Idiomatic Expressions In Translation: The Case Of J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher In The Rye

Résumé: Idioms are structurally fixed expressions whose semantic content is both opaque and culture-bound. The culture-specific meanings of idiomatic expressions pose a complex challenge for translators. In translating idioms, one needs to be familiar not only with the literal meaning of the words making up the idiomatic expression, but also needs to to work out its denotative meaning, understand its cultural background, and navigate its emotional weight and social implications. Adopting Nida's theory of equivalence (1964), this paper explores translation equivalence in an Arabic translation of Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye. In particular, we examine the local procedures applied to translate idiomatic expressions to investigate whether or not the translator maintains the core meaning and conveys the cultural and emotional overtones of the translated expressions. The selected idiomatic expressions have been identified based on Fernando’s theory (1996) and classified in accordance with Nida and Taber’s procedures (1969) under Nida’s theory of equivalence (1964). Analysis reveals preference for functional equivalence over formal equivalence in translating the idioms, which has enabled the translator to maintain idiomaticity in the target text and reproduce the cultural connotations and pragmatic force of the source text idioms.

Publié dans la revue: أطراس