Decoding Tilism: AI, Translation, and the Transference of Cultural Narratives
Keywords:
translation studies, artificial intelligence, Tilism-e-Hoshruba, cultural transference, literary translation, human-AI collaborationAbstract
This paper explores the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) with translation studies, focusing on the dynamics of translation and transference in cultural and literary contexts. Using Tilism-e-Hoshruba, a seminal work in Urdu dastan literature, as a case study, it examines how AI-driven translation tools navigate the complex interplay of language, culture, and narrative. The process of translation is not merely a linguistic act but a form of transference, carrying the nuances of identity, ideology, and context across cultural borders. The study highlights how AI-mediated translations, while efficient, grapple with capturing the layered richness of texts like Tilism-e-Hoshruba, where metaphors, idioms, and cultural symbols resist reduction to algorithms. By analyzing instances of successful and failed translations, the paper underscores the critical need for human-AI collaboration to preserve the integrity of literary works. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges and potentials of integrating AI into the field of literary translation, emphasizing the necessity of culturally aware and ethically grounded approaches.
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