Evaluating the Methods Used in the Arabic to English Translation of Qur'an-specific Cultural Items with Regard to the Concepts of Domestication and Foreignization

Abedi, Mahla; Sanjarani, Abolfazl

doi:10.22054/tir.2023.74394.1008

Evaluating the Methods Used in the Arabic to English Translation of Qur'an-specific Cultural Items with Regard to the Concepts of Domestication and Foreignization

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mahla Abedi ¹

Abolfazl Sanjarani ²

¹ BA in English Translation, Department of English Language and Literature, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

² PhD in Translation Studies, Department of English Translation Studies, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

10.22054/tir.2023.74394.1008

Abstract

Translation has played a crucial role in easing communication between human beings at all times throughout history, so without translation, the complex, interwoven social structures in human life might never have been achieved. It has also made accessing texts of high significance easy and comfortable. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the methods translators used in translating certain cultural contents from the Holy Quran, as well as the degree to which they applied the concepts of domestication and foreignization to their translations of these cultural aspects. The theoretical framework for this research is Baker's method (1992), which offers strategies that translators use when dealing with concepts that lack equivalents at the vocabulary level or higher counterparts. The majority of the Qur’an-specific cultural items have been translated using the first strategy of "translation by a more general word," with a total percentage of 48.85. The second most common strategy is "translation by paraphrase using a related word" (21. 71%).Given that the majority of strategies employed by all translators fall under the category of domestication strategies, it can be concluded that the translators adopted a target-oriented approach rather than a source-oriented approach when translating Qur’an-specific cultural items.

Keywords

Qur’an-Specific Cultural Items

Translation Strategy

Culture

Translation

Subjects