the role of culture in translating the ...90 the role of culture in translating the ... linguistic,...

Humanities and Social Sciences Review,

CD-ROM. ISSN: 2165-6258 :: 04(01):89–101 (2015)

THE ROLE OF CULTURE IN TRANSLATING THE SERMONS OF

PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH)

Heba Farag

Ain Shams University, Egypt

This study examines the translation strategies applied in translating some sermons of Prophet

Muhammad (PBUH) and the role of culture in determining these strategies. It is an attempt to examine

whether the translation of the sermons should be affected by the cultural background of the TT

receivers or not, whether the culture of the ST receivers play any role in applying different translation

strategies in the same sermon or not, and whether the translation of the sermons merely ST-oriented like

the Holy Qur’an or not. This research focuses on analyzing Selected Friday Sermons by Darussalam in

the light of Nord’s model of translation-oriented text analysis (1991). The results of this research

showed that the translation of the sermons is affected by the cultural background of both the ST and TT

receivers. It showed also that the translation of the sermons proved not to be merely ST-oriented as the

Holy Qur’an. This occurred due to different linguistic, functional and cultural factors.

Keywords: Culture, translating strategies, Sermons, Prophet muhammad, Nord’s model of translation.

Introduction

Translation plays a very important role in the approximation of cultures and religions. Translating non-

literary texts in general and religious or sacred texts in particular helps the reader to have a proper vision

of each religion. This is achieved especially when the translations attempt to convey the message of the

ST as close as possible, and at the same time be compatible with the needs and expectations of the TT

receivers as much as possible.

Statement of the Problem

The mistake that most translators make is the complete loyalty to one approach of translation, sticking to

it and rejecting the other approaches. For example, some translators tend to be ST-oriented in their

translation processes; others prefer to be TT-oriented, and others adhere only to the skopos (purpose) of

the translation and so on. A prominent psychologist says:

So many people insist on being either pro-Freudian or anti-Freudian, pro-scientific behaviorist or

anti-scientific cognitive psychology, etc. In my opinion all such loyalty-positions are silly. Our

job is to integrate these various truths into the whole truth, which should be our only loyalty.

(Maslow, 1962)

89

90 The Role of Culture in Translating the ...

Linguistic, functional and cultural approaches to translation studies should not be separated, rather

they should be used together because translators are translating ‘souls’ not mere words and sentences that

result in mere texts. Texts should be viewed as linguistic methods of communication reflecting cultures.

Therefore, analyzing any text for the sake of translation should include the analysis of the correlative

linguistic, functional and cultural features.

Translators of sacred texts have applied ST-oriented methods in translation (Serban, 2006). This is

because the status of the sacred texts and the importance of every single detail forced translators to apply

such methods and even seek word-for-word equivalence. This can be applied, in Islam, to the translation

of the Glorious Qur’an1 , because, according to Muslim scholars, the Glorious Qur’an cannot be translated

and all the existing translations are actually translations of its meanings.

The case is different with the Hadith2. In the sermons, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had specific

addressees who had their own culture and knowledge. Translators of the sermons should keep two

important points in their minds during the translation process. First, there are specific structures and

expressions which have to be kept as they are because of their role and importance in the ST. Second,

certain expressions have to be adapted to suit the TT receivers because this will affect their understanding

of the text, as Baker points out, “one cannot deny that a reader’s cultural and intellectual background

determine [sic] how much s\he gets out of a text”(1992, p. 222).

Research Questions

This research is an attempt to answer the following questions:

1. Are translation strategies of the sermons affected by the cultural background of the TT receivers?

2. Can the same text be translated by the use of different translation strategies at the same time? If

so, on what basis can this occur?

3. Can the same word be ST-oriented and TT-oriented at the same time?

4. Is the translation of the sermons merely ST-oriented like the translation of the meanings of the

Glorious Qur’an?

Literature Review

Approaches to translation go far back to ancient times, with Cicero and Horace (first century BC) and St

Jerome (fourth century AD). But, in modern times, there is a greater rise in theories and models which

have so much developed the art of translation. Munday (2001) states that “Although the practice of

translating is long established, the study of the field developed into an academic discipline only in the

second half of the twentieth century” (p. 7). Hatim describes translation studies as the discipline “which

concerns itself with the theory and practice of translation” (2001, p. 3).

The art of translation studies (TS) is an academic research area which is multilingual and

interdisciplinary at the same time (Baker, 2009; Garcia de Toro, 2008; Munday, 2001). It grows rapidly in

recent years encompassing many academic disciplines such as linguistics, philosophy, anthropology,

communication studies, literary criticism and cultural studies. As Baker (1998) points out, although

initially concentrating on literary translation, TS “ is now understood to refer to the academic discipline

concerned with the study of translation at large, including literary and nonliterary translation”(p. 277).

Although there are many approaches to translation studies, such as the cultural, descriptive,

postcolonial …etc, there are two main approaches. In Translation Studies: an Integrated Approach, Snell-

Hornby distinguishes “two main schools of translation theory which now dominate the scene in Europe”

1 The Glorious Qur’an is the Holy book in Islam. It is the first source of law for Muslims. 2 Hadith is the record of any action or saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is the second source of

law for Muslims.

Heba Farag 91

(Snell-Hornby, 1988, p. 14), one of them is the linguistic approach and the other is the functional

approach to translation.

According to linguistic-oriented translation, equivalence is considered to be the founding

relationship between source and target texts, without which it is impossible to talk about any translation

(Bernardo, 2007).

According to the linguistic-based translation studies, priority is given to the source text, as translators

are required to preserve the meaning and form of the source text, as far as possible. Consequently, some

elements from the target language are ignored. Those elements may have included some important

cultural aspects of the target language, because trying to preserve everything from the source text may not

be compatible with the target readers’ culture which may be completely different from the source readers’

culture. Baker (1992) recognizes that “one cannot deny that a reader’s cultural and intellectual

background determine [sic] how much sense s/he gets out of a text” (p. 222).

Therefore, linguistic investigation was considered to have an important role in the process of

translation, but it had to be set up in a larger framework, a communicative one, in order to account for the

situational and cultural factors which had a great influence on the formation of the TT (Bernardo, 2007).

The two most important shifts in theoretical developments in translation theory over the past two

decades have been (1) the shift from source- text oriented theories to target- text oriented theories

and (2) the shift to include cultural factors as well as linguistic elements in the translation training

model. (Gentzler, 2001, p. 70)

Furthermore, the functional and communicative approach took up translation studies (Bernardo,

2007). The seventies and eighties witnessed a move away from the linguistic approaches to translation

studies and the emergence of the functional and communicative approach in Germany (Munday, 2001).

The main defenders of the functional approach to translation studies are Katherina Reiss, Hans Vermeer,

Justa Holz- Manttari and Christiane Nord.

Reiss was the first to develop a functional model of translation studies in Germany in 1971 in her

book which was translated to English in 2000 as Translation Criticism: Potential and Limitations

(Kussmaul, 2008). The main focus of Reiss was on analyzing the source text. The typology of Reiss has

been criticized because the same text can have more than one function at the same time. For example, a

sermon has the informative function by giving people information about religion; at the same time it has

an operative function, because it urges people to do something or behave in a certain manner.

It was Hans Vermeer who changed the focus of translation from the ST to the TT in his theory

known as the skopos theory. The term ‘skopos’ means: aim or purpose.

Skopos theory focuses above all on the purpose of the translation, which determines the

translation methods and strategies that are to be employed in order to produce a functionally

adequate result. This result is the TT, which Vermeer calls the translatum. (Munday, 2001, p. 79)

The skopos theory is criticized by many scholars. Nord (1997b) believes that the skopos theory

cannot be considered as a ‘general’ rule applied to all kinds of texts. She clarifies her point by giving the

example of literary texts as they have only one specific purpose or can be complex stylistically.

Disregarding the value of the ST is also pointed out by Nord (1997b) and Kussmaul (2008) against the

skopos theory.

The skopos theory was further developed to the model of Holz-Manttari which she calls

‘translational action’. The importance of this model lies in introducing the ‘initiator’ and the interaction

between the translator and the initiating institution (Munday, 2001). Schaffner (1998) praises the

‘translational action’ by saying, “Holz-Manttari’s concept of translational action is considered relevant for

all types of translation and the theory is held to provide guidelines for every decision to be taken by the

translator” (p.5). On the other hand, Nord (1991) criticizes the translational action model for disregarding

the ST.


The target of translation studies should not be limited only to considering the purpose of translation

as the goal of the translational activity. On the other hand, it should neither focus only on the target

readers and their needs and expectations in their target cultures as the main aim, nor focus only on the ST

and consider it as a model that should be followed.

It was Nord (1991) who managed to approach the ideas of Reiss, Vermeer and Holz-Manttari

through her model of translation in which she focuses on the ST and TT. In this model of analysis, Nord

analyzes both the ST and the TT and establishes a relationship between them; this relationship is

determined by the skopos. Nord distinguishes between two types of translation products or processes;

documentary and instrumental translation.

Sawyer (1999) believes that ‘sacred languages’ and ‘sacred texts’ are languages and texts which

have special functions in the religious context. The translation of sacred texts is a very sensitive task

(Serban, 2006). This is because sacred texts contain the basic values and beliefs about cultures. Sacred

texts also have a great influence on the lives of a great number of people and they take part in shaping the

history of whole nations.

The study of religious language deals with many issues related to performance, text and context

(Keane, 1997). Therefore, Nida (1964) believes that the translators of religious texts are not free to do

what they want. He clarifies his idea by saying that both context and tradition specify the extent to which

receivers approve any specific translation as precise or not. Serban (2006) points out that the reaction of

the receivers is connected with their religious background knowledge and their expectations from the

translated text.

Translators of sacred texts apply ST oriented methods in translation (Serban, 2006). According to

Serban (2006), the status of sacred texts in cultures and the significance of every single detail in the text

itself force translators to apply such methods of translation and even seek word- for- word equivalence.

Significance of the Study

This research focuses on analyzing some selected sermons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the light of

the model of Nord of text analysis in translation (1991). The text which has been chosen is Selected

Friday Sermons by Darrussalam translated under the supervision of Ifta Office, Washington DC. USA.

The significance of this research lies in the following reasons. First, this translation is made by native

speakers of Arabic and they are the best people to know about the culture of the ST. Second, this

publishing house addresses Muslims and non-Muslims around the whole world as it has many branches

around the world. This means achieving diversity in the TT-R. Third, many studies have been done on the

translations of the meanings of the Glorious Qur’an, such as Nassimi (2008) A Thematic Comparative

Review of Some English translations of the Qur’an, Aly (2007) The Rendering of a Selected Sample of

Synonyms in Three Major Translations of the Meanings of the Glorious Qur’an, among others, but no

analytical studies of the translations of the sermons have been done before, as far as the researcher knows.

Fourth, the importance of analyzing the translation of the sermons lies also in raising the question of

whether or not the translation should be ST-oriented according to the conception among the translators of

all sacred texts.

Methodology

This research is conducted within the framework of the model of Nord of translation-oriented text

analysis (1991) which has been simplified later in her 1997b book. This model has been chosen because it

includes the analysis of the linguistic, functional and communicative factors related to both the ST and

TT. In this model, she analyzes a series of extratextual and intratextual factors in the ST. Analyzing

every factor in the ST and TT will help the translator in every decision s/he makes in the translation

process, and will determine all the translation strategies that have to be applied. As Nord states:

Heba Farag 93

Translation-oriented text analysis should not only ensure full comprehension and correct

interpretation of the text or explain its linguistic and textual structures and their relationship with

the system and norms of the source language (SL). It should also provide a reliable foundation for

each and every decision which the translator has to make in a particular translation process.

(Nord, 1991, p. 1)

According to Nord, the translation process is summarized in three steps:

1. The importance of the translation brief

2. The ST analysis

3. The functional hierarchy of translation problems

The translator should start the process by comparing the ST and the TT profiles which exist in the

translation brief provided by the initiator. The translation brief should include the following information

about the ST and TT:

1. The addressees.

2. The intended text function(s).

3. The time and place of text production and reception.

4. The medium of the text.

5. The motive behind writing the ST and translating the TT.

The second step in the process of translation is the analysis of the ST. The translator should analyze

the intratextual features of the ST. The intratextual features include the subject matter, content,

presuppositions, lexis, sentence structure, non-verbal elements, suprasegmental features and text

composition. The last step in the translation process is categorizing the translation problems. The

translator should decide the function of the translation, whether it is documentary or instrumental, which

ST elements should be adapted to the TT receivers and which elements should be kept as they are, and

whether the translation should be SC or TC oriented.

Sample of Analysis

" "

" :

}

{

:} {3

: } {4

: }

{5

} " : "-

- . ) (

: :

. : } {6

{.) "

22-21(

3 :89. 4 :94.

5 :214 215. 6 :1.


“The First Sermon of the Prophet Given in Makkah when he called his People to Islam”

“The Prophet started the speech by praising All h and thanking Him then said:

“Verily, Ar-Raid (one whom his people send to search for water and grass) does not lie to his people.

By All h! Even if I lied to all people, I would never lie to you, and if I deceived all people, I would never

deceive you. By All h, other than Whom there is no deity worthy of worship, I am All h’s Messenger to

you in particular and to all people in general. By All h! You will die just as easy as you sleep, and you

will be resurrected just as easy as you wake up from sleep. You will be recompensed on account of what

you do, earning good for good and evil for evil. Verily, it is either Paradise for eternity or the Fire for

eternity”.

This speech from the Prophet included announcing his Prophethood and calling his people to Islam,

after All h the Exalted and Most Honored, revealed these y t:

} {

“And say (O Muhammad): ‘I am indeed a plain warner’”. (15:89)

} {

“Therefore proclaim openly (All h’s Message-Islamic Monotheism) that which you are commanded,

and turn away from Al-Mushrikin (polytheists, idolaters, and disbelievers).” (15:94)

And:

} {

“And warn your tribe (O Muhammad) of near kindred. And be kind and humble to the believers who

follow you”. (26:214,215)

This is when the Prophet mounted the Safa Mount (in Makkah) and declared with the loudest voice,

Wa- abahah, which is a cry the Arabs used to herald when an imminent danger is about to encompass

their people or tribe. He started heralding next, “O Bani Fihr! O Bani ‘Adi! O Bani Ka’b!” mentioning the

sub-tribes of Quraish by name. When they gathered, he said to them:

“What if I told you that there are horsemen in the valley about to attack you, would you believe me?”

They said, “Yes, we only experienced truth from you”. The Prophet said, “Then I am a Warner for you of

the coming of a severe Torment”.

Abu Lahab (the Prophet’s uncle) said:

“Perish you O Muhammad! Is this why you gathered us here?”

Then the Divine Inspiration came:

“Perish the hands of Abu Lahab! And perish he!” (111:1) (Darussalam, 2000, pp. 24-25)

The Analysis:

This sermon is known as khu batu af (the sermon of the af ) because it was delivered on the

mount of af in Mecca. The analysis should start with comparing the profiles of both the ST and TT.

The ST Profile:

(1) The addressees are the tribes of Quraish and they are mentioned explicitly by their names in the

sermon when the Prophet (PBUH) addressed them directly by their names

O Bani Fihr! O Bani `Adi! O Bani Ka`b!

(2) Time and place of text production and reception

The place is mentioned explicitly in the context of the sermon, as Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

delivered it when he mounted the af mount in Mecca. Therefore, the place of production and reception

is the af mount in Mecca. The time of this sermon can be deduced from the context, i.e. after All h

Heba Farag 95

(SWT) ordered Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to announce his prophethood in public to all people by

revealing these y t (verses) to him:

} {

“And say (O Muhammad): ‘I am indeed a plain warner’”. (15:89)

{ }

“Therefore proclaim openly (All h’s Message-Islamic Monotheism) that which you are commanded,

and turn away from Al-Mushrik n (polytheists, idolaters, and disbelievers).” (15:94)

And:

} {

“And warn your tribe (O Muhammad) of near kindred. And be kind and humble to the believers who

follow you”. (26:214,215)

These verses were revealed after three years during which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was calling

to Islam secretly, which means that the Prophet was forty three, as he received the revelation at the age of

forty. Born in 571 A.D, receiving the revelation at the age of forty, spending three years calling for Islam

secretly then announcing his prophethood, this will lead us to the conclusion that this sermon was

delivered in 614 A.D.

(3) Function

This sermon has two functions; informative and operative. The informative function is revealed

when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) informed the tribes of Quraish of his prophethood by saying:

By All h, other than Whom there is no deity worthy of worship, I am All h’s Messenger to you in

particular and to all people in general.

And

Then I am a Warner for you of the coming of a severe Torment.

The operative function exists in the way in which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) tried to convince his

addressees of the truth of his prophethood. To do so, he made his addressees participate in the

conversation by asking them

What if I told you that there are horsemen in the valley about to attack you, would you believe me?

In this question, the Prophet (PBUH) revealed the quality by which he was known among his people

as being A - diq Alam n (the honest and trustworthy). In return, their answer confirmed this quality, as

they said

Yes, we only experienced truth from you.

He also used the same method of revealing this same quality when he said

By All h! Even if I lied to all people, I would never lie to you, and if I deceived all people, I would

never deceive you.


(4) Medium: All the sermons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), including this one, were delivered

orally by him, but they reached us in a written form. This research is analyzing the Prophet’s

sermons in Khu ab Mukhtarah (Selected Sermons).

(5) Motive: The motive of this sermon is to announce the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad

(PBUH)

TT Profile

1. The addressees: These sermons were translated by Darussalam publisher in Saudi Arabia under

the supervision of Ifta office, Washington DC. U.S.A. This publishing house has also many

branches in Pakistan, Houston, New York and the UK. Usually, the Islamic books are translated

in these countries to inform Muslims of their religion. In addition, there are also non-Muslims

who are interested in reading about the religion of Islam. Therefore, it can be concluded that the

addressees are Muslims and non-Muslims. Whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims they have

a completely different culture from that of the ST addressees. At the same time, they have

different needs and expectations from those of the ST addressees, and those needs and

expectations have to be taken into consideration by the translator during the process of

translation.

2. The intended text function: The translation of the sermons has a documentary function.

3. The time and place of text production and reception: These sermons were published in 2000

in Saudi Arabia. So, they will be received after this date in Saudi Arabia and in the other cities

where branches of this publishing house are located.

4. The medium of the text: is written.

5. The motive behind the TT: is to inform Muslims and non-Muslims of the principles and values

presented in the sermons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The ST Analysis and the translation problems

The subject matter, content, sentence structure and text composition will be kept as they are in the

TT, as this translation is a documentary one.

Presuppositions

1. , Ar-R ’ed one whom his people send to search for water and grass

During the analysis of the presuppositions in the ST, the translator will face the cultural difference

between the ST-R and TT-R represented in this word. This word did exist among the Arab tribes in the

past and its definition, according to almu`jam alwaj z, is

: :

This concept of sending someone to search for water and grass for the tribe does no longer exist in

this technological world in which the TT-R are going to receive the TT. Therefore, the producer of the ST

provided an elaboration of the definition of this word in a footnote. Searching for equivalents for this

word that can have a similar meaning will result in words such as forerunner, herald, explorer and

pathfinder.

According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, the word forerunner is the one that precedes and

indicates the approach of another as a premonitory sign or symptom or a predecessor or ancestor. The

definitions of herald, in Oxford English Dictionary, are “(1) an official employed to oversee state

ceremonial, precedence, and the use of armorial bearings and (historically) to make proclamations, carry

official messages and oversee tournaments, and (2) a person or thing viewed as a sign that something is

Heba Farag 97

about to happen”. In Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, one of the meanings of is

explorer which, in its turn, is defined in Merriam Webster Dictionary as “a person who travels in search

of geographical or scientific information”. Webster Dictionary defines the word pathfinder as “one that

discovers a way; especially: one that explores untraversed regions to mark out a new route”.

All the definitions mentioned above have the meanings of searching and exploring places and

sending information, but they do not have the same concept of the Arabic word, which includes mainly

exploring a place to find water and grass for the tribe. In order to solve this cultural problem, the

translator can transliterate this word for the TT-R, and, at the same time, insert its above mentioned

definition in a footnote by the producer of the ST. This footnote should be replaced by the insertion of its

translation in parenthesis or between brackets next to the word itself in the TT.

Accordingly, the translation of should be Ar-R ’ed (one sent by his people to search for

water and grass). In this way, the word has been adapted to the TC, and has also been kept SC-oriented.

This was what the translator succeeded in doing, and what the researcher agrees to.

2. , A - af A mount in Mecca

The second presupposition in this sermon exists in the word , A - af . The ST producer did not

provide any information about this word because every Muslim knows that this word is the name of a

mount in Mecca, as it is one of the places Muslims go to during ajj (pilgrimage). On the other hand, the

TT addressees include non-Muslims who may not be aware of the meaning of this word.

Therefore, during the translation of this word, the translator should adapt it to the TT-R and make it

TC-oriented. This can be achieved by adding the word Mount next to the word af , as it is part of the

name itself, then adding the prepositional phrase (in Mecca) between brackets or in parentheses next to it.

Therefore, the translation of this word will be TC-oriented. This was what the translator did and what the

researcher agrees to.

3. , W ab h a cry the Arabs used to herald when an imminent danger is about to

encompass their people or tribe

Another presupposition in this sermon exists in this expression W ab h. The meaning of this

expression was provided by the ST producer in a parenthesis next to it because it does not exist nowadays

but did exist in the past. For the translation of this expression, the translator has to adapt it to the TC and

at the same time adhere to the ST. In order to achieve both tasks, the translator should transliterate the

expression itself and translate the definition provided by the ST producer. Therefore, the translation of

this expression will be both TC and ST-oriented. This was what the translator succeeded in doing and

what the researcher agrees to.

4. , y Bani Fihr, y Bani `Adi, y Bani Ka`b , O Bani Fihr! O Bani

‘Adi! O Bani Ka’b!

These are the names of the sub-tribes of Quraish. As some of the Muslims nowadays may not know that

these were the names of the sub-tribes of Quraish at that time, the ST producer provided additional

information elaborating these names. This additional information exists in the phrase ) ( .

As for the translation of these vocative expressions, the translator should take into consideration that

the TT-R do not know that these were the names of sub-tribes of Quraish. Therefore, the translator should

adapt the translation of these expressions to the TC by inserting information elaborating these

expressions. The researcher prefers that these expressions can be translated as follows “O Bani Fihr! O

Bani `Adi! O Bani Ka`b(names of sub-tribes of Quraish)”. The researcher does not agree with what

the translator has mentioned in the elaborating information between brackets “mentioning the sub-tribes

of Quraish by name”, as there is no need to insert the word mentioning, because the vocative “O”

fulfills this purpose, and inserting the word mentioning will be unnecessary.


Lexis

5. , tastayq n to wake up

The root of this word is yaq which means to be awake, to be alert, to wake up or to wake. In the

context of this sermon, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used it in the sense to wake up from sleep as an

antonym of tan m n (to sleep) but he did not say tastayq n min man mikum (to

wake up from sleep) in order to achieve rhythm with . As for the translation of this word, the

translator should add (from sleep) to indicate that it is the opposite of (sleep) because mentioning only

(wake up) can mean any other meaning and may result in the confusion of the TT-R. Therefore, the

translation of this word should be TC-oriented. This was what the translator did and what the researcher

agrees to.

6. , yun d herald

To translate this verb, the translator can choose from words like call, announce, shout or herald. The

context of the ST decides which word is the best equivalent to this word. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

wanted people to gather in front of him to declare his prophethood, which is considered to be a very

important issue. According to Oxford English Dictionary, Merriam Webster Dictionary, and Cambridge

Dictionary, (herald) (n.) means “a sign that something important is starting to happen”, while (herald) (v.)

means “to make something publicly known”.

Undoubtedly, nothing was more important than the declaration of the prophethood of the last prophet

in the world. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) could not have shouted or just called, but could have heralded

them to make them not only approach, but also anticipate that they are going to listen to an important

issue. Therefore, the translation of this verb should be ST-oriented and the best word to achieve this goal

is herald. This was what the translator did, and what the researcher agrees to.

7. , Khayl horsemen

According to almu`jam alwaj z, al khayl means jama`tul afr s and

alfurs n. means horses whereas means horsemen. From the context of the sermon,

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) meant horsemen not horses because it is the horsemen who attack not the

horses. So, the translator should adhere to the context of the ST to convey the real meaning behind this

word and should seek ST-oriented translation. This was what the translator did and what the researcher

agrees to.

Conclusion

This study was set out to explore the translation strategies applied in translating some sermons of Prophet

Muhammad (PBUH). The study has shown that translators should not be loyal to only one approach of

translation, stick to it and reject the other approaches completely. During the translation process,

translators should combine many different approaches together in order to convey the message of the ST

and at the same time meet the needs and expectations of the TT-R. Translators should view texts as

linguistic methods of communication reflecting cultures. The second major finding of this study was that

there should not be a single approach of translation called the linguistic or the functional or the

descriptive or the cultural or whatever. This is because linguistic, communicative, functional and cultural

approaches to translation studies should not be separated; rather they should be combined together.

Returning to the research questions posed at the beginning of this study, it is now possible to state

that translation strategies of the sermons are affected by the cultural background of the TT-R. This was

shown in examples 1 Ar-R ’ed, 4 y Bani Fihr, y Bani `Adi, y

Bani Ka`b, and 5 tastayq n. Another major finding was that the same text can be translated

by the use of different translation strategies at the same time. For example, in the first sermon, for

Heba Farag 99

example, some expressions were ST-oriented such as example 6 yun d and 7 Khayl , others

were TC-oriented such as 4 y Bani Fihr, y Bani `Adi, y Bani Ka`b

and others were both SC and TC-oriented such as 1 Ar-R ’ed.

Another significant finding that emerged from this study was that even the single word can be

translated by the use of different translation strategies at the same time. For example, there were words

that were both SC and TC-oriented such as example 1 Ar-R ’ed; and others were both TC and ST-

oriented such as examples 3 W ab h h,

Another major conclusion that can be drawn from the present study is that the translation of the

sermons has proved not to be merely as ST-oriented as the Glorious Qur’an. This was shown in the use of

different translation strategies in addition to the ST-oriented approach. The last conclusion that can be

drawn from this study is that the translator of the Darussalam translation has succeeded in some cases to

meet the requirements of the TT-R and the ST, and has ignored them in others as was shown in the

analysis of the sermons.

The findings of this study, hopefully, will make several contributions to the current literature in

translation studies in terms of combining different approaches of translation studies in one sermon and

even in one word. This proved the point made by the researcher that all the different approaches of

translation studies should be combined together and should serve each other in order to convey the

message of the ST to the TT-R in the best way.

Further work needs to be done to establish whether or not the use of different approaches

simultaneously can exist within other genres of texts such as literary texts and others.

References

Primary Sources

:: .2002.

:: .

English Sources

1. Cowan, J.M. (1976). The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic. New York: Spoken Language

Services, Inc.

2. Darussalam. (2000). Selected Friday sermons. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Darussalam.

3. Nord, C. (1991). Text analysis in translation: Theory, methodology and didactic application of a model for

translation- oriented text analysis. Amsterdam: Rodopi.

4. Nord, C. (1997a). A functional typology of translations. In A. Trosborg (ed.), Text typology and translation (pp.

43-66). Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

5. Nord, C. (1997b). Translation as a purposeful activity: Functionalist approaches explained. Manchester: St.

Jerome.

6. The Noble Qur’an. English translation by Marmaduke Pikthall. Retrieved from www.islamasoft.co.uk

Secondary Sources

: . :1998.

: : .1994.


: :

.: .1996.

: . : .1952.

: . : - . 2000.

: . : - .

2005.

English References

1. Aly, A. M. A. (2007). The rendering of a selected sample of synonyms in three major translations of the

meanings of the glorious Qur’an. (Unpublished master dissertation). Cairo University, Cairo.

2. Baker, M. (1992). In other words: A course book on translation. London and New York: Routledge.

3. Baker, M. (1998). The Routledge encyclopedia of translation studies. London and New York: Routledge.

4. Baker, M. (2009). Translation studies: Critical concepts in linguistics. London and New York: Routledge.

5. Bernardo, A. M. (2007). 20th century approaches to translation- A historiographical survey. In J. C. Santoyo &

J. J. Lanero (Eds.), Estudios de traduccion y recepcion (pp. 83-99). Universidad de Leon, Spain: Secretariado

de Publicaciones.

6. Gentzler, E. (2001). Contemporary translation theories. Clevdon: Multilingual Matters.

7. Hatim, B. (2001). Teaching and researching translation. Harlow: Longman.

8. Maslow, Abraham H. (1962). Toward a psychology of being. New York: Van Nostrand.

9. Munday, J. (2001). Introducing translation studies: Theories and applications. London and New York:

Routledge.

10. Nassimi, D. (2008). A thematic comparative review of some English translations of the Qur’an. (Unpublished

doctoral dissertation). The University of Birmingham, U.K.

11. Nida, E. (1964). Toward a science of translating. Leiden: E. J. Brill.

12. Reiss, K. (1971/2000). Translation criticism: Potential and limitations. Manchester: St. Jerome.

13. Sawyer, J. F. (1999). Sacred languages and sacred texts. London and New York: Routledge.

14. Serban, A. (2006). Translation and genre: Sacred texts. In Encyclopedia of language and linguistics. (vol. 12,

pp. 47-53). Boston: Elsevier Ltd.

15. Schaffner, C. (1998). Skopos theory. In M. Baker (ed.), The Routledge encyclopedia of translation studies (pp.

235-238). London and New York: Routledge.

16. Snell-Hornby, M. (1988, revised 1995). Translation Studies: An integrated approach. Amsterdam and

Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins.

Online References

1. Garcia de Toro, C. (2008). Translation studies: An overview. Retrieved from

http://www.google.com.eg/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCkQFjAA&url=h

ttp%3A%2F%2Fperiodicos.ufsc.br%2Findex.php%2Ftraducao%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F1001%2F1418&ei

=68xOUuTqGqKV7AaBj4GIDw&usg=AFQjCNGi5mNZtq6lONSx3CEPJaANI6wuPg

2. Keane, W. (1997). Religious language. Annual Review of Anthropology, 26, 47-71. doi: 10.1146/

annurev.anthro.26.1.47

3. Kussmaul, P. (2008). Functional approaches in translation studies in Germany.Ilha do Desterro, 0, p.025.

Retrieved from Directory of Open Access Journals.

4. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathfinder

5. The Oxford Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/

Heba Farag 101

List of Abbreviations Used

AD Anno Domini

AH Anno Hejira

BCE Before Christ

INI Initiator

NP Noun Phrase

PBUH Peace Be Upon Him

SC Source Culture

SL Source Language

ST Source Text

ST-P Source Text Producer

ST-R Source Text Receiver(s)

ST-S Source Text Sender

SVO Subject-Verb-Object

SWT Subhanahu Wa Ta`la

TC Target Culture

TL Target Language

TT Target Text

TrL Translator

TT-R Target Text Receiver(s)

TS Translation Studies

VP Verb Phrase

VSO Verb-Subject-Object

Transliteration Table

Letter in

Arabic

Equivalent in

English

Letter in

Arabic

Equivalent in

English

Letter in

Arabic

Equivalent in

English

‘ z k

a, s l

b sh m

t n

th h

J w,

kh `

d gh h, t

dh f y

r q l

the role of culture in translating the ...90 the role of culture in translating the ... linguistic,...

Documents