The Inter-Semiotic Translation into Arabic of The Non-Verbal Signs in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot (1952)
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Date
2019-02-23
Authors
Mukhemar, Razan
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
جامعة النجاح الوطنية
Abstract
This study investigates the translation of nonverbal signs in Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot into Arabic. It examines Fayez Iskandar’s translation of the play as a case study. The Study runs a close analysis of the nonverbal signs in the play, explains the relevance of these semiotics and their thematic functions and compares them with those of Fayez Iskansdar’s translation of the play text.
To achieve the study goals and provide answers for the proposed questions, analytical, comparative and qualitative methodologies are adopted. The researcher assesses Iskandar’s translation outcomes, identifies and classifies the effectiveness of the translation methods in maintaining the dysfunctional nonverbal system and the incongruous relations and effect.
First, the researcher is engaged in a comprehensive description of the nonverbal signs through semantic analysis followed by an assessment of Iskandar’s translation outcomes through a comparative analysis with regards to their semantic fields and absurd genre.
The study draws the conclusion that the translation of the literary genre of the theatre of absurd requires special attention due to its highly philosophical nature. The researcher analyzes the three translation strategies Iskandar implements for the play’s semiotics: translation by omission, under-translation and rarely, literal translation.
Moreover, the study finds that the use of both omission and under-translation strategies create a loss in effectiveness of the absurd themes of metaphysical anguish, leaves a gap in delivering the theme of inaction and causes a deficiency in the circular structure of the plot and its incongruous relations.
Furthermore, the study considers literal translation, along with the semantic field analysis, as an effective strategy that conveys absurd universal themes and maintains the play-text structure and incoherent coherence of its incongruous relations