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Damascus University,Daraa Campus,

English Department

Second Year,First Semester,

2012

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Translation II

Translation, theoretical pointsTranslation is, transferring a word or a text from one language into

another.

.practice.theory vs:Translation

To have a better understanding of translation, one must understand

the theories that are related to it.

However, some translators have gained their knowledge through

practice, and do not have much background in theory. These are

“practitioners.”

While translating, they depend on: “How it sounds” or “This

sounds right/wrong” –which is something that practitioner would

say.

On the other hand, a translator with solid theoretical background

would know exactly know WHY something “sounds right/wrong.”

For us, we need to have some theory and put that into practice.

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Translation II

: TermslTheoretica

Source Language, SL: the original language of the text.

Target Language, TL: the language we are transferring the text to.

Source Text, ST: is the original text.

Target Text, TT: is the intended translation of the original text.

*One problem we face in translation is: finding appropriate

equivalents of SL structures in TL structures –without deviating

from the intended meaning of the ST.

Context decides how to choose the best equivalent.

An example about how the translation changes according to

:the context, the verbرأى

-

I see/spot a big tree.

-

I think/believe you are wrong.

On the level of idioms, we have a similar story. What can mean

something in SL cannot mean the same in TL. Therefore, we have

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Translation II

to keep in mind the target culture, and if our translation is going to

make sense in it. Examples:

-“Diamond cuts diamond” is an English proverb that refers to two

opponents who are equally strong in witالفطنة( (

Theاأللماس یقطع األلماس literal translation is:

But if we say this in Arabic, nobody would understand what we

mean. So, we need to find a better equivalent in Arabic -for our

translation to make sense in the Arabic culture. A better equivalent

:would beال یفل الحدید إال الحدید

:Another suggestion wasیجابھ النار بالنار\جھ یوا

It makes sense in Arabic. “It sounds right”

On the subject of culture, we have the example ofعراضة

and how it would be possible for us to translate it in English. The

word “procession” does not capture its real meaning. So, what to

do? Transliterate the word in English as “arada,” and then add a

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Translation II

footnote explaining what it means in the Arabic culture, and

Damascus culture –to be more specific.

ngto write a word using the closest correspondi:Transliteration

”.marhaba“Example,.letters of a different alphabet or language

Another example of cultural differences and how to deal with them

in translation is the word “boyfriend.”

Over here it is not just on the word level; we are moving to the

level ofمفاھیم. concepts

The concept of “boyfriend/girlfriend” does not exist in the Arabic

Zero“So, for translation we talk about.culture or language

”.equivalence

:Some people suggested the translationصدیق حمیم

,but in Arabic that has a different meaning than in English.

,Some people said عشیقة\عشیق.. خلیلة\خلیل

There was no agreement, simply because all of these Arabic

translations did not sound right.

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Translation II

Also, in translation, we should pay attention to the structures of

each language.

English is an S.V.O language: meaning Subject-Verb-Object.

Arabic is a V.S.O language: Verb-Subject-Object.

Awwad البابعواد فتح opened the door =

However, sometimes in Arabic we use the “S.V.O” structure in

nominalالجمل االسمیة sentences..

We use them for special purposes, for example, in newspaper

headlines:

Obama to visit Egypt next week

أوباما یزور مصر األسبوع القادم

The focus is on the person = the subject, more than the action/verb.

This is aأسلوب صحفي journalistic style..

** The issue of sexist language: a language that separates between

men and women.

Example, the use of the pronoun “he” to refer to both men and

women:

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Translation II

على كل طالب أن یحضر كتابھ معھ

Every student must bring his book.

What about the girls?

Other suggested phrases: all students must bring their books.

**Finally, we should be aware of the difference in the grammatical

structures of SL and TL.

Example, in Arabic “verb to Be” is not used in the present:

-we don’t say:You are happy =

We don’t say:-طالبةShe is a student =

Moreover, notice the indefinite article “a” in the English sentence,

but we don’t have that in the Arabic sentence because the word

طالبةitself is نكرة

This is related to using the definite article “the” between Arabic

and English. “The life is important”* is a wrong translation of the

Arabic: .

.یعني للتعمیم.. أل التعریف في اللغة العربیة تفید االستغراق أو الشمول

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Translation II

But in English, “the” has quite the opposite job! It is used to talk

about the “specific.”

So, to talk about life in general, in Arabic we use “the,” but in

English we drop it: “life is important.”

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Translation theory and practice:Idioms

An Idiom: a special kind of phrase or expression – a group of

words which have different meaning when used together.

Idioms are metaphorical, and it is a grave mistake to try to

understand them literally.

Idioms and understanding them is highly culture-specific.

Expression is the actual words, and function is the meaning of the

idiom. Here is a suggested theoretical framework of understanding

idioms between Arabic and English:

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Translation II

A- Expressions and functions correspond in SL and TL.

B- Functions correspond, but expressions are different.

C- Functions correspond, but expressions differ slightly.

D- Both functions and expressions are different and are language-specific.

:lespamEx

1- Play with fire =

2- Put words in one’s mouth =

3- Turn over a new leaf =

..4- Wash one’s hands of =

5- To shed crocodile tears =

6- Between the devil and the deep blue sea =

Armed to the teeth -7مدجج بالسالح =

She’s white -8"مصفرنة.. " =

9- When in Rome, do as the Romans do =

Forbidden fruit is sweetest -10كل ممنوع مرغوب =

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Translation II

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Translation practice

Text 1: Arabic-English

A young man (A) meets an old woman (B) waiting for the bus in one

street. They know each other only superficially. Read their following

dialogue, and try to think of it in English.

A-خالة أم فیصلالخیر صباح!

B-ولديالخیر یا صباح!

A-كیف حالك؟

B-و كما تعلم فإن راتبي قلیل ... لقد أتعبتني آالم الظھر مؤخرا . لست بخیر.. بصراحة

و زوجي أبو .و لذا فإنھ أمر بالغ الصعوبة أن نصل آخر الشھر دون مشاكل مالیة.. نوعا ما

و ھو نادرا ما یخرج من المنزل و یمأل الدنیا ضجیجا عندما ال فیصل أحیل على المعاش

من یظنني؟ مارد المصباح؟ ماذا عسانا نفعل؟ ! یجد ما یرید ماثال أمامھ

A-و ذلك أثر سلبا على . فالوضع المالي تأزم قلیال مؤخرا. أتفھم وضعك تماما یا خالة

. نا لتغطیة نفقات و مصاریف البیت و األطفالفراتبي و راتب زوجتي یكاد یكفی. الجمیع

.فلیكن الرب في عوني و زوجتي باسیل

B-باسل؟

A-باسیل!

B-ألست مسلما؟. كأنھ اسم مسیحي. یا لھذا االسم الغریب

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Translation II

A-أنا مسیحي. ال یا خالة.

B-كاثولیكي أم أرثوذوكسي؟ بروستاتنتي؟ ... مسیحي.....

.یا ولديأراك فیما بعد. حافلة التي أركبعلى أیة حال ھاقد وصلت ال

A-مع السالمة یا خالة.

A- Good morning, ma’am.

B- Morning, dear.

A- How are you? / How have you been? / How are things?

B- Honestly, not well/alright. I’ve been having a terrible backache

lately, and as you know my salary isn’t enough to see us through to

the end of the month without financial difficulties. And on top of that,

my husband has retired, and he hardly goes out. Also, when he

doesn’t get what he wants immediately, he makes a fuss. Who does he

think I am? Aladdin’s genie? Oh, what to do?!

A- I totally understand, ma’am. The financial situation has been

deteriorating, and this has affected everybody badly/seriously. For

example, these days, my wife’s salary and mine can hardly cover up

the home and children’s expenses.

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Translation II

May the Lord help me and my wife, Baseel.

B- Your wife’s name’s Bassil?!!

A- Baseel!

B- What a lovely name. Anyway, here comes my bus. See you later,

darling.

A- See you, ma’am.

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Text 2: English-Arabic

A career dedicated to the cause of human right was recognized in the

award of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize to the Rev. Marin Luther King.

The prize amounting to more than $38,000 is awarded to “the one

who has worked more or best for furthering the brotherhood between

peoples.”

Although the Nobel Committee gave no reasons for its choice

of the American Baptist minister, it is believed he was chose for his

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Translation II

leadership in the non-violent civil rights campaign which resulted in

enactment of the American Civil Rights Law.

Dr. King was influenced by the late Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi,

and pledged to use the prize money to support the civil rights

movement and to further the philosophy of non-violence.

At 35, Dr. King was one of the youngest men ever to win the reward.

An obscure Baptist minister in Alabama City, Dr. King assumed

leadership of a bus boycott in 1956, rising to international prominence

during the year-long struggle against the city’s racial segregation

policy on its bus lines.

للقسیس مارتن لوثر كنغ اعترافا بمسیرة حیاة 1964كان في منح جائزة نوبل للسالم للعام

ألف دوالر قد منحت 38فالجائزة التي تتجاوز قیمتھا . مھنیة كرسھا لقضیة حقوق اإلنسان

."ن عمل لتعزیز األخوة بین الشعوبأكثر م\ألفضل "

م الجائزة لم تقدم أسبابا الختیارھا الواعظ األمریكي و على الرغم من أن لجنة تحكی

المعمداني، إلا أنھ یعتقد أنھ قد اختیر لتزعمھ حملة الحقوق المدنیة السلمیة التي أثمرت

.بإصدار قانون الحقوق المدنیة األمریكي

یستخدم قیمة \ضع كان الدكتور كینغ متأثرا بالزعیم الھندي الراحل غاندي، و قد تعھد أن ی

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.الجائزة لدعم حركة الحقوق المدنیة و تعزیز ثقافة الالعنف

بنیلھ الجائزة في الخامسة و الثالثین من عمره، كان الدكتور كینع من أصغر الرجال الذین

.حازوھا على اإلطالق

فالت في و من قس معمداني مغمور في مدینة آالباما، ترأس الدكتور كینغ حملة مقاطعة الحا

، مرتقیا بذلك إلى الشھرة العالمیة خالل نضال دام عاما كامال ضد سیاسة 1956العام

.الفصل العنصري في خطوط حافالت تلك المدینة

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Text 3: English-ArabicSome critics believe that Arabic traditional poetry is out of touch with

contemporary taste and mood. This is one of the most important

explanations suggested by contemporary criticism of the rise of poetic

modernism. General criticism said that there is a real need for poetic

modernism in the Arab society. In addition, contemporary criticism

put forward a number of critical approaches of the essentials of

modernism. That is to say, critics differ over even what is essential

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Translation II

and most important in poetic modernism, which makes it a type of

poetic creativity.

.یعتقد بعض النقاد أن الشعر العربي التقلیدي لم یعد یتالءم و المزاج و الذوق المعاصرین

داثة طرحھا النقد األدبي المعاصر لنشأة الح\و ھذا ھو أحد أھم التفسیرات التي اقترحھا

لوجود الحداثة ) أو ضرورة ملحة(یرى أن ثمة حاجة ماسة فالنقد المعاصر .الشعریة

.الشعریة في المجتمع العربي

.و باإلضافة إلى ذلك، فقد اقترح النقد المعاصر أیضا عدة اتجاھات نقدیة ألساسیات الحداثة

بینھم حول ما ھو جوھري أو أكثر أھمیة في و بكلمة أخرى، إن نقاد الحداثة یختلفون في ما

.الحداثة الشعریة و الذي یجعل منھا نمطا من أنماط اإلبداع الشعري

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Text 4: Arabic-English

بیان من المدیر العام للیونسكوكما . بالتعلیم-وذكورا إناثا-أن یتمتع كل األطفال إن الیونسكو تؤمن إیمانا راسخا بضرورة

وإن . لكل فرد من كحق من حقوقھأننا نعتقد بالفعل بضرورة أن یتاح التعلیم األساسي الجید

وحریاتھ األساسیة، ھو أمر في إعمال الحق في التعلیم، إلى جانب سائر حقوق اإلنسان

وإننا نسعى إلى . اعتمدتھا المنظمة حدیثالتيصمیم االستراتیجیة الخاصة بحقوق اإلنسان وا

مصممة من أجل جاالت التربیة والعلوم والثقافةمضمان أن تكون كافة أنشطة الیونسكو في

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Translation II

وینبغي للبحوث عن العراقیل التي تعترض تطبیق حقوق . الیومیة للناستحسین الحیاة

تصب في تیار الحركة العالمیة السبل الكفیلة بالتغلب على ھذه العراقیل، أناإلنسان، وعن

وثمة في ھذه الحركة دور یتعین االضطالع بھ بالنسبة لكل حكومة . حقوق اإلنسانمن أجل

ولن نتمكن، إال بالعمل المشترك وحده، من حمایة حقوقنا وحقوق الذین ھم في أشد. فردوكل

.الحاجة إلیھا

Message from the Director-General of UNESCO

UNESCO strongly believes that every child – girl or boy – should

have access to education. Indeed, we believe that quality basic

education should be available to everyone by right. The

implementation of the right to education, together with other human

rights and fundamental freedoms, lies at the heart of the Strategy on

Human Rights just adopted by the Organization. We seek to ensure

that all of UNESCO’s activities in the fields of education, the

sciences, culture are designed with a view to improving the daily life

of people. Research on the obstacles to the implementation of human

rights and the ways to overcome those impediments should feed into

the global movement for human rights. In this movement, every

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Translation II

government and every person has a role to play. It is only by working

together that we can protect our own rights and the rights of those

who need them the most.

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Text 5: Arabic-English

راقة الدماء في سوریاإبابا الفاتیكان یدعو الى وقف

السادس عشر في كلمتھ بمناسبة عید المیالد نداء دعا فیھ الى وقف إراقة وجھ البابا بندكتوس

.الدماء في سوریا

دعا أطراف من شرفة كاتدرائیة القدیس بطرس امام عشرات االف المصلینو دعا البابا

.الصراع إلى بدء الحوار

منھ ینجوالمنقسم بسبب نزاع لمفلینمو السالم من اجل الشعب السوري الجریح" : و قال

."حتى العزل ویحصد الضحایا االبریاء

."راقة الدماء وتسھیل االغاثة للنازحین والالجئینإجل وقف أوجھ نداء من أ"واضاف

یسلكوا بتصمیم طریق "وجھ البابا ایضا نداء سالم الى االسرائیلیین والفلسطینیین لكي و

."المفاوضات

كما عبر البابا عن قلقھ ازاء وضع مصر، ال

"

."واحترام حریة وكرامة كل شخص

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Translation II

Pope calls for 'end to bloodshed' in Syria

Pope Benedict XVI has called for 'end to bloodshed' in Syria during his

Christmas message. In front of thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square, he

called for all sides in the conflict to engage in dialogue.

"May peace spring up for the people of Syria, deeply wounded and

divided by a conflict that does not spare even the defenseless and

reaps innocent victims," he said.

"I appeal for an end to the bloodshed and easier access for the relief

of the displaced and the refugees," he added.

He also sent a call to peace to Israelis and Palestinians, urging them to

“embark resolutely on the path of negotiations.”

Also, the Pope expressed his concern regarding Egypt, the Arab

country that has the biggest Christian population –the Copts.

“May citizens work together to build societies founded on justice and

respect for the freedom and dignity of every person,” he said.

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Translation II

Text 6: English-Arabic

What Climatic Changes the Arab World would Witness?

After the cold war era, the whole world is now, as well as in the near

future, witnessing a new kind of threat, which both civilized life and

industrial outburst had contributed in.

This threat is attributed to industrial pollution and climatic changes

that stifled our planet under the threat of a supernatural phenomenon

such as “Global Warming.”

“Continental drift” is the reason behind these changes that took place

along millions of years. This drift does not only affect the shape of the

Earth, it also influences the climate. In addition to the continental

drift, there are other factors that also have influence on climate such

as tornadoes, sea-wind storms, and the human being.

؟شھدھا العالم العربيقد یأي تقلبات مناخیة

أضحى العالم یواجھ، حاضرا و مستقبال، خطرا جدیدا الحرب الباردةمرحلة\حقبةبعد

و ھو ناجم عن التلوث . ساھمت المدنیة الحدیثة و التطورات الصناعیة الھائلة في إیجاده

الصناعي و التغیرات المناخیة التي بدأت تضیق الخناق على الكرة األرضیة إلى درجة

.كـاالحتباس الحراري بیعیة غیر مألوفة، أضحى العالم یرزح فیھا تحت وطأة ظواھر ط

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Translation II

على االنزیاح القاري ھو السبب الرئیسي وراء ھذه التغییرات التي حدثت \و یعد االنجراف

.مالیین السنینمر

و السبب الرئیسي وراء ھذه التغییرات التي حدثت مع مرور مالیین السنین ھو االنزیاح

.القاري

.فحسب، بل في المناخ أیضاالذي ال یؤثر في شكل األرض

إضافة إلى االنزیاح القاري الذي یؤثر في المناخ، فإن ھناك عوامل أخرى تؤثر فیھ

.كاألعاصیر و الریاح البحریة و اإلنسان

TThhaannkk yyoouu vveerryymmuucchh