Communication
Translation: Kristin Addis
Abstract
Throughout history, the visions that different cultures and traditions have projected among themselves have often been marked by certain themes and prejudices (in The Thousand and One Nights, Christians are branded as monkeys and in Marco Polo's The Book of Marvels, Muslims are represented as dogs). It is true that there have been oases and exceptions such as the schools for translation in Bagdad and Toledo in the Middle Ages, a clear indication of interest in the other and in his wisdom. But a good example of the recent lack of communication is the difficulty encountered by Basque publishers in trying to publish Naguib Mahfouz in Basque: again prejudices and harmful themes... In any case, we can at last read Miracle Alley in Basque, and thus become better acquainted with Egyptian life, as well as with the rhythm and sensuality expressed in Mahfouz's style. We can conclude that, beyond the color and nuances of each language, there exist certain commonalities that are fundamental in all cultures (the story, which was set in Cairo, was filmed in Mexico City). Translation is again a bridge between cultures, an antidote to the lack of communication.
