Children’s Literature Translation
A Translation Studies-Based Analysis of Children’s
Books Translated from Arabic into Turkish:
The Example of the Kamil Series
Translation plays a key role in meeting the need for communication
that arises from different nations’ recognition of one another and their
interpretation of geography. In this context, the “Project for Supporting
the International Circulation of Turkish Cultural, Artistic and Literary
Works” was launched in 2005 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism
of the Republic of Türkiye in order to ensure the worldwide circulation
and recognition of Turkish literature. Briefly referred to as TEDA, this
program is a support scheme for translation, publication, and promotion
that encourages the international introduction of works published
by publishers operating in Türkiye or abroad, which include Turkish
cultural, artistic, and literary heritage either in Turkish or in other languages.
In this study, the story series Kâmil ve Aşırı Geyik Hikayeleri (Kamil and
the Extreme Deer Stories) by Şebnem Güler Karaca, published in 2016,
and its Arabic translation by Muhtap Muhammed, published in the
United Arab Emirates in 2017 under the scope of the TEDA Project,
were examined comparatively. The study aimed to determine whether
the source and target texts possessed the characteristics of quality children’s
literature products, and to interpret the target text within the
framework of translation strategies. Selected excerpts from the works
were examined comparatively in the light of Gideon Toury’s “Target-
Oriented Translation Theory.” Within the framework of the norms
proposed by this theory, examples were analyzed, and the findings were
evaluated through the concepts of “acceptable” and “adequate” translation.
As a result of the examination, it was determined that the translated
text prioritized the target culture norms and the expectations of the
target readers, and therefore the story translations could be evaluated
within the scope of “acceptable translation.” Overall, the study sugVII
gests that both the source and target texts display significant formal
and content-related similarities and may be considered among quality
children’s literature products.
Keywords: Translation Studies; Children’s Literature; Arabic Children’s
Literature; TEDA; Kâmil Series