Difficulties of Deciding on verbal consistency and contextual consistency in Arabic-English translation
Abstract
Abstract
The main objective of the current study is to expand the translator's knowledge of the role of context in translation, especially the power of words in having a new meaning derived from the context. The study aims also at building up a connection between the direct meaning of the word and its intended meaning. The study does not try to make the translator stick to the meaning of individual words, but rather to free him from the limits of the literal meanings of the words which might better satisfy the needs and expectations of the target readers. This, however, can be accomplished either by using verbal consistency or contextual consistency, to use Nida's (1974) terms. The study concludes that full awareness of the semantic and pragmatic aspects of both languages involved as well as the encyclopedic knowledge of word meaning and its context improves the translator's ability to adopt and develop the best strategies to select the most adequate equivalence.
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