How should I translate the verb torawarenai?


I'm not sure how to translate this in English. Is there anyone who can help
me? 価値観にとらわれない客観的な視点の研究. My problem is the verb torawarenai, for which I
cannot find the best equivalent in English in this specific context. Thanks a
lot!




～にとらわれる (捕らわれる or 囚われる in kanji) in this context is "to be hung up (on some
idea)", "to be seized", "to be fettered", etc. The "bound" thing is your
unfettered thinking rather than your body. Usually 価値観にとらわれる can be simply
translated as "to be stereotyped".

>   * 彼は形式に捕らわれて本質を見ていない。  
>  He worries too much about style and ignores the essence.
>   * 彼女は先入観に捕らわれている。  
>  She cannot think out of the box.
>

Of course 捕らわれる can also mean being physically captured/arrested, e.g.,
捕らわれの姫君 ("damsel in distress").

