SAMPLE QUESTIONS

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1-Why it is highly recommended that translators should study translation theories? Give four
reasons.
1- It helps to identify different categories of translation texts.
2- It enables professionals to criticize translation work.
3- It gives some insight into the relations between thought, meaning and language.
4- Translation of texts helps in understanding other cultures.
2. Attempt a brief definition of equivalence in translation.
is one of the core concepts of translation. It aims at achieving sameness or similarity
between ST and TT taking into consideration the various linguistic and cultural factors which
affect both the SL and the TL.
3. Attempt a brief definition of the propositional meaning of a word or utterance with
examples.
The propositional meaning of a word or an utterance arises from the relation between it and
what it refers to or describes in a real or imaginary world, we can judge an utterance as true
or false.
e.g., the propositional meaning of shirt is 'a piece of clothing worn on the upper part of the
body'. It would be inaccurate to use shirt, under normal circumstances, to refer to a piece of
clothing worn on the foot, such as socks. When a translation is described as 'inaccurate', it is
often the propositional meaning that is being called into question.
4. Attempt a brief definition of the expressive meaning of a word or utterance with
examples.
Expressive meaning cannot be judged as true or false. This is because expressive meaning
relates to the speaker's feelings or attitude rather than to what words and utterances refer
to.
e.g., between Don't complain and Don't whinge does not lie in their propositional meanings
but in the expressiveness of whinge, which suggests that the speaker finds the action
annoying.
5. Presupposed meaning arises from co-occurrence restrictions. These restrictions are of two
types:
1-Selectional restrictions: these are a function of the propositional meaning of a word. We
expect a human subject for the adjective studious and an inanimate one for geometrical.
2-Collocational restrictions; these are semantically arbitrary restrictions which do not follow
logically from the propositional meaning of a word.
For instance, laws are broken in English, but in Arabic they are 'contradicted'. In English,
teeth are brushed, but in German and Italian they are 'polished', in Polish they are 'washed'
and in Russian they are 'cleaned.
6. There are two main areas in which an understanding of semantic fields and lexical sets can
be useful to a translator. What are these?
1-appreciating the 'value' that a word has in a given system; and
2-developing strategies for dealing with non-equivalence.
I. Put True or False
1. The word is the smallest unit of language that can be used by itself. ✅
2. There is one element of meaning in the word rebuild.❌
3. There is always one-to-one correspondence between orthographic words and elements of meaning within or
across languages.❌
4. The term morpheme to describe the minimal formal element of meaning in language.
the minimal formal element of meaning in language.✅
5. The word inconceivable is written as one word but consists of 4 morphemes.❌
6. Some morphemes have grammatical functions such as marking plurality, gender, and tense.✅
7. There are no morphemes that can change the class of the word.❌
8. An important difference between morphemes and words is that a morpheme cannot contain more than one
element of meaning.✅
9. A morpheme cannot be further analyzed.✅
10. When a translation is described as ‘inaccurate’, it is often the expressive meaning that is being called into
question.❌
11. Expressive meaning of words provides the basis on which we can judge an utterance as true or false.❌
12. Selectional restrictions are strictly observed in figurative language. ❌
13. Collocational restrictions are semantically arbitrary.✅
14. A dialect is a variety of language that a language user considers appropriate to a specific situation.❌
15. A patient is unlikely to use swear words in addressing a doctor.✅
16. In the field of temperature, English, in contrast to Arabic, distinguishes between "cool" and "cold."✅
17. Semantic fields are arranged hierarchically, going from the more specific to the more general.❌

II. Choose the right answer

1. A word that have a morpheme marking plurality
a) adult b) funds c) look d) magnificent
2. A word that have a morpheme marking gender
a) manageress b) king c) lawyer d) playful
3. A word that have a morpheme marking tense
a) quick b) warehouse c) never d) considered
4. A word that have a morpheme that adds a specific element of meaning
a) unhappy b) beautiful c) cook d) connotation
5. A word consists of one morpheme
a) likeable b) conceited c) need d) satisfying
6. The difference between Don’t complain and Don’t whinge lies in..........
a) their propositional meanings. b) the expressiveness meaning c) their presupposed meaning
d) their evoked meaning.
7. Laws are broken in English, but in Arabic they are.........
a) contradicted b) smashed c) defeated d) destroyed
8. .......... is a variety of language which has currency within a specific community or group of
speakers.
a) Tenor b) Register c) A dialect d) Field
9. ....... is a variety of language that a language user considers appropriate to a specific situation.
a) Tenor b) Register c) A dialect d) Field
10. ...................is the abstract term for the relationships between the people taking part in the
discourse.
a) Field of discourse b) Register c) A dialect d) Tenor of discourse
11. ...................is the abstract term for the role that the language is playing and for its medium of
transmission.
a) Field of discourse b) Mode of discourse c) Tenor of discourse d) A collocational
restriction
12. The general word is usually referred to as.............
a) superordinate b) synonym c) antonym d) hyponym
13. The specific word is usually referred to as................
a) superordinate b) synonym c) antonym d) hyponym
III. Write the type of the translation problem for the following.
1. The concrete concept airing cupboard in English is unknown to speakers of most
languages.
Culture-specific concepts
2. The source language word may express a concept, which is totally unknown in the target
culture.
Culture-specific concepts
3. The adjective standard (meaning ‘ordinary) expresses a concept which is very accessible
and readily understood by most people, yet Arabic has no equivalent for it.
The source-language concept is not lexicalized in the target language.
4. The word savoury has no equivalent in many languages, although it expresses
a concept which is easy to understand.
The source-language concept is not lexicalized in the target language.
5. A Brazilian word, arruação, which means 'clearing the ground under coffee trees of
rubbish and piling it in the middle of the row to aid in the recovery of beans
dropped during harvesting.’
The source-language word is semantically complex.
6. Indonesian makes a distinction between going out in the rain without the knowledge that
it is raining (kehujanan) and going out in the rain with the knowledge that it is raining (hujan-
hujanan).
The source and target languages make different distinctions in meaning.
7. Russian has no ready equivalent for facilities, meaning ‘any equipment building, services,
etc. that are provided for a particular activity or purpose.’
The target language lacks a superordinate.
8. English has many hyponyms under article for which it is difficult to find precise equivalents
in other languages, for example feature, survey, report, critique,
and many more.
The target language lacks a specific term (hyponym).
9. In some contexts to render the English verb batter (as in child/wife battering) by the more
neutral Japanese verb tataku, meaning ‘to beat’, plus an equivalent modifier such as
‘savagely’ or ‘ruthlessly.’
Differences in expressive meaning.
10. Arabic has no ready mechanism for producing such forms as retrievable and drinkable.
Differences in form.
11. Affixes convey expressive meaning, such as journalese, translationese, and legalese are
more difficult to translate by means of a paraphrase.
Differences in form.
12. Words such as au fait, chic, and alfresco in English are often used for their prestige value.
The use of loan words in the source text.
13. Dilettante is a loan word in English, Russian, and Japanese; but Arabic has no equivalent
loan word.
The use of loan words in the source text.
IV. Write the type of the translation strategy for the following.
1. Source text (English Kolestral Super)
The rich and creamy KOLESTRAL-SUPER is easy to apply and has a pleasant fragrance. Target text
(Arabic):
...‫مما يجعله في منتهى السهولة لوضعه على الشعر‬...‫كوليسترال سوبر غني ومكثف في تركيبته‬
Translation by a more general word (superordinate)
2. Source text (English Kolestral Super):
Shampoo the hair with a mild WELLA-SHAMPOO and lightly towel dry.
Target text (Arabic):
..‫يغسل الشعر بشامبو من ويلال على ان يكون من نوع الشامبو الملطف‬
Translation by a more general word (superordinate)
3. Source text: (English Morgan Matroc – ceramics company brochure)
Because someone mumbles, ‘Our competitors do it.’
Target text: (back translated from Italian):
Someone suggests: ‘Our competitors do it.’
Translation by a more neutral/less expressive word
4. Source text (English China’s Panda Reserves)
Many of the species growing wild here are familiar to us as plants cultivated in European gardens –
species like this exotic lily.
Target text (back translated from Chinese):
We are very familiar with many varieties of the wildlife here, they are the kind grown
in European gardens – varieties like this strange unique lily flower.
Translation by a more neutral/less expressive word
5. Source text (Italian)
«Porca, porca, porca, porca . . .»
Target text (English)
and began to stamp his feet, bellowing, ‘Bitch, bitch, bitch . . .’
Translation by cultural substitution
6. Source text (English The Patrick Collection)
The Patrick Collection has restaurant facilities to suit every taste – from the discerning gourmet to the
Cream Tea expert.
Target text (back translated from Italian):
. . . to satisfy all tastes: from those of the demanding gastronomist to those of the expert in
pastry.
Translation by cultural substitution
7. Source text (English Kolestral Super):
For maximum effect, cover the hair with a plastic cap or towel.
Target text (Arabic):
..‫ يغطى الشعر بواسطة " كاب" أي قبعة بالستيكية تغطي الشعر‬..
Translation using a loan word or loan word plus explanation.
8. Source text (English Kolestral Super):
The rich and creamy KOLESTRAL-SUPER is easy to apply and has a pleasant fragrance.
Target text (Arabic):
..‫كوليسترال سوبر غني ومكثف في تركيبته التي تمنح مستحضرا يشبه الكريما‬
Translation by paraphrase using a related word.
9. Source text (English ‘A secret best seller’, The Independent)
In the words of a Lonrho affidavit dated 2 November 1988, the allegations . . .
Target text (Arabic):
...‫وحسب النص الوارد في افادة كتابية مشفوعة بيمين قدمتها مؤسسة لونرو‬
Translation by paraphrase using unrelated words.
10. Source text (Brintons – press release issued by carpet manufacturer)
They have a totally integrated operation from the preparation of the yarn through to the weaving
process.
Target text (Arabic):
...‫هذا وتقوم الشركة بتنفيذ جميع خطوات اإلنتاج بمصانعها من اعداد الخيوط الى نسجها‬
Translation by paraphrase using unrelated words.