Investigating Iraqi Translation Students ' Mastery of Translating Cultural Terms, Arab Headdress Articles As a Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31185/wjfh.Vol20.Iss4.652Keywords:
culture- specific terms, associations , Arab headdress articlesAbstract
Culture specific terms are problematic in translation as they are normally laden with a host of cultural associations and contextual components rendering them challenging and difficult to translate. Hence, the current research attempts to identify and address this problem through a quantitative and a qualitative analysis of the research sample`s renderings of Arab headdress articles` terms (AHDATs) into English. The research sample consists of 25 4th grade translation students in translation department / Faculty of Arts / Wasit university. Each student is asked to translate sentences containing such terms in order to assess their renderings, diagnose the reasons of failure(if any) in grasping the intended meanings and in conveying the cultural associations involved.
The researcher designed a 10-item translation test and students are asked to translate them based on the knowledge and experience they have obtained. Later the translations are collected to be scrutinized and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively so as to identify the frequency of usage and the rate of occurrence of different renderings . This would assist in figuring out the types of problems faced and what remedies and solutions can be suggested for improving their performance. The present study attempts to figure out the erroneous translations and shortcomings in the rendering of Arab Headdress Articles terms (AHATs) into English and the sources and causes of difficulty faced by students in conveying the SL intended meaning along with their culture- specific associations. As such, it can be identified what applicable measures and practical steps should be taken to enhance translation students` ability to overcome the arising challenges and what recommendations can be made. It is concluded at the end that such challenges and shortcomings can be addressed through including sufficient material and theorization illustrating the techniques and strategies proposed by theorists in dealing with culture – specific terms as well as exposing students to texts containing this kind of terms.
Downloads
References
Abu-Lughod, L. (1993). Writing women's worlds: Bedouin stories. CA: University of California Press.
Ad-Damuni, N. (2007). Women and the Islamic Dress Code in Contemporary Indonesia: The Impact of the New Order Government and Islamic Resurgence (Master's thesis, University of California, Los Angeles, CA).
Ahmed, F. (2011). Exploring the meaning of the hijab for Muslim American women living in the United States. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 31(2), 240-249.
Ahmed, L. (2011). A quiet revolution: The veil's resurgence, from the Middle East to America. Connecticut : Yale University Press.
Ali, S., & Salih, M. (2021). Translating cultural-specific terms in Arabic literature: A case study of Naguib Mahfouz’s 'The Cairo Trilogy'. International Journal of Arabic-English Studies, 21(1), 55-72.
Al-Hassnawi, A. R. (2004). Aspects of translating culture-specific items in literary texts. Babel, 50(1), 13-27.
Al-Hilali, A. M. (2021). A functional analysis of the translation of advertising headlines in terms of translatorial action theory. Journal of Education College / Wasit University, 1(44), 525-542. https://doi.org/10.31185/eduj.Vol1.Iss44.2301
Al-Jādir, W. (1979). Al-ʼAziāʼ al-Shaʻbiyah fi al-Iraq (Popular dresses in Iraq). Baghdad: Dār al-Ḥurriyah.
Al-Qinai, J. (2011). Translating dialect in multimedia: Issues and strategies. Arab World English Journal, 2(1), 4-17.
Awad, H. (1986). Arab clothing from the dawn of Islam to modern times: A pictorial history. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press.
Baker, M. (1992). In other words: A coursebook on translation. London: Routledge.
Barlett, J. R. (1973). The first and second books of the Maccabees. Cambridge: CUP Archive.
Berry, J. W. (2005). Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29(6), 697-712.
Cakmak, C. (2015). Islam: A worldwide encyclopedia. California: ABC-CLIO.
Dozī, R. (1971). AL-Muʻjam al-Mufaṣṣal bi-ʼAsmāʼ al-Malābis ʻinda al- ʻArab (ʼAkram Fāḍil, Trans.). Baghdad: Wazārat al-ʼIʻlām al-Irāqiyah.
El Guindi, F. (1999). Veil: Modesty, privacy, and resistance. Oxford: Berg Publishers.
Gamal, M. Y. (2019). Arabic-English translation of culture-bound terms: An evaluation of strategies. Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies, 19, 101-118.
Giles, H. (1973). Accent mobility: A model and some data. Anthropological Linguistics, 15(2), 87-105.
Gudykunst, W. B., & Kim, Y. Y. (2003). Communicating with strangers: An approach to intercultural communication. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Hall, E. T. (1959). The silent language. New York: Doubleday.
Harun, A. (1988). Kitab al-Malabis. Cairo: Al-Khanachi Library.
Hatim, B., & Mason, I. (1997). The translator as communicator. London: Routledge.
Kiesler, S. B., & Kiesler, C. A. (1969). Convergence and divergence in small group interaction: A laboratory study of intercultural communication. American Sociological Review, 34(4), 535-547.
Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2022). Intercultural communication in contexts (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Matvsist, J. (2015). Symbolism in terrorism: Motivation, communication and behaviour. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
Mustafa, B. (2018). Challenges in translating culture-bound expressions from Arabic to English: A case study of Mahfouz’s 'The Harafish'. Translation Journal, 22(4), 1-12.
Nida, E. A., & Taber, C. R. (1969). The theory and practice of translation. Leiden: Brill.
Orbe, M. (1998). Constructing co-cultural theory: An explication of culture, power, and communication. California: SAGE Publications.
Pym, A. (2010). Exploring translation theories. London: Routledge.
Stillman, Y. (2003). Arab dress from the dawn of Islam to modern times: A short history. Leiden: Brill.
Ting-Toomey, S. (1999). Communicating across cultures. New York: Guilford Press.
Venuti, L. (1995). The translator's invisibility: A history of translation. London: Routledge.
Venuti, L. (1998). The scandals of translation: Towards an ethics of difference. London : Routledge.
Venuti, L. (2008). The translator's invisibility: A history of translation (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 م. م عاصم مهدي الهلالي، م. م دعاء حافظ حسين
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
