literary-translation for University Students. pdf

literary translation for university students

1. Department of English
faculty of Languages
Sohag University






Prof. Bahaa M. Mazid

2. *The main task of an interpreter and procedure of
translation
A literary translation is truthfully a creative process. An
owner of this process should feel the words and should have
a skill of describing, interpreting them in the translation. If
we use it only with modern language, a literary translator
should have a “sensor” power.

3. The General Peculiarities of Literary Translation
• The translation is the reliable to Literature. It is an armor of
understanding the culture of world. The development of moral-
ethical of human life and a mean of contributor to the people’s
culture of the world.
• Interpreting the spirit of the work is the main task of literary
translation so a reader can read fluently and feel the spirit of the
original text as in his own native language in translation as well.
• Each literary translation should give an inspiration as to the
reader as it was in origin.

4. • There should not be omissions, transformations and addings in
literary translation. The deficiency made by the author also
should be translated and described in translation, so a reader can
read the author’s mistake, having read it can freely make his own
review.
• If a literary translator is inexperienced and not a hardworker, he
may let his fantasy and stays far from originality. Experienced and
hardworking translator makes his effort in keeping the originality
of the text. He does his best in revealing every things in detail. He
checks his translation meanings through encyclopedic books,
dictionaries and ither source of internet communications.

5. • Bad translator makes work “his” excellent translator makes work
authors. A literary translation is called as a result accepting the
ethical and moral level of the text and the individual peculiarities
of the original text are kept.
• A literary translation is a work that written in other language, that
kept at maximum the system of personage, semantic expressions
and language uniqueness.
• A literary translation is an approach of communication contact. It
is an international, cross culture-communicative and ethnic point
of view source.

6. Requirements of literary translation
Preserve the artistry in
translation
Retransfer literary work
1. Adequacy of tune (in poetic
translation)
1. Adequacy of images and
forms
2. Adequacy of author’s style 2. Compatibility of the
meaning and logic
3.Maintaining a pragmatic
effect

7. Effective means of translating literary works
- Translating literary works is a complicated task that is full of
challenges.
- It is necessary to properly research the work in question and
consider the eventual readers to achieve a good translation.
- To many translation companies, translating a literary work is so
arduous that they sometimes refuse the offer. However, it is not
that complicated if some guidelines are followed.

8. Here is a brief guide that helps you with your literature translation and
serves as a basis to design your own guidelines:
1. Acquaint yourself with the task
a. Translation of literature works starts much before the first words are
converted into another language. A proper translation procedure begins
with finding out all about the literary piece.
b. The author and his work: A research on the author’s life and work can help
you understand better what he wanted to convey with his literary pieces.
Besides, writers usually draw references from other pieces in their work.
One must recognize and take into account these points while translating.
c. The message: What does the author want to convey through a certain
literary work? To understand this deeply, it is important to study the
cultural, social, and historical contexts in which it was written, because the
message is often related in and around them.

9. 2. Back Translation Noise
a. Get familiar with the genre: You must take into account the
characteristics of the genre. For instance, if you are translating a
police novel, getting familiar with this genre’s usual topics, style,
and vocabulary is a good idea.
b. Do not forget the target: Who are the people you are translating for?
What are readers looking for while reading the literary piece? Think
about their expectations and meet those with your translation.

10. Translating literature to other languages
a. Once all the previous tasks are completed, you are ready to start your
translation. It is time to focus on your tool: The language
b. Adaptation: The main difficulty while translating literary works occurs
when you are transmitting ideas to other cultures. Some common doubts that
arise during the process are as follows: How much do the readers know about
what I am translating? Are these cultural references going to be understood by
them?
c. Usually, translators decide how accurate they want their translations to be.
Sometimes, names and expressions are preserved, whereas in other cases
everything is translated to facilitate reading comprehension. This usually
occurs while translating children’s literature.

11. Translating literature to other languages (continued)
d. Respect the style: Translators should follow the original work’s patterns.
Formal or informal, comical or serious, and dramatic or epic styles and genres
should be preserved in translation
e. Focus on the important fragments: Different parts of the literary piece can
cause you more or less trouble while translating. Do not worry if some
segments take more time than others, and keep focusing on those parts that
can be more interesting for the reader. A part of your job comprises
understanding how to get the most out of the translation.
f. There is no doubt that literature translation is complicated and requires
concentration; however, a good translation is an invitation to enjoy an
adventure through literature.

12. This part of the lecture is devoted to analyzing the translation of two literary
Arabic texts, namely two novels written by Naguib Mahfouz: AlSimman wa l-
Kharif (Autumn Quail) and Afrah Al-Qubbah (Wedding Song) to find out
how Arabic imperfect verbs (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) are translated into English. The
structures in which Arabic imperfect verbs occur are sorted into ten classes:
1- the bare imperfect form,
2- the construction ‘/sa-, sawfa/ + imperfect’,
3- a subjunctive particle + imperfect,
4- the construction ‘/lam/ + imperfect’,
5- the construction ‘/kaana/ + imperfect’,
6- the construction ‘/qad/ + imperfect’,
7- the construction ‘/maa zaala/ + imperfect’,
8- the construction ‘/li-/ + imperfect’,
9- a conditional particle + imperfect,
and 10- the construction ‘/la-/ + imperfect’.

13. Translation of the Bare Imperfect Form (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) from Arabic to
English
Example 1: The translations of the Arabic bare imperfect form are in
the English present simple; this is used when the imperfect form
expresses an action that happens regularly or habitually.
(1) a. (20 نﺎﻤﺴﻟا) ءاﻮﻬﻟا ﻊﻣ دﺎﺴﻔﻟا ﻖﺸﻨﺘﺴﻧ ﺎﻨﻧأ
b. We inhale corruption in the very air we breathe. (Autumn 24)
(2) a. (40 ﺔﺒﻘﻟا حاﺮﻓأ) مﻼﺣﻷا ﻦﻋ ﻒﻜﺗ ﻻ ةأﺮﻤﻟا
b. The woman never stops dreaming. (Wedding 21)

14. Translation of the Bare Imperfect Form (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) from Arabic to
English
Example 2: The Arabic bare imperfect form can also be used to refer
to all-time truths or scientific facts. In this case, it can be called the
“gnomic” or “generic” from, defined by Trask (1993, p.119) as
“denoting the aspectual form expressing a general or universal
truth.” It is also expressed in English by the present simple tense:
(1) a. (50 ﺔﺒﻘﻟا حاﺮﻓأ) ءﻲﺷ ﻞﻛ مﺪﻬﻳ نﻮﻴﻓﻷا
b. Opium ruins everything. (Wedding 27)
(2) a. ﻦﻴﺨﺴﺘﻟﺎﺑ ندﺎﻌﻤﻟا دﺪﻤﺘﺗ
b. Metals expand on heating.

15. Translation of the Bare Imperfect Form (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) from Arabic to
English
Example 3: The Arabic imperfect is translated to English present
progressive when the imperfect form denotes an activity that is
occurring at or around the moment of speaking:
(1) a. (34 ﻒﻳﺮﺨﻟا و نﺎﻤﺴﻟا) ﻚﻠﻤﻟا ىﺪﺤﺘﻳ ﺶﻴﺠﻟا
b. The Army’s defying the King. (Autumn 36)

16. Translation of the Bare Imperfect Form (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) from Arabic to
English
Example 4: Translating the Arabic bare imperfect form is occupied
by the English past simple tense when the imperfect form indicates
an action that happened in the past, i.e. before the moment of
speaking:
(1) a. (52 ﺔﺒﻘﻟا حاﺮﻓأ) ﺔﺒﻳﺮﻏ ةﺮﻈﻧ نﺎﺴﻜﻌﺗ هﺎﻨﻴﻋ
b. His eyes gave off a queer look. (Wedding 29)

17. Translation of the Bare Imperfect Form (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) from Arabic to
English
Example 5: The translation of the Arabic imperfect form is occupied
by the English -ing participle. This happens when the Arabic
imperfect verb refers to an action that is/was continuous at the time
of another action:
(1) a. (6 ﻒﻳﺮﺨﻟا و نﺎﻤﺴﻟا) ىﺮﺠﻟا ﻲﻓ ﺬﺧﺄﻳ ﻮﻫ و ﻒﺘﻬﻓ
b. The man yelled, moving on. (Autumn 12)

18. Translation of the Bare Imperfect Form (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) from Arabic to
English
Example 6: The translation of the Arabic bare imperfect form is filled
with the English past progressive when the imperfect form signifies
continuous actions in the past. So, the translator employs the past
progressive to render Arabic imperfect verbs, as in:
(1) a. (61 ﺔﺒﻘﻟا حاﺮﻓأ) ﻢﻳﺪﻘﻟا ﺖﻴﺒﻟا بﺎﺑ قﺮﻄﻳ عﻮﺠﻟا
b. Hunger was knocking at the old house’s door. (Wedding 32)

19. Translation of the Bare Imperfect Form (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) from Arabic to
English
Example 7: The Arabic bare imperfect form can be translated into
English by the future simple construction, which include ‘will’ or
‘shall’ and the base form of the verb. This happens when the
imperfect verb refers to a future action:
(1) a. (32 ﻒﻳﺮﺨﻟا و نﺎﻤﺴﻟا) ةﺮﺷﺎﺒﻣ ﻚﻟذ ﺪﻌﺑ ﺎﺑوروأ ﻰﻟإ ﺮﻓﺎﺴﻧ ﻢﺛ
b. And afterwards we’ll travel directly to Europe. (Autumn 35)

20. Translation of the Bare Imperfect Form (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) from Arabic to
English
Example 8: The Arabic bare imperfect is also translated into English
future simple when it occurs in the result clause of a conditional
sentence, as in:
(1) a. (21 ﻒﻳﺮﺨﻟا و نﺎﻤﺴﻟا) ﺔﻨﻴﻔﺴﻟا ذﺎﻘﻧﻹ عﻮﻄﺗ اذإ نﺎﻄﻴﺸﻟا ﺪﻳﺆﻧ
b. We’ll support the devil himself if he volunteers to save the ship.
(Autumn 25)

21. Translation of the Bare Imperfect Form (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) from Arabic to
English
Example 9: The English present conditional tense, that is
‘would/could/should + base verb’, is sometimes used to translate the
Arabic bare imperfect form; this translation is adopted when the
imperfect form expresses a hypothetical meaning:
(1) a. (45 ﺔﺒﻘﻟا حاﺮﻓأ ) ؟ﺔﻴﺤﺗ ﻞﺘﻘﻳ اذﺎﻤﻟ
b. Why would he kill Tahiya? (Wedding 23)

22. Translation of the Bare Imperfect Form (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) from Arabic to
English
Example 10: The Arabic imperfect form can sometimes be rendered
into English by the present perfect tense; this translation is employed
when the imperfect form refers to actions that began in the past and
continue up to the present moment or still have their effects in the
present:
(1) a. (18 ﺔﺒﻘﻟا حاﺮﻓأ) ﻚﺘﺤﺻ ﻞﻤﻬﺗ ﻚﻧإ
b. You’ve neglected your health. (Wedding 8)

23. Translation of the Bare Imperfect Form (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) from Arabic to
English
Example 11: It has to be stated here that since the verb in the
previous slide expresses an action that started in the past and
continues to the present, it can also be translated by the English
present perfect progressive:
(1) c. You have been neglecting your health. ﻚﺘﺤﺻ ﻞﻤﻬﺗ ﻚﻧإ
In a few instances, the English construction ‘be going to + base verb’
can be used in the translation of the Arabic imperfect form; this
occurs when the imperfect form signifies an action that is going to
happen in the near future:
(1) a. (7 ﻒﻳﺮﺨﻟا و نﺎﻤﺴﻟا) ؟ءﺎﻣ ﻼﺑ ﺮﺸﺒﻟا ﻦﻣ ﻦﻴﻳﻼﻣ ﺔﺛﻼﺛ ﻲﺴﻤﻳ ﻞﻫ
b. Are three million people going to spend the night without any shelter?
(Autumn 13)

24. Translation of the Bare Imperfect Form (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) from Arabic to
English
Example 12: A few examples of the bare imperfect form in Autumn
Quail are translated into English by the past perfect tense. This
translation is adopted when the imperfect shows the completion of an
action before another action or time in the past:
(1) a. (23 ﻒﻳﺮﺨﻟا و نﺎﻤﺴﻟا) ﻢﻳﺪﻗ ﻦﻣ ﺎﻬﺒﺤﺗ ﻲﻬﻓ
b. She had been fond of Isa’s mother for a long time. (Autumn 27)

25. Translation of the Bare Imperfect Form (عرﺎﻀﻤﻟا) from Arabic to
English
Example 13: The least frequent translation of the Arabic bare
imperfect form is the English present progressive conditional, i.e.
‘would/could/should + be + V + ing’. This is illustrated by one example
in Autumn Quail that expresses continuous future in the past:
(1) a. (10 ﻒﻳﺮﺨﻟا و نﺎﻤﺴﻟا) ﺦﻴﺸﻟا اﺬﻫ ﺮﻜﻔﻳ ﻒﻴﻛ ىﺮﺗ
b. I ... wondered what this old man would be thinking. (Autumn
16)