"Translation is like a reverse-engineering process—whereby, say, we might take apart a clock made of metal parts in order to build a functioning replica made entirely of plastic. Our final product will not look the same as the original clock, and it would be impossible to simply copy the designs of its inner workings, because plastic and metals have very different properties. For example, we cannot make small plastic springs or very thin gears of plastic. But these changes do not matter; the only thing that matters is that our replica will tell the time correctly.”
—From the Introduction
The Georgetown Guide to Arabic-English Translation is an essential step-by-step, practical manual for advanced learners of Arabic interested in how to analyze and accurately translate nonfiction Arabic texts ranging from business correspondence to textbooks.
Mustafa Mughazy, a respected Arabic linguist, presents an innovative, functional approach that de-emphasizes word-for-word translation. Based on the Optimality Theory, it favors remaining faithful to the communicative function of the source material, even if this means adding explanatory text, reconfiguring sentences, paraphrasing expressions, or omitting words.
From how to select a text for translation or maintain tense or idiom, to how to establish translation patterns, The Georgetown Guide to Arabic-English Translation is useful both as a textbook and a reference. An invaluable set of appendices offers shortcuts to translate particularly difficult language like abbreviations, collocations, and common expressions in business correspondence, while authentic annotated texts provide the reader opportunities to practice the strategies presented in the book. A must-read for advanced learners of Arabic, this is a book every scholar and graduate-level student will wish to own.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Who Needs a Manual for Arabic–English
Translation Anyway?
1. Getting Words Across: Word-Level Translation Problems and Strategies
2. Putting Words Together: Phrase-Level Translation Problems and Strategies
3. Inside the Sentence: Functional Categories
4. The Sentence and Beyond: Discourse and Genre Features
Annotated Texts for Translation
Answer Key
Appendixes
A Arabic Abbreviations
B Conjunctive Frozen Expressions
C Adverbial Frozen Expressions
D Exocentric Compounds
E Noun–Adjective Collocations
F Verb–Object Collocations
G Light Verbs
H Common Expressions in Business Correspondence
Bibliography
Index
Reviews
"This book is a much-needed resource for students of Arabic-English translation. Adopting a linguistic perspective, it breaks down the process of translation in a clear and logical manner, starting from word level up to the wider context of sentences. With extensive, well-chosen examples and exercises and a scope of discussion and analysis that is adaptable to different levels, students and teachers alike will appreciate having this rich resource at hand."—Mai Zaki, Assistant Professor, CAS, Department of Arabic and Translation Studies, American University of Sharjah
"The Georgetown Guide to Arabic-English Translation presents a sterling example of the principle of research informing teaching, as the author has conducted a great many provocative theoretical studies into the grammar of Arabic, and the sections about translating tense and negation are made all the richer by the author’s full understanding of the linguistic matters involved. This is the textbook that I wish I had had when I was teaching Arabic/English translation."—David Wilmsen, Professor of Arabic, Department of Arabic and Near Eastern Languages, American University of Beirut
About the Author
Mustafa Mughazy is a professor of Arabic at Western Michigan University. He has served as the executive director of the Arabic Linguistics Society and as president of the American Association of Teachers of Arabic.
