Introduction to Translation

Contact Information
Dr. Ayman Yasin
ahajyasin@taibahu.edu.sa
 English Program
• In your Study Plan, you have the following
courses in Translation:
• Introduction to Translation. (compulsory)
• Applied Translation. (compulsory)
• Specialized Translation. (compulsory)
• Literary Translation (elective)
• Advanced Translation (elective)
What is Translation?
 Three Meanings of Translation
• My translation of this text will take one to two
weeks.
• This translation of the holy Quran is outdated
now.
• I will continue my higher studies in
Translation.
 Meanings of ‘Translation’
• Translation as a process:

Language Language 2
1
 Meanings of Translation
• Translation as a product (output)
 Meanings of Translation
Translation as a Field of Study:
Three Kinds of Translation
Source and Target Text
 ‫‪What do we Translate: Meaning‬‬
‫‪• water is the source of life.‬‬
‫ووتر إز ذا صورس أف اليف‪.‬‬ ‫‪.1‬‬
‫الماء يكون المصدر الحياة‪.‬‬ ‫‪.2‬‬
‫الماء مصدر الحياة‪.‬‬ ‫‪.3‬‬
‫الماء مكون من أكسجين وهيدروجين‪.‬‬ ‫‪.4‬‬
 Translation Skills
• Good knowledge of two languages
(source and target language).
 Translation Skills
• Good knowledge of writing skills.
Consider this example:
I read a book which talks about Muslims in
France.
.‫ قرأت كتابا الذي يتحدث عن المسلمون في فرنسة‬-1
.‫ قرأت كتابا يتحدث عن المسلمين في فرنسا‬-2
 Translation Skills
• Good knowledge of the source and target
culture.
)original text( .‫نسافر بعد األربعين‬
We will travel after the forties. (translation)
Skills of Good Translators
 Translators are Decision Makers

• In what sense translators are said to be

decision-makers?
 Translators are Decision Makers

• The decisions translator are supposed to take can

be divided into:
1. strategic decisions. These are decisions which
the translator makes before actually starting the
translation.
2. decisions of detail. These are, of course, arrived
at in the light of the strategic decisions, but they
concern the specific problems of grammar, lexis,
and so on, encountered in translation.
When your friend dies, something of you •
dies.
 Methods of Translation
When we translate we translate in a particular
way. This particular way is called a method of
translation.
Quiet please!
‫الصمت رجاء‬
‫هدوء‬
‫هدوء لو سمحتم‬
 ‫‪Methods of Translation‬‬
‫‪We are leaves on autumn trees.‬‬
‫‪ -1‬نحن نكون أوراق على خريف أشجار‪.‬‬
‫‪ -2‬نحن أوراق على أشجار خريفية‪.‬‬
‫‪ -3‬ما أضعف اإلنسان!‬
‫‪ -4‬تشبه حياتنا أوراق شجر الخريف‪.‬‬
 ‫‪She is single‬‬ ‫•‬
‫هي عزباء‬ ‫•‬
‫هي غير متزوجة‬ ‫•‬
‫هي تعيش بدون رجل (زوج)‬ ‫•‬
‫هي تكون عزباء‬ ‫•‬
‫هي عصفور حر‪.‬‬ ‫•‬
 Methods of Translation
There are at least fifth methods of translation:
1- Word for word translation.
2- literal translation.
3- free translation.
4- translation between literal and free
translation.
5- translation with summarizing
6- translation with exegesis (explanation)
 Translation Methods
• I am single.
• Word for word translation:
• Literal translation:
• Free translation:
 Methods of Translation
Compare the source text and its four translations in
Arabic and categorize them into word for word
translation, literal translation, free translation, between
literal and free translation:

Never, never, never give up!

.‫ ال تستسلم‬،‫ ال‬،‫ ال‬-1
.‫ قاوم‬-2
ً
.‫تستسلمن أبدا‬ ‫ ال‬-3
.‫ أبدا أبدأ أبدا تستسلم‬-4
 Specific methods of Translation
Translation with summarizing: the translator
gives only the main ideas:
Shakespeare is the greatest English writer ever.
His work, his tragedies as well as his comics, are
taught all over the world.

.‫ وهو معروف في كل العالم‬،‫شكسبير أعظم مسرحي إنجليزي‬

 Specific Methods of Translation
Translation with exegesis: sometimes used in the
translation of the holy books. The translator
translates the source texts by giving in-text
explanation of its words. See this example:
.)1 :‫الحمد هلل رب العالمين (الفاتحة‬
Thanks be to God, the Lord of all creatures (all
human beings, all Jinn and all things in the
world).
• God is the creator of the world. He is all-
knowing and all-powerful. He is self-necessary
being.
 Translation Problems
Homework for next class:
Can you think of some problems that translators
face in the process of translation in general?
 Problems of Translation
Problems of translation are many and various, but we can
refer to some of them here:

• Non-equivalence problem.
• Difficult features of the source text (rhythm,
rhyme, creative metaphors).
• Bad-written texts.
• Difficult text for translation (eg. philosophical
texts).
• Translating taboo words (explicit and/or
slang sexual expressions).
 Problems of Translation
• Non-equivalence problem: the translator
sometimes finds words or expressions in the
source text, which have no equivalent words
in the target language. Some examples from
Arabic are: ‫العدة‬, ‫ العقيقة‬and ‫الصالة اإلبراهيمية‬.
 Problems of Translation
• Difficult features of the source text (rhythm,
rhyme, some creative metaphors).
• Examples:
• Stop and shop!

‫الحيطان لها آذان‬

If I were in your shoes, I would drop the course.
 Problems of Translation
Translating highly difficult texts.
‫ موجودات جائزة بغيرها وموجودات‬:‫الموجودات أصناف‬
‫واجبة بنفسها‬
 ‫‪Problems of Translation‬‬
‫‪Bad-written texts.‬‬
‫سمر ومنى ستسافران إلى سويسرا قريبا‪ .‬ستلتقي بأهلها‬
‫واألخرى ستدرس في الجامعة‪.‬‬
‫‪I hit the woman with glasses.‬‬
 Problems of Translation
Translating taboo words (Sexual words).
 Solutions of the Problem of non-
equivalence in Translation

.‫الصالة اإلبراهيمية ركن من أركان الصالة‬

1- literal translation of the word: Abrahamic
Prayer.
2- Transliteration: Alsalat Alibrahemiyya is a
pillar …
3- inventing new word in the target language:
the Ibrahamica
4- an element of the Islamic prayer which is
performed at the end of the prayer …
 ‫‪Solutions of the Problem of non-‬‬
‫‪equivalence in Translation‬‬

‫‪France invented a flying-taxi.‬‬

‫اخترعت فرنسا سيارة أجرة طائرة‬
‫اخترعت فرنسا فالينج تاكسي‬
‫فرنسا اخترعت سيارة أجرة تستطيع الطيران في الجو‬
 Exam
• 20 marks
• Three questions:
• True-False question.
• Classifying translations into: literal, free, between literal free, trans. With
summarizing…etc.
• A short essay- question (10 lines).
Compare between literal and free translation.
There are different methods of trans.
Literal translation means…..
Free translation means….
so., the difference between them is….
Example of literal….