As part of the lecture series, In Translation, The American University in Cairo’s Center for Translation Studies hosted award-winning Arabic-English translator Humphrey Davies. Highlighting important changes in the field in a post-911 world, Davies shared insights and memories as a translator of Arabic fiction. “Translations from the Arabic are clearly more in demand now than they were twenty years ago. There are multiple reasons for this, including 9-11… and more intense international communication in general,” explained Davies, whose first translation of modern Arabic literature was published in Banipal (2000), and followed by a series of translations for AUC Press. Those works include Thebes at War by Naguib Mahfouz; The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al-Aswany; Being Abbas El Abd by Ahmed Alaidy; Pyramid Text by Gamal Al-Ghitani and Chaos of the Senses by Ahlam Mosteghanemi. He has also translated the Arab Booker Award winning novel Sunset Oasis by Bahaa Taher.
A very special challenge for Davies was translating Being Abbas El Abd by Ahmad Alaidy. He described the novel as “brilliant and also manic” because of its use of terms and phrases that are unknown even among many native speakers. “I went over the text line by line twice once with the author and once with another friend – and I am still discovering things I never quite got to the bottom of,” Davies told the audience at Oriental Hall in AUC Downtown.
According to Davies, all translation is interpretation. “I have a preference for what I might call ‘deep meaning’ and ‘function’ over surface and form,” he explained. “The sort of question that goes through my head while translating is, what does the author really mean here and how would I say it if I were using English?” Davies went on to talk about the historic debate of “domesticating/foreignizing” translation in which he described as the “most fascinating, complex and important issues in translation theory.” However, he never gave much thought to it due to the “deep-seated instincts” that push him in one direction.
During his speech, Davies gave tribute to the role of the AUC Press for their respect and appreciation to the role of the translator. He noted that the AUC Press adds the name of the translator on the cover of the book, which is something rarely done. “I doff my cap again the AUC Press whose editors are, as I have learned by hard experience, unusually discreet and respectful of one’s choices, while not failing to query whatever they see fit,” Davies added.
Davies studied Arabic at Cambridge and at the AUC’ Center for Arabic Studies Abroad from 1968 to 1969. After working in publishing in the Middle East and later in Cairo, he went to the U.S. where he completed a doctoral degree at the University of California, Berkeley. From 1983 to 1997, he worked in Egypt, Palestine, Sudan and Tunisia for non-governmental community development and funding organizations.
Launched this year, the Center for Translation Studies aims to foster collaborative outreach programs and research in translation and translation studies to enhance interaction and cooperation between AUC, Egyptian, regional and international institutions. In addition to the lecture series, the center will organize a yearly international translation studies conference, and theoretical, historical and practical thematic workshops and seminars for researchers, students, faculty members and professional translators.
