Conceptual Narratives in Translated Discourse: Ideology and Social Values at an Intersection or Crossroads

Conceptual Narratives in Translated Discourse: Ideology and social values at an intersection or crossroads

Dr. Fahad Ahmed Otaif

College of Languages and Translation, King Khalid University

Abha, Saudi Arabia

This paper examines the role of translated discourse in shaping ideology and social values, focusing on how Western feminist terms like "single mother" influence Arabic-speaking cultures through translation. By analyzing translations from English to Arabic, the study identifies various strategies used, such as literal translation and cultural adaptation, revealing that literal translations often import Western social values directly, creating ideological shifts within the Arabic context. Through cognitive corpus-based critical discourse analysis, it is argued that translations may unintentionally promote foreign narratives, particularly when feminist terms conflict with local cultural and religious frameworks.

Findings indicate that literal translations of terms like "single mother" have facilitated the adoption of Western feminist ideologies, as seen in Arabic media, literature, and social platforms, often without culturally relevant alternatives. The paper concludes by suggesting that translators carry a social responsibility to consider cultural impacts, advocating for context-sensitive translation strategies to balance faithfulness to the source language with cultural compatibility in the target language. The study calls for more research on how translated discourse influences public ideology and cultural values, particularly within the Arab world.