A to Z of Arabic - English - Arabic Translation

Ronak Husni, Daniel L. Newman

• Publisher: Saqi Books
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9780863567568
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Teaching Language Arts
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

The A to Z highlights common pitfalls faced by translators working on both Arabic-English and English-Arabic texts. Each translation problem is carefully contextualized and illustrated with examples drawn from contemporary literature and the media. Using a comparative analysis approach, the authors discuss grammatical, lexical and semantic translation issues, and offer guidance regarding correct and idiomatic usage. A much-needed addition to the field for university-level students of translation and professional translators alike, the A to Z has been designed with a view to •developing and honing skills in translating between Arabic and English •enhancing idiomatic expression in both languages; •raising awareness of problems specific to Arabic-English and English-Arabic translation; •increasing competency by providing appropriate strategies for effective translation. Alphabetic arrangement of the entries ensures ease of use as both a manual and a reference work. As such, the A to Z is eminently suited for both independent and classroom use..

Abbreviations/acronyms

In English, it is common to abbreviate words. One generally makes a distinction between abbreviations and acronyms in that the latter can be read as words. Consider the difference between ‘ETA’ (expected time of arrival) and ‘NATO’ (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). In the former, each letter is pronounced separately (/i: -ti: -ei/), whereas the latter is read as /neitou/. Whilst acronyms are generally capitalized, abbreviations tend to be in lower case, except if they involve proper nouns or technical terms. e.g. ‘FAO’ (Food and Agricultural Organization’), ‘DNA’ (deoxyribonucleic acid).

In some cases, acronyms become so ‘naturalized’ in the language that their acronymic origins have been forgotten and, consequently, they appear in lowercase. e.g. ‘laser’ (< ‘LASER’, Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation), ‘radar’ (< ‘RADAR’, Radio Detection And Ranging).

Acronyms are often added with suffixes. e.g. yuppie (‘young upwardly mobile professional’), dinky (‘double income with no kids [yet]’).

A particular type of abbreviation is so-called ‘clipping’, which is also known as ‘truncation’, and involves the cutting of one or more syllables from a word (usually at the end). Whilst some are part of informal usage (e.g. doc, ‘document’), several have gained independent status. e.g. ad (advertise...