The translation from intermediate language: Case study the translation of Mousa Bidaj of The madman

Abstract

Discussing translation from a mediator language is not something new; in fact, since the ancient times, this question has been put forth that whether a text which has been translated from a mediator language can be trusted in? Some scholars have been doubtful of the accuracy of such translations. Accordingly, the present study is toinvestigate this issue by analyzing the book The madman of man as one of the works written by Gibran Khalil Gibran, the famous Lebanese writer which has been written in English. Bidaj, in his translation resume, has claimed that this book has been translated form English. The question raised in the beginning of the present article is that whether Bidaj has translated this book from English or from a mediator language, i.e. Arabic into Persian? Then, some instances of the translation were analyzed in three discussions, i.e. indirect translation, additions, and errors and at last, it can be concluded that Bidaj has translated this book from Arabic version or from the original English text but surly effected by the Arabic translation because we can see clear imparted words and phrases in his translation