The English Translation of Idiomatic Collocations in The Noble Quran: Problem and Solutions

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the ability of translators to translate idiomatic collocations in Quranic text. Quranic collocations have the features of containing figurative or idiomatic meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the components. It is a rhetorical feature that distinguishes Quranic ones. The methodology of this study is descriptive-qualitative. An interpretive analysis is used to examine the data. The authors rely on Baker’s (1992) model which indicates that cultural-specific collocations constitute a problem in translation. The findings of the study show that not all translators were aware of the idiomatic meaning of collocations. This non-awareness results in the inability, by some translators, to translate such collocations equivalently. The study also reveals that literal translation is not a functional strategy to translate idiomatic collocations. Therefore, translators should support their translations by a functional strategy. The findings of the present study have pedagogical implications for the translators in general, translators of Quranic texts and translation students and teachers. Such findings present an essential resource for researchers of Quranic translations, idiomatic meaning of the Quran and problems of Quranic translation between Arabic and English.