Alireza Nazari
Abstract
In relation to language and thought, discussion of language relativity can still be controversial. This hypothesis, more often known as “Sapir–Whorf hypothesis” is based on how language impacts on thought. In its extreme form, it is language that determines and directs thought, and ...
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In relation to language and thought, discussion of language relativity can still be controversial. This hypothesis, more often known as “Sapir–Whorf hypothesis” is based on how language impacts on thought. In its extreme form, it is language that determines and directs thought, and in its mildest form, language affects parts of thinking. The basis of this hypothesis is that the speakers of every language encounters and conceptualizes the world through their own language. Therefore, linguistic differences sometimes lead to differences in the worldviews. Naturally, translation, which transmits data from one language to another, will be affected by such relativity. This article, by a descriptive-analysis, seeks to categorize distinct relativities in Arabic and its effect on the translation of Arabic texts, especially ancient texts into Persian. It seems that based on the distinct Arabic origins of Persian and different pre-Islamic cultural dimensions it would be possible to consider categories of mild relativity in order to confront the translation of Arabic texts with particular challenges. The basic question of the research is to explain the grammatical categories of relativism and how it affects the translation from Arabic. This ultimately leads to the conclusion that the categories of time, number, and gender in verbs, some conjugations, color, descriptions, as well as, some natural phenomena indicate that Arabic, especially in its early periods, is far more atomistic than Persian. In other words, it separates the outer world with more sections, and In this regard, the special attention of translators is required.
