Point of Origin
Studying an unfamiliar culture can be a difficult task without the aid of a thorough introduction. In particular, studying a foreign literature without a basic understanding of the cultural context in which a work exists makes gaining a true understanding of that work all but impossible. For example, while many English-speaking people may have trouble with some of the linguistic antiquity of Shakespeare’s Hamlet due to changes in word meanings or complexity in symbolic or traditional connotations, the difficulty experienced by non English-speaking people must be greater, since such people would have even less knowledge of the cultural context of the drama. To reduce such difficulty, an editor might include in an introduction to Hamlet, or any other work, an overview of the society’s culture and history, noting traditions, languages, and other relevant literary accomplishments, whether by a timeline or by throughout the text with footnotes. No matter which method an editor chooses to employ, any introduction to the culture allows the reader a better understanding of the work within a cultural context.
Through the process of translation, a certain degree of content will be lost in the process of converting a work from its language of composition to another language, for the simple reason that languages typically express vernacularly specific ideas that are not defined by another language’s vocabulary, yielding the substitution of a similar word instead of being able to represent the original concept exactly. To counteract the effects of a less exact mastery of the work’s content after translation, editors should use supplemental material such as footnotes to clarify the failings of a translation. In addition, editors should use footnotes to point out words or phrases in the text that convey matters of cultural significance of which the average reader has no knowledge. For example, without footnotes to alert readers of the cultural importance of family in Arab society, a reader may not fully realize the trials Mohammed suffered as he rebelled against the authority of his tribal elders in order to secure the destiny set forth by Allah. Alerting readers of culturally significant events hidden within the text enhances the reader’s ability to gain a full understanding of the work.
An introduction succeeds when it prepares a reader with enough knowledge to venture into a foreign work and assemble the significance of particular episodes within the framework of the whole culture. Such an assemblage constructs a portrait of a society of which the reader may have formerly had no knowledge. Even without prior exposure, however, the reader is able to extract enough details from the introduction to move into the body of a work to dissect and extrapolate upon it, and increase understanding. Learning about a foreign subject or concept must have a point of origin, the introduction.