Didactics of Translation: Text in Context

S. TEXT 1:

.˯΍έϮηΎϋ ϡϮϳ ϲϓ ϚϟΫ ϥΎϛ ϭ ΕϼϓΎΤϟ΍ ΔτΤϣ ϲϓ ΔϠϔτϟ΍ ϩάϫ ΕΪΟϭ

S. TEXT 2:

ΎϫΪο ϯϮϜη ΍ϮϣΪϗ ϥ΍ήϴΠϟ΍ ϥϻ Δρήθϟ΍ ΰϛήϣ ϰϟ΍ ΐϫάΗ ϥ΍ ΎϬϨϣ ΐϠρ ϭ ϡΪϘϤϟ΍ ˯ΎΟ ΎϬϧϮϜϟ αΎϔϧϻ΍ ϖϨΨϳ ϯάϟ΍ ΥϮγΎϔϟ΍ ΔλΎΧ ϭ έϮΨΒϟ΍ Ϧϣ ΔϔϠΘΨϣ Ύϋ΍Ϯϧ΍ ϞϤόΘδΗ
S. TEXT 3: (Moroccan Arabic: the beginning of a popular story)
ΎϧΪϴγ ϥΎϧΪόϟ΍ ϲΒϨϟ΍ ήΠΣ ϲϓ ϥΎγϮδϟ΍ ϭ ϖΒΤϟ΍ ϥΎϛ ϰΘΣ ϥΎϜϣ Ϟϛ ϲϓ ௌ ϥΎϛ ϥΎϛ Ύϣ Ύϳ ϥΎϛ
ϡϼδϟ΍ ϭ Γϼμϟ΍ ϪϴϠϋ ΪϤΤϣ
(The ending of the story)
.Ω΍ϮΠϟ΍ ϊϣ ΎϨϴϘΑ ΎϨΣ ΍ϭ Ω΍Ϯϟ΍ Ω΍Ϯϟ΍ ΎϨΘϓ΍ήΧ ΕΎθϣ
The problematic cultural items in these texts are ˯΍έϮηΎϋ (Achouraa) in TEXT 1, ϡΪϘϤϟ΍ (al-mqaddam) and ΥϮγΎϔϟ΍ (al-fasoukh) in TEXT 3, in addition to the totality of TEXT 3 in its entirety. The testees produced two translations, an overt and a covert one for each text. Below are some sample translations made by one of the students for each text along with some explanatory notes.


Translation A of text 1: (an overt translation)
It was on the Day of *Achouraa when I found this girl at the bus station.
Translation A of text 2: (an overt translation)
*Al-mqaddam came and told her to go to the police station because the neighbours had complained to the police about her. They had done that as she used different kinds of incense, and especially *al-fasoukh which suffocated them.
Translation A of text 3: (the beginning of the story)
There was God everywhere and al-susaan (daffodils) and al-hbaq (a kind of green nice smelling plant) were on the lap of the prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him. (the ending of the story):
So our story went down the valley and we are left with the noble people.
The meanings of these culture-specific terms are as follows:
x Achouraa: the 10^th day of the month of Moharram (Muslim calendar) during which muslims give alms to the poor and on the eve of which big fires are lit.
x Al-mqaddam: A person who aids the local authorities. One of his tasks is to gather all necessary information about the people living in a particular neighbourhood.
x Al-fasoukh: it is a substance that is burnt and which does not smell nice. It is supposed to ward off the evil eye.


Translation B of text 1: (a covert translation)
It was during a religious holiday when I found this girl at the bus station.
Translation B of Text 2: (a covert translation)
A local authority official asked her to go with him to the police because the neighbours had complained about her as she used different kinds of incense and especially one kind that did not smell nice and which suffocated them.
Translation B of Text 3:
(the beginning of the story)
Once upon a time, there was a man who … (the end of the story)
And that is the end of our story.