Strategies for Translating Culture-Specific Metaphor on Taboos in Abdo Khal’s “Throwing Sparks”

This paper investigates the strategies of translating Arabic culture-specific metaphor on taboos into English in “Throwing Sparks” by Abdo Khal, 2010 winner Booker prize. The introduces Triangle Culture-specific Metaphor Taboos (TCMT), which explains intertwined relations between using cultural elements to express taboo a literary work. study aims answer question how do translators tackle metaphors taboos, and duly suggests means improve them. Samples from four types are selected for analysis, namely sex, homosexuality, poverty slavery. finds that techniques used render keeping when target reader is thought understand culture element, changing another type explicitation misunderstand element demetaphorizing topic not seen as culture. solutions translation metaphors, especially they have religious reference, tended translate them literally, resulted producing absurd images create flaws semantics utterance.