since the mass media also affects operations of politicians. Arguably, minus the media, both international relations and policies would be non-existent. In fact, the written policy reports contain restructuring of the news and information contexts, and the information often covers a wide spectrum of perspectives that are critical in policy formulation and the subsequent implementation. [Own translation].
Miller (2012) records Aristotle’s 4th BC definition of human beings as political animals who dwell under the state’s shadow. Miller insists that the natural state of man is being a political animal. Over the past, the media has been codenamed the ‘fourth estate’ or the’ fourth power’ owing to its vital contribution to political communication, specifically, propagation of political discourse (PD). In fact, the media and the wider press enjoy wider audience in various countries, thus, determine the rate of message delivery and information dissemination.
Needless to say, there is a rivalry between the Arab world and the West. It is assumed that the Western world has established and proven ethical metrics for news reports neutrality (through relatively effective media policies) which inculcates a belief that the media news portray the rivalry or antagonism objectively. The emergence of several multilingual news networks has made it easy for readers and listeners from other languages to access and understand the news report items. In this case, the news is translated from source language (SL), mainly foreign news sources, to target language (TL) or language of the audience. In this respect, translation occupies a focal part of the rivalry or antagonism through communication of political affairs of both sides of the divide. The following dissertation posits that news media contain the original idea of the news reports that produce these news which has been propagated through translation of these news media items in the political discourse. According to Rima (2012), translation has ceased to represent the original meaning of the source language information into the target language; rather, it retains the ideological stamp through the process of translation which ends mistranslations. In this dissertation, this is described in the sense of misinformation or conveyance of inaccurate information since the deception intention is not a mistranslation anymore, but an interference that draws from the specific ideological stamp.
On that note, it has become a major vein of political discourse owing to its effects on the perspectives and ideologies across the globe, and the desired outcome. Political translation remains among the most challenging translations given the numeracy of challenges and obstacles that a translator faces in their quest to translate political discourses as well as attempting to balance the outcome of the translation process and the microcosmic ideological stamp. The difficulties are even rifer in the approved method which entails reading of private contents from behind the lines and is devoid of interpretations.
In the case of a country’s foreign policy, translation becomes particularly essential in, for instance, sending of letters to other countries during state visits. The responsible translators are often present in every stage and location including the internet and embassy sites, even during the printing of these letters as news bulletins in the media. In this manner, the government is able to meet its political ends and foreign policy aspirations as well as establish relations with the outside world. A typical case is that of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) department of surveillance translation of texts into English for the British Government. This example illustrates that translation is of distinct importance in the importation and exportation of policy texts between various world governments.
Ideology, regardless of its contextualization, is of great importance to the translation and framing of news media reports. However, the phenomenon suffers from a dearth of research aimed at its examination and its impact on the validity, reliability, legitimacy and authenticity of news items translations which have been found to carry the ideological stamp of the producing news networks. In particular, the growing interest in the Middle East and Arab regions over the past has illustrated apparent loopholes in the knowledge and understanding of news translation and the place of ideology in the news’ reproduction in Arabic and vice-versa. In as much as the importance of ideology has been researched in other aspects of information and knowledge transfer, a similar endeavour in news translation remain largely insufficient. The intricacy of the phenomenon and the associated implications as well as the impacts on communication necessitate a more focused scrutiny which legitimizes the present research. (Rima, 2012)
On the one hand, as an Arab translator, I harbour a belief that it is no longer possible to ignore the ongoing distortion of the minds of the public by the media in a manner that only serves to advance the interest of the media networks and their political masters. It is important to note that this ideological effect is beyond the control of an ordinary citizen or even the translators. Even so, a comprehension of the process of news manipulation through the translation process is vital for the subsequent understanding of the nature of such framing techniques, thus, improving the knowledge base of the relationship between the world and political ideologies.
On the other hand, as a translator with a profound interest in the field of news, the following research is crucial for news translators since it will help them comprehend the role of ideology in the translation process with a view to being able to distinguish mistranslations resulting from the complexities within the process from those resulting from the accompanying ideology.
The purpose of this research is to examine the effects political ideology, referred to as an ideological stamp throughout this discussion, on the process of translation reframing of news reports. In the same vein, the study serves to reveal how ideology affects translators. Finally, it serves to illustrate the manner in which translation of media politics, as a linguistic medium, gives room for ideological stances via the process of translation, thus, allowing ideologically-motivated mistranslation.
1.4. Significance of the Study
As already mentioned, the news media contain the ideological stamp of their producing media networks. The ideological stamp in this case functions to influence more than just the decision-making process of the translation of political discourse. It also manipulates the process of translation. As a clarification of the issue, the research will, for one, analyse the function of ideology as a back-seated force distorting the product of political discourse translation in the news media. Also, it will gauge the level of selectiveness of this manipulation and effect on the overall accuracy of the translation.
1.5. Limitations of the Research
Since the research examines distortion and ineptitude in political discourse translation, there is a high likelihood that the inaccuracies may find their way into this research given that it uses information from some of the previous studies. Another limitation of the research is the large pool of information to be analysed versus the time allocated for the research. Incorporation of the two languages plus the wide area of political discourse present a large amount of information for analysis in this study, thus, the limited completion time may increase the margin of error in the research. Also, there is the challenge of identifying whether there is ideological influence in the translator’s text as well as political impacts of both the source and target texts.
Chapter 2:
This chapter is divided into five sections. In the first section, it will argue ideology and political ideology from different perspectives of scholars and researchers. Here ideology and the concept of political ideology are defined from the standpoint of various scholars and researchers. The second section will discuss the link between ideology and translation with examples from both languages (Arabic and English) in different news reports. While translation is a multifaceted phenomenon, it is directly linked with ideology in that every product of translation is motivated by the need to advance a particular ideology. The third section will talk about Translation of News Reports Politics under Constraints and limitations. This section notes that the process of translation often rely on particular forces and power which constrain the outcome and the nature of the target text. The fourth section will discuss the effect of ideology on political discourse. In particular, ideology underlies every political discourse, and the ideology is transferred through a translation of these political discourses. Finally, it will talk about the theories regarding the political ideology, discourses and translation. Among the models discussed include the critical discourse analysis model, skopos, and critical linguistics models.
The definitions and boundaries of ideology are largely variant. The various contexts of its definition encompass numerous economic, political psychological, philosophical and even social patterns. It is on this note that it is usually argued that it is almost impossible to adopt a single and focused definition for ideology. Laroui (2016) notes that every definition is connected with intellectual or cognitive school on which it is based, which can then be used to shape the analysis, description, and conclusion.
It is, however, important to note that the term has gained popularity among scientists from all walks of life as well as researchers from the political and social sciences area. Correspondingly, this has influenced the definition, usage and application of this term. Regardless, Bager (2005) asserts that the term is closely connected with power and exercise of the power.
2.3. Ideology and political ideology
Ideology is believed to be an intellectual framework that makes an attempt at finding coherence with a view to meeting existing utilitarian requirements as well as offering a satisfactory look at life, community development, human experiences as well as beliefs (Homer, 2013). These elements can be exploited to explain the manner in which translation is used to achieve political ends in news reports.
Notably, a person’s ideology and associated beliefs greatly affect their worldview through manipulation of their personal values and principles. On that note, J.B Thompson defines ideology as a framework of principles and philosophies on which all political policies and theories anchor (Thompson, 1984). On the other hand, Van Dijk (1998) describes ideology as a system of beliefs that members of a social group share. Conversely, Napoleon considers the concept a weapon against societal revolution, thus, giving ideology a negative connotation which remains the present. The fact that these definitions differ, portrays the concept in both positive and negative light. As already noted before, it is hard to coin a single definition for ideology, as can be seen, mostly due to contextual differences with respect to people’s understanding of the term and its relationship with their specific political contexts. However, there is a neutral definition of ideology. According to Jonathan (2013), ideology is a combined pattern of beliefs and concepts that also consist realistic and normative viewpoints.
From these definitions, it can be concluded that ideology, as a concept, is dynamic yet unstable. Over the years, it has experienced immeasurable growth and transformation, and probably disappearance. This comes in the backdrop of the constantly changing political and social landscape. One such political and social dynamic is the struggle between capitalism and socialism which has revealed the weaknesses of both ideologies in light of their varying applications (Griffin, 2006). Mannheim (2013) recognises the effects of the changing times by acknowledging that it is no longer possible to live by a single intellectual principle. Heywood (2013), however, supposes that the change in the pattern of ideology is due to unprecedented changes on both local and global scales. The overall lesson, from the attention that the topic has got from prominent scientists, is that it is an important concept and topic. It is also important to note that the contemporary world, however, is inclined more towards a negative definition of the concept. Therefore, most leaders are shying away from the concept. For example, during the launch of a plan to cut public spending, in 2009, the former British Prime Minister David Cameron denied that he was acting on some theory or ideology in their quest. His American counterpart, Barrack Obama, in a speech, made it clear that strategy is no longer a function of politics and ideology, but realistic situational assessments (Obama, 2006), thus, declaring independence from bounds of ideology.
Heywood (2012) clarifies that ‘political ideology’ is just ‘ideology’, but in the political sector. In spite of the existence of innumerable political ideologies, they fall in any of such categories as anarchism, conservatism, environmentalism, gender equality, liberalism, nationalism, religious and socialism. This variation shows that political ideology of various social groups may contradict each other. Regardless, all ideologies share a similarity in terms of motional style and nature of minds of their beholders. In general, according to Dijk (1988a) ideology mirrors viewpoints that are impossible to legitimise via evidence or truth, but their effects show in their dynamic styles with reference to an audience.
The Marxist view of ideology is negative and advances the notion that political ideology is marred with the interests of the ruling class which contradicts their aspirations.
In the Roman curricula, as part of the translation history, translation and its outcome primarily depended on the interest of the translator. For example, there existed a double ideological movement illustrated through Aelfric’s Lives of Saints by Amos in 1920. Here, Amos condensed words but kept the meanings to avoid arduous passages for the reader. In this case, Amos not only respected the original text, but also engaged in a practice that was abhorred by both the clergy and the educated class. At the time, translation was considered a work of revolution and an attempt to replace the Latin language whose dominance was rapidly growing. In fact, those who commanded the language were highly influential among the people, thus, any perceived interference with the language was completely unacceptable. As such, Amos’s work was highly restricted given that being thought to interfere with the meaning of the holy scripts was a prosecutable sin. The translation of Aelfric could be read in two ways: One, it availed the information directly for people’s consumption; second, it allowed reading habits that would later control the style and choice of translation (Amos, 1920). The gradually growing popularity of translation and renationalisation of major European languages drew power away from the Vatican.
The interconnection between ideology and news reports is deeply rooted (Rima, 2001). According to Karoubi (2005), translation ideology can be tracked through both the product and process of translation which, however, are independent. Fawcett (1998) records that both individuals and institutions have applied their beliefs in text translation over the centuries. Schäffner (2003) added that translation and all the associated activities are affected in the same sense as a result of the fact that selection of a source text and eventual use of the target text are both functions of the objectives and interests of political and social agents.
Bassnett, in 1996, asserted that there is a necessity for reviewing a translator’s responsibility with respect to the process of translation, through examination of their personal interventions in both source language and target language. Moreover, previously considered a transparent medium through which a text passes without interference, translation in the contemporary world has called for the need for an intervention.
It could be easier to identify manipulation or interference through any possible means of news media consumption. As Schäffner explains, aspects of ideology can be determined within the particular text; both at the lexical and grammatical levels. In this case, Schäffner demonstrated that point on which translation research works have been keen. Such studies have, in the past, illustrated that the translation process needs to catch up with terms that greatly suit particular cultural, linguistic, political, and ideological aspects of the texts. Even then, in challenge of Schäffner’s insinuation, the finding can also be applied in the insertion of covert narratives which may go undetected.
Bassnett and Lefevere (1992) stated that all translation are mere reflections of interference, conscious or unconscious, aimed at serving a certain ideology. The roles of a translator are vital yet vary greatly from transmission of primary ideas between the two languages, to the analysis of the reader with a view to getting them in sync with the political ideology that the translator is attempting to propagate. Venuti (1997) entertains this idea through his claim that any translation of a new text is often motivated to a greater extent by the ideological subscriptions of the translator.
As Van Dijk (1998a) puts it, ideologies are embodiment systems of social concepts with the capability of influencing and shaping beliefs and perspectives of certain groups of people through instillation of different attitude trends. Moreover, according to Gurcaglar (2003), since translation is part of human behaviour, it encompasses a process of negotiation among the actors including the publishers, authors, readers, translators, editors, and even the critics. In contrast, Tymoczko (2003) posits that translation ideology lies both in the translated text as well as the voice of the interpreter and other recipients.
On another note, other theorists like Nida et al. (1964) consider source text as ‘sacred text’ both in terms of form and content. In the same vein, Newmark (1982) sees the work of a translator as conveyance of the original or source text with the uttermost objectivity which incorporates personal emotion in harmonising both texts to draw accurate meaning that is agreed upon by the readers. In this sense, the researcher, just like several other theorists, contend that the primary role of a translator is emblematic of the aim of the text translated not in the source or original text (Farghal, 2016, p. 389).
One of the most important aspects of ideology at the lexical level is the change in the reframing of verbs. This illustrates cognitive bias which includes elicitation of people’s reactions depending on how the information is presented. For example, said (ÙاÙ), claim (أدعÙ), confess (Ø£Ùر), deny (Ø£ÙÙر), denounced (شجب أ٠أداÙ), and many more in the translation of news reports by translators overloaded by ideology (Plous, 1993). Below is an example from Farghal (2008, p. 3) demonstrating ideological moves made by a translator;
Original text: “In an interview with Newsweek yesterday, the Israeli Defence Minister said that the Palestinian suicide operations constitute the main cause for the Israeli troops’ entering cities in the West Bank”.
-" أدع٠ÙزÙر اÙØرب اÙصÙÙÙÙÙ ÙÙ Ù ÙابÙØ© ٠ع ٠جÙØ© اÙÙÙÙزÙÙ٠أ٠س إ٠اÙع٠ÙÙات اÙاستشÙادÙØ© اÙÙÙسطÙÙÙØ© Ù٠اÙسبب اÙرئÙس Ù٠اÙرئÙس٠Ù٠إجتÙØ§Ø ÙÙات اÙاØتÙا٠اÙصÙÙÙÙÙ ÙÙ٠د٠اÙÙÙسطÙÙÙØ© Ù٠اÙضÙØ© اÙغربÙØ© اÙÙ ØتÙØ©".
Back translation: “In an interview with Newsweek yesterday, the Zionist War Minister claimed that the Palestinian martyrdom operations are the main cause for the Zionist troops’ storming Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank”.
From the above illustration, a comparative analysis of the English and Arabic texts demonstrate ideological intervention degree at the lexical level which, as can be seen, has greatly reoriented the text. In as much as the discourse may seem neutral in the English text, the Arabic text comprises speech laden with ideology inclined towards the right of Arabs and anti-Israel insinuations, which is acceptable to an Arab recipient. It is important to note that this same text would be maybe unacceptable in the case of an English or Westerns recipient. As such, it is an insignia of a translation that, apart from lacking objectivity, contains elements of bias. Thus, it suffices to say that press discourse that an institution adopts mirrors the public expectation since the discourse, at the end, is a commodity. Correspondingly, the recipient becomes a consumer of the commodity, therefore, the news media producer must take into account and fulfil the expectations of the consumer (Fairclough, 1996). Furthermore, considering the example above, the phrase ‘claim and say’ in Cambridge dictionary (2016) have a different meaning. Particularly, claim means stating something that cannot be proven or simply not believable by a group of people while ‘say’ denotes pronunciation of words, expression of opinions with a view to stating facts or claims.
As an Arab citizen, it is apparent that while the Arab media often refer to dead Palestinians as martyrs (not all dead Palestinians are martyrs), they differ when it comes to the case of dead Iraqis. This became common especially during and after the invasion of Iraq by the United States. Some of the news networks, like the Al-Jazeera basically refer to the departed as ‘the dead’ and not a respectful name like martyrs largely because of the political affiliation of the news networks. Farghal (2016) contrasts this by the Al-Manar website from Lebanon which refers to these people as martyrs or dead depending on the political situation at the time of new production. That is, they only use the positive term ‘martyr’ when the political conditions are favourable.
Interestingly yet, when Ahmadi Najad, the Iranian President, was invited to the GCC summit, as a guest of honour, in Qatar 2007, Najad used the Persian gulf phrase (instead of Arabian gulf) frequently. The translator in Aljazeera Arabic , in this case, was , however, fully aware of the implications of employment of this phrase on politics as it mirrored the political affiliation of the President who may have been communicating a message to the political leaders of the Gulf region in his speech albeit indirectly (Alraimedia, 2007,December 04).
Such an instance expresses a profound political position drawing from the geographical dependency of the Gulf region. The instance shows that application of one phrase in certain contexts without other supporting phrases may be detrimental to a translator since they are put at a precarious position of communicating someone’s political message. In this case, the translator must find a balance between the policies of the institutions they work for, and that of the target audience (Farghal, 2016).
Conclusively, in most of the cases, the above forms of manipulation of translation may have some positive aspects despite the negative ones. That is, outcomes that may improve the economic standing of a nation as well as its cultural development. It is important to note that any alterations in the messages happen by default without any malice, but as a result of the inherent comprehension limitations of the translator. On the other hand, in cases that deal with arbitrary and authoritarian writings, the alterations may distort and undermine global politics as well as international communication, thus, trigger tensions and conflicts between people. On the overall, translation is a multifaceted phenomenon (Farghal 2016).