When Translation Stands at the Heart of the Target Literary System

Translation has always played a significant role in bridging the gap between different cultures and languages; in introducing new literary aspects to the body of literature in the recipient language. Despite the general belief that translation is of secondary status in comparison to the original work, it has, at different points in time, proved to be so influential to the point of becoming a model in even a rich and old literature such as Persian. This study seeks to investigate the role of translation from western literature between 1200 and 1350 (AHS) on Persian contemporary literature; particularly from 1300 to 1350 when novel and new techniques of writing such as interior monologue and stream of consciousness were introduced to Persian literary system. To this end, Even-Zohar’s (2010) concepts of polysystem theory and culture planning have been selected as the framework of study to see how translation from modern English literature has influenced Persian modern novel writing. It is observed that different factors caused translation from western novels to occupy a central position in Persian literary system whereby new techniques of writing such as interior monologues and stream of consciousness have found their way in modern Persian novel.