Publications
Publication details [#17846]
Al-Azzam, Bakri. 2009. Translating structural pause in the Qur’an. In Benkhedda, Yahya, ed. Discourse analysis and Translation Studies. Special issue of Translation and Interpreting Studies (TIS). The Journal of the American Translation and Interpreting Studies Association 4 (1): 67–84.
Publication type
Article in Special issue
Publication language
English
Keywords
Source language
Target language
Journal DOI
10.1075/tis
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the translation of syntactic pause as an under-researched linguistic observable feature from Arabic into English, with particular reference to Qur’anic examples. Due to the lack of studies in this area, and because the phenomenon has not been treated sufficiently in Qur’anic and non-Qur’anic discourses, Qur’anic verses illustrating the point are sampled, analyzed and discussed so as to uncover the difficulties and to suggest translation solutions. A handful of authentic and authoritative Qur’anic exegeses are consulted, in addition to three translations of the Qur’an, in an attempt to explore the role such interpretations can play in rendering the possible syntactic meanings into English. This makes it possible to provide a solid syntactic-translational ground for assigning syntactic-semantic value to the pause in the selected examples. This also allows the author to point out the problematic aspect of this linguistic phenomenon, where two acceptable readings of one syntactic structure can emerge. This study demonstrates that syntactic pause in the Qur’an presents certain challenges for the translator and requires great effort to render faithfully in the target language. The study also suggests how immediate and broader contexts can guide the translator in prioritizing one interpretation over another.
Source : Abstract in journal