German literature is ripe for Arabic translation. This was one of the comments by Jordanian-German translator Mustafa Al Slaiman at a seminar organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
The annual event is the largest literature trade gathering in the world, but at present, Arabic translations of German texts are dwarfed by those in English, French and Spanish, regional publishers heard.
"That is understandable in a way," Al Slaiman told The National after his presentation on translating the German language into Arabic.
“German culture has arrived late to the Arab world in general and that is down to a few reasons.
“The first being, is the lack of translators, the second being Germany has no real history of colonisation in the region. Another reason is unlike, say, France and the United States, the Arab diaspora in Germany doesn’t have as much of the culture or the intelligentsia. It is more a working-class culture.”
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Another major setback, Al Slaiman says, is the viewpoint of the majority of Arabic publishers.
“If you want me to be to totally frank, I will say that, yes, we have many publishers in the Arab world but for many, their motivations are wrong. They don’t operate with the ideals that powers the most esteemed international publishing houses in Europe or the United States.
“The goals are mostly financial and profit-driven. The idea of pushing the culture forward is not really there and that is a sad thing.” The result is a trickle-down effect in which the role of the Arab translator – which Al Slaiman says is more valued in the West – is devalued, with their skills not remunerated fairly.
“It’s the kind of job that comes with its share of desperation,” he sighs. “But we translators know that’s part of the deal. We know the work serves a great purpose.”
With a variety of Arabic publishers in attendance at the book fair, Al Slaiman is cautious in suggesting a starting point for German translation.
“Well, that depends on what the publisher normally focuses on, whether it is history, poetry or fiction, for example. German literature is able to coexist in any part of the world so the accessibility for readers is not really a problem” he says.
“What is the issue, and that goes back to my earlier point, is the aim of the publisher. Yes, it is a business ultimately but if you begin with solely financial aims as opposed to a cultural one, then you really won’t succeed when it comes to choosing the right German works to translate.”
One avenue worth exploring, Al Slaiman says, is some of the German history books focusing on Islamic civilisation.
“If the publishing company is known for such topics, then there is plenty of material there. These texts are some of first forays Germans had in understanding the Arab world,” he says.
“There are historical German works that look at the Ottoman period and some of the characteristics of that time.”
Regarding his personal preferences, Al Slaiman says there is also plenty of poetry that should appeal to regional readers.
"One thing which I recommend is Goethe's West-östlicher Diwan (1819), which is influenced by the Persian poet Hafez. There are some Arabic translations but they are at a beginners' level and taken not from the original source. This needs a proper translation.
“Other German works that are important to translate are the 18th-century poetry of Friedrich Schiller or the more modern 20th-century poetry of Peter Weiss.
“There are such great works that Arabic readers, who as we know have deep appreciation of poetry, will benefit. They can act as a great opening into German literature which is rich and rewarding.”
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PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
The%20specs
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The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
Army of the Dead
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Three stars
