Techniques and Strategies of Translation (from Arabic to English)

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Introduction 

A technique is seen to be the strategic and systematic ways and methods of doing something for effective results. In the context of this course material, technique means any method by which meanings are transferred from a source language to a target language. The main motive behind perfecting the teaching strategies is to facilitate effective learning. General objectives must be formulated for the purpose of introducing the students to general translation practice. Then, the following specific objectives are derived from the general objectives:

1. Mastery of the language arts;

2. Recognizing of semantic, syntactic, and stylistic interferences between Arabic and English;

3. Acquisition of a working method; and

4. Ability to translate about 125 words per hour.

These fundamental steps are necessary if the problem of hasty code-switching has to be eliminated. Cornier (1991) explains further that in a classroom situation, students should engage in the following learning activities:

1. Reading exercise of the source text;

2. Detection of problem passages followed by discussions;

3. Discovery of passages that will require multiple-choice rephrasing in the target language; and

4. Detection which will require multiple-choice rephrasing in the target language.

The above steps will go a long way in facilitating the teaching of translation techniques in a classroom situation. Techniques of translation are grouped into two: direct translation and oblique or indirect translation, which include transposition, modulation, equivalence, and adoption. In this Unit, attention will be focused on the latter, where the expertise of the translator is called into play. Translation from Arabic to English is the point of reference in this Unit.

Steps and Strategies for Translation

The following are techniques and strategies of translation:

A. Equivalence

This implies searching the target language for the most appropriate and equivalent expression corresponding to the one in the source language. It is the technique most frequently applied in the translation of proverbs, idiomatic expressions, and figures of speech. Simpson (1985) explains that the translator has no choice but to search for a similar situation in the target language. It is therefore a cultural transplant. For example: !!ِﺃَ  LL ﺍ “al- waladu sirru abihi”. If we translate this literally, we may write: “the boy is the secret of his father”; this translation does not give the exact meaning of the source language. The real meaning is “like father like son.” Another example of equivalence is: l J!：َ土َﻭَ ﺩَةٌl l：َLَ adatun” adatunwaligairina “lana lΩَﺍ. If the expression is rendered literally, we may say: “we have a character and other people have characters.” This is not, however, the equivalent English proverb which is “one man’s meat is another man’s poison.” Another example is: sLَ ﻩ石ΔL ﺍ s3َ! $َ l and ﺭَﺓl店َﺍ$ِ ! s茁َ ُ+!店!石LLﺍ. The literal translations of these proverbs are: “the period will not remain on its condition” and “the wise is enough, the sign”; whereas, the equivalent meanings are: “a word is enough for the wise” and “no condition is permanent”. From the examples given, it appears that equivalence plays a significant role in the translation of idioms, proverbs, and figures of speech. It is the safest way of ensuring that the right message is transmitted from the source language to the target language.

B. Adaptation

Adaptation means the modification of the idea in the source language so as to find an acceptable one in the target language. Adaptation can be used where the translator does not find an appropriate equivalence.

C. Transposition

Simpson (1985) defined transposition as “the replacement of source language predicator (p) by target language subjects with the attendant grammatical and rank shift; e.g., compliment (c).” Vinay and Darbelnet (1977) gave the definition of transposition as a replacement of a part of speech by another, without altering the meaning. Therefore, transposition as a technique of translation means changing the syntactical structure of an expression so as to clarify the meaning. Example: ﻭﺭًﺍ ﻥَY ﻭﺭًﺍ l. If this line of poem is translated word for word, i.e., literally, it loses its meaning, and it presents grammatical blunder: “You are the one your mother gave birth to you crying and people in your area are laughing in happiness. And work for yourself to become when they cried the day of your death laughing happily.” The translation becomes clearer only by the application of transposition.

D. Modulation

Modulation is a variation of the message obtained in the process of changing point of view (Vinsy and Darbelnet, 1997). Simpson (1985) explains further that “emphasis is on lexical solution, attitudinal consideration and what the pioneers of French/English stylistics, from translation point, call change of point of view.” It is applied when literal translation fails to give an accurate meaning of the source language. Example: S：土َ ﻭَﻩُ ﺍَﻭْ$َﺩِ d ﻝِl rLَﻭَ ﺩَlL ﺍ ﺭﺍَﻯ l ： ﺭًﺍ召َ 店*S SLًﺍِ !占石L ﺍ ﺭَl占َ. Rendering it word for word in English, it becomes: “it flew the bird to its nest one time, at the moment it saw the hunter, it did not mind about its sons. It is singing.” The meaning of the source language is lost. Through the application of modulation, we now have: “as soon as it sighted the hunter, the bird flew to its nest and started singing. It did not even care about its children.”

Conclusion

Under the different techniques used in translation, some fundamental steps are to be taken, and these have been explained in our discussion above. As earlier discussed, the techniques are of two groups, i.e., direct and indirect. Each group has some other items under it which students are expected to observe.