Persian, Urdu: Refashioning Iran

[HZKhan]

Salam!
How would you translate the underlined part of the following book title into Persian and Urdu?
"Refashioning Iran: Orientalism, Occidentalism, and Historiography"

 

[Alfaaz]

The following could possibly be a few options (or might not, depending on further context and the intended meaning of the title of the book):

Refashioning Iran -

ایران کی تشکیلِ نو
تشکیلِ ایران، از سرِ نو

...or... (The following interpretation doesn't seem likely from the brief synopses available online...?!)

ایران کی تشکیلِ نو میں کارگر عوامل

Orientalism, Occidentalism, and Historiography - استشراق/مشرق پرستی/مشرقیّت، استغراب/مغرب پرستی/مغربیّت، و تاریخ نویسی/نگاری

Did you already have any translations or ideas of your own HZKhan SaaHib?

 

[PersoLatin]

Persian suggestions:

دوباره شكل دادن/باز كارى/ باز ريزى Refashioning/Reshaping
باخترگرايى Occidentalism
خاور گرايى Orientalism
تاريخ نگارى Historgraphy, as Alfaaz SaaHib's suggestion.

 

[HZKhan]

Thank you, Alfaaz and PersoLatin.

In Urdu, I would have translated it as ایران کی بازسازی: استشراق، استغراب، اور تاریخ نگاری. Although, as suggested by Alfaaz, تشکیلِ نو seems better than بازسازی.

Alfaaz e Giraami, What do you think of بازتشکیل and دوبارہ تشکیل?

 

[PersoLatin]

Hi HZKhan,

I appreciate Urdu use of Persian is sometimes very different to the Iranian version, بازسازى is something you do after clamities such as war or earthquakes, whereas here, we may be looking to reshape what's already there.

BTW - باز ريزى from ريختن as used in, to cast.

 

[HZKhan]

Salam PersoLatin!

Even in Urdu, the word بازسازی is more suitable for 'reconstruction'. I used it for want of a better term.
Now, I'm inclined towards بازتشکیل and دوبارہ تشکیل.
تشکیلِ نو is also a fine translation, but I think that نو is more specifically equivalent to 'new' than the prefix 're-'.

 

[PersoLatin]

باز is equivalent to دوباره & 're-'

I don't see why you'd use استغراب and استشراق as the construction is completely Arabic. Also, orientalism can have two meanings; tendency/prejudice toward anything oriental & the science or knowledge of anything oriental, and I think the former might be the intended meaning, in your question, so گرايى or پسندى with شرق & غرب would be my choice for Persian.

 

[Alfaaz]

Alfaaz e Giraami, What do you think of بازتشکیل and دوبارہ تشکیل?

It would be a matter of personal preference, but بازتشکیل seems better in comparison to دوبارہ تشکیل. The reason for this could be that دوبارہ is very commonly used for English again, repeat, etc. and doesn't seem to be a somewhat more exclusive "suffix" like باز - re (بازگشت، باز پرس، باز پیدائش، بازیابی، باز تعمیر، وغیرہ)...!?

I don't see why you'd use استغراب and استشراق as the construction is completely Arabic.

Others could hopefully shed more light on this, but these words have probably been accepted as proper terms (here in Urdu Lughat and here in the Urdu version of the article on Orientalism).

 

[eskandar]

The author himself has translated the short title of his book as ایران‌آرایی . One Persian site has translated the book's full title as شکلی تازه بخشیدن به ایران: شرقشناسی، غربشناسی، و تاریخنگاری . I would go for a synthesis of the two, that is, ایران‌آرایی: شرق‌شناسی، غرب‌شناسی، و تاریخ‌نگاری .

It's a great book, by the way!

 

[HZKhan]

I don't see why you'd use استغراب and استشراق as the construction is completely Arabic.

Because استشراق is the more common term for 'orientalism' in Urdu. Nevertheless, I have also seen the Persian construction شرق شناسی being used in Urdu publications a dozen of time. Both terms are interchangeable in Urdu.

The author himself has translated the short title of his book as ایران‌آرایی.

Thank you, Eskandar.

Now, here's some questions for Alfaaz. Do you think بازآرایی can be used in Urdu in place of 'refashioning'? Also, how do you see تشکیلِ مجدَّد?

 

[Alfaaz]

Now, here's some questions for Alfaaz. Do you think بازآرایی can be used in Urdu in place of 'refashioning'?

Some of these questions are quite thought-provoking, since words can have multiple meanings and usages! I think eskandar SaaHib or you would be able to answer this question more effectively, but couldn't باز آرائی also indicate re-adorning...!? However, from the brief description of the book and even in general, it seems that something could also be adorned again while it is being refashioned. In addition, aaraastah certainly has other meanings as well.

Also, how do you see تشکیلِ مجدَّد?

Would this not be similar to nau (except for a different origin) discussed above, where the element of newness was found to be somewhat problematic?

 

[PersoLatin]

To me, ایران‌آرایی means changing the appearance/image of Iran by (adornments) maybe showing the positives and hiding the negatives, especially for the Western reader. Unless 'refashioning' should be taken as 'making fashionable' in which case ایران‌آرایی is fine, but something that the book itself will reveal.

I find Urdu's similarities and dissimilarities with Persian, fascinating, in equal measures!

 

[Alfaaz]

a somewhat more exclusive "suffix" like باز - re

Correction: prefix.