The paper titled "A Contrastive Linguistic Study of Lexical and Cultural Constraints Met in Translating Qur’an-specific Cultural Items into English Showing off (Riāa) in Sūrat An-Nisaa" primarily focuses on examining the difficulties faced by translators when attempting to render specific cultural items from the Qur’an into English. The study's central research question explores whether lexical and cultural constraints hinder the accurate and clear translation of the Qur’an's meaning into English.
The purpose of the study is to investigate the challenges encountered by translators, particularly in translating the concept of "Riāa" (showing off) from Sūrat An-Nisaa. The research aims to determine how these constraints affect the perspicuity of the translated text and to highlight the untranslatability of such Qur’an-specific cultural items.
The methodology employed in this study is qualitative, involving a contrastive linguistic analysis. The researchers analyzed three English translations of the Qur’an by Abdel Haleem, Khan and Al-Hilali, and Pickthall, focusing on specific verses from Sūrat An-Nisaa. The analysis centered on how each translator handled the cultural and lexical nuances of the term "Riāa."
The key findings of the research reveal that the translation of "Riāa" and similar cultural items into English poses significant challenges due to the inherent differences between Arabic and English in terms of lexical and cultural systems. The study found that these differences lead to a loss of meaning when translating such items, as the cultural context embedded in the original Arabic text is difficult to convey in English. This loss of meaning is particularly evident in the varying interpretations of "Riāa" by the different translators, with some translations failing to capture the full cultural significance of the term.
In conclusion, the study emphasizes that the translation of Qur’an-specific cultural items like "Riāa" into English is fraught with difficulties, leading to inevitable cultural and lexical losses. The research underscores the importance of recognizing these constraints and calls for greater attention to the cultural gaps that arise in the translation process. The findings have significant implications for the translation of the Qur’an, highlighting the challenges of achieving a fully accurate and culturally faithful English rendition of the text.