Transcript Grammatical Problems in Translation

GRAMMATICAL PROBLEMS IN
TRANSLATION
1. Translation of verb ‘BE’
2. Translation of verb ‘DO’
3. The translation of verb ‘HAVE’
4. The Translation of Modals
5. Translation of questions
6. Translation of negation
7. Translation of word order
8. Translation of adjectives
9. Translation of tenses
10.The change of word classes
Dana Al-Sudairi
Translation 1 (Eng 212)
1. Translation of verb ‘BE’
(am , is , are / was , were / be , been )
am, is, are (present)
I am a student.
X ً ‫أنا أكون طالبا‬
He is eating an apple.
They are put in the same situation.
X ‫هو يكون يأكل‬
X .‫هم يكونون يوضعون في الموقف نفسه‬
It is mostly unacceptable and poor in Arabic grammar to
translate the present verb ‘be’ into
‫يكون‬
Was, were
The child was ill.
our guests were praying.
But:
The food was eaten.
The boys were dismissed.
.ً ‫كان الطفل مريضا‬
.‫كان ضيوفنا يصلون‬
X .ً‫كان الطعام مأكول‬
X .‫كان األولد مطرودين‬
The past simple of ‘be’ are translated literally into ‫كان‬
Yet literal translation is unfavorable when these verbs are
used as auxiliaries to form the past passive voice.
been
Where have you been?
X ‫أين كنت كائناً؟‬
be
He will be with us.
.‫سوف يكون معنا‬
- The dictionary meaning of ‘been’ as ‫ كائن‬is strictly
not advisable to use.
- The full form of the verb ‘be’ is always literally
translated.
2. Translation of verb ‘DO’
(do, does, did)
Do and did in the negative
That girl doesn’t comb her hair.
The horse does not fall down.
The horse did not fall down.
.‫تلك الفتاة ل تمشط شعرها‬
.‫لم يسقط الحصان‬
.‫ما سقط الحصان‬
Do and did in the question
Do you sleep early?
Did Ali wait for you last night?
‫هل تنام باكراً؟‬
‫هل انتظرك علي ليلة أمس؟‬
Do as a main verb
I will do my best.
Some students do their
homework quickly.
.‫سأفعل ما بوسعي‬
‫ يكتب بعض الطلبة‬/‫يعمل‬
.‫واجباتهم بسرعة‬
At translating verb DO, the translators see whether it has a
grammatical function (i.e. auxiliary), or as a main verb.
As an auxiliary, it has no lexical meaning in Arabic, but implies the
grammatical question particle
‫هل‬
As a main verb, it has a full lexical meaning.
‫‪Do as an emphatic device‬‬
‫يتلو المسلمون القرآن كل يوم‬
‫بالتأكيد‪.‬‬
‫ّ‬
‫أحسن‬
‫ل شك أن الفتيات قد‬
‫التصرف‪.‬‬
‫‪Muslims do recite the Holly‬‬
‫‪Koran everyday.‬‬
‫‪The girls did behave well.‬‬
‫‪Arabic emphatic words and phrases:‬‬
‫فعلا‪ ,‬حقا ا‪ ,‬بالتأكيد‪ ,‬من المؤكد‪ ,‬ال شك‪ ,‬مما ال شك فيه‪ ,‬ال ريب‪ ,‬وما إلى ذلك‪.‬‬
3. The translation of verb ‘Have’
(have, has, had)
Have as an auxiliary
The worker has left today.
.‫غادر العامل باكرا ً اليوم‬
The patient has had the medicine. .‫ تناول المريض الدواء‬/‫أخذ‬
Verb HAVE used as an auxiliary is meaningless
in Arabic.
Have as main verb
She has money.
.‫ معها نقود‬/‫لديها نقود‬
She has her breakfast at 7 AM
.‫تتناول فطورها عند الساعة السابعة‬
everyday.
.‫حصلت على التذكرة للتو‬
She has just had the ticket.
.‫تلقت مكالمة هاتفية‬
She had a telephone call.
She had a nice holiday.
.‫قضت عطلة جميلة‬
Have a good journey.
.‫ استمتع برحلة جميلة‬/‫أتمنى لك رحلة ممتعة‬
What helps students to distinguish between these meanings
of " have" is the consideration of the word immediately
after the object. Together with object " have " makes a
special combination in Arabic
4. The Translation of Modals (can, could, may, might,
will, would, shall, should, must, ought to)
will , would , shall
(future particles)
can , may , must
(literal translation)
He will forgive me!
‫ يجب‬/ ‫ يمكن‬/ ‫يستطيع‬
.‫ يمكننا أن نمشي‬we may walk.
!‫ يسامحني‬/‫ سوف يغفر لي‬/‫سـ‬
Shall , should (Obligation=
must)
The defendant shall appear
before the court at once.
‫يجب على المدعى عليه أن يمثل فورا ً أمام‬
‫المحكمة‬
I should believe my parents
‫يجب علي أن أصدق والدي‬
could , would , might
(possibility)
she could blame herself.
she would blame herself.
she might blame herself.
‫ يمكن أن تلوم نفسها‬/ ‫قد‬
Must have, should have
They must have finished
work.
.‫لبد أنهم أنهوا العمل‬
Action which took place
They should have finished
work.
.‫كان عليهم أن ينهوا العمل‬
Action which did not took
place
5. Translation of questions
One word for Yes/No Qs
Are you playing tennis?
‫هل تلعب التنس ؟‬
Have you played tennis?
‫هل لعبت التنس ؟‬
Do you play tennis?
‫هل تلعب التنس ؟‬
Different words for WH Qs
Why = ‫لماذا‬
What = ‫ماذا‬
Who = ‫من‬
When = ‫متى‬
Where = ‫أين‬
6. Translation of negation
Negation in English includes the following words "not , do not ,
does not , did not , never , neither , nor & no ".
‘Not’ has more than one
equivalent
she cannot pay money.
.‫ال تستطيع أن تدفع النقود‬
she will not pay money.
.‫لن تدفع النقود‬
she has not money.
.‫ال تملك نقودا ا‬
All that glitters isn't gold.
.‫ليس كل ما يلمع ذهبا ا‬
Do not, does not, did not
Do not, does not = ‫ل‬
Did not = ‫لم‬
Many people do not play chess
.‫ال يلعب الكثير من الناس الشطرنج‬
The children did not sleep early
yesterday
.‫لم ينم األطفال باكرا ا باألمس‬
Never
Neither…nor, either…or
ً ‫ أبدا‬+ ‫ لم‬/ ً ‫ أبدا‬+ ‫ ل‬/ ً ‫ أبدا‬+ ‫ لن‬
we never give up.
.‫لن نستسلم أبد‬
No
No smoking.
‫ ليس‬/ ‫ ال‬/ ‫ممنوع‬

.‫ممنوع التدخين‬
She has no money.
.ً ‫ ل تملك نقودا‬/‫ليس لديها نقود‬
Neither…nor = ‫ول‬..‫ل‬
Either..or =‫أو‬..‫إما‬
I like neither lying nor
cheating.
.‫ل أحب الكذب ول الغش‬
You can either come with me
or stay here.
.‫باستطاعتك القدوم معي أو البقاء هنا‬
7. Translation of word order
The order of the words of the sentence :
In Arabic: verb + subject + object/complement.
In English: subject + verb + object/complement.
Nominal word order
Verbal word order
God likes us.
.‫هللا يحبنا‬
The diplomat left for
London.
.‫غادر الدبلوماسي إلى لندن‬
8. Translation of adjectives:
A. An adjective-noun order:
The adjective occurs before the noun in English, whereas
in Arabic it comes after the noun.
That tall man is my cousin.
.‫ذاك الرجل الطويل ابن عمي‬
B. The ordering of a series of adjectives:
Successive adjectives in English can be translated
either from left to right, or from right to left in Arabic.
Throw that small, round ball.
.)‫ارم تلك الكرة الصغيرة المدورة (المدورة الصغيرة‬
He read a big, popular, useful book.
.)ً ‫قرأ كتابا ً كبيرا ً شعبيا ً مفيدا ً (مفيدا ً شعبيا ً كبيرا‬
C. Imitation of the English sequence of adjectives:
When ‘and’ is used before the last adjective in English, it
is repeated before every adjective in Arabic.
Her dress is blue, soft, comfortable and cheap.
.‫ثوبها أزرق وناعم ومريح ورخيص‬
D. The use of adjectives as nouns:
Adjectives used as collective nouns are translated
into plural nouns in Arabic, not into adjectives or
singular nouns.
The rich should help the poor.
.‫يجب على األغنياء أن يساعدوا الفقراء‬
9. Translation of tenses
Simple present and present progressive:
The wend is blowing now.
‫تهب الرياح اآلن‬
Present simple
present
Present progressive
Past simple, present perfect and past perfect:
We heard the news.
We have heard the news.
We had heard the news.
.‫ لقد سمعنا) األخبار‬/‫سمعنا (قد‬
Past simple
Present perfect
Past perfect
Past
Past progressive, present perfect progressive and past
perfect progressive:
The horses were jumping.
.‫كانت الخيول تقفز‬
The soldiers have been fighting.
.‫كان الجنود يقاتلون طوال اليوم‬
The tailor had been sewing all night.
.‫كان الخياط يخيط طوال الليل‬
Past progressive
Present perfect progressive
Past perfect progressive
‫مضارع‬+ ‫كان‬
10.The change of word classes:
Adjectives as nouns
Nouns as adjectives
adj → adj / N
N → N / adj
The president palace
‫ قصر الرئاسة‬/ ‫القصر الرئاسي‬
Nerve cell
‫ خلية عصبية‬/‫خلية أعصاب‬
Nouns as verbs
Verbs as Nouns
N→N/V
V→V/N
They gave their
English is easy to
agreement.
understand.
‫ وافقوا‬/ ‫أعطوا موافقتهم‬
‫ أن تفهم‬/‫النجليزية سهلة الفهم‬