Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 PhD student in Translation Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Persian short stories, rich in social, political, moral, and cultural themes, are replete with colloquial idiomatic expressions rooted in the linguistic community's history and culture, often unique to that culture. In recent decades, the translation of Persian short stories has gained popularity among Arab translators, providing a suitable domain for analyzing and critiquing literary translation from Persian to Arabic. The Egyptian translator Aluw translated 13 Persian short stories in a work titled The Short Story and Tale in Persian Literature. This study employs a descriptive-analytical method, based on Newmark's model for translating cultural categories, to examine the strategies used in translating the idiomatic expressions from five stories in this collection: The Ancient Tower and Pulling the Dead, Oily, The Chain, and The Auspicious Celebration. Findings indicate that calque, or loan translation, was the most frequently used strategy by the translator for transferring Persian idioms into the target language. This approach resulted in source-oriented, literal translations misaligned with the Persian originals. Furthermore, the translator often provided incorrect equivalents or omitted certain idioms due to a misunderstanding of their meaning or usage, leading to an unsuccessful translation overall. Translating idiomatic expressions is not a mechanical process but a form of cultural recreation. Success in this process requires moving beyond purely linguistic translation toward cultural translation. Since functional equivalents not only accurately convey the meaning and message of the idiom but also establish a cultural bridge between the two languages, they are the most effective method for translating idioms.
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