The Power of literature in translation

There are the usual literary texts, the ones that are found on the best-selling shelves of big bookshops, and then there are translated works. These, even thought usually dense with knowledge and new cultural information, are hidden away as works that are studied by courses in schools examining the relation between culture and literature. Sounds familiar? Well, the reason these books are chosen are because of their power: the Power to spread different ideas and raise different questions all throughout the world. Notice how the word Power is capitalised through this text; it is an attempt to give Power to translated literature.
The first aspect of the uniqueness of these texts is their Power in raising questions we could never think of. If texts in English raised the question of 'pursuing a specific career path solely in order to delay marriage in Egypt', they would be considered backward, and would receive a lot of criticism. Some might even go as far as calling it cultural appropriation. However, when an Arab text does so, it'd be considered organic, and answering questions that are relevant to it's culture. Hence, the context of reception matters a lot, and translated texts hold this power of influencing the reader's mind; to ensure the spread of ideas in an as transparent manner as possible.
The next Power is the use of translated literature itself as a medium to propagate literature continually. Literature has evolved throughout the century, and keeps on doing so. However, without translated texts, literature would be analogous to a sea with only one type of fish. It would eventually become bland. Translated texts bring another dimension to literature, and ensures that literature is diverse, just as it is supposed to be.
However, there are certain drawbacks as well. As the phrase goes, some texts are 'lost in translation'. This is especially true with Arabic texts, since the dialect of arabic spoken usually helps in establishing a setting. However, when it is translated to English, all speech appears to be the same. Arabic is depicted as a single strand when translated to English, when it is in reality a collection of a bunch of different smaller strands. Literature loses its power sometimes, and there is very less one can do to prevent this. However, an overview of the context of the book gives a very good idea of the culture and the setting of the book. This is because the context can affect the interpretation of the book, and is a major factor in how the readers see the chronological position of the book.
As explored above, the Power literature has is immense. It can turn even the most stubborn of minds to a much more flexible one, and provide a platform for topics of debate that are nonexistent. However, with great Power comes great responsibility, and one mustn't forget the responsibility the authors and translators have over the perception of their culture.