Translation One Dr. Mahmoud Altarabin

What is translation?

Theorists and linguists have not yet come to a consensus on the definition of translation.

(Simpson and Weiner 1989:410) The action or process of turning from one language into another; also, the product of this; a version in a different language. The expression or rendering of something in another medium or form, e.g. of a painting or etching.

Hornby (2010:1646) says that translate means: to express the meaning of speech or writing in a different language. to be changed from one language into another.

Again, translation means: the process of changing something that is written or spoken into another language. a text or work that has been changed from one language into another.

In Arabic ترجم tarjama (to translate) means “to explain speech into another language” (Ma’loof et al. 1908/1956: 60) and (Al Bustani 1998: 69), “transfer speech into another language” (Al-Basha 1992: 253).

Rida (1958:391) defines ترجم كلامه tarjama kalamahu (lit Rida (1958:391) defines ترجم كلامه tarjama kalamahu (lit. translated his speech) as “explained it”. الترجمان atturjuman (the translator) is “the person who transfers speech from one language into another” (ibid.).

However, the wordأول awwala (which is the past tense of يأول yu However, the wordأول awwala (which is the past tense of يأول yu?awwel ‘to interpret’) means “explain” (Ma’loof et al. 1908/1984: 121) and Rida (1958:224).

Nida and Taber (1974:12) “translating consists of reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style”.

“the replacement of textual material in one language (SL) by equivalent textual material in another language (TL)”.

Vermeer (1987:29) says “to translate means to produce a text in the target setting for a target purpose and a target addressee in the target circumstances.” Newmark (1988:5) considers translation as “rendering the meaning of a text into another language in the way that the author intended the text.”

Venuti (1995:17) defines translation as “a process by which the chain of signifiers that constitutes the source-language text is replaced by a chain of signifiers in the target language which the translator provides on the strength of an interpretation.”

Signifier meaning A symbol, sound, or image (as a word) that represents an underlying concept or meaning.

Hatim and Munday (2004:6) Define translation as “the process of transferring a written text from SL to TL, conducted by a translator, or translators, in a specific socio-cultural context.”

Toury (1995:56) says “translation is a kind of activity which inevitably involves at least two languages and two cultural traditions.”