Investigating Translation Shifts and Modulation in Literary Translation: A Case Study

Hala J. Alshahrani, Waleed Samir Ali, Maha Al-Harthi, Dalia M. Hamed and Wesam M. A. Ibrahim

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 2023, vol. 12

Abstract: The present research paper examines the techniques of shifts, as proposed by Catford (1965), and modulation, as proposed by Vinay and Darbelnet (1995), adopted by Ahmed Khaled Tawfik in his translation of Palahniuk’s Fight Club. Accordingly, this paper seeks to detect the examples of modulation and the types of shifts employed, the reasons for their adoption and the most frequently used techniques of translation between English, the source language, and Arabic, the target language. The findings illustrate that all types of shifts are employed with a noteworthily frequent use of structure shifts, both optional or obligatory and argues about the structural divergence between English and Arabic. There are not so many modulation examples. It seems that Tawfik tries largely to adhere to the source text with some optional shifts so as not to appear as a translator who practises purely literal translation. This paper’s value lies in its detailed examination of Tawfik’s technique, drawing attention to the differences between English and Arabic language systems.

Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bjz:ajisjr:2378

DOI: 10.36941/ajis-2023-0045

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