University of Leicester
Browse

Foreignisation and Domestication of Neologisms and Idioms in the Arabic Translation of Harry Potter

Download (3.52 MB)
thesis
posted on 2019-11-19, 10:15 authored by Alshaymaa Y. Alharbi
This study investigates the translation of the children’s fantasy series Harry Potter, by the English writer J.K. Rowling, into Arabic. It focuses on three books from the series: the second, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the fifth, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the seventh, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The study covers the issue of cultural understanding between the Western and Arab world. The main focus is the predominance of foreignisation or domestication in the Arabic translation explored through an investigation of the translating of idioms and neologisms. The study also examines the factors that may have influenced the translator’s choices of foreignisation or domestication. The methodology used is a comparative analysis of the source and target texts to examine the translation of idioms and neologisms. To carry out the analysis, the study introduces typologies and adapted models of analysis of idioms and neologisms. In addition, a small-scale interview study was carried out with a group of Saudi children to explore their reactions to the Arabic translation of Harry Potter. Paraphrase was the main strategy used to render idioms while transliteration was the most common way of dealing with neologisms. The translators tended to combine domestication and foreignisation, but domestication tends to predominate in the translation of idioms and foreignisation tends to predominate in the translation of neologisms. Foreignisation is used to entertain in the target text while domestication results in a fluent and naturally sounding text. The discussion suggests that didacticism, entertainment, the publisher, foreign literature, reading habits, and the source text genre are factors influence the translator’s choices. Two main impacts of the translator’s choices on Arab readers have been identified: enhancement of Arab children’s knowledge of foreign culture and values, enabling them to function as global citizens.

History

Supervisor(s)

Kirsten Malmkjær; Ahmed Elimam

Date of award

2019-09-30

Author affiliation

School of Modern Languages

Awarding institution

University of Leicester

Qualification level

  • Doctoral

Qualification name

  • PhD

Language

en

Usage metrics

    University of Leicester Theses

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Keywords

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC