Lexical and syntactic problems in the translation of Truswell's ABC of nutrition into Arabic : a model for medical text

Abstract EN

This study aims at investigating the main lexical and syntactic problems encountered by Arab translators of medical texts.

In order to achieve this goal, the researchers have translated into Arabic thirty pages of the English medical book ABC of Nutrition written by A Stewart Truswell.

They found out translation problems related to terms, abbreviations, and syntax (word-order, sentence complexity, voice and adjectival clauses).

However, the researchers used various strategies to solve lexical and syntactic problems and to find the most appropriate Arabic renditions for lexical items or whole sentences.

This study finds out that to solve the translation problem of long medical sentences, the translator should opt for splitting long sentences into shorter ones whenever this is applicable.

It concludes that to end up with an adequate translated medical text; the translator should be a specialist in medicine or at least be aware of medical terms and concepts and that transferring information and facts in scientific texts, particularly medical ones, is more important than transferring the style.