Denys Johnson-Davies: A Significant Figure in the Translation of Arabic Literature
In my article, I consider the work of Canadian-born Denys Johnson-Davies, the translator “par excellence” of Arabic literature into English, and explain how his production not only reflects aspects and problems of this translation, but also presents an interesting perspective on translation, as well as its linguistic and intercultural issues. In order to explain his translation technique, I consider the affinities of his method with the theories of Antoine Berman and Lawrence Venuti. Johnson-Davies’ experience is living proof that the “travail sur la lettre” (attending to the letter of the source text) has advantages as well as drawbacks. It confers more complexity to the debate on translation ethics.