ABSTRACT
Historian, literary critic, novelist, journalist, and translator, and an influential figure of the Nahda. Born in Beirut, he studied medicine for a year in Beirut, before leaving for Egypt to work at al-Zaman (Time) newspaper. One of the most influential journals of its time, al-Hilal is still published in Egypt. He is remembered today mostly for a series of historical novels based on Arab-Islamic history, some of which were translated into other languages. In fact, such alterations may become necessary, since one of the most important tasks of the translator is to recast the original, so that the target text does not smack of translation. Zaidan’s views can fairly be to represent the predominant conception and practice of translation during al-Nahda, and well into the twentieth century.
