The paper titled "An Investigation of the Translation of English Culture-Bound Expressions into Arabic" by Amal Abdelsattar Metwally focuses on examining the translation strategies used for English idiomatic expressions related to colors, particularly similes, collocations, and binomials, into Arabic. The study aims to explore the effectiveness and consistency of these translation strategies under the frameworks of foreignization and domestication, as proposed by Lawrence Venuti, alongside the Berlin/Key studies on colors and the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.
The purpose of this study is to identify how different translation strategies, specifically foreignization and domestication, can be applied to translate color-related idiomatic expressions from English to Arabic while addressing the cultural and linguistic challenges posed by such translations. The study is particularly concerned with the implications of these strategies on the translation's effectiveness in conveying the original meaning and cultural nuances.
The methodology of the study is qualitative and relies on the researcher as the primary instrument for analyzing and translating selected color-related idiomatic expressions. The study involves a detailed examination of specific idioms and expressions, assessing the applicability of different translation strategies, including foreignization, domestication, loan translation (calque), and paraphrase, to bridge the cultural and linguistic gaps between English and Arabic.
Key findings of the study reveal that no single translation strategy is universally effective. Instead, the study demonstrates that a combination of foreignization and domestication strategies can complement each other in producing translations that are both culturally authentic and linguistically accurate. Specifically, the study finds that while foreignization preserves the original idiom's form and meaning, domestication, particularly through paraphrasing, is crucial in rendering the expression comprehensible and culturally relevant in Arabic.
In conclusion, the paper asserts the importance of a balanced approach to translation, advocating for the use of multiple strategies to address the challenges posed by cultural and linguistic differences. The study highlights the significance of paraphrasing as a domestication-biased strategy, particularly in contexts where the cultural backgrounds of the source and target languages are vastly different. The findings emphasize the need for translators to be flexible and adaptive, employing a variety of strategies to ensure that the translated text effectively communicates the intended meaning while respecting cultural nuances.