Chapter 5:General-purpose Dictionaries II Bilingual Dictionaries (Arabic- English)

This chapter focuses on Arabic-English dictionaries and how to use them in translation. Arabic-English dictionaries provide the English equivalents of Arabic words. To use them effectively: 1-one has to be familiar with their structures and systems of arranging entries. 2-In terms of their macrostructure and microstructures, they are similar to the dictionary types. 3-However, in relation to entry arrangement, words may be arranged alphabetically or according to their roots. In the former type (e.g., Al-Mawrid) all the words are treated as separate entries even if they belong to one root. For example, the word اعترف is found under the letter أ, the word عرفان is under the letter ع, the word تعارف is under the letter, ت and the word معرفة is under the letter م, although the four words are derived from the same root: عرف. In the latter type (e.g, Hans Wehr), on the other hand, these words are treated as subentries under their stem root: ع ر ف. See the example 

Arabic-English dictionaries are bilingual dictionaries compiled primarily to help translators translating from Arabic into English, consulting an Arabic English dictionary may not be of great help. Why? Because: 1-The dictionary lists all the possible equivalents but without indicating the contexts in which each one can be used. 2-Students may not be able to recognize the slight differences between the different synonyms provided. The translator here is advised to take a second step, which is to consult an English-English dictionary, why? Because it explains the differences between the various synonyms. To give an example, let's look at a word like اعترف in Arabic. The dictionary gives the following words: to confess, acknowledge, avow, own, admit, allow; to concede, grant; to recognize; to make a confession. Does this mean that a translator can use any one of these words every time he comes across the word اعترف ? Or are there differences in meaning between these synonyms and each one of them is used in a certain context? To know that, let's look at Longman's dictionary which explains the differences between them

Based on the above dictionary entries, translate the following sentences: 1( واجهه الضابط المتهم بدليل واضح فاعترف / أقر بأنه سرق المال. 2( اعترف / أقر اللاعبون بأنهم لم يبذلوا مجهودا كبيرا في اللعبة. 3( أعترف لك بأن مهارته عالية اللعب، لكنه لا يحسن اتخاذ القرارات. 4( اعترف الكاتب بفضل أستاذه و مساعدته له في مقدمة كتابه. 5( أعترف بأني أحب ألعب بألعاب الأطفال. 6( اعترف الرجل بأنه يؤيد المتطرفين متجاهلا ردة فعل الجمهور. If the dictionary does not provide any account of the differences between a group of synonyms, one can depend on the definitions presented in their separate entries, examine the examples given. This can be very helpful.

Finally, we should pay attention to the question of collocations. Collocations pose problems for translators, why? because different languages have different linguistic conventions and different collacational patterns. If the translator fails to recognize these patterns, it would be very difficult for him to find appropriate equivalents in the target language