Translating Humorous Expressions into Arabic with Reference to Loss, Gain, and Compensation

Siddig Ahmed Ali Mohammed

Abstract


This study is concerned with translating humorous expressions from English into the Arabic Language with reference to Loss, Gain, and Compensation. The idea of the research developed from an observation by the researcher that when the target audience watches a drama of funny episodes, it is hard to interact, laugh or even smile, although the drama may be accompanied by subtitles in Arabic language. The study aims to illustrate the causes of untanslatability and loss, gain, and compensation in humor translation. To achieve the aims of the study, the researcher selected a sample of 10 humorous quotes and jokes from different hilarious resources, including episodes, movies, and sitcoms and other plays. The study was conducted qualitatively and descriptively by meticulously analyzing the translated quotes to probe the causes of loss in humor translation. The study results showed that humorous expressions encounter loss, gain and compensation which require a deep understanding of context and require a sense of humor from the audience and translators besides SL culture involvement. Moreover, the overall findings showed that many humorous expressions have no counterparts in Arabic Language, therefore, loss and gain and compensations are inevitable. Based on the findings, the study concluded that humorous expressions are more frequent and with multi-version and lack the equivalence in Arabic language. It also concluded that the types of humor are an essential element in reducing the sharp difference between the SL quote and its equivalent in the TL and the loss of humor in many cases is inevitable. Finally, the study explicated the main causes and the necessary strategies of loss, gain and compensation to transfer humor into Arabic Language.


Keywords


Humour, Loss, Gain, Compensation, Superiority, Incongruity, Relief

Full Text:

PDF

References


Attardo, S. (2001) Humorous Texts: A Semantic and Pragmatic Analysis. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter & Co.

Baker, M. (1998). In other words: A coursebook on translation. London and New York: Routledge.

Bryant. (2009): Compensation and Compromising. www.Translation-blogtrustedtranslation.com.

Degabriele, J. & Walsh, I. P. (2010). "Humour appreciation and comprehension in children with intellectual disability." Journal of

Diot, R. (1989), Humor for Intellectuals: Can it Be Exported and Translated? The Case of Gary Trudeau‟s In Search of Reagan‟s Brain, Meta : journal des traducteurs / Meta: Translators' Journal,Volume 34, numéro 1, mars 1989, p. 84-87

Dizdar, D. (2014). Instrumental Thinking in Translation Studies. Target: International Journal on Translation Studies, 26(2), 206–223.

Dynel M.(2009) Developments in Linguistic Humour Theory. John Benjamins Publishing.

Dynel, M. (2009). Beyond a joke: types of conversational humor. Language and Linguistics Compass, 3(5), pp. 1285-1299.

El Refaie, E. (2011). The pragmatics of humor reception: Young people's responses to a newspaper cartoon. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 24(1), 87- 108.

Freud, S. (1960). Jokes and their relation to the Unconscious. New York.

Hervey, S., & Higgins, I. (1992). Thinking Translation. London & New York: Routledge.

Hockett, F. (1972) ‘‘Jokes”. In: Estellie Smith (ed.). Studies in linguistics in honor of George L. Trager (New York: Mouton), 153–178.

Korkut, N. (2005). Kinds of parody from the medieval to the postmodern. (Unpublished PhD thesis), Middle East Technical University, Ankara.

Larson, M. (2008). Meaning-based translation: A guide to cross-language equivalents. Lanham: University Press of America.

Lili, Z. (2012). Understanding humor based on the incongruity theory and the cooperative Principle. Studies in Literature and Language, 4(2), pp. 94-98.

Low, P. (2011) Translating Jokes and Puns. In: Perspectives: Studies in Translatology, 19, 1. London, New York: Routledge.

Martin, R. (2007). The psychology of humor: an integrative approach. Burlington: Elsevier Academic Press

Munday, J. (2016) Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications, London: Routledge.

Newmark, P. (1991). About translation. Great Britain: Cromwell Press Ltd.

Raskin, V. (1985). Semantic mechanisms of humor. Dordrecht: D. Reidel.

Schwarz, J. (2010). Linguistic aspects of verbal humor in stand-up comedy. (Unpublished PhD thesis), University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Sherzer, J. (1985) Puns and jokes. Handbook of discourse analysis: discourse and dialogue, ed. by Teun A. Van Dijk, 213–21. London: Academic Press.

Vandaele, J. (2002). Introduction: (re-) constructing humour: Meanings and means." In: Vandaele, J. (ed.), Special Issue of the Translator, 8, 2, 49-172.

Vandaele, J. (1996). Each time we laugh: Translated humour in screen comedy. In: Vandaele, J. (ed.), Translation and the (re)location of meaning. Selected papers of the CETRA research seminars in translation studies, Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 237-272.

Vandaele, J. (2010). Humor in Translation. Handbook of Translation Studies 1: pp.147–52.

Zhang, L. 2012. Understanding Humor Based on the Incongruity Theory and the Cooperative Principle. CS Canada Studies in Literature and Language 4 (2), 94-98.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.8n.6p.16

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

2012-2023 (CC-BY) Australian International Academic Centre PTY.LTD. 

International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature

To make sure that you can receive messages from us, please add the journal emails into your e-mail 'safe list'. If you do not receive e-mail in your 'inbox', check your 'bulk mail' or 'junk mail' folders.