Module: Translation
Department of English
Loose free translation:
This free translation method goes far away from the direct linguistic context to inferences.
It is based on the translator’s conclusions about the speaker/ writer wants to say. In other
words it is the translation of INTENTIONS. In this sense, it is a version of pragmatic
translation. Therefore it does not relate directly to the original context, but it concluded from
it. Here are some illustrative examples:
1- Thank you, Mr. Wilson. Next please.
It is half past nine
Thank you, thank you, ladies and gentlemen
I am frightened
You are a bigmouth !
No bacon with my breakfast, please.
Honesty is the best policy.
Books are very expensive today.
You should bay a lock for your car.
Have you classic records?
(H.Ghazala.2008)
All these translation are conclusions, based on the original. They are indirect,
translation, rendering the meaning intended by the speakers beyond what they said. That is, in
“1” the speaker says “thank you” to a guest or a customer at the end of their meeting, as an
indirect way to ask him or her to leave. So, instead of asking him/her directly to leave, he
goes for “thank you”, which is understood as” will you leave, the interview is over.
The speaker of “2” implies that the time of class, a meeting, etc. Is over, or the time of
leaving, or doing something is due.
In “3” the speaker (e.g. a tennis umpire) likes to be so polite and respectful to people,
so he says “thank you” instead of “quiet”, or “silence, please” to tell them to stop talking and
keep their quiet.
The speaker of “4” means to say that he/she cannot stay on his/her own because he/
she is afraid of something. Therefore, he/she asks the listener to stay with him/her, however
indirectly.
In”5” the speaker uses the idiom, “bigmouth” to express his dissatisfaction with a
person who yells at talking, or talk excessively, noisily, and boastfully. Hence, the translation,
expresses this dissatisfaction, ordering the big-mouthed person to hush in a rude way.
No bacon in ”6” indicates that the speakeris a Muslim because pork is forbidden meat
in Islam, but not in Christianity. That is why the Arabic translation jumps to religion.
On the hand, “7” is taken as an in direct comment on a dishonest act by the hearer.
HenceThe translation,
As to “8” it is it general comment on the expensiveness of books, but understood as
one reason for people’s little interest in reading.
However,”9” is understood by implication to issue a warning against the widespread
car theft and vandalism these days.
Finally, “10” reflects the speaker’s interest in classical music, which is an expression
of his contempt of modern music. The Arabic translation conveys this implied translation.
These are translations that have in a sense deserted their direct, linguistic context.
They are more personnel conclusions by the translator than direct translation restricted in
some way to context. Therefore, other translators may rightly and equally have different
conclusions. In other words, this method of free translation allows such loose freedom for the
translator to go far and translate the intentions and implications beyond the direct context of
texts. It does not matter whether these translations are convincing and justified or not; rather,
what matters is the fact that they do not translate the language and the context on the
page. They reflect indirect inferences and far interpretations of translators. Therefore they
seem completely different from the original to the extent that they can be seen by many as
unrelated to it. So it is not expected from the translator to translate his own conclusions
about a text. Rather he is expected to transmit the text on the page as directly and contextually
as possible into an equivalent TL text that is closely, clearly, directly related to it. The
interpretations and implications beyond it are left to readers to conclude. After all, this is
a matter of respect of them. The translator should not do the reading for the TL readers.
(H.Ghazala.2008).
