Exhaustive Guide to Lexical Problems, Figurative Language, and Collocations in Translation
The Nature of Metaphor and Idiom
General Definition: Metaphors and idioms are categorized as figurative expressions where the meaning is non-literal. They are described as "fossilized" or "frozen" units of language.
The Translation Problem: Students frequently struggle because they attempt word-for-word (literal) translation. This method often results in nonsense or the total loss of the intended message, making figurative language a major "stumbling block."
Strategies for Translating Metaphors
Metaphors are handled in three primary ways based on the availability of equivalents in the target language:
Metaphors with Identical Equivalents: These are cases where both English and Arabic use the exact same image to convey a concept. - Example: "To shed light on" translates directly to "يسلّط الضوء على".
Metaphors with Different Images but Same Meaning: The cultural "clothing" or imagery differs across languages, but the underlying message remains identical. - Example: "To pull someone’s leg" involves a "leg" in English, but the Arabic equivalent refers to the "beard" or "chin": "يضحك على اللحى".
Metaphors Translated by Sense (Non-Metaphorical): Used when no equivalent image exists in the target language. The translator must explain the meaning literally. - Example: "To move heaven and earth" is translated conceptually as "يبذل قصارى جهده" or "يقلب الدنيا رأساً على عقب".
Translating Idioms and Their Types
Idioms are considered the most difficult aspect of translation because their meaning cannot be deduced merely by looking at the individual words that comprise them.
Categorization of Idioms: - Phrasal Verbs: Verbs combined with prepositions that change the verb's meaning entirely (e.g., "Give up" meaning to quit, "Look after" meaning to care for). - Fixed Phrases: Established expressions like "Beating around the bush" or "A storm in a tea cup."
The "Golden Rule" for Idioms: A translator should prioritize finding a corresponding idiom in the target language (Arabic) first. Only if a corresponding idiom is unavailable should they resort to a functional equivalent or a literal explanation of the idea.
Common Categories of Figurative Language
Similes: Expressions using "as…as" or "like" to compare two things (e.g., "As busy as a bee"). These often share similarities across cultures but may require cultural adaptation.
Proverbs: Deeply rooted cultural wisdom. - Example: "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" requires the traditional Arabic equivalent: "عصفور في اليد خير من عشرة على الشجرة".
Euphemisms: The practice of using mild or polite words to describe harsh or unpleasant realities. - Example: "To pass away" instead of "To die" (Arabic: "انتقل إلى الرفيق الأعلى" or "توفي").
Foundational Principles of Collocations
Definition: A collocation is the habitual co-occurrence of individual lexical items. It essentially describes "which word goes with which word" in a specific language.
Significance: Collocations act like "tendons" that connect the "flesh" (words) to the "skeleton" (grammar). They are present in every text type.
The Risk of Improper Translation: Failing to use correct collocations results in "dispirited," "dull," and unnatural Arabic.
Grammatical Classification of Collocations
Adjective + Noun: The most common type. - Example: "Hard labor" (أشغال شاقة). - Note: Some lack identical equivalents and are translated by sense (semi-collocations).
Verb + Noun: These require matching a specific verb with a noun in Arabic. - Example: "Seize the opportunity" (يغتنم الفرصة) and "Commit a crime" (يرتكب جريمة).
Noun + Noun: Often translated using the Arabic genitive construction (Idafa). - Example: "Brain drain" (هجرة الأدمغة).
Addition (Noun + and + Noun): Usually direct translations, though word order may occasionally be reversed. - Example: "Vice and virtue" (الرذيلة والفضيلة).
Noun + Verb (Sounds): Specifically refers to sounds made by animals or objects. The translator must know the specific Arabic term for each sound. - Example: "Dogs bark" (تنبح الكلاب). Other examples include "Lions roar" (يزأر الأسد) and "Birds chirp" (تزقزق العصافير).
Prepositional Collocations: Includes "Noun + Preposition" and "Preposition + Noun." - Rule: These cannot be translated literally. The student must identify the specific Arabic preposition required by the target context, regardless of the English preposition (e.g., "By heart" translates to "عن ظهر قلب").
Similes (as—as constructions): Fixed cultural/idiomatic collocations. - Example: "As strong as a lion" (قوي كالأسد).
Countable/Uncountable Nouns: Fixed phrases denoting parts of a whole. - Example: "A bouquet of flowers" (باقة ورد) or "An act of violence" (عمل من أعمال العنف).
Essential Professional Reference Guide: English-Arabic Equivalents
Shed light on: يسلّط الضوء على
Pull someone's leg: يضحك على ذقنه / يمزح معه
Move heaven and earth: يبذل قصارى جهده / يقيم الدنيا ويقعدها
A storm in a tea cup: زوبعة في فنجان
To beat around the bush: يلف ويدور
To turn a deaf ear: صمّ أذنيه / تجاهل
To fish in troubled waters: يصطاد في الماء العكر
To kick the bucket: وافاه الأجل / لقي حتفه (meaning: to die)
To burn one's boats: قطع خط الرجعة / حرق سفنه
A skeleton in the cupboard: سرّ عائلي مخزٍ
To lose heart: يفقد الأمل / ييأس
To keep an eye on: يراقب عن كثب / يحرص على
To see eye to eye: يتفق معه تماماً / توافقت وجهات نظرهما
To swallow the bait: ابتلع الطعم
To be in the same boat: في الهوا سوا / في نفس المركب
To bury the hatchet: يطوي صفحة الماضي / ينهي الخصومة
To break the ice: يكسر حاجز الجمود
To wash one's dirty linen in public: ينشر غسيله القذر أمام الناس
To rain cats and dogs: تمطر بغزارة / كأفواه القرب
To cry over spilt milk: اللطم على الخدود / البكاء على الأطلال
Hard labor: أشغال شاقة
Bitter cold: برد قارس
Brain drain: هجرة الأدمغة
Blind obedience: طاعة عمياء
Stale bread: خبز بايت / يابس
Dead silence: صمت رهيب
A flight of stairs: درج / سلم
A pack of wolves: قطيع من الذئاب
A school of fish: سرب من السمك
Strategies for Mastery and Problem Solving
Extensive Reading: Exposure to both English and Arabic literature and media is essential for internalizing figurative nuances.
Specialized Resources: Translators should rely on Bilingual Idiom Dictionaries rather than general-purpose dictionaries.
Contextual Awareness: The same idiom may be translated differently depending on the setting (e.g., a political speech vs. casual conversation).
Consulting Classics: For collocations, the author suggests consulting the Quran, Sunnah, and classic literature as major sources for high-quality, fixed Arabic expressions.
Handling Over-generalization: In Arabic, students often use a single adjective like "fasid" (فاسد) for all bad food. A professional translator should use specific terms for specific foods (e.g., "rancid butter" or "addled eggs").
Questions & Discussion Reference
Idiom Definition (T/F & Short Answer): An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning cannot be understood from its individual words. (True)
Literalism in Metaphor (T/F): Translating metaphors literally is usually the best way to preserve meaning. (False)
Phrasal Verbs (T/F): Phrasal verbs are literal expressions and easy to translate. (False)
Euphemisms (T/F): Used to express unpleasant ideas in a milder, more polite way. (True)
Collocation Definition (Theory): They are defined as words that "naturally" co-occur in a language, often referred to as the "tendons" of language.
Translation Priority (Theory): In metaphors, prioritize the "message" over the individual words.
Translation of "A bolt from the blue": Indicates news that is sudden and shocking (Arabic: "كصاعقة من السماء").
Literalism failures: Literal translation fails for "Hard labor" because it is a fixed legal/punitive term in Arabic (أشغال شاقة), not just physical exertion.