Translated texts are rarely read in the world of English literature, with many readers resorting to reading texts originally written in English. It is incorrectly perceived that translated texts can be inaccurate to the original story and provide no additional benefits to reading literature originally composed in English; in fact, the translation of texts is a literary masterpiece in itself, and although riddled with challenges, the studying of texts in translation can prove rewarding.
First and foremost, studying translated literary texts can provide the reader with a much greater understanding of the cultural, historical and social contexts of the language it was originally written in. For example, in the Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian Author Naguib Mahfouz’ novel, the 'Thief and the Dogs', the reader can witness an accurate representation of the social and cultural context of Cairo.
Furthermore, translated texts allow readers from one literary culture to experience a completely different literary culture and gain from the wealth of new conventions and literary structures. On the other hand, translating literature can bring forth substantial difficulties involving an attempt to maintain the specific style of the original writer and the accurate portrayal of the author’s main ideas. This is particularly evident in the difficulty of translating religious references, character names, proverbs, symbols, and idioms. This is defined by the way their meaning is shaped by an understanding of cultural and social contexts relating to the specific language or culture. Inadequate translations may also change the text completely, possibly as a result of misinterpretation or lack of care in the translation. Translators may also face the occasional non-translatable word, where the meaning of one word in a language cannot be produced an another.
Translating from one language into another may also result in a greater extent of conciseness in the language of translation as a result of the different attributes of that language. This at times can serve to make the original author's purpose or point clearer, and draw attention to certain things.
