Date of Award

1-1-2001

Thesis Type

Masters

Document Type

Thesis

Divisions

Faculty of Languages and Linguistics

Department

-

Institution

Universiti Malaya

Abstract

This research presents an analysis of lexical and cultural factors in a contemporary Arabic-Malay translation in relation to the process of translating. The analysis is based on chapters 1 and 2 of Pengembaraan lbn Battutah (The Travels of Ibn Battuta), which is the translated version of the original text Rihlah lbn Battutah (1357). Cultural differences between Arabic and Malay cause problems and difficulties in translation, especially in the selection of appropriate lexis. The analysis aims to identify the extent in which lexical and cultural factors cause difficulties in the interpretation of the meaning of problematic lexical items. The translation was premised on the acculturation approach of Lefevere and Bassnett Mc-Guire ( 1992). To determine the classification of problematic lex is and phrases. the following taxonomies were employed: Florin's (1993) for denotation. Baker's (1992) for connotation and El-Sieny et al. 's ( 1996) for idiomatic expressions. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed in processing the data. Quantitative analysis was used to discover the frequency of occurrence of denotative, connotative and idiomatic problems, and qualitative analysis was applied to the individual items in their cultural and linguistic contexts. The findings of the study show that, in the translation of this Arabic text into Malay, the problem is primarily one of denotation and only secondarily that of connotation and idiom. Indeed, idioms present far less of a problem than might be expected due to the relative lack of idiomatic structures in Arabic as compared to Malay or English. In conclusion. this study shows how crucial lexical and cultural factors are in that translation of travel literature and that neglecting these factors will diminish the communicative value of the translated work as compared with the original.

Initial

snms

Additional Information

Dissertation (M.A) -- Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya, 2001.

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