LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 14:8 August 2014
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Issues in Translating Collocations of the Holy Qur’an

Hilal Alshaje’a, M.A., Ph.D. Candidate

Abstract

This paper discusses the most serious problems faced by translators while translating collocations in the Holy Qur’an. It is proposed that collocations present a main obstacle for translators specially when rendering collocations in the Holy Qur’an. For clarifying this idea, the researcher selected some examples of three English translations namely, The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'an: Text and Explanatory Translaion by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, The Holy Qur’an: Text and Translation& Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali and The Quran Interpreted: A Translation by Arthur John Arberry. This selection is to compare these translations of each collocation to see which translator is most approximate to the Qur’anic text of the collocation. A number of sound and authentic Qur’anic exegeses are consulted, in addition to some famous and important dictionaries to explore the translator’s need to depend upon such interpretations when translating - the meanings particularly - collocations of the Qur’an into English. The conclusion made in this paper shows that (i) translators faced difficulties in rendering lexical collocations, (ii) translators of the Qur’an should carefully understand the nature of lexical collocation, (iii) should comprehend the differences between the beliefs and concepts of Arabic and English ones, and (iv) should always take the context into consideration by avoiding literal translation.

Key words: Translation, collocations, the Holy Qur’an.

1. Introduction

Collocation is a linguistic phenomenon found in different languages. Each language has special ways in dealing with its own collocations. Collocation is basically a lexical relation between words which combine orderly with other particular words to shape one semantic unit. However, this combination of words is not subject to rules but to certain constraints that determine the way they can be combined to convey meaning. The meaning resulting from collocation is not simply a matter of associations of ideas but, according to Palmer (1986:79), is “idiosyncratic” and cannot be predictable from the meaning of the associated words. Palmer gives the example of “blond” as an adjective referring to colour. It is highly restricted in its distribution. "Blond" is associated with hair and not with door even if the colour of the door is “blond”. Therefore, there is blond hair but not blond door.

Collocations in language as well as in translation are important. The necessary role of collocations in a language creates Linguists' interest in the translation of collocations. On the one hand, language proficiency can be shown through the ability of producing and using agreeable and suitable collocations. Hence, they are “crucial to the interpretations of a text” (Halliday & Hasan, 1976:287).

Newmark (1988) and Abu-Ssyadeh (2007) have acknowledged that collocations have a significant role in language as well as in translation. In this respect, Newmark (1988:213) says that collocations are “nerves of the text and lexis are the flesh”. In a similar way, Abu-Ssyadeh (2007:70) mentions that the “interest” and “awareness” of study in the collocations’ area are due to the important role played by collocations as “central to the process of foreign language learning and translation”.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Hilal Alshaje'a, Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Studies in Linguistics
Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies
University of Mysore
Manasagangotri
Mysore 570 006
Karnataka
India
helalalshajea@yahoo.com
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