Challenges in translating Arabic collocations into English

¶ … translating of Collocations in sentences from Arabic into English vice versa

What are Collocations?

Complexity in Translating sentences

The Social Issues

Religious Cultures

The Cultural of Material

Translation, Culture and Language

Problems Translating Collocations

The Strategy of Borrowing

Literal translation Strategy

Substitution Strategy

Lexical Creation Strategy

The Strategy of Omission

The Addition Strategy

Translation is considered to be some kind type of activity, which "unavoidably has something to do with at least two cultural traditions and two languages" (Munday, 2006). Nevertheless, the key argument of scholars who interrogated the likelihood of translation (Newmark, 1987)has been when it comes to the collocations that language and culture are essentially connected and thus cultural diversity makes translation much more impossible. " Given that no two languages are looked at as being identical either in meanings provided or in sentences and phrases, then there can be no absolute correspondence between languages" (Munday, 2006). Moreover, January (2006) has added that variations between languages in terms of the linguistic forms and cultural patterns may vary in scope depending on the cultural and linguistic gap between the two languages concerned such as Arabic and English

What are Collocations?

Collocations are what show a key part of the lexicon of language that is natural. This expression of language sometimes are seen as very interesting and also a vital marvel in language, whose importance is maybe farther-reaching than formerly thought. New studies on translation have established that collocations are very significant lexical components of texts and therefore in translation.

Most people rather they know it or not are using collocations on a daily basis spontaneously in their writing or speeches, either from reading, experience, dictionaries, or heeding to native speakers, lectures, or conversations; indeed, collocations are a particularly hard area for language Arabic learners and, naturally, of course for translators (Newmark, 1987). Collocation takes place when two or more words come together, creating a lexical unit for example to have a lunch, or extremely happy.

Also, collocations normally play a significant role when it comes to language: they are recognized as being the mechanism that gives textuality or cohesion to the text. Furthermore, collocations are a vital organizing standard in the terminology of any kind of language. The significance of collocations in the language is established (Newmark, 1987): "Collocations are recognized as being important mixture of words that provide the language with natural sounding writing and speech."

Collocations also have a lot of key functions in language, as stated by Newmark (1987); one purpose is that collocations aid people in writing and talk about any topic and talk efficiently, which means that by going through the process of having a creative collocation (to recognize which adjectives are being used with which nouns and the other way around), a person is able to develops their understanding of linguistic rules in addition to improving one's linguistic skills and ability.

Another purpose, which is the most significant one, is that "language that is considered to be very rich and not mention easy to speak." (Newmark, 1987). This is just saying that collocations make the text have a meaning that is more precise.

There are a lot of experts that are providing different definitions, when it comes to collocations. Munday, (2006) describes collocation as "the procedure in which words are discovered together in a way that is convenient." He maintains that collocations exist together usually and naturally. For Newmark (1987), a collocation does not just made up of two words; rather, it can gather beyond two words or it can, additionally, have choices that are restricted. The verb walk, as said by January (2006), can collocate with a bunch of other words; nonetheless it enters the limited range when "symbolizing being definite" or "winning the fight."

Complexity in Translating sentences

Many are unaware that culture plays a very key role in the course of collocations. Only by having a foundation that is solid of the culture of the target language, the translator is able to catch the understood meaning. It, as a result, entails improving cross-cultural consciousness and needs open -- minded accepting of the culture of the second language from diverse characteristics. Cultural roots, on the other hand, play a major part in the translation procedure. Words which already have different connotations in one language do not necessarily have the same emotive connections in another. Various languages at times are able to reflect various connotations and associations of feeling for the reason that the differences in cultural roots. With that being said, the Islamic faith has affected the Arabic linguistic and not to mention their culture. The difference among the TL and the SL, in addition to the difference in their cultures make the development of translating a real challenge.

As talked about earlier, issues of translation consist of not just the stylistic and linguistic features but likewise the social and cultural differences between target-language and the source-language. Among the difficult factors involved in translation is the religion, social background and others. Therefore, the greater the gap between the target-language and the source-language, the more problematic the transfer of message from the English to Arabic will be or vice versa. In the light of the above truths it is supposed that the capable translator must have a good knowledge in regards to the religious ideas for instance Christianity, Islamic, and many others. Furthermore; the wide-ranging differences among the Arabic social culture and the English social culture have a dominant influence on the expressions used in both languages. By method of design, consider the following issues:

The Social Issues

The social factors of the English and Arabic cultures have their influence on the Arabic and English. They have an obvious impact on their outlook of social experiences that involve all aspect of life: feelings, emotions, customs, morals, beliefs, relational associations and family life, marriage, friendship, and economics, etc.

To get a better understanding this key fact of translating exactly, think through the following Arabic examples

Arabic Expression

English accurate Meaning

English Equivalent Connotation

Your hand is in water that is cold

Have no worries / Be certain

This set phrase is initiated to an individual who appears to be very concerned about handling a problem that is important. On the other hand, it designates that the problem will be solved and the speaker will find a way to take care of it. Also, this expression reflects Arabs' viewpoint of water as they see hot water is branded by "being worried," while cold water is categorized by something that is considered to be cool.

Talkers of English will not comprehend the fluent meaning, if any of the succeeding Arabic figure of speech is interpreted into English:

Arabic Expression

English literal Connotation

English Equal Connotation

-His back is braced.

-Removed from a tree.

-He is being backed up.

-He does not have any relatives.

The first above phrase demonstrates that, Arabs favor big family with numerous brothers and sons since they believe that it provides social status and a lot of influences in their community. As a result; the Arab has a good feeling about being a member of a big family. Although the second, is utilized in a conflicting situation where all the family associates of someone are dead. As a result, the individual needs help and sympathy from others around him particularly when his family has no longer been a source of assistance and help.

Figure of speech are usually impossible to be translated the right way in order for the reason that their connotations are not built up from the significances of their parts. In its place, they have a meaning that is unique which has nothing to do with the parts mean. Therefore, when it is mentioned: "? ." Meaning his back is being upheld; it is really not saying much of anything in regards to his supporting or back. But when it is mentioning that someone is detached from a tree, it is not mentioning to anything in regards to be cutting off or a tree. Some more social expressions that are abnormal to Arab social culture are stated below:

Arabic Expression

English accurate Meaning

Arabic & English Equivalent Importance

If the judge is happy!

Stay away please. Utilized to move aside an intruder, or when you don't want to delay or to even get involved.

Circlet of Garland

Sign of splendor. The Garland (plant) crown used in Medieval time to rejoice a champion after coming from a war that was victorious?

The star has been born

When a person no longer has a good standing?

Shapes and colors.

A lot of kinds.

Have a merciful heart to people honorable person who

Please, give me help I am not begging?

Culture is normally looked at as being all of human assumptions attitudes, values and beliefs, so, it appears that human cultures are basically all alike when it come to providing answers to the universal difficulties of human existence, however the answers are all not the same, and each culture is therefore looked at as being unique.

Inspect the instances below which imitate part of English social figure of speech:

English Expression

Arabic literal Connotation

Arabic Equal Significance

To have bank broke

This expression is utilized in a situation where a gambler is basically winning so much money that the banker gets rid of the play. Nevertheless; gambling is not forbidden in English-speaking world. The opposite occurs in Arab world where the Islamic culture and religion prevail.

English Articulation

Arabic verbatim Meaning

Arabic Equal Connotation

Window for golf.

This figure of speech is used to define a wife whose husband some of the time just leaves her by herself and then decides to just play golf somewhere. Playing golf is extremely typical and prevalent in the Western world.

Religious Cultures

Arab world is basically controlled by religion and Islamic culture, whereas English speaking world is dominated by religion and Christian culture. However, this difference in culture has its effect on almost every kind of language. Therefore, figure of speech used in English and Arabic will be affected as stated by the principles of religion and culture in these two languages. Therefore, religious expressions are used to express feelings and moral tradition that mark the socio-religious system of the English and Arabic culture.

Religious expressions are typically difficult to translate. January (2006) makes the point that, "expressions which are dealing with the religious parts of a culture are most of the time the hardest, both in examination of the source vocabulary and in discovering the best receptor language likeness. The motive in that these words are impalpable and numerous of the practices are so instinctive that the speakers of the language are not as aware of the numerous features of meaning involved."

As a result, the translator will come across much difficulty in translating expressions and terms which are not practiced or used in the TL (target language). Furthermore, there are some collocations that are peculiar to Arabic and English religious cultures.

The first collocations is used in a situation where someone comes to visit someone else all through the day during the time of the Holy fasting month (Ramadan). Typically utilized to make an apology to the guest for not proposing him something to eat or drink. During the course of this month, all adult Muslims must be the ones that will fast every day from the dawn all the way to the sunset.

While, the second phrase is used in a setting where a child has unintentionally tumbled on the ground, become scared of something, or cried due to the pain, etc. It is likewise utilized by the mother of the child or any of his relatives, especially when a healthy nice child is looked at by others for the reason of their belief in God's power and name as a source of security (January, 2006) made the point that "The name of God is the name that controls the Arab's social dealings, even the ones that are most common. Not just in public but likewise in his privacy the Arab without stop appeals the name of God to rule over his actions."

Problems Translating Collocations

When translating to Arabic to English or vice versa, collocations can be hard. Research shows that the collocation can be formed just by juxtaposing two words or more in a given language, for instance in English we can throw two word together such as the words 'rule' and 'bend' to form a collocation, for instance 'to bend the rules'. On the other hand, in seeking for an equivalent collocation in India, a person would probably need to pick a different verb to in order to collocate with the word 'rule'.

Further investigations display that other restrictions likewise apply in the English collocation, for instance people are not able to use the word 'bend' in its negative way in this context as in '*the rules are considered to be unbendable'. Somewhat, for instance, the collocation 'the rules are not that flexible' is still adequate in English. Furthermore, the kind of words that can figure a collocation changes from language to language, as can be witnessed with the following table below.

Unblemished, Spotless, perfect, Spotless, and impeccable presentation quarrel

-complexion

-behavior

kitchen

-top score standing

-taste

order

7

authorizations

Notes:

+ specifies acceptable collocation;

- specifies unacceptable collocation;

Specifies that the collocation is uncertain but perhaps acceptable in certain dialects.

In this fashion, translators working with English or English learners will be able to see words that are in collocation. Also, literal translation from one's main language tongue would result in improper collation, for instance, '*flawless kitchen'.

English translators and learners likewise would need to be able to keep in mind that there are two types of collocations: unmarked and marked. For instance, 'War is breaking out' is a satisfactory collocation in English: war (an undesirable or negative situation) collocates with 'breaks out', as a result establishing an 'unmarked' collocation. Nevertheless, a text creator can use 'breaks out' to create a marked collocation by collocating it with 'harmony' (harmony has an 'optimistic' connotation associated to the word 'war' in the previous text). However, the text below gives out a really good example of how the marked collocation is used:

Research shows that for unmarked and general collocation, translators may find it relatively easy to translate it into Arabic, but at the same time it would be hard to put together a collocation that is as marked as it is in English for 'peace breaks out' in Arabic. However, there maybe a shift from what is looked at as being 'marked' to 'unmarked' in the Arabic version.

Learners and Translators of English should likewise be aware of the fact that some collocations perhaps register exact, for instance while 'error' and 'tolerable' would usually not go together, they can be an acceptable collocation when it comes to numbers.

Just as issues can take place in the translation of English collocations into Arabic and vice versa, the same problems may take place when we deal with other things such as the idioms.

Strategies for Collocations

Newmark (1987) makes the point, "Translation is a type of activity which inevitably consist of at least two languages and two types of cultural traditions. Also, Munday (2006) describes translation as the effective replacement of language and cultural dissimilarities of the foreign text with a text that will be understandable to the language reader that is being targeted. On the other hand, as these statements make the suggestion, translators are the ones that are forever challenged with the matter of how to treat the cultural features assumed in source-language (ST) and of discovering the most suitable techniques of positively carrying these facets in the target-language (TL). The difficulty could very well vary when it comes to the accordance with the linguistic and cultural gap among two (or more) languages talked about (Munday, 2006). Also, the cultural strategies for overpowering cultural barricades may take numerous forms reaching from lexical context and syntax to principles and ways of life in an assumed culture. However, the translator has to be the one that makes the decision on the importance of particular cultural points and to what extent it is desirable or necessary to reduce them into TL.

The research shows that translators are the ones have to seek always in order to bridge up such likely gaps and as a result guarantee a smooth translation. If the translator is confronted with changes in the extra linguistic authenticity of its lexical mapping or the two cultures, he tries to settle them by depending on the following strategies: definition, literal translation, borrowing, substitution, omission and addition and lexical creation. Each of which will be clarified as follows:

The Strategy of Borrowing

This strategy has something to do with taking over some of the linguistic types by one language or idiom from another; this kind of borrowing is typically known as

'Loan word ' (Newmark, 1987). For example the term '? ' has come into Arabic from English.

When it comes to its effectiveness, as a medium for the transmission of cultural material, the borrowed expression is neither better nor worse than the native -- language communication, the outcome dependent on the user's understanding with the extra linguistic realism (Munday, 2006). For example, the borrowed word ' ' with some suitable reason will notify much about this part of English culture.

Most of the time, the translator uses this strategy simply if there is adequate need for it in the text being translated or in the target culture normally -- to make sure its more than once utilization. To simplify its achievement, receivers of translation must be given a chance through repetitions to its cultural substance (ibid).

A different reason to enable this strategy is that the form of the SL expressions must be certainly integrated into the TL language morphologically and phonologically. As a result, the borrowing of complex expressions is harder than the borrowing of simple expressions. In the same way, borrowing is easier from a language from which a lot of borrowing has by now been done than from one which borrowing is uncommon. With that said, it is much easier for Arabic to borrow from English than any of the other languages. Furthermore, the quantity of borrowing should be enough for the need of the event, nonetheless not many of them together, since this will hinder communication. For instance:

The Arabic spiritual term 'Sunna' is saying that the Moslems who are following Mohammed (peace been upon him) customs. This comes from the example above, every one of the languages have the capacity to show every kind of range of experience of the usual communities of which they are from; and resources of certain languages are able to expand to cater for new experience via borrowing (Munday, 2006).

Strategy of Definition

Describing the elements of culture that are to be transmitted is a technique that depend on what numbers of the target culture know in an effort to make them aware of what they do not recognize.

Defining means decreasing the unidentified to the identified and the unshared to the shared. This means that a culture may not have a common low, nevertheless it will definitely grasp it through a definition using ideas that it does own (January, 2006). It is of fairly position to convey accurately the essential cultural evidence, but it is important to realize, first, that there is not any kind of definition that will be able to provide every kind of information and, second, with the purpose of attain the goal of overcoming the cultural gap- the translator's definition will need to be systematized so as to emphasis on the information appropriate for the action of communication at hand.

Definition is an opposite procedure instead of on its own. It can be shared with borrowing technique: the definition basically being provided, in the body of the text or as footnote, when the borrowed term is first talked about. Definition is likewise communicatively too weighty, thus having a result in too much over translating. To be more particular, this strategy means to create a new phrase or word or sentence for something that does not occur in the TL. In order to achieve an effective conveyance, a translator will need to do something such as add an explanation to the definition. For instance, Muslims have the religious term. Let's say:

Red Cross: A society which is related with relief of the misery caused by war or ruins.

Literal translation Strategy

The Literal translation as the strategy of satisfying lexical gaps and the cultural in translation and, collectively with borrowing, is the most used method when it comes to the cultural transference and extent of effect from one culture to another (Munday, 2006).

Newmark (1987) makes the point that literal translation extension from one word to another word, via group to group, clause to clause, collocation to collocation, and sentence to sentence.

Research does show that the best entrants for literal translation are these expressions which, while referring to the potentially shared extra linguistic reality, are because of the differences in the lexical mapping of that reality and are linguistically articulated in the SL in a way that is merely duplicated in the TL. On the other hand, the circumstances for literal translation are not always so favorable. When the extra linguistic realities of the two cultures are not the same at a particular point, the literal translation of an expression will not in itself be adequately obvious when it comes to filling the gap (Newmark, 1987).

Literal translation is looked at as being a strategy that is faithful to the SL expression. Therefore, various degrees of unaffectedness or unidiomaticity ensuing from literal translation depends on the open purpose of the cultural element in question along with language interference.

The English figure of speech' To adopt the idea ' is converted into Arabic as:

It is comfortable to recognize by presenters of the target-language.

A lot of English figure of speech have been transferred to Arabic accordingly of literal translation which led to collocationally abnormal Arabic set phrases such as:

To be able to do something like kill the time

In Arabic does not collocate by means of ?; it should somewhat be solidified as

Another point that needs to be talked about in connection with the cultural gaps or literal filling is that culture will need to be understood from the inside on their own positions and not just from the outside when it comes to the cultural terms of a person that is a foreign observer (January, 2006).

Substitution Strategy

This strategy has a lot to do with swapping a cultural-specific item or expression with a TL item which does not have the same propositional significance but is to be expected to have a comparable influence on the target reader (Newmark, 1987). He goes on to uphold that substitution is available to the translator in circumstances in which the two cultures show a particular overlay instead of a clear -- cut presence, which would absence of a certain element of culture (Munday, 2006). January (2006) makes the point that substitution gives the reader a certain kind of concept with which he/she can recognize something familiar and attractive. The translator is then drawn to abuse that similarity and use the conforming TL expression as a full equal- the ease with which he makes the choice depends on the cultural familiarity of the two rudiments.

Newmark (1987) gives out a pair of ideas that are of great significance: documentary translation and contributory translation. Also, whether a translation needs to be looked at as being instrumental or documentary when historical and cultural elements are involved is as a result the translator's choice. If the translator puts a highpoint on the transmission of the unique flavor for reader's position, documentary translation is favored; he/she mainly has the intention to express the information for basic communication, instrumental translation is then sufficient. What is more if the purpose of a translation is to attain a particular function for the target addressee, anything that extracts the achievement of this reason is a translator miscarriage (Munday, 2006).

Example: Love my dog Love me?

Most of the time, it is the translator's decision to use this strategy. Usually it will mostly rest on (a) how much license is provided to her/him by those who warrant the translator and (b) the resolve of the translator (Munday, 2006). On a more broad level, research shows that the decision will similarly reflect to some extent, the customs of translation by being established in a given community (January, 2006).

Lexical Creation Strategy

This strategy purpose is to invent a new phrase or word for something which does not show up in the TL. Studies shows that a newly coined word is recognized in the language. Furthermore, a word as a result has sprung up reasonably in reply to the communicative needs of the linguistic community of members of the natural culture (January, 2006).

Newmark (1987) transcribes some English terms such as ' dark ' 'quaint', ' awkward', etc. which could look like to show a lexical gap in the target-language. Also, these words tend to be etymologically unclear or as a minimum untranslated to any conforming words in other languages.

There are numerous source-language words that can successfully be analyzed componentially in connection to their target-language cognates, nevertheless this occurs only in context (January, 2006). For instance, the word 'procedure' can be marked as contextually.

However, in other cases, the source-language words are the ones that share a normal component with a non-cognate target-language expression, at the same time as the sense of the target-language's cognate word may offer a source-language distinctive element.

e.g. ' current day' (topical or actual)

The motive behind the translator's reluctance to produce lexical word in the target-language is that he cannot be sure whether his influence to the native speaker is suitable or not. Research shows that the most recurrent form of lexical creativity includes new collocations -- one or other element in translation rest on the significance of the word in the text. The involvements of words are frequently semi-definitionally or descriptively to new components of culture:

Hallal (Slaying of the Islamic Way)

Research makes the point that lexical creation is basically the attempt by the translator when the communication situation rules out a literal translation or definition, when the borrowing is discovered plus the literal translation (Newmark, 1987).

The Strategy of Omission

This strategy omission is very important not just to the cultural situation of a text nevertheless to the nature of the communication circumstances in which some elements perform. As a translator this kind of strategy for Arabic and English translation may cost him more communicatively than it could add to the correctness of the translation. The aim for this general absence of worry for 'faithfulness' to the ST, Newmark, (1987) concluded, was not that the translators were different to the textual relations inside the ST, however that their main objective was to attain satisfactory translations in the Target culture.

For instance he might could be able to translate the Arab word ' ' into English as ' partake in a pleasant meal' or he could just leave it out all together as English, and not wish each other to have a good appetite. Basically, the translator choices were as a result a natural consequence of a preference for the translators' objective; the changes were expressed by the cultural circumstances of the accepting system at the time.

The research makes the point that when it comes to strategy, the translator is justified in trimming or eliminating redundancy when the written informational texts are poor, in particular with nonsense, provided it is not used for a good reason (Munday, 2006).

Actually it does no harm to take out a translating word or expression in some of the contexts. If the meaning talked about by a certain item or expression is not strong enough to the expansion of the text to validate distracting the reader with lengthily reasons, translators can just simply omit translating the expression or word in question (Munday, 2006) .

This following joke in English is something that can be looked at as being a good example of omission strategy:

Did anyone hear about the little moron that took a king to his bed, in order to find out how long he was able to sleep? If they translated this joke as the following?

If this should occur, the translator has walked into the trap of the following SL stylistic difference in that he opens the Arabic one liner with the English verbal question. In other words, they were able to translate the English joke beginning part ' Did anyone hear about & #8230; ' straight into Arabic .So, the following is suggested:

However, this expression has a typical ring to Arabs ears ever since an Arab typically reads or hears of certain words:

Furthermore, it is safe to believe that one of the factors that uphold the same value of a translated joke, is that it should sound like any kind of Arabic joke and then make sense at the same time.

The Addition Strategy

This addition strategy involves totaling some cultural information in case of there is any cultural confusion in the unique text. The adding of the cultural information is made to make obvious what may be understood in the text. For instance with the following:

The Seer (peace be upon him) says the following:

In the treasure -- trove (or crystals) one -- fifth (shall be reserved by the state).

Conclusion

The conclusion possibly to be drawn from this study is that one of the difficult issues of strategies in translating of collocations in sentences from Arabic into English vice versa is that the bigger the gap between the source-language and the target-language, the more difficult the transfer of a message from Arabic to English and vice versa. This is why the strategies are so important. The difference between the source-language and the target-language, and the variation in their cultures makes the procedure of translating a real challenge it seems. Among the problematic issues that are involved in translation are the social along with the religious cultures. This study reveals that using translator's knowledge of strategy a particular culture can support in numerous cases to identify the meaning of the collocation, mainly the one that has non-literal meaning for the reason that that idiom demands more than any other feature of language that the translator is not merely precise but extremely sensitive to the verbal suggestions of the language.

Some strategies for instance using a parallel collocation in the target-language, using meaning that is similar meaning but dissimilar form, discussed depending on the context in which a collocation is to be translated. These strategies, on the other hand, may propose some solutions and guidelines to a translator in such strategies in translating of collocations in sentences from Arabic into English and vice versa.