Cultural Transfer in the English Translation of Persian Literary Texts: A Comparative Approach

The translation of literary texts is not merely a linguistic activity but a complex process of cultural negotiation that requires sensitivity to both source and target cultures. This study investigates the phenomenon of cultural transfer in the English translation of Persian literary texts, focusing on the ways cultural concepts, idiomatic expressions, and stylistic features rooted in Persian culture are rendered into English. Adopting a comparative analytical approach, the research examines selected English translations of both classical and contemporary Persian literary works. Source texts are compared with their translated counterparts to identify the strategies employed by translators, including domestication, foreignization, explanation, and adaptation. The analysis explores how these strategies influence target readers' comprehension of Persian cultural elements and literary aesthetics, as well as the extent to which they preserve or reduce the cultural identity of the original texts. The findings indicate that strategies aimed at enhancing readability and accessibility for English-speaking audiences may lead to partial cultural loss or simplification, while approaches that prioritize cultural preservation often create challenges in terms of linguistic clarity and reader engagement. The study concludes that achieving a balance between cultural fidelity and linguistic accessibility remains one of the central challenges in literary translation. By highlighting the dynamics of cultural transfer in Persian-English literary translation, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of cross- cultural communication and provides insights for translators seeking to maintain cultural integrity while meeting the expectations of the target audience.

Keywords:

Cultural Transfer , Persian Literature , Literary Translation , Comparative Analysis , Cross- Cultural Communication