Translation/Discourse

"Translation is always a culturally creative activity, equally so as the composition of 'original' books. Everything that has to do with translation has a relevance and meaning for the recipient culture that are different from those of the donating. The decision to translate something and the time when, the decision what and how to translate, and the reception of the translated piece, are all determined by, and hence meaningful for, the receiving culture."

Dimitri Gutas, "Greek Thought, Arabic Culture", p. 187

Unlike a number of subjects discussed contemporarily in Middle Eastern Studies, interest in and research into the Graeco-Arabica, translations of Greek scientific and philosophical texts going back more than a thousand years, can be traced back for centuries. After Renaissance scholars had developed a taste for Muslim science, interest in its sources and history continued to grow in early modern scientific circles. Correspondents of the Republique des lettres, Enlightenment luminaries and university-based philologists were fascinated by the idea that West and East shared not only a monotheistic outlook, but also the very foundations of secular thinking - Greek science and philosophy.

The texts in question are still of interest not only for the historian of Islamic philosophy and science. As translations, they firstly document the wholesale introduction of Greek thought into a culture far removed from its sources in both geographic and chronological terms. In the process, translators developed terminologies for numerous subjects contained in the Greek source texts and made their content available and understandable to an Islamic audience. Secondly, they illustrate a translation methodology that successfully overcame the linguistic barrier between languages as different as Greek and Arabic. As such, they can offer valuable insights into the mechanics of intercultural transfer of ideas and their consequences for both source and target culture.

The following pages are intended

to serve as a central repository of ideas and resources on the subject I am currently working on and
to offer others the opportunity to follow my progress and, of course, intervene with criticisms and suggestions.

Information and material on the subject of Graeco-Arabica can be found under these headings:

Resources lists the literature I have used/will use in the course of my research and contains internet links to sources on various theoretical and technical issues of the subject.
Ideas protocols my thoughts on translation and Graeco-Arabica.
Contact is the place to vent frustration/satisfaction or ideas about the project and these pages.

[Resources] [Ideas] [@Contact]