On translating proverbs into Arabic

Abstract EN

Just like other studies that compare two cultures from linguistic, stylistic, and semantic aspects by means of translation, the present study compares English and Arabic proverbs by focusing on points of similarity and difference in structures, meaning and sound features.

This helps to a better understanding of the way the two cultures see the world and the way they interact with it.

Culture and language are two facets of the same coin and as a corollary the thorniest problems faced are due to cultural gaps between the two languages.

Failure to transfer the usually highly condensed language and rhymed memorable expressions is due to linguistic reasons as well as cultural aspects which are related to the way each language sees the world around it.

Moreover, both form and content are to be taken into account because in translating proverbs, just like in dealing with literary texts, the manner and matter are inseparable.