The present study deals with translating Arabic literature into English and French, and its main aspects, issues and effects on the representation of Arab culture in the West. It is essentially inspired by Lawrence Venuti’s ideas on translation and the “formation of cultural identities”.  The case being discussed is the translation of Ahlem Mosteghanemi’s Thakirat Al-Jassad into English and French by two translators: Raphael Cohen and Mohamed Mokaddem. The comparative analysis of their versions shows the similarities and differences in the ways they render the cultural peculiarities, the social and political critiques as well as the discursive and linguistic aspects of the Arabic text.
       This study explains the means, methods and strategies the translators of this novel used in dealing with such cultural elements. The study also investigates and analyses the effects of using domesticating and foreignizing translation strategies on the quality of translation, its fidelity, consequences and acceptance. Analysing a great number of translation situations that involve cultural elements in Thakirat Al-Jassad, shows that the most successful translations are the ones that use foreignizing translation strategies.