ABSTRACTS
For eighteen days millions of Egyptians reclaimed and occupied Midan El Tahrir, the epicenter of the January 25 Revolution, and galvanized the world with an exceptional and unwavering determination to bring down the dictatorial and corrupt regime of Hosni Mubarak. Through a close reading of the historical centrality and positionality of Midan El Tahrir, this presentation will explore the extent to which Egyptians succeeded in translating their cultural heritage of popular religious moulid celebrations that became an integral part of the semiotic processes and rituals that brought forth and sustained the birth (mawlid/moulid) of the “Independent Republic of Tahrir.”
Amira Taha and Chris Combs, Of Drama and Performance: Transformative Discourses of the Revolution
The 18 revolutionary days on Tahrir have been shaped by intense dramatic discursive moments that included speeches, interviews, and communiqués by several key players that have had a crucial impact on both events and public opinion throughout this historic moment. This presentation will translate selections from such transformative discourses by actors as diverse as Asmaa Mahfouz, former president Hosni Mubarak, and activist Wael Ghoneim, as theatrical performance and will explore the multiple levels of sign language used by each speaker/actor to mold the reaction of her/ his target audience.
Laura Gribbon and Sarah Hawas, Signs & Signifiers:
Visual Translations of Revolt The Egyptian revolution has been characterized by a throng of banners and signs whose visual immediacy both established the demands of protesters and responded to the emerging political discourse as it unfolded. This presentation attempts to analyze the multiple registers that colored the myriad banners that identified this as a revolution. The “Independent Republic of Tahrir,” that temporary autonomous zone which came to signify the heart of the revolution, was a space in flux: just as it became a home to many, its slogans, chants, banners and politics were never static.
Heba Salem and Kantaro Taira, Al-Thawra al-Daahika: The Challenges of Translating Revolutionary Humor
The Egyptian revolution has been labeled the laughing revolution (al-thawra al-daahika) not only because of the avalanche of political jokes that it has generated but more importantly perhaps because of the very structures of the jokes themselves that were inspired to a great extent by both traditional and social media discourses, forms, and languages. Political humor is embedded in a political culture and history that are both key to understanding and appreciating the subtleties, ambiguities, and subversive referential worlds of the political joke. This presentation will explore the challenges of translating examples of Egyptian political jokes of the revolution and the extent to which notions of fidelity and equivalence may not necessarily carry over in translating humor across cultures.
Lewis Sanders IV and Mark Visonà, The Soul of Tahrir: Poetics of a Revolution
The lyrical and poetic life of Tahrir served to sustain and transmit the message of protesters throughout the course of the January 25th revolution. By imparting the transcendental affect of the experience, it provided a source of unity to Egyptians of all walks of life. The dialectical relationship between the re-appropriated past and invigorated present infused the language of the revolution with new signification. Yet, translating this literature into English presents an array of challenges to the translator. This presentation situates these difficulties within the theoretical framework of modern translation theories in order to capture the soul of a revolution.
More here.
Lost and Found in Translation [News Article]
