A Microhistorical Study of the First Translators of Dār al-Funūn

Authors

  • Zahra Atefmehr 📧 Allameh Tabataba'i University
  • Farzaneh Farahzad Allameh Tabataba’i University

Abstract

In recent years, microhistory has shifted the focus of some translation historians from translated texts to individual translators’ life and work. Because of its emphasis on microscopic small-scale investigations, microhistory enables us to see the forgotten individuals, to uncover the hidden facts and to reveal the gaps in our historical knowledge. At the center of microhistory lies the archival method, which involves in-depth examination of archives and primary sources. The present article is an archival microhistorical research on the first translators of Dār al-Funūn in the Naseri era (1848–1896). Examining the archives, this study aims at providing a detailed portrait of these translators. To this end, first, the document repositories of five archives were closely investigated. Then the first-hand information extracted from primary sources were put together to write a narrative for each translator.

Keywords:

Microhistory, archives, primary sources, Dār al-Funūn, Naseri era

Author Biographies

Zahra Atefmehr, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English Translation Studies, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran;

Farzaneh Farahzad, Allameh Tabataba’i University

Professor, Department of English Translation Studies, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran;

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Published

2021-06-07

How to Cite

Atefmehr, Z., & Farahzad, F. (2021). A Microhistorical Study of the First Translators of Dār al-Funūn. Iranian Journal of Translation Studies, 19(73), 81–95. Retrieved from https://journal.translationstudies.ir/ts/article/view/879

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Section

Academic Research Paper

DOR

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