Department of European Languages and Literature
Translation Lane 350
First Semester 1428- 1429
Instructor
: Mrs. Khadijah Bawazeer
Office
: TBA
Office hours : 11-12:30 ST
(Monday & after 3:30 ST by appointment)
Contacts: KAU Extension: 63441, or 0555608499 (messages only)
E-mail: kh_bawazeer@yahoo.com
Course Description
This course aims at building a theoretical understanding of translation history, types,
concepts, strategies, and processes; and enforces application of theory in practice workshops.
By the end of the semester you should be able to perform different basic oral and written
translation tasks with emphasis on accuracy, coherence, and lucidity. (i.e., to concentrate on
translating meaning while staying as close as possible to text) This course consists of lectures
and workshops of individual translation tasks and group translation tasks. Students are
expected to bring selections of different types of material for factual, scientific, journalistic
and literary translation.
Prerequisites:
Good command of reading and writing skills in Arabic and English specially sentence skills
Course Objectives
1. Inform students of basic translation theory; theories on the translation of concepts,
metaphor and terminology and their problematic.
2. Build general translation skills through practice and workshops
3. Build awareness of the different factors involved in translation, i.e., words,
structure, grammar rules, meanings, concepts…etc.
4. Train students in the use of various translation tools: dictionaries, thesauruses,
grammar books, spelling and vocabulary books, electronic translation.
5. Teach the different steps involved in translation in order to present a well done
written translation work: preparation, drafting, editing.
6. Study the importance and the problematic of cultural transference in translation.
7. Train students to perform basic oral translation tasks.
Learning Resources
Required Text: ‫ عز الدين نجيب‬،‫أسس الترجمة‬
Available at Jareer Book Stores, Khawarizm: Building 12
Extra Material:
 ‫عبدالعليم منسي‬.‫ د‬,‫مبادىء الترجمة‬
 Translation As Problems And Solutions, Hassan Gazal
 the Art of Translation, Muhammad Anany, , available at Dar AlShourouq
Bookstore.
 Selected theoretical readings from the writings of Dr. Abdulwahab Almessiri on
terminology, concepts, metaphoric language and perception frameworks like
Language and Metaphor (to be picked up by students from library printing shop)
Some of his work is also available at Tihamah Bookstores.
 General and specialized Dictionaries & thesauruses, online dictionaries.
 Different electronic translation software.
 Useful internet sites such as: www.Arabicwata.org ( the official websites for the
Arab Translators' Society
Daily Class Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Attendance and checking homework and assignments
minutes and review
Quiz & homework collection when assigned
core material
practice
Sum up
Course Guidelines
Students are required to abide by these guidelines:
 You are advised to review the sections covered (in
the lecture) on the same day taken without delay.
 All homework assignments are due the next Sunday
unless otherwise specified.
Requirements &Grading




Fulfillment of all assignments/participation.
Quizzes & class work including presentations: 30 points
A Course project: 10 points
Final: 40 points.
Course Project Description
The aim of this project is to combine the different information and skills the students
learned into one coherent application. By mid of the semester, each student should
present a selection of one English and one Arabic texts to translate and present as her
final class project. Students are expected to apply the skills they learned in the first have
of the semester. When presenting their selections, they should also present their rationale
for choosing these particular pieces for their project. They will be guided through the first
part of their project according to the class time plan.
Deadlines (first draft optional):
Final date for submitting first draft week: 12
Final date for submitting final draft week: 14
Topics


















History of translation (English / Arabic translation)
Factors involved in translation
Types of translation
Process of translation
Using dictionaries and thesauruses
How to produce a good translation
Evaluation, analysis and editing
Oral translation
Conditions of literary translation: translating different levels in a text.
Translating Concepts and terminology.
Synonyms and difference between similar terms like (‫) المصطلح واالصطالح‬
Identifying different translation problems: surface and deep structure, concepts
The Latent epistemological model )‫( النموذج المعرفي الكامن‬
Coining
Translating fiction.
Translating legal text
Translating journalism
Technical and scientific translation
Department of European Languages and Literature
Translation Lane 350
First Semester 1428- 1429
Instructor: Khadijah Bawazeer
Course Timeline
Time
Week 1
Week 2 / S
Content
a)
b)
c)
d)
T
Week 3 /
S
registration
Introduction: Course overview; syllabus and
explanation of class format and requirements.
Pre-course translation assessment from
Arabic English; English  Arabic
(Translation assessments I (Arabic to English):
students are gives a short passage to translate
in class from Arabic to English.
Translation assessments II (English to Arabic):
students are gives a short passage to translate
in class from English to Arabic.)
assignments
Students would
obtain course
book and
dictionaries
a) History of translation.
b) Moral responsibility of the translator ( Edward
Said and Abdulwahab Elmessiri)
c) Types of translation.
d) Factors involved in translation: good language
command of two languages, good writing/oral
skills including vocabulary, structure and over
all texts. ( book 5-16)
Reading pages 516 of Najeeb
a) Introducing important Terminology:
Denotation - Connotation - Text – Subtext –
Context - Metaphor = ‫المجاز‬- Terminology =
‫ المصطلح‬- Perspective = ‫ المنظور‬Lucidity =
‫السالسة‬
Students are
required to bring
hand held
dictionaries for
the next session
b) Discussing the question: why is awareness
important for the translator? Team work:
concept and process; training for group work
& application of process. Evaluating a
translated paragraph and defining problems in
translation.
Homework:
Students are
asked to identify
three problems
in the second
paragraph of the
same translation
selection and to
c) Identifying levels and types of problems in a
a)
T
b)
c)
d)
e)
Week 4
S




T


Week 5
S
T
translated text. Handouts. Example: Work
through the first paragraph of the handouts.
Group Class exercise of one example.
Identifying levels and types of problems in a
translated text
Discussion of homework in groups.
The translator’s tools: Exploring different
types of dictionaries in details: dictionaries
(general and specialized), encyclopedias
(general and specialized), grammar books,
Thesauruses, electronic equipment, electronic
dictionaries & thesauruses, electronic
encyclopedias. Comparisons of various
dictionaries Group work: dictionary usage:
identify the different types of information
given in a dictionary & comparing various
hand held dictionaries.
Introduction to online dictionaries: accredited
and non- accredited such as Google and
Wikipedia and when to use each.
Terminology: reference
Reading quiz 1 ( 5-26) of Najeeb
Assignment discussion: online dictionaries.
Other online references
Translation rules: (‫ & ) يحدد السياق معنى الكلمة‬issues
of reference.
Reading quiz I
Types and Levels of translation: translation of
poetry as example.
 Identification of poetic metaphors.
 Meaning and context (‫) السياق يحدد معنى الكلمة‬
exercise p:25/26 from Najeeb
 Group exercise application: each group tries to
generate as many sentences as possible with the
same word having different meanings in different
contexts
The translation process
The different levels of translation: terminology,
structure, coherence, lucidity
Introduction of Thinking Based Learning
Translating different levels in a text.
Application of Thinking Based
rewrite one
sentence.
Homework:
a- Check two
online
dictionaries and
compare.
b- read pages 1626 ( expect a
reading quiz)
Reading
Assignment:
Translating
names 26-44
Reading
Assignment:
Translating
names 26-44
Homework:
Translating a
passage from
English to
Arabic
( Due: Tuesday)
Homework:
Translating a
Learning Classification Tragedy
Week 6
S

T
Electronic translation: application
Compare and/or contrast two electronic translation
devices ( Thinking Based Learning)
Compare/Contrast electronic translation to fully
manual translation
Project discussion: Learning to divide a translation
task in a group.
Thinking Based Learning Decision making Stategy
Week 7
S
T



Electronic translation: advantages and
disadvantages
Translation software & online translation
Identifying problems in electronic translation
Editing of Electronic translation
Long theoretical quiz
Hajj Break
passage from
Arabic to
English
Read Najeeb 1416
Homework:
translate a
passage
electronically
Make final
decisions about
project
Prepare for quiz
Department of European Languages and Literature
Translation Lane 350
First Semester 1428- 1429
Instructor: Khadijah Bawazeer
Theory Overview


History of translation. History of translation in Arabic:
Early Muslim translators.

Old Arabic dictionaries.
Translation as a process:
123456-


First, read the passage to be translated.
Second, check difficult words.
Third, start translating sentence by sentence.
Forth, check the whole paragraph.
Fifth, check the whole work and finally, edit and revise.
After that, you should proofread for: sentences structure, vocabulary, overall
meaning, coherence and lucidity.
The translator's tools:


dictionaries ( Types of dictionaries: paper, electronic hand held,
computer software, internet on line; general and specialized),
Thesauruses
Encyclopedias (general and specialized); book copies and
computerized.

Types and of translation: oral & written

Types of translation according to the nature of translated material, for example:
literary, journalistic, scientific, legal…etc.

Modes of translation, for example: exact, adaptation, Arabtization …etc of
translation:








‫الترجمة الحرفية‬
‫الترجمة بتصرف‬
‫ة الترجمة الذكية‬
‫الترجمة الملتزمة‬
‫الترجمة االبداعية‬
‫الترجمة الشارحة‬
‫الترجمة التلخيصية‬
‫التعريب واألقلمة واالقتباس‬

Different forms of adaptation: literary, journalistic, scientific…etc.

Levels of translation: words, structures and content )‫( مستويات الترجمة‬

Rules of translation:



The important rule is "The word's meaning is defined by its
context." “ ‫”يحدد السياق معنى الكلمة‬
Honesty.
Accuracy.

Translating purely scientific information

Translating fiction.

Translating legal terminology

Electronic & technical translation. Advantages and disadvantages of electronic
translation.

Translation software.

Translation difficulties: regarding words, structures, and concepts.

Terminology:











Denotation
Connotation
Text – subtext – context
Terminology – ‫المصطلح‬
Metaphor - ‫المجا ز‬
Perspective – ‫المنظور‬
Lucidity - ‫السالسة‬
Accuracy
Reference
Coining
Characteristics of good translation: what makes a good translation


Lucidity (flows easily in reading and clearly understandable).
Accuracy: the importance of accuracy.


Good writing
Skills involved in translation: (A translator must have but if a person
interested in translation does not have these attributes, she/he can
develop them)


Good command of at least two languages. (understanding of proper
grammatical structures in both languages)
Rich vocabulary repertoire.

A fair amount of knowledge & ability to research.

Patience

Knowledge of useful IT skills and electronic software is a plus.