TRANSLATING IDIOMATIC ENGLISH

TRANSLATING IDIOMATIC ENGLISH

PHRASAL VERBS INTO ARABIC

By

Ali Yunis Aldahesh

A thesis

presented to the

University of Western Sydney

In fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

February, 2008

© A Y Aldahesh February 2008

ii

DEDICATION

To my beloved kids: Jaafar, Ahmad and Ielaf

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I should like to express my sincere indebtedness to all those who, without their

generous assistance, this work would not exist. I should like in particular to thank my

chair supervisor Dr. Raymond Chakhachiro for his expert help, insightful comments,

and supportive encouragement, my co-supervisor Professor Stuart Campbell for his

invaluable feedback and his constructive criticism in various stages of completion of

this thesis, and my co-supervisor Dr Rosemary Suliman for going into a number of

issues of this study with me and bringing some great ideas to my attention.

I am profoundly grateful to my colleagues and my dear students who expressed their

interest and agreed to take part in the empirical part of the study. Their responses were

of optimal benefit and are deeply appreciated.

I also warmly thank my colleague Dr. Paul White for his proofreading of the thesis

and for the professional comments and corrections he made.

I owe special dept of gratitude to my colleague Dr. Abbas Brashi for many hours of

invaluable discussions about my plan and proposal from the very beginning of my

candidature.

Finally, I am particularly indebted to my lovely family for their support,

encouragement and patience throughout my long journey. They imparted me with the

most creative environment. Without them, it is true, I would not make it.

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STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICATION

The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original

except as acknowledged in the text. I herby declare that I have not submitted this

material, either in whole or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution.

………………………………………………..

Ali Yunis Aldahesh

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................... xiiiii

LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................................xv

KEY TO TRANSLITERATION SYSTEM ............................................................ xvi

KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS................................................................................. xix

ABSTRACT............................................................................................................ xx

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 1

1.1 Historical background of PVs in English.......................................................... 2

1.2 Justification of the study .................................................................................. 7

1.3 Purpose of the study......................................................................................... 8

1.4 Layout of the study ........................................................................................ 11

1.5 Limitations of the study ................................................................................. 12

CHAPTER TWO:REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE................................ 14

2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 14

2.2 Idioms and idiomaticity in English and Arabic............................................... 14

2.2.1 Idioms and idiomaticity in English.......................................................... 15

2.2.2 Idioms and idiomaticity in Arabic ........................................................... 19

2.3 Definition of PVs in English .......................................................................... 23

2.4 Syntactic properties of EPVs.......................................................................... 27

2.4.1 Word class of EPVs ................................................................................ 27

2.4.1.1 Verbs ................................................................................................... 28

2.4.1.2 Particles ............................................................................................... 29

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2.4.1.2.1 Adverbs............................................................................................. 30

2.4.1.2.2 Prepositions....................................................................................... 33

2.4.2 Syntactic categories of EPVs................................................................... 37

2.4.2.1 Verb + adverb combinations................................................................. 39

2.4.2.1.1 Intransitive PVs................................................................................. 39

2.4.2.1.2 Transitive PVs................................................................................... 40

2.4.2.2 Verb + preposition combinations.......................................................... 41

2.4.2.2.1 Intransitive prepositional verbs.......................................................... 41

2.4.2.2.2 Transitive prepositional verbs............................................................ 41

2.4.2.3 Verb + adverb + preposition combinations ........................................... 42

2.4.2.3.1 Intransitive phrasal-prepositional verbs ............................................. 43

2.4.2.3.2 Transitive phrasal-prepositional verbs ............................................... 43

2.4.3 Word order of EPVs................................................................................ 44

2.5 Semantic properties of EPVs.......................................................................... 49

2.5.1 EPVs' criteria .......................................................................................... 50

2.5.2 Semantic categories of EPVs................................................................... 53

2.5.3 Cohesion of PVs' elements...................................................................... 62

2.5.4 British and American dialects ................................................................. 63

2.5.5 Register variations of EPVs .................................................................... 65

2.6 PVs in Arabic ................................................................................................ 70

2.6.1 Lentzner.................................................................................................. 71

2.6.2 Abboud and McCarus ............................................................................. 78

2.6.3 Heliel...................................................................................................... 79

2.6.4 Alkhuli.................................................................................................... 82

2.6.5 Najiib...................................................................................................... 82

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2.6.6 Siinii, Hussein and Al-ddoush ................................................................. 82

2.6.7 Summary of section 2.6........................................................................... 86

2.7 Derivation of PVs in English and Arabic ....................................................... 90

2.7.1 Derivation in English .............................................................................. 91

2.7.2 Derivation in Arabic................................................................................ 94

2.7.3 Derivation of PVs in English................................................................... 99

2.7.3.1 Deriving PVs from adjectives..............................................................100

2.7.3.2 Deriving PVs from nouns....................................................................100

2.7.3.3 Deriving PVs from Latinate verbs .......................................................101

2.7.3.4 Deriving nouns from PVs....................................................................102

2.7.4 Productivity ...........................................................................................104

2.7.4.1 Productivity in English........................................................................105

2.7.4.2 Productivity in Arabic .........................................................................107

2.8 PVs in English lexicography.........................................................................110

2.8.1 PVs in general English-English dictionaries...........................................111

2.8.2 PVs in specialized English-English dictionaries .....................................113

2.8.2.1 An Analysis and Dictionary of Two-Word Verbs in English

Illustrated in Sentences ...................................................................................113

2.8.2.2 Dictionary of English Phrasal Verbs and their Idioms..........................115

2.8.2.3 Time-Chambers Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs ......................................119

2.8.2.4 Longman Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.................................................122

2.8.2.5 The Student's Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs...........................................125

2.8.2.6 Collins COBUILD Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs ..................................127

2.8.2.7 NTC's Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs and Other Idiomatic Verbal Phrases

.......................................................................................................................131

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2.8.2.8 Oxford Dictionary of phrasal verbs .....................................................133

2.8.2.9 Cambridge International Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs..........................137

2.8.2.10 Oxford Phrasal Verbs Dictionary for Learners of English..................141

2.8.2.11 Summary of section 2.8.2..................................................................143

2.9 PVs in bilingual English-Arabic dictionaries.................................................147

2.9.1 PVs in general English-Arabic dictionaries ............................................148

2.9.1.1 Al-Mawrid ..........................................................................................148

2.9.1.2 Al-Mughni Al-Akbar ..........................................................................149

2.9.1.3 The Oxford English-Arabic Dictionary of Current Usage ....................150

2.9.2 PVs in specialized English-Arabic dictionaries.......................................151

2.9.2.1 English Phrasal Verbs in Arabic..........................................................151

2.9.2.2 York Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs and Their Idioms ............................154

2.9.2.3 Summary of section 2.9.......................................................................157

2.10 Teaching IEPVs..........................................................................................158

2.10.1 Teaching IPVs to learners of English ...................................................158

2.10.1.1 Tom McArthur's method ...................................................................159

1.10.1.2 Colin Mortimer's method...................................................................161

2.10.1.3 Alan Cornell's method.......................................................................162

2.10.1.4 Richard Side's method.......................................................................165

1.10.1.5 Peter Dainty's method........................................................................168

2.10.1.6 Martin Shovel's method.....................................................................169

2.10.1.7 Malcolm Goodale's method...............................................................171

2.10.1.8 Berman and Kirstein's method...........................................................172

2.10.1.9 Peter Hannan's method......................................................................173

2.10.1.10 Darwin and Gray's method ..............................................................176

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2.10.1.11 Joan Sawyer's method .....................................................................180

2.10.1.12 Ron Sheen's method ........................................................................183

2.10.1.13 Rosemary Sansome's Method ..........................................................185

2.10.1.14 John Flower's method......................................................................186

2.10.1.15 Summary of section 2.10.1..............................................................187

2.10.2 Teaching IEPVs to Arab students.........................................................189

2.11 PVs in translation studies............................................................................196

2.11.1 Translating EPVs into other languages .................................................196

2.11.2 Translating English idioms into other languages...................................201

2.12 Conclusion..................................................................................................209

CHAPTER THREE: LINGUISTIC CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS.........................211

3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................211

3.2 Contrastive analysis......................................................................................211

3.3 Contrastive analysis and translation ..............................................................212

3.4 Review of contrastive analysis approaches....................................................215

3.4.1 Juliane House.........................................................................................215

3.4.2 Carl James .............................................................................................224

3.4.2.1 Microlinguistics ..................................................................................224

3.4.2.2 Macrolinguistics..................................................................................225

3.4.3 Equivalence ...........................................................................................229

3.4.4 Theory of sense (Interpretive Approach to Translation)..........................233

3.4.5 Theory of speech acts.............................................................................236

3.4.6 Communicative Competence..................................................................241

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3.5 A linguistic contrastive analysis model for the analysis and translation of IEPVs

into Arabic .........................................................................................................244

3.6 Conclusion....................................................................................................249

CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.............................................251

4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................251

4.2 Research design............................................................................................251

4.2.1 Research questions.................................................................................251

4.3 Participants...................................................................................................253

4.3.1 Arabic professional translators ...............................................................253

4.3.2 Arabic translation students .....................................................................255

4. 4 Data collection.............................................................................................256

4.4.1 Instrument..............................................................................................256

4.4.2 Data collection procedures .....................................................................259

4.5 Data analysis ................................................................................................261

CHAPTER FIVE: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS OF THE TRANSLATION

TESTS ...................................................................................................................265

5.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................265

5.2 General overview of the results of the translation tests..................................265

5.2.1 General overview of the results of the Arabic professional translators' group

...........................................................................................................................266

5.2.2 General overview of the results of the Arabic translation students' group ...269

5.2.3 Summary and comparison......................................................................270

5.3 Subjects' performance in light of the research questions................................274

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5.3.1 Subjects' performance in light of the first research question....................275

5.3.1.1 Summary and comparison ...................................................................278

5.3.2 Subjects' performance in light of the second research question...............280

5.3.3 Subjects' performance in light of the third research question ..................283

5.3.4 Subjects' performance in light of the fourth research question ................285

5.3.5 Subjects' performance in light of the fifth research question ...................288

5.3.6 Subjects' performance in light of the sixth research question ..................291

5.3.6.1 Overtly erroneous errors......................................................................292

5.3.6.1.1 Literal translation .............................................................................293

5.3.6.1.2 Mistranslating ..................................................................................296

5.3.6.1.3 Reducing the idioms to sense ...........................................................298

5.3.6.1.3 Breaching of the Arabic language system .........................................300

5.3.6.2 Covertly erroneous errors....................................................................302

5.3.6.2.1 Wrong Arabic collocation ................................................................302

5.3.6.2.2 Shift of register ................................................................................305

5.3.6.2.3 Incorrect delivery of speech acts.......................................................308

5.3.6.2.4 Usage of paraphrasing......................................................................311

5.3.6.2.5 Usage of Arabic colloquial and regional dialects ..............................313

5.3.7 Subjects' performance in light of the seventh research question..............315

5.4 Conclusion................................................................................................324

CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS..........................325

6.1 Conclusion....................................................................................................325

6.1.1 Summary of the study ............................................................................325

6.1.2 Summary of the findings ........................................................................331

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6.2 Recommendations ........................................................................................341

6.2.1 Recommendations for Arabic professional translators ............................341

6.2.2 Recommendations for Arabic lexicographers .........................................343

6.2.3 Recommendations for Arabic pedagogues..............................................346

6.3 Contributions made by this study..................................................................350

6.4 Directions for further research ......................................................................351

BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................353

APPENDICES .......................................................................................................368

APPENDIX 1:TRANSLATION TESTS ................................................................369

APPENDIX 2: SUGGESTED ARABIC FUNCTIONAL-PRAGMATIC

EQUIVALENTS ....................................................................................................393

APPENDIX 3: FULL DETAILS OF THE RESULTS OF THE TRANSLATION

TESTS ...................................................................................................................413

APPENDIX 4: AVERAGE OF THE STANDARD DEVAITION ..........................468

APPENDIX 5: RANKING THE ITEMS ACCORDING TO THEIR PERCENTAGES

OF THE CORRECT IN A DESENDING ORDER.................................................473

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LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

2.1 Verb + particle combinations ………………………………………..……..……38

2.2 Types and subtypes of verb + particle combinations……….……………………44

2.3 The word order of EPVs ……………………………....……...………………… 46

2.4 Semantic categories of EPVs ………………………..………….……………… 55

4.1 Years of experience of the Arabic professional translators ………...…………. 254

4.2 Text types used in the translation tests and the items representing each type…. 257

4.3 Categories/subcategories covered in the translation tests and the items

representing each category ………...……………………………….……………... 259

4.4 Examples of satisfactory answers ………………………………………….…...262

4.5 Examples of mistakes in the surrounding words …………………………..…...263

5.1 Categories of IEPVs covered in the translation tests ………………………......266

5.2 Average of the correct answers of the Arabic professional translators' group .. 267

5.3 Standard deviation of the Arabic professional translators' group ..……………267

5.4 Ranking the categories and their subcategories-Arabic professional translators'

group ………………………………………………………………….………….…268

5.5 Average of the correct answers of the Arabic translation students' group ...…...269

5.6 Standard deviation of the Arabic translation students' group ………….….……269

5.7 Ranking the categories and their subcategories – Arabic translation students'

group…………………………………………………………..…………….………270

5.8 Differences of the averages of the correct answers ……….……………………271

5.9 Differences of the standard deviation ……………………….…………….……274

5.10 Summary of the performance of the Arabic professional translators' group..…275

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5.11 Summary of results of the Arabic professional translators' group ….……...…276

5.12 Summary of the performance of the Arabic translation students' group .……..277

5.13 Summary of results of the Arabic translation students' group …….……...…..277

5.14 Differences in achieving functional-pragmatic equivalents …….….…….…...278

5.15 Differences of the average of the unanswered items ………...…………….….278

5.16 Differences in achieving functional-pragmatic equivalents of the Complex

idioms category ……….….…………….……….……..……….….………….……281

5.17 Differences in achieving functional-pragmatic equivalents of the Syntactic forms

(s) category ……….………………….………....………………….….……………284

5.18 Differences of achieving functional-pragmatic equivalents of the Derivational

forms category …….………....…….………....……….……….....……….………..287

5.19 Differences in achieving functional-pragmatic equivalents of the Productive PVs

category …….………....……….….………....……….……..………....…………...289

5.20 Examples of literal translations ….………....…….………....….……….....….293

5.21 Examples of mistranslations ….………....…….……….……....…….….…….297

5.22 Examples of idioms reduced to sense .………...………....……..…….....……299

5.23 Examples of breaches to the Arabic language system ……...………………...301

5.24 Examples of wrong Arabic collocations ……...………………...………...…..304

5.25 Examples of register shift ……...…………..……………....……….........……306

5.26 Examples of incorrect delivery of speech acts ……...…...…....……….…...…309

5.27 Examples of Paraphrasing …...…..………...…..………...…..……...…...……311

5.28 Examples of usage of Arabic colloquial and regional dialects ...…......………313

5.29 Performance and years of experience of the Arabic professional translators'

group...….…..…..…..…..…..….…..…..…………………………...…..………...…321

5.30 Performance and stages of study of the Arabic translation students' group ..... 322

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LIST OF FIGURES

3.1 A model for the analysis and translation of IEPVs into Arabic ………………….247