Literary Translation Theories between the Normative and Functional Approaches: A Critical Review of the Literature on Arabic–English Translation

Abstract

This study examines literary translation theories within the framework of normative and functional approaches, with particular reference to translation from Arabic into English. It aims to provide a critical review of the most prominent translation theories, such as equivalence theories and functional approaches, in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses in dealing with literary texts. The study adopts a critical literature review methodology, based on selected studies in both theoretical and applied translation research.The findings indicate a clear theoretical division between normative approaches, which focus on linguistic and semantic equivalence, and functional approaches, which emphasize the purpose of translation and the function of the target text. It also shows that most studies treat these approaches separately rather than integrating them within a unified analytical framework. In addition, Arabic–English literary translation remains relatively under-researched compared to other fields such as religious and audiovisual translation.The study concludes that neither normative nor functional approaches alone are sufficient to account for the complexity of literary translation. Instead, an integrated perspective is required to balance textual fidelity with communicative effectiveness. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of translation theories and provides a critical foundation for future studies in Arabic–English literary translation.