Proper Names in Children's Literature Translation: The Case Study of the Arabic Translation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The main aim of the present paper is to investigate the translatability of proper names in children's literature. Furthermore, it identifies major difficulties related to the translation of proper names in literature aimed at children. To meet the set objectives, proper names of the Arabic translation of the English Rowling's Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire were analyzed in terms of translational procedures as well as the validity of the provided translations in expressing functions assigned to the source text names. The procedurs of Davies (2003) of culture-specific items translation were used as a model for the analysis. The analysis reveals extensive dependence on the preservation procedure of the source text names; indicating the translator's tendency towards the foreignization of the target text. The adopted translational choices lead to translational loss in the semantic and connotative meanings assigned to the source text names.