When referring to the “other”, in this case Middle Easterners, what exactly comes into your mind? Does your mind flood with images of pyramids, deserts, and camels? Do you fantasize a “barbaric” world like no other filled with foreign languages, belly dancers, and mouthwatering food? Or, most importantly do you see the Middle East as a backwards region with no hopes, lack of power, and a wretched need for advancement? If your answer happened to be yes, you have been a victim of orientalism and racism. Nowadays, it’s fairly simple to get a translation in the blink of an eye, whether that’s through Google Translate, Papago, Microsoft Translate, etc; How can we ensure that these translations are accurate? How can we ensure that years of history aren’t going unnoticed? How can we emphasize the importance of having a true voice? Storytellers serve an important purpose as translators and allow years of culture to spread throughout the world. Through suspension of bias, reliability, and integrity, storytellers are able to accurately represent the Middle East’s voice without succumbing to orientalism and racism.
Every person, including myself, has the right to hold an opinion. However, when it comes to translating, a storyteller must be able to differentiate between an opinion and a translation. In storytelling, holding an opinion can be extremely harmful to a particular group of people, and one must uphold themselves to properly spread a message without any misinterpretations. In Edward Said’s brilliant book Orientalism, he delineates and proves that the West has constructed, vilified, and denounced the Middle East through faulty misrepresentations. Said emphasizes that without cultures, ideas, and histories being studied with a force or “configuration of power”, it’s unfeasible to recognize (Said, 5). He further goes on to say, “To believe that the Orient was created-or, as I call it, “Orientalized” and to believe that such things happen simply as a necessity of the imagination, is to be disingenuous” (Said, 5). As a storyteller, you hold the authority over an original text. It is one’s duty to translate the literal meaning of a text, without incorporating or taking into account personal values, beliefs, or morals. When a Middle Eastern speaker gives a speech in Arabic, it is important for a translator to focus on rewording with minimal to no bias.
As a storyteller, one should be held reliable to ensure that their translation is valid. Through meticulous research of the “Orient”, a storyteller can certify a proper translation without Oriental principles. However, this requires a genuine understanding of the Middle East, including but not limited to, culture, diversity, and history. In the film Aladdin produced and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the protagonists Jasmine and Aladdin aren’t properly “translated” as authentic Middle Eastern characters. Jasmine and Aladdin are not given the same features as Jafar such as bushy eyebrows, a hooked nose, and an elongated face. Instead, they are given European features that are deemed the beauty standard while being “trapped” into Arab bodies (Staninger, 67). This simple misappropriation of characters has led to a harmful stereotype signifying and highlighting European superiority and dismissing the ethnic beauty of those in the Middle East. By taking the time to research the history of the Middle East, Arabian culture would not be undermined. In Aladdin, it’s evident that Eurocentric beliefs are incorporated, leading to a superiority complex over Middle Eastern cultures (Said, 7). As an English speaker, it is easy to convey a message that is not intended by the original author, region, or demographic. And sometimes words in Arabic cannot be translated exactly into an English term. However, just because the language is different, it still does not mean the message needs to be different. Reliability allows a cross-cultural understanding between languages without the deliverance of a false translation.
Integrity serves as a key to effective translation, allowing a storyteller to stay aligned with a code of ethics. With integrity, a storyteller will be committed and dedicated to fostering an accurate model of the “Orient”. As a translator, having integrity plays a fundamental role in accurately translating the experience of Middle Eastern literature, sayings, films, etc; Integrity allows a deep trust, understanding, and genuine interest in the Middle East. By having honesty and respect for yourself and other cultures, the storyteller is able to translate without integrating harmful stereotypes, misrepresentations, or misconceptions about the Middle East. Instead, a storyteller is able to portray the culture of the Middle East without the complexities of Orientalism and racism. It is a privilege to be able to tell the story of someone who is from the opposite side of the world. Without having decency and respect to educate yourself about a region, such as the Middle East, you are not holding yourself to the true values of being a translator. If a translator with true integrity directed Aladdin, they would have told the story of the Middle East accurately. The characters Jasmine and Aladdin would be dressed in traditional Arabian clothing, have ethnic features, and even have Arab accents. Also, Jasmine would not have been portrayed as a feisty girl who bosses her family around, but rather a girl who loves and respects her family’s orders. As Staninger claimed, those who aren’t of Middle Eastern descent probably did not find Aladdin offensive (Staninger, 76). Without integrity, a storyteller might struggle appreciating one’s culture that is separate from their own.
As a Middle Eastern girl, I have experienced harmful stereotypes towards my culture, which has emphasized my understanding of proper translations. Without storytellers striving to constantly be authentic, damage can occur towards people of Middle Eastern descent. It’s important for a storyteller to indulge themselves in their translation and not get lost in their own biases, beliefs, and illusions. When translating, a storyteller is taking words in one language and simply changing the words into another language. A true translator, under any circumstance, will not alternate or misconstrue the message of another text. Through appreciation of the diversity and rich-rooted culture of the Middle East, one is able to effectively translate. Through cultivation of the mind, a storyteller is able to understand detrimental Orientalist principles that have unknowingly harmed multiple generations of Arab descent. Storytelling, if done correctly with suspension of bias, reliability, and integrity, can easily be told without succumbing to Orientalism and racism. By allowing this form of storytelling, many people globally will be heard and we will become cross-culturally connected without the barrier of a language.
