Translation as Re-creation: Khaliquzzaman Elias and the Ethics of Literary Transformation

Abstract

This study examines the philosophy and practice of literary translation through the lens of Professor Khaliquzzaman Elias, one of Bangladesh’s most distinguished translators. Using an in-depth interview conducted by Razu Alauddin and reframed for scholarly analysis, the article situates Elias’s work within contemporary debates. The paper places Elias's writings in the broader context of authorship, digital ethics, postcolonial theory, and translation studies. According to Elias, translation is a creative act of reinterpretation that resists literalism and the intrusion of artificial intelligence into literature while balancing cultural fluency and faithfulness. The paper suggests that Elias's translation model is a crucial intervention in current discussions about authorship, translation ethics, and machine-generated creativity because it aligns his principles with theoretical frameworks like Skopos Theory. The study presents novel perspectives on postcolonial translation practice and promotes the notion that translation is an independent literary form that reflects intellectual depth, cultural sensitivity, and humanistic resistance rather than being a derivative.