Translation in Arabic language and literature
Masoud Salmani Haghighi; Abbas Ganjali
Abstract
Abstract The critique and assessment of text translations, particularly literary works, and the provision of suitable translations for diverse concepts and aspects in the target language have consistently garnered interest. A significant topic in translation studies is the untranslatability of cultural ...
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Abstract The critique and assessment of text translations, particularly literary works, and the provision of suitable translations for diverse concepts and aspects in the target language have consistently garnered interest. A significant topic in translation studies is the untranslatability of cultural features. Malcolm Harvey is an authority in this domain. He has suggested strategies including functional equivalent, linguistic equivalent, borrowing, and descriptive-explanatory equivalent for the translation of cultural aspects. This article employs a descriptive-analytical method to analyze the translation by Seyyed Mahdi Hosseini Nejad of Haifa Bitar's novel "Yumiyat Motalaga," assessing it according to Malcolm Harvey's strategies for translating untranslatable cultural elements and the extent to which the translation adheres to this framework. The study's results show that the translator has tried to keep linguistic and cultural nuances and rules, as well as the traditions and customs that go along with the structure of the Persian language. He has also tried to deal with cultural and linguistic elements that can't be translated and make his translation match the parts that Harvey pointed out, though there are times when it could have been better, as shown in the examples.IntroductionCurrently, translators encounter numerous hurdles and issues in translating cultural notions and aspects between the source and destination languages. The array of methodologies offered by translation theorists has paved the way for translators and those engaged in the profession, equipping them with solutions to navigate the hurdles of translating culturally untranslatable materials. Malcolm Harvey is a prominent theorist in the domain of untranslatability. Theorists such as Newmark (1988), Harvey (2000), and Godler (2000) have offered strategies for the translation of cultural notions. Harvey has given four ways for translating culturally untranslatable elements, which are also relevant to linguistically untranslatable elements. The four strategies are: 1. Role-comparable (functional). 2. Formal linguistic equivalence 3. Loan Acquisition 4. Explanatory-descriptive (Harvey, 2000, pp. 1-9). Harvey's proposed strategies to address the issue of the untranslatability of cultural aspects align with certain methods from Peter Newmark. Localization, borrowing, compensation, acceptable translation, temporary translation, substitution, cultural equivalent, functional equivalent, descriptive equivalent, synonym, reduction and expansion, rewriting, content analysis, notes, annotations, additions and explanations, and the combined method are some of the ways that Newmark suggests that cultural elements can be translated. This study employs Harvey's (2000) four-fold classification. Harvey's theory is more constrained than Peter Newmark's thesis and encompasses fewer methodologies. The models proposed by Newmark exhibit overlap, and simpler, more realistic strategies may be more effective. Harvey's thesis represents one of the most contemporary frameworks in the domain of cultural element translation, favored by translators for its extensive applicability. This study intends to present Harvey as a successor to Newmark's methodology and to implement and assess his theory on a text translated from Arabic. The rationale for employing Harvey's theory instead of Newmark's 17 ways is because the translator's rendition of the novel aligned more closely with Harvey's four methods.The novel "Yumiyat Motalaga" was translated by Ruhallah Rahimi and Seyyed Mahdi Hosseini Nejad. This article critiques and evaluates the translation by Seyyed Mahdi Hosseini Nejad of the novel "Absolute Diaries," selected randomly due to the presence of Harvey's four-fold equivalence, utilizing Malcolm Harvey's theory to uncover the nuanced meanings embedded in words, phrases, and idioms. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that the functional or functional equivalent component has been given more examples in the translator's version, resulting in a difference in the number of examples analyzed compared to the other components (linguistic equivalent and borrowing). Rahimi's translation may likewise be subject to discussion and analysis based on the aforementioned notion.Independent study has been undertaken in the realm of translatability and untranslatability of numerous texts, with several studies referenced herein:_ The article titled “The Untranslatability of Cultural Elements in Audiovisual Texts: A Case Study of French Subtitles of the Iranian TV Series In the Eye of the Wind,” authored by Hejazi and Shirin (2019) and published in the Journal of Language and Translation Studies, investigates the Iranian TV series In the Eye of the Wind through the lens of Polish theorists' cultural morphology and analyzes the translator's strategies for conveying cultural concepts. The discussion's findings reveal that the translation of "small cultural elements" and the nuanced allusions within a text do not operate as a closed system. Instead, they make it easier for the message to be reproduced in the target text by giving up some semantic, discursive, or stylistic values from the source language. This promotes "intercultural understanding" through the processes of open translation modification._ The article titled “Translating Cultural Elements in the Arabic Translation of 'The School Principal' by Jalal Al-Ahmad” The study, "Based on the Harvey Model (2003)" by Keshavarz (1400), published in the journal Shahriar Studies, examines the techniques employed by Adel Abdul-Moneim Ali, the translator of Jalal Al-Ahmad's novel "The School Principal," in the Arabic translation of cultural themes according to the Harvey model. According to the research, the translator mostly used the functional equivalent method. They also used the descriptive equivalent and borrowing methods, but not as much. The translator predominantly employed the functional equivalent method owing to his inclination to localize the source text.The article titled “An Investigation into the Arabic Translation of the Cultural Components of the Novel ‘The Buyer of Love’ Based on Newmark’s Theory,” authored by Salimi et al. (1400), published in the journal Translation Studies in Arabic Language and Literature, reveals that the translator primarily aimed to convey meaning, neglecting the author's emotional nuances. Consequently, the literal translation of phrases often resulted in ambiguity, and in several instances, the meanings of terms or allusions were misinterpreted, or unsuitable equivalents were selected for translation. Among Newmark's cultural components, cultural goods and products, proverbs, and ecology are the most prevalent in the novel "The Buyer of Love."The article titled “Approaches to Avoiding the Untranslatability of the Novel Al-Nadzareh Al-Sawdaa by Ihsan Abdul Quddus,” authored by Khafaja Karimoui et al. (1402), published in the Journal of Translation Research in Arabic Language and Literature, analyzes the translatability or untranslatability of the words and sentences in the novel Al-Nadzareh Al-Sawdaa by Ihsan Abdul Quddus. The research shows that there are many things that can't be translated into English, both in terms of language and culture. This means that the translator has to use words and sentences in a way that is true to the source language (Persian) and easy for the audience to understand. Consequently, the translator has predominantly employed the "role equivalent" method to render untranslatable material.This research differs from the article “Approaches to Avoiding the Untranslatability of the Novel Al-Nadzareh Al-Sawdaa by Ihsan Abdul Quddus” in that the work remains untranslated, and the writers have just analyzed their literal and recommended translations. The distinction between the current research and the article “Translating Cultural Elements in the Arabic Translation of Jalal Al-Ahmad’s ‘The Headmaster’ Based on Harvey’s Model (2003)” is that the former investigates the Arabic translation of the Persian text of The Headmaster. Consequently, no research to date has scrutinized or evaluated the Persian translation of an Arabic novel, particularly the work "Absolute Diaries," utilizing Malcolm Harvey's methodologies, which represent a revolutionary approach in their own right.Research MethodologyThis study employs a descriptive-analytical strategy to evaluate and analyze the chosen topic. Furthermore, the study collects data using both complete and incomplete inductive methods. An imperfect inductive method was used to collect samples for this study. A selection of samples based on each of Harvey's components were then looked at, which showed what traits each component had in common.ConclusionsNewmark and Harvey's theories are largely analogous, with the primary distinction being that Harvey briefly outlined four methods for translating untranslatable cultural elements, whereas Newmark proposed nearly 17 methods, most of which are closely related. The translator has endeavored to maintain and respect the linguistic and cultural nuances and principles while also conforming to the traditions and conventions of Persian language structure. Furthermore, he has sought to address the untranslatability of cultural and linguistic elements and align his translation with the components identified by Harvey, although there are instances where his performance could have been improved, as noted in the examples. Moreover, among Harvey's translation strategies, the functional or role equivalence method is the most frequently employed, likely attributable to the translator's distinctive approach and style, along with his awareness and preference for the role equivalence technique in rendering words and phrases. In the section on role or functional equivalence, it should be stated that the translator, utilizing the linguistic and cultural attributes of the target language while considering the elements and structure of the Persian language, has employed the appropriate role equivalents for each word and sentence, achieving success in this endeavor.The translator has achieved moderate success in the borrowing and formal equivalence section by translating selected examples and addressing the untranslatability of cultural elements through this method. However, in certain instances, greater success could have been attained with more comprehensive explanations of the terms used. In the segment concerning the identification of explanatory-descriptive equivalents, the translator has effectively employed this technique in the translation of the pertinent examples. By offering explanations and descriptions for words and phrases, he has satisfactorily fulfilled his responsibilities in the translation process.
Translation in Arabic language and literature
Abbas Ganjali; Sayed Mahdi Nouri keyzghani; Masoud Salmani Haghighi
Abstract
Today, translation theorists have taken a big step in the development of translation criticism methods by presenting their works and theories and have provided translators with the necessary platform to provide the desired translation. One of the theoreticians of this field is Henri Meschonnic. Translation ...
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Today, translation theorists have taken a big step in the development of translation criticism methods by presenting their works and theories and have provided translators with the necessary platform to provide the desired translation. One of the theoreticians of this field is Henri Meschonnic. Translation poetics in the concept that is considered in this discussion, according to Meschonnic, is a kind of theory of text translation. Poetics deals with linguistic structure issues just as painting deals with image structures; because linguistics is the general knowledge of language structures. The poetics approach of Meschonnic’s translation consists of concepts such as transparency and centripetalism, empirical application and theoretical application, and inter-poetics relationships. In this essay, relying on the descriptive-analytical method, the Persian translation of Ruhollah Rahimi's novel "Under the Feet of Mothers" with the title "Behesht-e Maman Ghaizah" is reviewed based on the poetics approach of artistic translation by Meschonnic. The result of the research shows that the translator has used literary devices such as metonymy and non-metonymy, which have the same aesthetic effect in the source and target text, in the field of inter-poetics relations. The language of the translated text is embedded in accordance with the norms of the Meschonnic’s poetics approach and the target text, and the translator has tried to show the cultural signs of the language and ideological approach to the reader by providing an acceptable translation.Keywords: Translation Criticism, Meschonnic’s Translation Poetics, The Novel "Under the Feet of Mothers", Ruhollah Rahimi.IntroductionCriticism of translation as a linguistic and intellectual activity, although in a traditional form, has existed in parallel with translation, and sometimes the translators themselves or even the authors have measured their work and that of others with the standards of their times. Criticism of literary translation in the 20th century has taken a more scientific and methodical direction after the works of Antoine Berman on the translation of prose, Henri Meschonnic and Effim Etkind on the translation of poetry (Ahmadi, 2015: 11). For sure, it is wrong to limit the criticism of literary translation to certain people. All schools of translation criticism, even those that did not speak directly about literature or are not from this field, have concepts and tools that are effective in translation criticism, such as the theory of comparative stylistics of Vienna and Darbelneh, which has a linguistic watershed, or the function-oriented theory of Katharina Reiss's translation criticism, or the interpretative theory of the Paris school (Danica Selekovitch-Marian Lederer) or the discourse theory of Jean Delisle.Due to the fact that many novels have been translated from Arabic to Persian, it is felt necessary to make the translation process more scientific by criticizing the translation and evaluating the quality of the translation based on specific principles and elements. In order to prevent weakness and defects in translation, various and many approaches and models have been presented, the use of which increase the scientific and literary value of a work. Literary texts are always full of words, sentences and melodious constructions. One of the challenges of translators when translating such texts is to transfer the elements of the original text correctly and accurately in the translated text. Henri Meschonnic's poetics approach of artistic translation, which includes components such as (transparency and centripetalism, experimental application and theoretical application, and inter-poetics relations), is considered as a leading approach in providing translations in accordance with the criteria and frameworks of the original and target text. This research is based on the descriptive-analytical method and its purpose is to examine Ruhollah Rahimi's Persian translation of the novel "Under the Feet of Mothers " based on the aforementioned theory. The reason for choosing this novel and Rahimi's translation of it is to have the necessary linguistic capacities and capabilities to adapt and implement the components of Henri Meschonnic’s Poetics of Translating. In this research, the following two questions are answered:1- Which of the components of the Henri Meschonnic’s Poetics of Translating is more prominent in Rahimi's translation?2- What is the function of the components of the mentioned approach in transferring the text message?Literature ReviewThe subject of the present research has not been investigated in any article or thesis so far, but considerable theses and articles have been written with the focus of examining the translation of other novels based on the ideas put forward for translation, which are referred to below. Due to the fact that Antoine Berman has followed the views of people like Henri Meschonnic in presenting his theory, therefore, in this section, the works written based on Berman's theory are also mentioned:- Valiullah Esmaili (2016), in his dissertation entitled Translation and Structural Criticism of the Novel Kabartu wa Nasitu an Ansa by Buthaina Al-Issa, has translated and criticized the fictional elements of the said novel. Individual theory was not used in the translation of this novel, and the translator relied on theory and general knowledge to translate the text and then criticize it.- Ali Bashiri (2019), in the article Implementation of Antoine Berman's Theory of Deconstructive Trends in the Translation of a Novel from Persian to Arabic (a case study of two translations of Boof-e Koor), has examined the aforementioned translations based on Berman's theory. The result of the research shows that all the issues related to Antoine Berman's theory can be applied in the translation of this novel, except Glorification, and the reason for not achieving Glorification in the translation of this prose is that the type of this prose is a novel and it is of a modern type, and the goal of the author and as a result the translator of the novel is far from Glorification and the use of figures.- Saber Mohseni (2019), in the article Investigation of Rhythm in the Persian Translations of Christian Boben Case Study: Mahvash Ghavimi's translation of geai (Idiot of the neighborhood) and Isabelle Bruges", has investigated the rhythm in Mahvash Ghavimi's translations of Christian Boben's works based on the artistic rhythm component of Meschonnic. The analysis of the translation of the two stories of Ablah-e Mahaleh and Isabelle Bruges shows that although the translator sometimes deviated from the rhythm of the original text due to language differences or complying with spelling rules, he was successful in recreating the rhythm and signs of orality (oralité) of the text.- Rajaa Abu Ali and Behzad Esbaghi Giglo (2019), in the article Criticism and Analysis of Fatemeh Jafari’s Translation of Rabi Jaber's Novel Confessions (E’terafat) based on the theory of deconstructive trends of Antoine Berman, investigated the aforementioned translation based on seven components of the deconstructive components of Berman.The result of the research shows that, among the mentioned components, the expansion and the destruction of the rhythm of the text are among the most frequent factors of distortion of the text in the translation of Fatemeh Jafari, and these components also have an effect on ennoblement, and in some cases, we see an increase in the component of ennoblement in the translation.MethodologyBased on the descriptive-analytical method and using online and library sources, this research has investigated Rahimi's Farsi translation of the novel "Under the Feet of Mothers" based on the poetics perspective of Henri Meschonnic's translation.ConclusionA total of 24 samples were selected to examine the poetics components of Meschonnic’s translation, of which 5 samples were considered for the element of transparency and centripetalism, 11 for experimental application and theoretical application, and 8 for inter-poetics relations. With the investigations carried out on the translation text, the components of experimental application, theoretical application, and inter-poetics relations in Rahimi's translation are more frequent and have more manifestations.Considering that the mentioned novel has the characteristics of a literary text and has melodious folk and literary expressions and interpretations, and also despite the difference of cultural elements in the two languages, literal and direct translation cannot be appropriate to transfer meanings; therefore, the poetics approach of Meschonnic’s translation is a solution in this situation and helps to provide a suitable and at the same time accurate translation.In terms of transparency and centripetalism, the translator, taking into account the textual relationship between the original and target languages, as in the original text, used simple and unpretentious words and phrases in his translation, and his writing is full of rhythmic sentences with a pleasant pattern, which plays an important role in conveying the meaning and emotional load of the text.In the section of experimental application and theoretical application, the translator has used the components considered for theoretical application such as deletion, displacement, and additions, in order to ennoble and glorify his text, which can be a special type of ideology in translation, adopted by the translator to advance his goals in order to provide a literary translation.In the field of inter-poetics relations, it should be said that the translator has correctly used the tools needed to establish a precise and desirable relationship between the original text and the target text, and has responded to each of the prominent elements of the source text in the target text, and added to the integrity of the structure of the translated text. It can be said that the translator in this section has used literary devices such as metonymy and non-metonymy, which have the same aesthetic effect in the source and target text, well in his translation.The language of the translated text is embedded in accordance with the norms of Meschonnic’s poetics approach and the target text, and the translator has tried to show the cultural signs of the language and his ideological approach to the reader by providing an acceptable translation.It can also be said that the translator understood the meaning of the words, phrases, and idioms relatively and expressed the equivalent of each of them in the translation according to the context of the target text and the elements determined for the Meschonnic approach. Therefore, it can be said that the translator has fulfilled his mission of finding the elements of meaning generation in the original text and then recreating them in the translation to an acceptable extent. Although he has made mistakes in a few cases.