The problem of diction in English-Arabic-English translation

Abstract EN

This study provides the translator with the necessary knowledge of word choice strategies to avoid diction problems.

The authors analyzed a large corpus of data obtained from attempted translations of various texts from English into Arabic and Arabic to English.

Error typology was identified and calssified as the result of the following: choosing the wrong dictionary meaning, developing literal translation, making wrong associations between both orthographic and morphological words, and guessing, among others.

Such drawbacks in the work of a translator are often the result of dealing with the context of both the source and target languages simultaneously.

The paper finally provides some practical solutions and recommendations to help minimize diction problems, such as identifying key words and searching for appropriate equivalents based on context, training in text analysis, and distinguishing between single words and their occurrences in combinations to form idiomatic expressions.