Formal Properties of Texts Managing intra-Linguistic Translation Loss

Translating is not merely replicating an ST in the TL Translating is not merely replicating an ST in the TL. It is a challenge of reducing translation loss when confronting general issues of cultural transfer. Many issues of cultural transfer arise not from extra-linguistic cultural sources, but from intra-linguistic sources, and specifically the demonstrable formal properties of the ST.

Text Formal Properties (TFP) actually present a threat of greater translation loss than the more obvious one posed by the general question of cultural transfer. In 5.2, we have seen TFP in the form of semantic repetition. Arabic tends to repeat words with similar meaning in close proximity for emphasis or semantic precision. SR frequently has no more than a marginally decorative purpose.

Pattern repetition, root repetition, and lexical item repetition are similarly sometimes used for only marginal decorative effect. These various formal features result in a general cultural tendency, in some kinds of texts at least, for Arabic to be more wordy than English.

The translator is concerned with the fact that meanings and effects activated by text must originate from features objectively present in the text. The translator must consider the text as a linguistic object. Assessing FPT, based on fundamental notions of linguistics, we can systematically discuss ordered series of discrete levels of text complementary formal properties.

In text formal properties analysis, we tend to distinguish between these FP. However, they do not actually function separately from one another: Textual features on a given level always have their effect in terms of features on all other levels. An excellent translation strategy is to decide in broad terms which category or categories of textual variables are indispensable in a given ST, and which can be ignored.