Equivalence between Source

Language (SL) and Target Language

(TL): A Culture-Specific Study of
Cities of Salt
Presented to:
Dr. Maria Farooq Maan
Presented by:
Rana Kashif Shakeel
(191838)
Introduction to the Topic

Cities of Salt (translated by an American translator Peter Theroux), the

translated version of Jordanian Arabic novel Mudun al-Milh.

• The Original Version is teemed with the expressions related to the

Material and Non-Material cultural.
• According to some of the critics, the translation is not justified in terms of
equivalence of expressions to communicate the culture-specific
expressions.
• Focus is to explore the problems and conflicts in translating the Arabic
Culture into English
Translation and the Issue of Equivalence:
1. Translation enables the smooth transmission of ideas across
national boundaries.
2. It also helps in bridging the gaps between the different cultures
and nations (Bahaa-eddin 2011).
3. Translation is a process of transferring ideas from one language
into another. (Khammyseh & Karak, 2015)
4. Good translator “has to bear in mind the fact that he should
exchange ideas and messages not merely words.”(Shunnaq, 2012).
5. Translation is an attempt to provide equivalence between the
source language (SL) and the target language (TL) texts (Panou
2013).
6. No possibility of identical equivalents.
7. Translators try to achieve to a sort of equivalence which can
achieve the utmost approximation or the closest possible
equivalent between the source language text (SLT) and the target
language text (TLT).
8. over-translation or under-translation
(Banikalef & Abu Naser, 2019)
Translation and the Issue of Equivalence:

The transltor is expected to maintain the stylistic

features of the ST.
It is to convey the message of SL into TL.
It is to communicate as maximum as possible the
message of ST
Translation is the process through which a text is
reproduced from a source language to a target
language by a translator who should be bilingual
and bicultural as well.
(Alidmat & Manjet, 2020)
Distortion of Message to be Conveyed

Culture Specific Expressions:

(
Translated Literally, meaning will be lost as:
"Nation’s troubles are benefits to other nations“ (Distorted)
An english proverb indicating the same image:
“One man's meat is another man's poison”.

Like father like son

(Banikalef & Abu Naser, 2019)

Distortion of Message to be Conveyed
Cultural differences…Unsuccessful transfer, if not impossible.
Intellectual, cultural and idiomatic expressions used in literary,
religious, social, and media texts constitute a main challenging
area in translation, particularly when the translator belongs to a
totally different culture from the writer’s. Still, there are
problems which must be examined, such as the challenges that
appear due to a lack of understanding of particular cultural
expressions between Arabic and English languages which occur
because of the cultural variations.
(Banikalef & Abu Naser, 2019)
Distortion of Message to be Conveyed
Cultural differences…Unsuccessful transfer, if not impossible.
Intellectual, cultural and idiomatic expressions used in literary,
religious, social, and media texts constitute a main challenging
area in translation, particularly when the translator belongs to a
totally different culture from the writer’s. Still, there are
problems which must be examined, such as the challenges that
appear due to a lack of understanding of particular cultural
expressions between Arabic and English languages which occur
because of the cultural variations.
(Banikalef & Abu Naser, 2019)
Theoretical Framework
Alidmat & Manjet (2020) have developed a theoretical
framework drawn from the ideas of a translation critic
Newmark’s book A textbook of Translation (1988).

The ideas are referred to as Cutuaral Domains i.e. :

1. Ecological Domain
2. Social Culture
3. Organizations, Customs, and religious Ideas
4. Gestures and Habits
EXAMPLARY ANALYSIS:
Ecological Domain
Language and the environment in which it operates

If you want to redden your eyes that not is everyone

afraid od red-eyes (Theroux, 1983, p. 88)

Literal meanings are taken but the connotative meanings are

ignored
Proposed Translation
If you want to be rough with people, not all people fear a rough
man
EXAMPLARY ANALYSIS:
Ecological Domain

The horse under that tree (Theroux, 1983, p. 57).

1. The process of deletion of the meaning of Dhama

2. The Arab tradition of naming their horses in relation to their
environment
3. Transliteration can be applied
Proposed Translation
Tie Dhama under that tree
EXAMPLARY ANALYSIS:
Social Culture—activities and rituals reated to human life

If we do not wreck his truck, we’ll let him see the blood
of one of those dogs (Theroux, 1983, p. 490).

1. Misleading a confusing… meaningless translation

2. Miscommunication of Bedouine Arab ritual
3. Foot note is required to explain
Proposed Translation
If he has not slaughtered an animal for his new car, we
will send him the blood of one of these dogs
EXAMPLARY ANALYSIS:
Organizations, Cultures and Religion

Beautiful and lasting residence

(Theroux, 1987, p. 292)

Trust in God (Theroux, 1987, 280)

1. Misleading
2. Not true to original
Proposed Translations
May God bless his home.
Calm down
EXAMPLARY ANALYSIS:
Gestures and Habits

You have been doing nothing but laughing like a hyena

(Theroux, 1987, p. 33)
1. Mistranslated
2. Actual meaning of the expression Ijyan

Proposed Translation
You have been doing nothing but chuckling like kids
Refernces
• References
• Alidmat, A. O., & Manjet, K. (2020). Conflict of culture in
translation: A case study of Abdelrehman Munif's novel xities
of salt: Al-teeh. Social Sciences and Humanities, 28(2).
• Banikalef, A., & Naser, J. A. (2019). The difficulties in translating
culture-specific expressions from Arabic into English. Journal of
Education and Practice. https://doi.org/10.7176/jep/10-9-09