Ragab, the Interpreter

Original by Inaam Kachachi
Translated, from the Arabic, by Ibrahim Fawzy

First Intrusion into Mr. Ragab’s Thoughts

“THIS IS YOU, AbdulMuhsin Ragab. The mirror doesn’t deceive you. Are you satisfied with yourself?”

AbdulMuhsin Ragab ran his fingers over his new European silk tie, listening to the rustling of the fabric. With admiration, he caught a glimpse of the label at the bottom of the tie. “Yes! With prestige come necessities,” he said. One of these necessities was his sly smile that he’d trained himself to either reveal or hide. 

The voice of authority had spoken, entrusting him with the responsibility of his new post as the personal interpreter of His Excellency. Since then, everyone missed Mr. Ragab’s gentle smile and lively spirit, even his wife. She confided in her intimate neighbor, Umm Sabah, that AbdulMuhsin had changed a lot recently. He became swamped with work. Once he set foot back home, he’d head straight to his study room, turning away from his children and no longer asking them about their school work.

“Even when we get into our bedroom, I feel he’s looking in my eyes, without seeing me,” Mrs. AbdulMuhsin whispered.

“Is he falling short on expenses?”

“No, he’s become more generous.”

“Then, what’s the problem?”

“Generosity is also needed elsewhere, sister”

“Does he still sleep in your bed?”

“Yes, but he suffers from insomnia. And whenever he falls asleep, he mumbles in his dreams, in a language I don’t understand. It feels like his new post shares our bed.”

Second Intrusion into Mr. Ragab’s Thoughts

“AbdulMuhsin, the mirror doesn’t deceive you. You look exactly like the man you have dreamt of since whispers of longing crept into your heart. Now, smile. No one else is in the room except for you and the mirror. Smile, the new post you’ve been appointed to is well-deserved. No! No one appointed me. I struggled all my life, being promoted from one rank to another on the career ladder: translator, senior translator, and head of translators. I mastered the craft, hit the books, and chased lexis in the abyss of dictionaries until words flowed over my tongue. I didn’t feel grateful to anyone for my appointment. My knowledge showers upon others, His Excellency, and even the whole country.”

There’s no need for further intrusion into the thoughts of the story’s protagonist, Mr. Ragab. The pitiful man became obsessed with himself, on the verge of madness. His mastery of the work and creativity were a source of a strange pride that intensified incredibly. He was sure that he was indispensable. Who could substitute Mr. Ragab? His Excellency’s meetings would be paralyzed if Mr. Ragab missed them. The public interest of the country depended on his interpretation skills, since a tiny slip-up would definitely lead to disaster.

The weirdest thing was that Mr. Ragab’s fluency would shrink whenever His Excellency was shining in his meetings, delivering his speech eloquently with a confident attitude. The interpreter’s talent, though, reveals itself magnificently—accurate sentences, eloquent style, and strong personality—whenever His Excellency was unfocused, his sentences were disjointed, and his attitude was shaky. Ragab would reach the peak of his delight when he’d manage to help His Excellency shine, so the audience wouldn’t notice the hesitant attitude or the slips of the tongue. 

Mr. Ragab’s Downfall 

When the international conference for disarmament was held, AbdulMuhsin Ragab’s unwholesome state hinted at the looming peril ahead. The interpreter was consumed by an obsession that he’d been the sole source of his master’s prestige in conferences and events. He was the one who would ornament sentences, develop coherent ideas, and pick words judiciously. 

Before heading to the press conference, Ragab—be it by conscious intent or unwittingly—had been keen on wearing the same prestigious clothing label as his master. He had showered in perfume, oiled his gray locks, and sipped on a drink to moisten his throat. He then cast a reassuring glance at his reflection on the mirror. “Wonderful!” Mr. Ragab whispered, his voice proud. 

The press conference kicked off; Ragab stood on the right while His Excellency was replying to reporters’ questions. His Excellency was asked about the role of his country in the non-aligned movement. He replied meticulously, and the interpreter rendered the answer with expected accuracy. Another question was about the risks of the international arms race; Ragab echoed the reply with great, usual pride. A question came and an answer went: a tenth question, an eleventh one, a twelfth answer…

His Excellency paused, but the interpreter didn’t. With a hand in the pocket of his trousers, the interpreter went on in exquisitely fluent English, threatening major powers, cursing the arms race and lamenting human civilizations that were about to die out. He gave no heed to mouths open in daze. Or the shocked expression of his master.   

Two civilians ascended the stage and took him by the shoulders, out of the conference hall. The silence of amazement, which hit the audience, turned into loud guffaws and satirical commentary. Mr. Ragab, though, was waving to the onlookers, whose uproar was translated into a storm of applause in his ears.

المترجم رجب


:تطفّل أول على أفكار السيد رجب

«هذا هو أنت يا عبد المحسن رجب. إن المرآة لا تخدعك، فهلا رضيت عن نفسك؟»

.تحسّس عبد المحسن رجب ربطة عنقه الجديدة حتى سمع هسهسة الحرير الأوروبي تحت لمسات أصابعه. رمق العلامة الصغيرة في طرف الربطة بإعجاب … إيه … إن للهيبة لوازم
.وكان من لوازم هيبته أن ابتسامته تعلّمت متى تظهر ومتى تحتجب. كان ذلك منذ أن صدر أمر تعيينه بمنصبه الجديد مترجماً خاصاً لصاحب الفخامة

افتقد خلق الله، بمن فيهم أصدقاؤه وأقاربه، ابتسامته وروحه الناعمة. بل إن زوجته نفسها، السيدة محاسن محمود، أقسمت لأم صباح، جارتها الحميمة، أن عبد المحسن قد تغيّر كثيراً في الفترة الأخيرة. تشغل الوظيفة الجديدة كل أوقاته حتى إذا عاد إلى البيت انصرف إلى مكتبته وعزف عن محادثة أولاده وبناته وسؤالهم عن أحوالهم في المدرسة، وهو أمر كان يحرص عليه، في السابق، أشد الحرص

:وخفضت السيدة محاسن من صوتها وهي تهمس لأم صباح
.حتى حين ندخل إلى غرفة نومنا، أحس وكأنه ينظر إلى ولا يراني.
- هل يقصّر في المصروف؟
 – بل ازداد سخاء في الإنفاق علينا وعلى بيته-
أين المشكلة، إذاً؟-
.السخاء مطلوب أيضاً في الأمور الأخرى، يا أخيّتي-
ألا ينام في فراشك؟-
.ينام، لكنه كثير الأرق. وإذا أغفى فإنه يرطن في أحلامه باللغة التي لا أفهم. كأنني أرى الوظيفة الجديدة تنام بيننا

:تطفل ثان على أفكار السيد رجب

«.المرآة لا تخدعك يا عبد المحسن. أنت تبدو تماماً الرجل الذي تمنيت أن تكون منذ أن تسللت إلى صدرك هواجس التمني. والآن ابتسم لنفسك فليس في الغرفة غيرك والمرآة. ابتسم فأنت أهل للمنصب الذي وضعوك فيه

لا، ما وضعني أحد. كافحت العمر كله على سلالم الدرجات الوظيفية. مترجم. مترجم أول. مترجم أقدم. رئيس مترجمين. وكنت أنشد الإتقان في عملي. قرأت وكتبت وطاردت المفردات في غياهب القواميس حتى أسلست لي الكلمات قيادها. ويم اختاروني للمنصب الجديد ما شعرت بمنّة من أحد. إنني أنا المنان الذي سيجود بالمعرفة على الآخرين … على الآخر الكبير على الدولة كله «

لا داعي لمزيد من التطفّل على أفكار بطل القصة السيد رجب. فقد بات المسكين مفتوناً بنفسه إلى حد يقترب من الهوس. وصار إتقانه لعمله وإبداعه فيه مصدراً لزهو غريب يتفاقم لديه. كان موقناً أن لا أحد سواه يمكن أن يقوم بما يقوم هو به. إن الدولة عاجزة عن الاستغناء عنه. إن لقاءات صاحب الفخامة تصاب بالكساح، بالشلل، إذا تخلف هو عنها. إن مصلحة البلد بأكمله تتوقف على مهارته في نقل المحادثة. إن هفوة صغيرة ستقود البلد حتماً إلى الكارثة

لكن أغرب ما في الأمر أن انطلاقة السيد رجب كانت تنكمش إذا كان صاحب الفخامة متألقاً في لقاءاته، بليغاً في خطبه، واثقاً من مواقفه. وعلى العكس من ذلك، كان المترجم يتجلى كأروع ما يكون التجلّي، في دقة عبارته وبلاغة أسلوبه وقوة شخصيته إذا ما شعر بأن صاحب الفخامة ليس على ما يرام، مشتت الأفكار، مفكك العبارات، مزعزع الموقف

.يبلغ رجب ذروة لذته حين يفلح في رأب التصدّع البادي على سيده فلا يشعر المقابل بما في الموقف من تلجلج ولا ما في الحديث من اهتزاز وهفوات

:نهاية السيد رجب

حين عقد المؤتمر الدوليّ للحد من التسلح، كانت حالة عبد المحسن رجب قد بلغت حداً يُنذر بالخطر. بات المترجم مسكوناً بهاجس أنه هو من يُضفي على صاحب الفخامة تلك الهيبة التي يتمتع بها في المحافل الدولية. أليس هو من يُنمّق العبارة ويسبك الفكرة ويجزل اللفظ ويغضّ الطرف عن الأخطاء وزلّات اللسان؟

وقف إلى يمين صاحب الفخامة وهو يردّ على أسئلة الصحافيين. وحرص، بوعي منه أو بدون وعي، على أن تحمل ربطة عنقه العلامة الشهيرة ذاتها لربطة سيدّه. تعطّر بإسراف ودهن خصلات شعره الأشيب بالزيت وارتشف شراباً يُطرّي الحنجرة. ألقى نظرة مطمئنة على نفسه في المرأة وهمس بإعجاب باللغة التي يجيدها
واندرفول-

وبدأ المؤتمر الصحافي. وسئل صاحب الفخامة عن دور بلاده في حركة عدم الانحياز فأجاب بالتفصيل. ونقل المترجم كلامه بالدقة المعهودة فيه. وجاء سؤال ثان عن خطر سباق التسلح على السلام العالمي. ونقل رجب الجواب بزهو شديد. وجاء سؤال وراح جواب، وسؤال عاشر، وجواب ثاني عشر … و ….

توقّف صاحب الفخامة عن الحديث لكن المترجم لم يتوقّف. كان قد وضع يده في جيب بنطلونه وراح يلوّح بالأخرى مهدداً الدول الكبرى، شاتماً سباق التسلّح، متأسفاً على الحضارات الإنسانية المهدّدة بالفناء. كل ذلك بلغته الأجنبية بالغة الطلاوة، غير مُلتفتٍ للأفواه المفتوحة دهشة من حوله، ولا بالصدمة البادية على وجه سيدّه

.وصعد إلى المنصة رجلان مدنيّان اقتادا المترجم من كتفيه إلى خارج القاعة. وتحوّل صمت المفاجأة إلى قهقهات مُدوّية وتعليقات ساخرة، بينما كان السيد رجب يلوّح محيياً الجماهير وقد تحوّلت ضجتهم في أذنيه إلى تصفيق شديد

Inaam Kachachi was born in Baghdad in 1952 and studied journalism at Baghdad University. She worked in the Iraqi press and radio before moving to Paris to complete her PhD at The Sorbonne. She is presently the Paris correspondent for London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat and Kol Al-Usra magazine in Sharjah, UAE. Kachachi has published a biography, Lorna, about the British journalist Lorna Hales, who was married to the famous pioneering Iraqi sculptor Jawad Salim, and a book in French about Iraqi women’s literature produced in times of war. She produced and directed a documentary about Naziha Al Dulaimi, the first woman to become minister of an Arab country, in 1959. Her first novel, Heart Springs, was published in 2005. Her second novel, The American Granddaughter, was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arab Fiction (IPAF) in 2009 and was translated into English, French, and Chinese. Her novel Tashari was also shortlisted for the IPAF in 2014 and translated into French.

Ibrahim Fawzy is an emerging literary translator who works between Arabic and English. He is dedicated to bringing stories from Africa and the SWANA region to a wider audience. His translations, reviews, and interviews have appeared or are forthcoming in various outlets, including ArabLit Quarterly, Words Without Borders, The Markaz Review, Modern Poetry in Translation, Poetry Birmingham Literary Journal, Poetry Ireland Review, Consequence, and elsewhere. His first full-length book, Belonging to Prison, is due to be published by Cambridge Scholars in the summer of 2024. Ibrahim is also an editorial assistant at Rowayat, a literary journal based in Canada. He is an editor-at-large at Asymptote and podcasts at New Books Network (NBN). In 2023, he completed a six-month mentorship with the British National Centre for Writing (NCW) as part of their Emerging Literary Translators program. He is a two-time graduate of the British Center for Literary Translation (BCLT) summer school. Ibrahim’s work has been recognized by various literary organizations. He won the 2023 English PEN Presents award and was shortlisted for the 2023 Deep Vellum Best Literary Translations Anthology.

Translator’s Note:
In “Ragab, the Interpreter,” Iraqi writer Inaam Kachachi explores the complicated relationship between intellectuals and those in positions of authority. The story’s main character, Mr. Ragab, is appointed as the personal interpreter of His Excellency, and he becomes so consumed with his new role that he neglects his family and friends.

Kachachi, the narrator, delves into Mr. Ragab’s inner thoughts and emotions. But she eventually stops writing about Mr. Ragab when she realizes he has become “obsessed with himself, on the verge of madness.” Mr. Ragab believes that the country’s fate rests on his ability to translate conversations accurately, so his excessive pride (hamartia) ultimately leads to his tragic downfall.

Interestingly, the story revolves around Mr. Ragab’s personal transformation from a skilled and respected interpreter to an obsessive, delusional, and power-hungry individual. This transformation represents a personal revolution within Mr. Ragab’s psyche as he becomes consumed by his newfound authority and status. His obsession with his role and his desire to manipulate the words and ideas of His Excellency in public appearances lead to a dramatic downfall that results in public embarrassment and his removal from the conference hall.

“Ragab, the Interpreter” reflects a personal revolution, albeit a negative one, in the character’s mindset and actions. The author’s intent in portraying Mr. Ragab’s downfall is to highlight the dangers of unchecked ego, the corrupting influence of power, and the consequences of becoming detached from one’s true self and values.

On a final note, “Ragab, the Interpreter” is a cautionary tale about the potentially destructive outcomes of personal revolutions driven by ambition and a distorted sense of self-importance.