‫ﺟﺎﻣﻌﺔ ﺳوھﺎج‬

‫ﻛﻠﯿﺔ اﻵداب‬
‫ﻗﺴﻢ اﻟﺘﺮﺟﻤﺔ اﻹﻧﺠﻠﯿﺰﯾﺔ‬
‫اﻟﻔﺮﻗﺔ اﻷوﻟﻰ‬
‫اﻟﻌﺎم اﻟﺪراﺳﻲ‪2019-2020 :‬‬

‫______________________________________________________‬

‫اﻹﺳﻢ‪ :‬رﺣﻤﮫ ﺧﺎﻟﺪ ﯾﺴﻦ‬

‫رﻗﻢ اﻟﺠﻠﻮس‪201382 :‬‬
‫رﻗﻢ اﻟﺒﻄﺎﻗﺔ‪30104082600269 :‬‬

‫اﻟﻤﺎدة‪Introduction to Translation :‬‬

‫اﺳﻢ اﻟﺪﻛﺘﻮر‪ :‬د‪ /‬ﺑﮭﺎء ﻣﺰﯾﺪ‬

‫اﻟﺒﺤﺚ‪Qualities Of A Good Translation:‬‬ ‫ﻋﻨﻮان‬

 • Abstract
This research paper will explain "the characteristics of good and bad
translation", with examples cited as a main idea, and will add some
elements that will help to reinforce the idea of the topic and
communicate it to the reader.
Keywords: Translation, Accuracy, Clarity, Naturalness

• Introduction
Literary fiction readers are highly expectant. They require a book to be
beautiful, thick and multidimensional, able to weave magic and alter something
about the way they view themselves. They want to be entertained too, but on a
smart level. An author capable of creating such fiction must have insight,
language mastery, a compelling sense of rhythm, idiom and nuance, and the
ability to transform inspiration into a stunning, transcendent work of art.
While translating literary works, the job of the translator is to reproduce
sensitively and effortlessly this work of art in such a way that it is true to the
source, as well as being equally enchanting, poetic and perceptive. Grace,
beauty, color and flavor must be captured, and the resulting work must also be
able to be understood by its new audience and be meaningful at all levels. A
translation should have the same virtues as the original, and encourage its
readers with the same response. While drawing comparisons that make it open,
it must represent cultural differences, and strike a fine balance between the
literal and the symbolic, the tale and its melody.
It should be read with the same passion and comprehension by readers in his
new language as it was in the former .(1) “Gill (2009)”
If the economy of government is to be improved by translation, bear in mind the
type of group you are translating into whether they are educated or uneducated,
children or adults, from rural or urban areas, so that the people who will read
your translation will thirst for your book. And if the translations aren't perfect,
people aren't going to enjoy buying the books in which is a waste. But a good
book which is well translated from the language it was written in will be
marketable and will increase government revenue.(2)

1. What is translation?
Translation is the communication of meaning from one language (the source) to
another language (the target) (3). Translation works on re-telling , as accurately
as possible, the context of the original message in a manner which is
understandable in the language in which the translation is made (4)
“Katharine (1975)”. By this concept, translation means saying again what is
said exactly in another language that the translation is achieved without
changing the meaning of the words.
Each language is different. Every language possesses its own grammar,
vocabulary and phrases. To express the meaning of the message he is
translating, the translator must often use grammatical forms and words that
differ from those of the language from which he is translating. That just doesn't
matter.
The main thing is that the message 's meaning is unaltered. A translator 's job is
to translate the essence of the letter, not the words. To ensure a good quality
translation for a translator.

2. Literal Vs Free Translation

There are two kinds of translation in this paper:
Literal translation: It is a translation that depends on the form of the language
the translator uses in the original message.
Free transportation : It is a translation that relies on expressing the language
accurately in the original message and naturally in the language translated into.
Jerome is the one who coined the term literal translation (word-for-word) and
free translation (sense-for-sense). After arguments arose between some
scholars over these terms (e.g. Lambert 1991: 7) and misinterpreting them.
Jerome rejected the word-for-word approach because it produced an absurd or
bad translation, cloaking the sense of the original by following the form of the
ST so closely. On the other hand, the sense-for-sense approach allowed a
translation of the ST 's meaning or material. In these poles it is possible to see
the roots of both the controversy over 'literal vs. free' and 'form vs. material,'
which has continued until modern times.(5) “Jeremy (2008)”
An Example:
Original text Literal translation Free translation
.‫رﺣﻠﺔ اﻷﻟﻒ ﻣﯿﻞ ﺗﺒﺪأ ﺑﺨﻄﻮة‬ A journey of a thousand From small beginnings
miles starts with a step. comes great things.

3. Qualities of a good translation

There are three procedures that must be applied to obtain a high-quality
translation
A good translation is:
• Accurate
• Clear
• Natural
1- Accurate: means sense of the consistency with which the translator
interpreted the original language. Some linguists distinguish between exegetical
accuracy (how close a translated text preserves the meaning of the original text)
and communicative accuracy (how understandable the original meaning is for
the readers of the translated text). In the language into which he is translating,
the translator must re-express the essence of the original message as specifically
as possible.(6) “Dr.Bahaa (2020)”

2-Clear: means writing on a smooth language, It can be easily understood and

free of elements that obstruct comprehension.

3- Natural: means the use of language patterns that are widely used by
translated text readers, even though this is different from the original text
structure. A translation can therefore be ordinary, but not necessarily correct.
A translation should not sound "outsiders." It does not sound like a translation at
all, but like someone who talks in a normal , natural way.

The aim of the translator is to express the message in a way that people can
readily understand. In understanding clarity in translation, Richard C. Blight
observes in translation problems that "the quality of a translation is to clearly
convey the same message that the source text conveyed to its original readers.
The message should be easy to understand. This means the translator must ask
himself these three questions when assessing whether a translation is good or
bad:
1. Is it ACCURATE Translation?
Does the exact sense of the initial message reflect ? Is the sense anyhow
changed?
Notice that an effective translation is not one that is as similar as possible to the
original message form, but one that communicates as precisely as possible the
same meaning.
A translation is incorrect if the translation 's context is anyhow different from
the original document. Kathy Barnwell noted imprecise translation to contain:
Omission: means the absence of a part of the meaning.
Addition: means there is something related to the definition.
Change: means when the meaning has changed or twisted in some ways
For a precise translation, the translator must also consider asking whether the
translation is accurate in the sense that if the meaning is as closing as possible to
the same meaning as the original author was intended to be. Thus, the translator
must not omit, add, or change the meaning of the original message when
translating.(6)

2. Is it CLEAR Translation?
In order for a translator to understand that the translation is clear, as Barnwell
also observed, he must consider the following questions:
"Will the expression convey significance? Do people know what translation
means? In reality what they understand is the original meaning intended by the
author?
The important thing for the translator is that there is nothing in the translation's
wording which makes the message hard to understand. The type of language
used should be the one that makes the message as plain as possible.

3. Is it NATURAL Translation?
In a natural translation , the translator must bear in mind that the people you are
translating to use are the kind of language this is. And whether their hearing is
lively and interesting in its language, or even "sweet."
Is that just natural? He should ask himself why the people are speaking their
language this way. Is that the way people talk about it?
And if a translator is not very cautious, words from the language from which he
is translating would always be carried over. The natural, idiomatic expression in
the language needs careful checking and testing. There may be more than one
way to express that same idea in any language. Any approach can be easier to
understand than another. As a translator, it is your task to articulate the context
in the clearest way, so that it can efficiently convey the message.
If ACCURATE, CLEAR and NATURAL are good translations then what are
the signs of a poor translation? A good translation well communicates the
correct meaning. (7)

A bad translation could:

a. Unclear, Unnatural meaning if the correct meaning is incorrectly
communicated.
b. inaccurate, unclear, unnatural meaning If we deliver the wrong meaning well.
c. inaccurate, but pretty clear and natural If we badly deliver the wrong
meaning. Here is the most harmful form of translation!
Examples:
Original text Good translation Bad translation
1.two peas in a pod. .‫اﺛﻨﯿﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺒﺎزﻻء ﻓﻲ ﺟﺮاب‬ .‫ﻓﻮﻟﺔ و اﻧﻘﺴﻤﺖ ﻧﺼﻔﯿﻦ‬
2. low ball. ‫ﻛﺮة ﻣﻨﺨﻔﻀﺔ‬ ‫رﺧﯿﺺ‬

• Conclusion
The research paper started with an introduction explaining the characteristics of
literary books readers, and some of the conditions that they take in order to
attract the reader's attention, and how they communicate their messages clearly
and smoothly, then discusses the definition of translation to be an introduction
that explains its types. Types of translation vary between literal and free
translation.
This paper highlighted certain qualities a translation needs to have if it is to be
marketable. It must be accurate, clear and natural. When such qualification is
available in some translated content, people would like to buy the goods and it
will raise government revenue.
References
1. Gill Paul, Translation in Practice: A Symposium, (Library of
Congress Cataloging in Publication Data, 2009) page (1-2)
https://www.llvs.lt/img/File/Translation_in_Practice_book.pdf

2. https://www.academia.edu/40117323/WHAT_IS_TRANSLA
TION_

3. https://www.gala-global.org/industry/intro-language-
industry/what-translation

4. Katharine Barnwell, Bible Translation: An Introductory Course

in Translation Principles, 3d ed. Dallas: (SIL International,
2017), 9.

5. Jeremy Munday, Introducing Translation Studies: Theories

and Applications, (2nd ed.; London, New York: Routledge,
2008) page 20
https://books-library.online/free-993511833-download
6. Dr.Bahaa-eddin M. Mazid, Translation Coursebook, 2019-2020,
page 222

7. http://repository.uinjambi.ac.id/993/1/TE.141002_Lisa%20A
gustini_English%20Education%20Program%28BK%29%2
0-%20Novi%20Wulandari.pdf