Interpretation Strategies Used by Jordanian Tourist Guides to Handle Cultural Specificity in Tourism Material

Abstract

This study examines the translation strategies adopted by Jordanian tourist guides to overcome cultural obstacles in interpreting culture-specific terms into English during tourist trips. Data were collected through joining eleven guided group tours in Jordan and recording tourist guides' interpretation of culture-bound terms to English speaking Western tourists. The cultural material was classified into four categories: customs and traditions, food and drinks, costumes and miscellaneous. The results show that the strategies used by guides to overcome cultural obstacles are the following: Transliteration, paraphrasing, expansion, providing cultural equivalent, neutralization, literal translation, reduction and recognized translation. The study connects such strategies with the main goal of tourist guides to provide tourists with loads of information about local culture using as many strategies as possible. The study recommends establishing a uniformed list of cultural terms and their meanings to guarantee a quality interpretation on the part of tourist guides in an attempt to enhance the role of culture in promoting the image of Jordan as a tourist destination.