Didactics of Translation: Text in Context

Pre-tests: Genre

The testees were asked to translate some texts in which the genre was felt to be handled differently in the TL. These texts were taken from an

Arabic newspaper, called al-Sabah and published in Morocco. They are all grouped under the heading αΎϨϟ΍ έΎΒΧ΃ “News of the people”. The first text is about a birth announcement ending with a congratulation message, the second is about a marriage announcement and also ending with a congratulation message, the third is about a death announcement ending with a message of condolence. The texts are given below (Texts 1, 2, 3). In addition to these texts, the testees were also asked to translate some dynamic texts in which there was a mixture of genres. The purpose was to sensitize them even further to this complex aspect of meaning and to get them to appreciate its degree of difficulty during the translation process. These dynamic texts are Texts 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Text 1:
ΔΒγΎϨϤϟ΍ ϩάϬΑϭ .ϒγϮϳ Ϣγ΍ Ϫϟ ΍έΎΘΧ΍ ΩϮϟϮϤΑ ήϳΩΎϛ΃ ΔϨϳΪϤΑ ϪϣήΣϭ ϥΪϔΑ ΪϤΤϣ ϕίέ ΩϮϟϮϤϟ΍ ϲΗήγϷ ϲϧΎϬΘϟ΍ κϟΎΨΑ ϑέΎόϤϟ΍ϭ ˯ΎϗΪλϷ΍ Ϧϋ ΔΑΎϴϧ ϲΗϭ΍ήϔϤϟ΍ ΪϤΤϣ ϡΪϘΘϳ ˬΓΪϴόδϟ΍
ϪϳΪϟ΍ϭ ϥΎπΣ΃ ϦϴΑ ϩήϤϋ ϢϳΪϳ ϥ΃ Ϳ΍ ϦϴϠ΋Ύγ

Text 2:
ΓΫΎΘγϷ΍ ΪϨϫ Γΰϳΰϋ Δδϧϵ΍ ϰϠϋ ϚϳΪϴϟ ΔϛήθΑ αΪϨϬϤϟ΍ ΢Α΍έ ϲϠϋ ΏΎθϟ΍ ϥ΍ήϗ ΪϘϋ ϢΗ ϝΎϤϋ ϡΪϘΘϳ ΔΒγΎϨϤϟ΍ ϩάϬΑϭ .Ϧϴγϭήόϟ΍ ΎΗήγ΃ ϪΗήπΣ ΞϴϬΑ ϞϔΣ ϲϓ ϚϟΫϭ ˬΓέΎΠΘϠϟ ϲϟΎόϟ΍ ΪϬόϤϟΎΑ

.ΔΤϟΎλ ΔϳέΫ ΎϤϬϗίήϳ ϥ΃ Ϳ΍ Ϧϣ ϦϴΟ΍έ ˬϦϴγϭήόϠϟ ϲϧΎϬΘϟ΍ ήΣ΄Α ϚϳΪϴϟ Δϛήη

Text 3:
ϲΘϨΟ ϲϠΧΩ΍ϭ ϱΩΎΒϋ ϲϓ ϲϠΧΩΎϓ Δϴοήϣ Δϴο΍έ ϚΑέ ϰϟ· ϲόΟέ΍ ΔϨΌϤτϤϟ΍ βϔϨϟ΍ ΎϬΘϳ΃ Ύϳ "

."
ϝΎπϋ νήϣ ΪόΑ ϚϟΫϭ ϱήϫΎτϟ΍ ΪϤΤϣ Ϊϴδϟ΍ ΔϨγ 76 ΰϫΎϨϳ Ϧγ Ϧϋ ϪΑέ έ΍ϮΟ ϰϟ· ϞϘΘϧ΍
ΓήγϷ ΓέΎΤϟ΍ ϢϬϳίΎόΘΑ ΐΨΘϨϤϟ΍ ΓΪϳήΟ ˯Ύπϋ΃ ϡΪϘΘϳ ΔϤϴϟϷ΍ ΔΒγΎϨϤϟ΍ ϩάϬΑϭ .Νϼϋ Ϫόϣ ϊϔϨϳ Ϣϟ ϪϳϭΫ ϢϬϠϳ ϥ΃ϭ ˬϪΗΎϨΟ ϪϠΧΪϳ ϥ΃ϭ ϪΘϤΣήΑ ϩΪϤϐΘϳ ϥ΃ ϞΟϭΰϋ Ϳ΍ Ϧϣ ϦϴΟ΍έ ˬϪ΋ΎϗΪλ΃ ΍άϛϭ ΪϴϘϔϟ΍
." ϥϮόΟ΍ήϟ Ϫϴϟ· Ύϧ·ϭ Ϳ Ύϧ·ϭ " ϥ΍ϮϠδϟ΍ϭ ήΒμϟ΍

Text 4:


ΔϳϮΠϟ΍ ΓήθϨϟ΍

ϲΘϟ΍ ΓΩϭήΒϟ΍ ΓΪη ϰϟ· ϊΟ΍έ ΍άϫϭ ˬϥΎϤϳϹ΍ ϯϮΘδϣ ϲϓ ΍ήϴΒϛ ΎοΎϔΨϧ΍ ϯϮϘΘϟ΍ αΎϴϘϣ ϞΠγ ΪϘϟ ΩΎδϔϟΎΑ ΔϠϤΤϣ ΔϳϮϗ ΡΎϳέ ΏϮΒϫ ϲϣϼγϹ΍ ϢϟΎόϟ΍ ϖσΎϨϣ ϊϴϤΟ Ζϓήϋ ΎϤϛ ˬΏϮϠϘϟ΍ Ϣψόϣ ΖϤϋ
.ΎϜϳήϣ΃ϭ Ώήϐϟ΍ Ϧϣ ΔϴΗ΁ ˬΔϴΣΎΑϹ΍ϭ
Ϧϣ ϡϮϴϏ ϞϜθΗ ΎϨψΣϻ ˬΔϳϮΒϨϟ΍ ΔϨδϟ΍ϭ ϢϳήϜϟ΍ ϥ΁ήϘϟ΍ Ϧϣ ΎϫΎϧάΧ΃ ϲΘϟ΍ έϮμϟ΍ ϖϳήσ Ϧϋϭ Δϧϭϵ΍ ϲϓ ΎσΎθϧ ΔϤ΋ΎϨϟ΍ Ϧϴϛ΍ήΒϟ΍ ξόΑ Ζϓήϋ ΎϤϛ ˬΔϴϣϼγϹ΍ ΔϣϷ΍ ˯ΎϤγ ΖτϏ ΔϤϠψϤϟ΍ ϦΘϔϟ΍
.ϦϴϤϠδϤϟ΍ ϦϴΑ ΕΎϋ΍ΰϨϟ΍ϭ ΩΎϘΣϷ΍ Ϧϣ ϢϤΤΑ ΕήΠϔΗ ΚϴΣ ˬΓήϴΧϷ΍
ΩϮδϳϭ ˬΔϣϷ΍ ˯ΎϤγ Ϧϋ ϒϠΨΘϟ΍ϭ ϞϬΠϟ΍ ΏΎΒο ϊθϘϨϴγ ˬͿ΍ ˯Ύη ϥ· ˬΪϏ ϡϮϴϟ ΎϨΗΎόϗϮΗ Ύϣ΃ ϪϴϠϋ Ϳ΍ ϰϠλ ϪϟϮγέ ΔϨγϭ Ϳ΍ ΏΎΘϜΑ ΎϨϜδϤΗ ϥ· Ύϣ ˬΩϼΒϟ΍ ˯ΎΟέ΃ ϊϴϤΟ ϡΎ΋Ϯϟ΍ϭ ΔΒΤϤϟ΍ ˯Ύϔλ
.ϢϠγϭ

ϻ ϰΘΣϭ ˬϥΎϤϳϹ΍ Εϼψϣ ΍ϮϠϤΤϳϭ ϯϮϘΘϟ΍ αΎΒϟ ΍ϭΪΗήϳ ϥ΄Α ϦϴϤϠδϤϟ΍ ϊϴϤΟ ΢μϨϧ ΍ήϴΧ΃ϭ

.ΐϠϘϟ΍ ΓϮδϗ νήϣϭ ϞΟϭΰϋ Ϳ΍ Ϧϋ ΔϠϔϐϟ΍ ΓΩϭήΒΑ ΍ϮΑΎμϳ
ϪΗΎϛήΑϭ ௌ ΔϤΣέϭ ϢϜϴϠϋ ϡϼδϟ΍ ϭ
Text 5
ϪΗήγ΃ ϢϗΎσ ΔϤψϨϤϟ΍ ΓΪϳήΠΑ ϲοΎϳήϟ΍ ϢδϘϟ΍ βϴ΋έ ˬε΍ϭΪϓ ϒϴτϠϟ΍ ΪΒϋ Ϟϴϣΰϟ΍ ίΰϋ
" ΓΪϳήΟ ϡΪϘΘΗ ΓΪϴόδϟ΍ ΔΒγΎϨϤϟ΍ ϩάϬΑϭ .Ϣϳέ ˯ΎϤγϷ΍ Ϧϣ ΎϬϟ έΎΘΧ΍ ΔϠϴϤΟ ΓΩϮϟϮϤΑ Γήϴϐμϟ΍
΍άϬΑ έΪΑ ήϴϐμϟ΍ βϧ΄Θδϳ ϥ΃ ϦϴϠϣ΁ ϲϜϴΗ Δϔϴτϟ ϪϣήΣϭ ε΍ϭΪϓ ϲΘϠ΋Ύόϟ ϲϧΎϬΘϟ΍ ήΣ΄Α " ΐΨΘϨϤϟ΍
.ΎϬϠϣΎϜΑ ΓήγϷ΍ ϰϠϋ ΎΌϓΩ Ϛη ϼΑ ϲϔπϴγ ϱάϟ΍ ΪϳΪΠϟ΍ Ϊϓ΍Ϯϟ΍

Text 6:
˯ΎϨγ ˯ΎϨδΤϟ΍ Δγϭήόϟ΍ ϰϠϋ Ϫϧ΍ήϗ ΪϘόΑ ϚϟΫϭ ΔϴΑϭΰόϟ΍ ϖϴϠτΗ έϮΒΟ ϦδΤϣ έήϗ ΔόΟέ ϥϭΪΑ ϦδΤϤϟ ϙϭήΒϣ ϒϟ΃ .ϥϼΨϟ΍ϭ ΏΎΒΣϷ΍ϭ ϞϫϷ΍ ΞϳίΎϫ΃ ςγϭ ΎϬϛΎΒη ϪϴϠϋ Ζόοϭ ϲΘϟ΍ ϡΎϴμϟ΍

.Ρ΍ήϓϷ΍ϭ ΓΩΎόδϟ΍ ϡ΍ϭΩ ϊϣ ˯ΎϨγϭ

Text 7:
ϻ ˬ˯΍ϮδΑ ˯΍Ϯγ ϞϜϟ΍ Ϫϴϓ ΢Βδϳ ϲϔΧ ήϬϧ ΎϫήΒόϳϭ ˬ ϥ΍ΰΣϷ΍ ΎϬΘΤΗ Ϧϣ ϱήΠΗ ΕΎϨΟ ΔϘϳΪΤϟ΍

.ΓΪΣ΍Ϯϟ΍ ϰΜϧϷ΍ φΣ ϞΜϣ ΎϬϴϓ ήϛάϠϟ ϞΑ ˬϰΜϧϷ΍ϭ ήϛάϟ΍ ϦϴΑ ϻϭ ˬΩϮγ΃ϭ ξϴΑ΃ ϦϴΑ ϕήϓ
Text 8:
.˯ϲη Ϟϛ ΎϬϴϓ ΔϤλΎόϟ΍ .ΔϤλΎόϟ΍ ϥϮϨϜδϳ ϢϬϨϜϟ
ˬΕ΍έ΍ίϮϟ΍ ΎϬϴϓ ˬΕ΍έΎΒϟ΍ ΎϬϴϓϭ ˬΕϼϴϔϟ΍ϭ ΪΟΎδϤϟ΍ ΎϬϴϓϭ ˬΕΎϴϠϜϟ΍ϭ ϖ΋΍ΪΤϟ΍ ΎϬϴϓϭ
ௌ ΪϨϋ Ϧϣ ΔϤόϧ ΔΒόϜϟ΍ .ΔΒόϜϟ΍ Ύϣ ϙ΍έΩ΃ Ύϣϭ ˬΔΒόϜϟ΍ϭ βϴΑϮτϟ΍ϭ ˯΍ήϘϔϟ΍ ΎϬϴϓϭ
.Δϴγ΍Ϯγ ϞϜϟ΍ ϰϘΒϴϟ
Text 9:
Ζϴϧ΍Ϯγ Ϧϣ ϰϘΒΗ Ύϣ ξόΑ ϲΒϴΟ ϲϓϭ ˬΔϣ΂δϟ΍ ήϜη΃ ˬΔϣΎϬϟ΍ ϲϧΎΣ ˬΔϣΎϘϟ΍ ϱϮΘϠϣ ήϴγ΃
.ΔϣΎϴϘϟ΍

Evaluation:

The first three texts above represent three types of speech genres which are fairly public. Apart from their conventional forms of writing and the particular way in which they are structured, the three Arabic newspaper announcements display another peculiar feature, namely adding a message of congratulation or condolence just after the announcement. In English, such messages constitute in themselves separate genres realized in the form of letters from one person to another. Congratulating or condoling in

a paper, as I have been informed by some British native speakers, is uncommon.

The choice of these texts was dictated by a desire to confront the testees with texts which contain some culture specific signs and then see how they would cope with them when translating. It was expected that these cultural signs would constitute a major challenge for them since it is quite difficult to find their TL equivalents.
The number of students taking the pre-test was 10. Just as expected, the testees’ translations of these different speech genres showed a variety of lexical, grammatical and semantic problems, in addition to an awkward style of writing. Most of these problems could be ascribed to a lack of a translation strategy on the part of the testees. Their aim was to translate the words on the page, hence the excessive literalness and lack of any concern for the target readers’ expectations. Following are samples of some of the testees’ faulty translations which are indicated by the use of asterisks and underlines.
Text 1:
Translation a)
*The city Agadir has witnessed the birth of a new baby of Mr Mohamed Bafadan and his wife. Youssef was the name chosen for this new born baby. On this happy occasion and on behalf of his friends and his relatives, Mr Mohamed TAFRAOUTI sends his good wishes to the parents of the *new born, *willing best regards and good education to the