Women Translators in Contemporary Iran

Abstract

The current study was designed to investigate the relations of women’s translational choices and their social presence in contemporary Iran (1900–2010), concerning the historical and social setting of each decade. All the books, translated by women and published in contemporary Iran were categorized on the basis of the publication year and themes. They were then classified and analyzed with regard to the historical and social setting of each era. The time span was divided into three periods, labeled hidden presence, contested presence and professional presence. After analyzing the data, it became apparent that women’s translational choices differ significantly in each of the above-mentioned periods. Hidden presence (1900–1930s) could be considered as an introductory phase in the practice of translation among women, based on the number of the translated books and their themes. During contested period (1940s–1979), women started working as professional translators along with keeping their traditional roles in the society. During professional presence period (1980–2010), women worked as professional translators, which is closely related to the social and historical setting of the country in that era.