Translating Colloquial Expressions in Political Discourse: Functional Assessment

Abstract

Translating colloquial Arabic expressions is one of the most challenging obstacles faced by Translators. Numerous dialects and cultural nuances exist within these expressions, and resources and dictionaries for colloquial Arabic. The complexity is further heightened if not multiplied in political discourse and speeches, where accuracy is essential to faithfully reflect the speaker's intent. This study aims to examine the translations of colloquial Arabic expressions and the strategies employed by UN translators when translating the speeches of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the General Assembly from 2015 to 2023. This analysis has been conducted on selected excerpts using the five traits of colloquial language identified by McCrimmon (1963). The employed strategies have been then categorized according to Newmark’s (1988) model of translation procedures to evaluate how effectively they preserved Abbas’s political message, cultural references, and intended level of formality. It is found that UN translators employed strategies such as omission, paraphrase, calque, and various coupled couplet strategies. However, in many instances where these strategies have been applied, the translated texts exhibited mistranslation, partial transfer of meaning, and a diminished political message. Additionally, the cultural references and personal tone of Abbas’s text appeared to be systemically reduced. In conclusion, this research offers a deeper understanding of translating colloquial Arabic expressions on formal international platforms and presents an improved method for equally representing political, cultural, and stylistic aspects in translation.