History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 122 - Founded in Translation - From Greek to Syriac and Arabic
24 snips
Mar 30, 2013 AI Snips
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Dubbing Films As A Translation Analogy
- Adamson compares German dubbing choices to medieval translators choosing tone and formality when moving texts between languages.
- He uses this everyday example to introduce how translators decide interpretive subtleties across cultures.
Practical Motives For Translation
- Practical needs like medicine, engineering and astronomy motivated many translations alongside prestige and rivalry motives.
- Astrology/astronomy (ilm al-nujum) had strong practical and political utility for the Abbasids.
Cultural Rivalry Drove Translation
- Cultural one-upmanship and rivalry with Byzantium also encouraged the Abbasids to appropriate Greek knowledge.
- They framed this as reclaiming wisdom from earlier sources near their own lands, not mere borrowing.