Abstract
The translation process seeks to transform text from one language to another while accurately conveying meaning, tone, and style. It takes up crucial communicative space by bridging the gap between different languages and facilitating understanding across diverse cultures and societies. An astute translator conveys the intended message by maintaining cultural nuances, idiomatic expressions, and context-specific references. Hence, tremendous efforts were made to bridge the vast space between languages and to seek an optimal solution to find a more appropriate equivalent for each denominator. Among these evaluative models, one can point out the functional equivalence model, which is a process in which the translator understands the concept of the source text and finds a way to express the same concept in the target text. The translator carries out this process in such a way that equivalents of the target text convey the same or similar meaning to the audience of the source text. Cultural concepts are considered among the most important inequalities in the translation process, and she presents eight techniques or strategies in the case of inequity. Using the descriptive-analytical approach, our research attempts to study the Persian Diwan’s translation of Abdul Qadir al-Jilani’s poems at the lexical level. The research shows that cultural concepts are among the most unequal in translation and cause many errors in the linguistic dimension, as the translator used the strategy of deletion and explanation in dealing with many of them.
Extended summary
The translation process seeks to transform text from one language to another while accurately conveying meaning, tone, and style. It takes a crucial communicative role by bridging the gap between different languages and facilitating understanding across diverse cultures and societies. Inequalities often pose obstacles to this process, as great efforts are made to find a more appropriate equivalent for each denominator. Mona Baker's functional equivalence model included five levels, and it is a process in which the translator understands the concept of the source text and finds an appropriate way to express the same concept in the target text. Equivalence is a process of substitution from the source language to the target language. But using different stylistic and compositional means. Mona Baker divides equivalence into five types: Word-level equivalence: This means that words are translated from one language into equivalent words in the target language while preserving the meaning of the word and homogeneity at the level of the two languages. And equivalence at the sentence level: Becker believes that the beginning of the translation process is the word, but it is within the process of weaving the sentence, meaning that the word’s meaning is formed within the sentence. Equivalence at the grammatical level: Grammar is the unique structure of each language, and grammatical equivalence refers to the diversity that exists between languages, which often poses an obstacle in front of the translator. Because grammatical rules often differ from one language to another. Parity at the textual level: It is the structural consistency that occurs when there is parity in the exchange of information between the original text and the target text. Pragmatic equivalence: Becker’s pragmatism has to do with the implicit meaning that the writer of the original text wants to convey to the reader.
This research attempts, using the descriptive analytical method and employing Mona Baker’s theory of equivalence, to study Manal Al-Yamani Abdul Aziz’s translation of the poems of Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani. We will present the selected models and samples according to each technique and element of Mona Baker’s theory first, then we will explain the case at hand and the techniques used by the translator, and show the extent to which it conforms to Baker’s theory and the extent of his success in conveying the word or term. The importance of the research lies in employing an important and modern theory in translation studies, which is Mona Baker’s theory of equivalence. Providing an effective model for translators who translate literary works, especially poetry. There is no doubt that this theory makes our judgment systematic and based on a solid methodology. It helps us conduct deeper and broader studies to avoid possible errors and provide appropriate equivalents.
The applied survey of the translation of Abdul Qadir al-Jilani’s poems shows us that the translator employed all the techniques suggested by Mona Baker in her translation, but the proportions were different for each technique. The borrowing technique was the most widely used technique, as translation took on the character of transfer or literalism in many cases. The technique of the general or specific word came in next place, as the translator was forced to employ it when confronting the different structure in the Arabic and Persian languages, and the distinct poetic style and context. Then came the technique of neutrality in translating vocabulary, indicating Abdel Aziz’s commitment to preserving the nuances and complexities of the source material. The cultural alternative technique occupied fourth place, as the translator paid little attention to it. This may stem from the difficulty of translating poetry and providing mostly a conceptual translation. Then came the explanation technique and the formulation of a relevant word, and the translator’s choices were successful and effective. Then we find the explanatory translation technique that favors the recipient, showing him the backgrounds or phrases deleted in the original text. Then we see the technique of deletion that arose from a misunderstanding of the word analysis and from avoiding repetition and redundancy. The explanatory translation technique and the explanatory translation technique came in the last two places by formulating an unrelated word, and it seems that the latter is difficult to apply, and takes great efforts and follow-up from the translator, as he must be familiar with the synonyms of the word and its relationships in the axis or context in which it is written Reply to it.
Main Subjects
The Sources and References:
A: Books
B: University Theses
C: Magazines
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