LANGUAGE IN INDIA

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Volume 21:6 June 2021
ISSN 1930-2940

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         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
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         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

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The Translation of Hedging in the Arabic Novel Rijal fi Ashams into English

Ibrahim AL Semeiri and Krishnavanie Shunmugam

Abstract

This study is focused on the translation of hedges from Arabic into English in Ghassan Kanafani’s novel entitled Rijal fi Ashams (1962). The novel was translated into English by Hilary Kilpatrick in 1998 as Men in the Sun. The data was selected from all seven chapters of the novel in the original and translated version. The two main objectives of this study are to: (i) identify the translation procedures employed when translating the Arabic hedges into English and, (ii) examine the elements that come into play when translating the Arabic hedges into English. The translation procedures proposed by Vinay and Darbelnet are used to identify the type of procedures used by the translator in rendering the Arabic hedges into English. The findings of the study have shown that firstly, the translator tends to use oblique translation procedures in transferring most of the hedges from Rijal fi Ashams. The only direct translation procedure Kilpatrick uses is literal translation where several hedges in both languages have the same language function. Secondly, elements that influence the translation procedure include linguistic differences, the translator’s preference and cultural differences between Arabic and English. It is cultural differences that clearly affect the degree of commitment expressed by some hedges in both languages.

Keywords: Arabic Novel Rijal fi Ashams, hedge, literary translation, English, Arabic.

1.1 Introduction

Hedges have existed as long as language itself, but the notion of a hedge is yet to be completely defined. Hedges have been systematically studied across various disciplines and genres for more than 45 years, but researchers’ views are varied about this linguistic device. Several both narrow and broad definitions of hedges are available and there are several opinions as to what type of language elements function as hedges. Thus, there is no one comprehensive and precise taxonomy of hedges. However, most research on hedging attempt to understand this phenomenon by identifying its range of functions in a discourse.

The term ‘hedges’ was first used by Lakoff (1972, p.194) to mean words which make things more or less fuzzy. House and Kasper (1981) define hedges as words or phrases which are written or uttered intentionally to protect one’s public self-image. In other words, hedges are words or phrases that present the speaker a way of escape to avoid losing respect in front of an audience or critic. According to Hubler (1983), hedges are particularly used to increase the demand of the utterance, to be more tolerable to the discusser and thus raise the possibility of acceptance and decrease the chances of refusal. This may clarify the actual function of hedging as the position of the speaker trying to protect him/herself from probable denial from the listener/audience.

Coates (1987) highlights that hedging is a frequent phenomenon in daily conversation which aids in facilitating communication to show politeness or hide a lack of information. The concept of hedging also refers to certain words that one can use to avoid making promises or which can be used in an utterance to prevent the utterance from being considered as completely true or false. Crompton (1997) states that hedges maintain the degree of confidence of the writer in the proposal and display the extent of precision of the statement; the caution in relation to the degree of commitment helps to evade mistakes.

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

Ibrahim AL Semeiri
i.b.m.alsemeiri@hotmail.com
Universiti Malaya

Krishnavanie Shunmugam
krishnav@um.edu.my
Universiti Malaya
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