Ideological Manipulation as a Censorship Mechanism in Translation

This study aims to investigate the correlation between translation, censorship and patronage and the ideology reflected in the act of translation. Using comparative analysis, we studied samples of ideological manipulation in two Arabic translations of Muhammad Asad's The Road to Makkah. Ideological manipulation was found to be a means by which agents may deviate the ideological orientation of the target text, which may prevent the aims of translation and the source text from being identical. Hence, it is a mechanism for cultural hegemony in the hands of manipulating institutions or individuals. The importance of these findings lies in the realization that the translator does not always have the upper hand in setting aims and ensuring impartiality.