Problems of Translating Metonymic Expressions in the Holly Quran

Abstract

Translation is inherently a difficult activity. The difference between a Source Language and a Target Language and the variation in their cultures makes the process of translating a real challenge. According to modern Islamic theology, the Qur'an is a revelation very specifically in Arabic, and so it should only be recited in the Arabic language. Translations into other languages are necessarily the work of humans and so, according to Muslims, no longer possess the uniquely sacred character of the Arabic original. Translators always face difficulties in translating the Holly Quran in general, and figurative language in particular. Metonymic expressions are commonly used in Holly Quran. They illustrate the mentality and environment in which the Arab society lives, thus, making it impossible to translate these metonymies into the English language based solely on its literal translation. This paper aims to identify some errors made by translators in translating the Quranic metonymy, and then analyze them in order to discover the extent of equivalence between translation methods and the intended meanings. Comparison and analysis of data were based on three translations. Abdallah Yusuf Ali Translation of the Meaning of the Glorious Quran into English , Arthur John Arberry The Koran Interpreted, and Al-Hilali and Khan; -Interpretation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur’an. Three verses from different surahs of the Holly Quran have been selected for analysis and comparison. The study reveals that the selected translators adopted different techniques and procedures to reproduce the real meaning of these expressions. Due to the difficulties and obstacles encountered by the translators when translating metonymic expressions, they failed, in some cases, in reproducing the same image and effect of the original metonymy. In fact, they were unable to convey the exact meaning of the metonymy, and they have not retained the metonymical images in the Target Text.