Domestication and Foreignization Strategies in Translating Sinbad of the Arabian Nights Safa M
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2014 Domestication and Foreignization Strategies in Translating Sinbad of The Arabian Nights Safa M. Elnaili Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Linguistics Commons Recommended Citation Elnaili, Safa M., "Domestication and Foreignization Strategies in Translating Sinbad of The Arabian Nights" (2014). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 3013. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/3013 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. DOMESTICATION AND FOREIGNIZATION STRATEGIES IN TRANSLATING SINBAD OF THE ARABIAN NIGHTS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Interdepartmental Program in Linguistics by Safa Elnaili B.A., Benghazi University, 2002 M.A., Benghazi University, 2006 M.A., Louisiana State University, 2013 August 2014 To my parents To my husband To my loving children ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF DEFINITIONS ........................................................................................................... v ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... vi INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER ONE, THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ............................................................................... 5 1.1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 5 1.2 THE ORIGIN OF THE ONE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS ...................................... 5 1.3 THE ORIGIN OF SINBAD ...................................................................................... 10 1.4 THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS IN THE WEST................................................ 11 1.5 JOHN PAYNE (1842‐1916) ................................................................................... 13 1.5.1 CRITICISM OF PAYNE`S ARABIAN NIGHTS .................................................. 15 1.6 SIR RICHARD FRANCIS BURTON (1821‐1890) ..................................................... 16 1.6.1 CRTICISM OF BURTON`S ARABIAN NIGHTS ................................................ 21 1.7 N.J. DAWOOD (1927‐ ) ........................................................................................ 25 1.7.1 CRTICISM OF DAWOOD`S ARABIAN NIGHTS ............................................. 27 1.8 HUSAIN HADDAWY ............................................................................................. 27 1.8.1 CRITICISM OF HADDAWY`S ARABIAN NIGHTS ........................................... 28 CHAPTER TWO, THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSLATION THEORY .............. 29 2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 29 2.2 HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSLATION THEORY ................................. 29 2.3 LINGUISTICS AND TRANSLATION THEORY .......................................................... 41 2.4 THE HISTORY OF LITERARY TRANSLATION FROM ARABIC TO ENGLISH ............. 46 CHAPTER THREE, EQUIVALENCE AND METHODS OF TRANSLATION ................................ 49 3.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 49 3.2 EQUIVALENCE IN TRANSLATION THEORY .......................................................... 49 3.3 DOMESTICATION AND FOREIGNIZATION AS TRANSLATION STRATEGIES .......... 55 CHAPTER FOUR, METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................... 64 4.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 64 4.2 AIM OF THE STUDY ............................................................................................ 67 4.3 TRANSLATED TEXTS ............................................................................................. 69 4.4 DATA COLLECTION ............................................................................................. 71 CHAPTER FIVE, DATA ANALYSIS ........................................................................................ 74 5.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 74 5.2 EQUIVALENCE AND NON‐ EQUIVALENCE .......................................................... 76 iii 5.2.1 CULTURAL SPECIFIC CONCEPTS ................................................................ 77 samma) ................................................................................ 77) سمى 5.2.1.1 latama) ................................................................................... 81) لطم 5.2.1.2 awrati) .............................................................................. 86) عورتي 5.2.1.3 ānastana) ............................................................................. 87) انستنا 5.2.1.4 natatheraɁ) ....................................................................... 90) نتضرع 5.2.1.5 mutaxsheɁ) ........................................................................ 92) متخشع 5.2.1.6 saɁa) ..................................................................................... 94) سعى 5.2.1.7 salla) ..................................................................................... 98) صلّى 5.2.1.8 5.2.2 IDIOMS AND FIXED EXPRESSIONS .......................................................... 100 5.2.3 PROVERBS ............................................................................................... 113 CHAPTER SIX, CONCLUSION ........................................................................................... 123 6.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 123 6.2 SUMMARY OF DATA ANALYSIS ........................................................................ 123 6.2.1 PAYNE AND BURTON .............................................................................. 124 6.2.2 DAWOOD ................................................................................................ 125 6.2.3 HADDAWY ............................................................................................... 127 6.3 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 127 6.4 RECOMMENDATION ........................................................................................ 131 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 133 VITA ................................................................................................................................ 137 iv LIST OF DEFINITIONS Equivalence The similarity between a word or expression in one language and its translation in another. A translation equivalent is a corresponding word or expression in another language Non – Equivalence When a translator finds no similar form or meaning in the translated language. Source Text (ST) The text aimed to be translated (the original text). Target text (TT) The translated text. Source Language (SL) The language of the original text. Target Language (TL) The language of the translation. Domestication Translating a text closer to the target reader`s language and culture. Foreignization Keeping the translated text intact to its source`s culture. Denotative Meaning The direct (dictionary) meaning of a word. Connotative Meaning The indirect (cultural) meaning or idea attached to a word. v ABSTRACT Over the centuries translation theories have provided strategies to help the translator overcome various linguistic and cultural obstacles that arise in any intercultural exchange between different languages and cultures. Idioms and culturally‐bound expressions are among prominent translation problems, especially when the translation is between two completely different languages like Arabic and English which diverge both linguistically and culturally. The most debated translation strategies are Domestication and Foreignization. This research examines the use of these two strategies in four English translations of one of the world`s most famous cultural collections, The Arabian Nights. The study specifically investigates the use of domestication and foreignization in the tale of Sinbad and how the translators achieve cultural equivalence through these two methods and to what extent. The study concludes that both strategies complement each other and that a successful translation of a cultural text is achieved when both strategies are used together. Cultural equivalence is better accomplished when a translator domesticates the form and foreignizes the content in order to have a balanced outcome. vi INTRODUCTION Translation theories have developed over the centuries a number of strategies to help the translator overcome various linguistic and cultural obstacles that arise in any intercultural exchange between different