The Impact of Persuasive Language on Ideology Perceived in Translated Children’s Literature: A Case Study

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the impact of persuasive language on ideology perceived by children while reading translated children’s books. To do so, the author studied the ideological manipulations made in children's literature translation (ChLT) through analyzing the two abridged Persian translations of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The researcher also was looking for major strategies used by the translators to reinforce the ideological attitudes of the recipients. In this regard, a model of critical discourse analysis (CDA), that of Fairclough, was used to analyze the translations in terms of their vocabulary. The model introduces three values of words, namely, experiential, relational, and expressive. Making use of the expressive value, the researcher found that the translators of the novel tried to fit the translated novel into the Iranian culture, using modification, addition, and deletion strategies. Those strategies were determining factors of the ideologies perceived by the young readers.