To Be Torn Between Approximation and Critique: A Case Study of Christiane Nord’s Translating as a Purposeful Activity: Functionalist Approaches Explained

This paper aims at introducing the experiment of rendering one of the most remarkable books of Christiane Nord, who is regarded as one of the most prominent translation scholars and a salient professor of applied linguistics in Germany, into Arabic, under the title of «الترجمة بوصفها نشاطا هادفا: مداخل نظرية مشروحة». In her book, she dealt with the functional approaches to translation, including new concepts, in theory, which require re-adaptation matching the other culture, i.e., the target Arabic, trying to find a full equivalent or a near-equivalent thereof. The novelty in this field lies in the theorization of translation studies and its theories and concepts as well, except for some cases. It is commonly acknowledged that translation, as a branch of knowledge, is early practiced; it bridged the gap between civilizations and some branches of knowledge among the peoples of the world over ages. However, it was basically based on the axiomatic practice, devoid of any theoretical and interpretative restrictions and criteria indicating the various approaches to translation, not to mention its multiple forms adopted more or less by the translator. Thus, this paper attempts particularly to 1) investigate the obstacles faced by the translator on the onset process of translation, such as the theoretical terms and concepts, including assignment, translational act, translation proper, etc.; 2) analyze Nord’s style, which is characterized sometimes with flexibility and sometimes with contrast, representing an arduous task for the translator, especially when decomposing the codes of the original. Additionally, she uses too long sentences, embedded with other parenthetical clauses, which are challenging for either the reader or the translator, whose task is to put things back together and to re-connect the scattered elements of the image; 3) demonstrate some solutions and strategies adopted in translation, such as glosses, especially in cases of ambiguity or inconsistency, consulting other references for the purpose of documentation and authenticity. Last but not least, it attempts to answer a set of questions represented in the challenges of rendering such a book, including the following: Why did Nord create sometimes inappropriate compound technical terms in German? Why did not she adopt an appropriate equivalent to German words? What is the purpose behind both the excessive use of details and the concise statements or explanations? What is the purpose behind the ambiguous explanations and unnecessary lengthy phrases adopted by Nord in her book? What are the possible strategies and solutions the translator adopted to render the meaning adequately and honestly with no excess or negligence?