Translation in Arabic language and literature
Sayedeh Zahra Mosavi; Hossein Mirzaieniya; Mohammad Rahimi Khoigani
Abstract
Abstract Translation, regarded as a medium, facilitates communication across many cultures and nations. It also functions as an intercultural phenomenon for governments and organizations to articulate the reality of the world. Throughout this journey, it is evident that translators are significant individuals ...
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Abstract Translation, regarded as a medium, facilitates communication across many cultures and nations. It also functions as an intercultural phenomenon for governments and organizations to articulate the reality of the world. Throughout this journey, it is evident that translators are significant individuals who translate vocabulary and phrases and construct narratives in people's daily lives based on their ideas and established regulations. Mona Baker's narrative theory emphasizes the significant role of translators as key figures in global narratives. This study employs both descriptive and analytical methods to scrutinize the Arabic translations of speeches delivered by the slain Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, as they appear in diverse news sources with varying ideologies. The study employs narrative theory, specifically focusing on "framing" tactics. The data analysis showed that "Narrative" and "Framing" are very important in both translating and reproducing the image of the original text. This is because the media twists speech using language to get their policy and ideology across. This research seeks to demonstrate that framing tools are interconnected and mutually dependent. Translators use techniques such as selective appropriation, causal emplotment, player repositioning, and temporal and spatial framing to structure and present a speech, thereby guiding the reader's understanding. The gathered data indicates that the tactics of selective appropriation and omission are more prevalent in the framing of speech translation.IntroductionMona Baker is the inaugural individual to integrate narrative theory from the realm of social sciences with translation studies. In 2006, she sought to elucidate and analyze the conduct of translators as social activists in her work titled Translation and Conflict: A Narrative Account. Mona Baker posits that narratives depict reality and contribute to its creation and formation. Baker posits that translation transcends mere word conversion into another language; it involves the re-narration of events and characters in a different linguistic context (Baker, 2014: 159). By making framing the most important part of this theory, written translators and interpreters work with publishers, editors, and other middle-men to change content, highlight certain parts of a story, or change the text and its context, which changes social reality (158). Baker identifies framing as the key narrative instrument by examining Erving Goffman's writings and the literature pertaining to constructivist social movements. Textual and meta-textual tools that can be used in framing include tone, typography, visual elements like color and imagery, and linguistic tools such as verbs, indicative terms, and descriptive phrases. Framing highlights four primary instruments for connecting narrative and text. Baker identifies the following tactics or strategies: temporal/spatial framing, selective exposure framing, framing through labeling, and altering the location of actors. According to Baker's view, the translator possesses the ability to alter the text to align with the interests of the government, organization, or media for which they are translating. This research seeks to analyze the framing of Ebrahim Raisi's address, the deceased president of Iran, delivered at the Arab-Islamic summit on February 11, 2023. Six Arab media outlets with varying ideological perspectives translated the speech. According to Baker's theory, the study will look at how close these translations were to the original text of the late Iranian president's speech. It will also look at how far they were from the original, revealing any changes or manipulations made to the main text. Baker's theory hasn't been used to look at many speech translations, so the speech of the martyred Ebrahim Raisi was chosen because of its diplomatic importance and the summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where presidents and leaders of Arab and Islamic countries talked about current events around the world, like the Gaza conflict. The examination of this speech offers an appropriate framework for understanding how various media convey a meta-narrative. Literature ReviewSince Mona Baker introduced the story theory in 2006, other scholars, including those from Iran, have examined and assessed it through practical investigations of political disputes and other contexts.In their 2021 article, "Renarration through Translation: The Case of Islam in Iran," Bolouri and Bolouri examine how translator Karim Keshavarz and commentator Mohammad Reza Hakimi employ paratextual elements, such as the introduction and explanatory notes, to reinterpret the events depicted in the primary text.In their 2021 article titled "Manipulation of Narratives in Translated Political Texts: The Reflection of Iran’s Political News in the West-Supported Media," Mehdi Latifi, Shireh Jieni, and Mahmoud Afrooz concluded that narratives can subtly guide an uninformed audience toward a predetermined objective, with selective exposure being the most effective framing strategy.Mona Rafat Eltantawi (2021) authored an article titled "Transcultural Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences," which exclusively examines the theoretical aspects of Baker's approach, elucidating Baker's theory, its methodologies, the concept of framing, its various types, and the challenges encountered by researchers pertaining to this theory.Research MethodologyThis research employs a descriptive-analytical methodology, narrative theory, and the concept of framing to examine the translation of Ebrahim Raisi's speech across six Arabic media outlets. These outlets include the Al-Alam news network, Al-Mayadeen network website, and Yemen Press website, which represent resistance axis media. In contrast, the CNN Arabic website, France 24 news website, and Al Arabiya Network website are positioned outside this axis. The study aims to elucidate the processes of framing and renarration facilitated by translators' activism. The primary text of the martyred Raisi's speech and its Arabic translation were meticulously scrutinized multiple times. First, the original text and its translations were looked at separately. Then, the translated parts were put next to the original text to see how the discourse was framed in the Arabic versions. Information about the original texts, along with their translations and framing, was put into tables. The different types of framing were named after the techniques and strategies they were used with were explained.ConclusionThe translation of political news, encompassing the remarks of government officials, undergoes selective examination, albeit lacking comprehensive information. The media adhere to a narrative structure. Translators and editors can elucidate the context of interpretation and emphasize the subjects presented in the primary text of the speech through selective exposure and the incorporation of patterns. They can additionally exclude some commendable or derogatory terms and phrases from the primary text and categorize them based on the politics and ideology of the target document. Subtle modifications in the translated text, arising from the spatial and chronological framing and positioning of the players, might enhance the goal narrative. The change from singular pronouns to third-person singular pronouns shows that the roles of the actors have changed. This changes the way readers interact with the events and characters in the target language. This study emphasized that framing strategies, such as plotting, repositioning characters, selective exposure, and labeling, are connected and overlap; the details of one can be used to describe the others without any problems. This overlap is significant in interpreting the discourse of the martyred Ebrahim Raisi. According to Baker's analytical model, the deletion pattern in selective exposure is the most common way to reframe speech text and make sure the reader is on the same page with the translation. Baker's theory, with its diverse tools and textual as well as metatextual strategies, provides researchers the opportunity to analyze various translation texts. Furthermore, the tools of this theory remain subject to detailed analysis in new articles, as they continue to evolve.
Translation in Arabic language and literature
Mohammad Rahimi Khoigani
Abstract
An underexplored topic in the realm of Arabic-Persian translation is the impact of translation on political discourse. The study of political discourse in translation centers on the unavoidable ideological modifications that take place in any text throughout the process of translation, which warrant ...
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An underexplored topic in the realm of Arabic-Persian translation is the impact of translation on political discourse. The study of political discourse in translation centers on the unavoidable ideological modifications that take place in any text throughout the process of translation, which warrant careful examination and evaluation. Hence, the objective of this study is to examine several renditions of the dialogues between the Qatari Minister and the Saudi envoy during the commencement of the 148th session of the Arab League. This research aims to investigate the translation and representation of a single text by multiple media outlets, taking into account their ideological and political perspectives. Drawing on Christina Schäffner's theory and utilizing a descriptive-analytical technique, the study intends to determine the variations in translation and representation among these channels. The results of this study imply that both internal and external beliefs have an impact on translation modifications, and that various media platforms have altered the language and structure of the original text through word choice, grammatical changes, and textual reproduction.Keywords: Translation Critique, Christina Schäffner, 148th Arab League Summit, IdeologyIntroductionThe focus of translation critics lies on scrutinizing and assessing the essence of translation modifications and their underlying causes. This study seeks to examine the motives and techniques employed by different news agencies when modifying the texts of speeches delivered by Qatari and Saudi representatives at the 148th Arab League summit. Additionally, it aims to determine the impact of ideology and politics on the translation process and the selection of information. In order to accomplish this, the research utilizes Christina Schäffner's theoretical framework and applies it to the specific text. The study aims to ascertain the modifications made by various news outlets to the structure of Qatari and Saudi speeches, as per Christina Schäffner's theory.What was the rationale behind the modifications made to the speeches of the Qatari Minister and the Saudi Envoy, and how did these changes affect the overall content and tone of the text?The research hypotheses are assumed to relate to the following aspects: Observable changes are made in the translation and republication of the original text, encompassing word selection, information selection, transmission, and restructuring at all levels.The primary factor influencing changes in the translation process is linked to the beliefs and macro-policies of each news agency. Literature ReviewMofeh and others (2016) have attempted to examine the type of rewriting, selection, and transmission of political data.Khalozadeh et al. (2012) have tried to identify possible translation behaviors based on ideological concepts evident in the translations by fundamentalist and reformist newspapers in foreign media.Torkashvand (2016) has endeavored to demonstrate that, through critical discourse analysis, the existing ideology in the text is also revealed as a factor in its overall direction.Firouzianpour Esfahani et al. (2018) have focused on the role of syntactic strategies in representing the ideologies of Persian translators in translated political and social texts using critical discourse analysis.Abdi et al. (2021) have delved into the verbal tenses in a corpus consisting of two political biographies and their Persian translations from a critical discourse analysis perspective.Karamzadegan and Fatemeh Mozaheri (2023) have analyzed the dominant discourse in the translation of political texts (Arabic to Persian) from 2019 to 2022, focusing on the theme of war, concluding that each country's policies have directly influenced translation choices. Research MethodologyThe stages of this research are as follows:Extracting data through the source text and target text confrontation methods based on changes in the target text;Describing and analyzing the data using the ideological analysis approach based on Christina Schäffer's theoryConclusionDomestic and foreign news agencies had different approaches to the coverage of the dialogue and conflict between the Qatari Minister and the Saudi Ambassador in Egypt. This approach was evident in the selection of words, text reproduction, and information selection.The choice of words by foreign media, especially Al-Arabiya, includes two points: Firstly, sensitive words like the Arabian Gulf were issued by Qatar's representative, and this news agency merely conveyed these words. Secondly, by using the term "regime," efforts were made to draw a line between the government and the people of Iran.3: The words chosen by domestic media are in line with everyday use and Persian language customs. These media outlets have used what is common in the Persian language without considering the original text.4: Both domestic and foreign media have tried to select what aligns with their broader policies and their governments and avoid quoting other matters. However, among them, Al-Arabiya has had the highest volume of selection and omission.5: In the restructuring process, the media have tried to use strategies such as choosing titles, changing beginnings and endings, deletion, transforming direct quotations into indirect ones, transforming the face and form of verbs, etc. All of these efforts are aimed at creating a legitimate role for themselves and delegitimizing others. Additionally, part of the media's efforts is aimed at highlighting their positive features and the negative features of others.
Mohammad Rahimi Khoigani; Askarali Karami; Hamid Bagheri Dehbarz
Abstract
This research aims at studying and criticizing Mohammad Dashtee’s selections in his translation from Nahjolbalaghe according to meaning and terminology level of Garces translation assessment. For this purpose, Garces thesis has been introduced, then the elements that were applicable to Dashtee’s ...
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This research aims at studying and criticizing Mohammad Dashtee’s selections in his translation from Nahjolbalaghe according to meaning and terminology level of Garces translation assessment. For this purpose, Garces thesis has been introduced, then the elements that were applicable to Dashtee’s translation had been explained in details. The main findings of this research based on analytical-descriptive approach show that Dashtee in his lexical selecting is relying usually on the lexical extension at different models and above all on interpretive and ideological explanation. He has removed lexical ambiguities of Emam Ali’s speech or interpreted them according to his opinion, and tried not to be any ambiguous words in his work.
