The National Library and Archives reviews the role of translation in promoting human values and supporting dialogue of civilizations

In the course of its Tarjamat project, the National Library and Archives reviewed the role of translation in promoting human values and supporting dialogue of civilizations since the start of the Arabs’ interest in the translation movement during the Abbasid era. It underscored the contributions of translation to consolidating human values along with promoting the dialogue between East and West. It also exposed the infiltration of Western human values as a result of translation and incorporation into Arabic literature.
Professor Sidiq Gohar, a translation expert at the National Library and Archives, reviewed the history of translation and its state of affairs. He emphasized that the UAE is making tremendous efforts to build bridges of cultural, civilizational and human communication, relying on translation because of its role in enriching the dialogue between East and West.
In the lecture organized by the National Library and Archives titled The Role of Translation in Promoting Human and Civilizational Values: A Contemporary Perspective, Dr. Gohar referred to the NLA’s contributions reflected in its annual translation conference and its specialized publications and research translated to enrich knowledge societies.
The lecture stressed that the translation movement is a tributary of human thought that crosses cultures and borders and a mission of acculturation, dialogue and establishment of links. It pointed out that translation involves civilization and culture, which leads to openness to the other, and it is no longer a mere stylistic or linguistic issue.
The lecture, which was held at Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Hall at the National Library and Archives, reviewed the importance of translation in Arab-Islamic history. It indicated that translation is deeply rooted in the Arab world’s culture and history rather than being a modern phenomenon. Al-Jahiz had previously tackled the basics of translation and the characteristics of a skilled translator, emphasizing the importance of the translator’s familiarity with both the source and target languages.
Professor Gohar highlighted that translation is instrumental to the dialogue of civilizations. He indicated that Western colonizers were received with conflicting emotions of hatred of their military might and admiration for their civilizational achievements upon arriving in the East. A civilizational dialogue sparked and translation of European literature into Arabic impacted modern Arabic literature. Subsequently, hostility to the West dissipated giving way to further involvement in the Western cultural project. Arab modern poets were also able to learn about the European literary heritage, which was reflected in the poems of Badr Shakir al-Sayyab, Abdul Wahhab al-Bayati, Salah Abdel Sabour, Muhammad al-Maghut, Adonis, Mohamad Mustafa Badawi, and others. For example, T. S. Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land” was great source of inspiration.
The lecture concluded by stressing that the UAE is leading the largest knowledge translation movement aimed at promoting cultural work and promoting openness to the cultures of others. Thus, the consolidation of human values and the promotion of dialogue of civilizations are nurtured.