Sentences Translation

Linguistic Equivalence and Stylistic Integrity in Translation

The translation of English idiomatic collocations into Arabic frequently presents a challenge for practitioners, particularly when structural discordance obscures the intended meaning and syntactic elegance. The efficacy of such translations depends upon the translator's profound command of Arabic linguistic conventions and the stylistic traditions of its most eloquent practitioners; failing this, translators often resort to calques that result in unnatural and incoherent prose.

A common error in this regard is the literal translation of verbs, such as rendering "cast" as alqat (ألقَت) in the phrase "She cast him a look of thanks," resulting in the awkward phrasing "ألقَت إليه نظرة متشكر". Such approaches are viewed as an uncritical imitation of English syntactic structures, which deviates from the established Arabic preference for morphosemantic alignment—or "paronomastic derivation" (jinas al-ishtiqaq)—wherein a verb and its associated noun share a common root. A more idiomatic application of this principle is exemplified by the phrasing "نظرت إليه نظرة شاكر" (She looked at him the look of a thankful person), a construction deeply ingrained in the classical Arabic lexicon.

Contemporary trends in writing and discourse increasingly favor the mimicry of English syntactical patterns, leading to a regrettable neglect of indigenous Arabic stylistic resources. This text serves as a pedagogical intervention for translation scholars and practitioners, emphasizing the necessity of preserving linguistic heritage. By advocating for the revitalization of traditional verb-noun pairings, this approach seeks to safeguard the eloquence of the Arabic language and prevent the proliferation of linguistic foreignness, coarseness, and stylistic degradation in professional translation practice.

Sentences:

1 – The level of excellence cannot be reached by accident. 

لا يبلغ مبلغ الإجادة عرضا   

2-That was the last meal we had together.

كانت تلك آخر أكلة أكلناها معاً. 

3– He employed a good method in the production of his dictionary.

ذهب في تأليف معجمه مذهبا حسنا.   

4– She took a deep breath, opened the door and walked in.

 تنفست نفسا طويلا، ثم فتحت الباب ودخلت. 

5– Who suggested this idea to you?

من رأى لك هذا الرأي؟ 

6– He adopted a reserved attitude toward them in every word and every step. 

لبس لهم لباس تحفظ في كل كلمة و كل خطوة. (عبد الله بن المقفع)  

7– I didn’t find anything to say in that situation.

لم أجد مقالا أقوله في ذلك المقام.

8 – It may seem unusual for a president like him to adopt such an attitude in such a situation.

قد يستغرب وقوف رئيس مثله موقفا كهذا في مقام كهذا. 

9– You have a whole week in which to make up your mind.

 دونك أسبوع كامل ترى فيه رأيك.  

10-You wouldn’t have suffered that big loss if you had followed my instruction.

ما كنت لتخسر تلك الخسارة الكبيرة لو ائتمرت بأمري.  

11-It’s no lying at all to tell a lie that harms no one but helps someone else.

 ليس من الكذب في شيء أن تكذب الكذبة لا تضر أحدا وتنفع أحدا غيره.  –

12-Let matters run their course.

دع الأمور تجري مجراها. 

13– When we got to France he developed the disease of which he died. 

فلما صرنا إلى فرنسا اعتل العلة التي مات منها. (مرض المرض الذي مات منه / المرضة التي مات منها)

14 – I asked him some personal questions but he answered none.

 سألته مسائل عن نفسه فما أجاب عن واحدة منها. 

15– A Muslim is supposed to adopt the lifestyle of the prophet Mohammed, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 

المسلم حقيق أن يستن بسنة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم.

16 – There is a difference between forming an opinion and believing in it.

 فرق بين أن ترى الرأي و أن تعتقده. أحمد أمين ( أنظر كيف ساغ وحسن في العربية إغفال "هناك" أو "يوجد" اللتان تقومان في عرف المترجمين مقام

17 – Take it easy; you aren't the first person to have suffered such a setback. 

هون عليك؛ فلست أول من نكب هذه النكبة.  

18-I don't want to adopt a flexible attitude toward them.

 لا أريد أن أذهب فيهم مذهب اللين.

19 –He thought of his dead child with deep emotion.

 وجد على ابنه المثكول وجدا عظيما.

20– The account you gave is different from the one given by your friend. الرواية التي رويتها أنت غير الرواية التي رواها صاحبك. 

21 – Nobody objected to the proposal she put forward.

ما اعترض معترض على الاقتراح الذي اقترحته.  

22-They virtually nullified every step they ever took in search of peace.

 كادوا أن يبطلوا كل مسعى سعوه / خطوة خطوها التماسا للسلم.

23 – This is the first time you adopt a friendly attitude toward me. 

هذا أول موقف كريم تقفه مني.

24-The oil tank has developed a small crack. قد انصدع وعاء الوقود انصداعا صغيرا.

25 – This leads us to an unpleasant conclusion. هذا يخلص بنا إلى خلاصة لا تسر.

26 – I have no condition to set. ليس لي شرط أشترطه. 

27 – We took a step that fell short of realizing the objective.

خطونا خطوة قصرت عن نيل المرام.  

28-This is an apology I feel embarrassed at having to make.

 هذا اعتذار أنا أستحيي من أن أعتذره.

29 – The path to peace could take many directions.

 قد تتجه السبيل إلى السلم اتجاهات كثيرة.

30 – They drilled some holes in the wall to put up the shelves.

ثقبوا في الجدار ثقوبا لإقامة للرفوف.

Course History & Translation Credits: This course was originally studied during my Bachelor’s degree (2003/2004) at the University of Constantine, taught by Professor BELMOULAY. The theoretical part has been translated and reformulated by me