This study examines the reasons for and the manner in which the revolution of the Czech people is represented in the Persian translation of the novel The Virgin's kiss. The translation of this critical novel within the discourse of constitutionalism during the Naseri period is highly meaningful and significant. The article analyzes this translation through the lens of imagology and the representation of the “Other,” seeking to demonstrate the relationship between the image of the foreigner and the socio-political developments of that era.
This research employs the imagological method of Daniel-Henri Pageaux, who proposes two principal levels for analyzing images in literature: the linguistic (textual) level and the ideological-cultural (extratextual) level. These encompass three stages of image analysis: lexical, structural, and hermeneutic reading. At the linguistic level, the study examines vocabulary, descriptions, and mental patterns concerning the Other; at the extratextual level, it explores the relationship between the text, the author, the reader, and the historical context.
The findings indicate that the translator, Sadr al-Ma‘ali Shirazi through deliberate selection and purposeful rewriting, connects the image of the Czech revolution to the Iranian constitutionalist discourse. Through the text, he not only seeks to raise readers’ awareness but also to convey practical strategies for realizing the ideals of his own society. This process reveals the communicative function of translated literature in times of socio-political crisis and highlights the translator’s role as an active agent in shaping social discourses.