Translation(3)Lecture[3]

STYLE OF FRONTING & STYLE OF PARALLELISM

Eman Baghlaf

Style of Fronting

• Fronting or foregrounding:

• It means to move a word, a phrase or a clause from its original place in the middle or at the end of a sentence to the beginning (or the front position) of that sentence.

• This can be understood by recognizing the normal word in English language.

• For example, a declarative sentence has the following normal order:

• Subject -Verb-Object/ Complement, when a sentence starts with an object, this object is fronted.

• E.g.: “Allah she worshiped”, instead of : “She worshiped Allah”. Likewise, a complement is usually positioned after the verb:

• E.g. : “in my room he slept”, instead of : “ he slept in my room”.

• As to clauses, the normal clause order in English is the main clause, first, then subordinate clause.

• When the subordinate clause is placed before the main clause, it is fronted.

• For example,

• As he had been caught red-handed, the criminal was sentenced to death.Subordinate clause Main clause

• The reasons for using fronting :

Emphasis

• Both the glorified “الله”and “ غرفتي” are not in their normal positions in Arabic, yet they have to be in such a position to reflect the same function of emphasis and surprise aimed at in the English original.

Allah she worshiped عبدت الله She worshiped Allah الله عبدت

In my room he slept نام غرفتي في He slept in my room في نام غرفتي

Cause and effect

• The subordinate clause is fronted because it includes the cause of the criminal’s sentencing to death. That’s, the sentence has the relation of cause and effect.

• Cause: catching the criminal red-handed

• Effect: sentencing him to death

The conditional clause

• The second clause is conditioned by the first. This is a good reason for fronting the latter, despite being subordinate. In Arabic, this order should be retained to convey the same condition.

If you apologize, I will forgive you

،فسوفأسامحك اعتذرت إذا

• Fronting is used not only at the sentence level, but also at the text level.

• For example,

Round a centrally –placed coffee-table there are three armchairs . To the left of the fireplace is alcove with built- in bookshelves. To the right, a table carrying a television set. Against the wall facing the fireplace stands an upright piano.

. طاولةحول كراسي ثالثة يوجد الوسط، في متمركزة الجهة صغيرة إلى. اليسرى رفوفكتب فيها فجوة الموقد اليمنى من الجهة عليها إلى طاولة

تلفاز . الحائطمقابل جهاز . على عمودي بيانو ينتصب الموقد

صغيرة طاولة كراسيحول ثالثة الوسط يوجد في فيها. متمركزة فجوةاليسرى رفوفكتب الجهة . إلى تلفاز جهاز عليها طاولة الموقد إلى من

اليمنى عمودي. الجهة بيانو الحائطمقابل ينتصب الموقد.على

Style of Parallelism • Parallelism:

• When two structures are identical to one another, they are described as parallel.

• Such parallelism can be important to meaning implying a balance between two or more messages.

• E.g.: My father is ill. My mother is sad. My sister is worried.

قلقة أختي ، حزينة أمي ، مريض والدي

• The structures of these three short sentences are parallel.

• The sentences are well-balanced, not only in structure but also in meaning. That is my father fell ill, my mother felt sad for him, and my sister was worried about him or about both.

Nouns (subjects) Verbs Adjectives (complements)

My father Is ill

My mother Is sad

My sister Is Worried

• Other possible translations:

• . عليه قلقة أختي وكذلك عليه حزينة أمي لذا مريض أبي

ألختي • والقلق ألمي الحزن سبب مريضمما أبي

• Although these are acceptable translations, they are rather explanations. More importantly, they disregard the stylistic device of parallelism which has the functions that are inseparable from meaning

• Another example:

• I always advise my brother not to get nervous when he is dejected. He usually wants me not to be passive when he is angry. Bothe of us often ask our parents not to be worried when we are different.

• These three sentences have identical parallel structures:

• #1

• I always advise my brother

• He usually wants me

• Bothe of us often ask our parents

S+ Adv.+V+O

• #2

• Not to get nervous

• Not to be passive

• Not to be worried

• #3

• When he is dejected

• When he is angry

• When we are different

not+ to+V+C(adj)

Adv.+ S+V+C(adj)

• The function of parallelism is balancing and counter- balancing the three interconnected parts of the message.

1-I always advise my brother ( دائما اخي أنصح

Not to get nervous ( عصبيا يكون أال

When he is dejected ( مكتئبا يكون عندما

2-He usually wants me (عادًة يريدني

Not to be passive ( سلبيا أكون أال

When he is angry ( غاضبا يكون عندما

3-Bothe of us often ask our parents والديه مايرجو غالبا كالنا

Not to be worried قلقين يكونا أال

When we are different مختلفين نكون عندما

• The difference in word order is unimportant . What is important is to retain the word class( i.e. noun ===noun , adj===adj ect) of the original in Arabic, and to use a parallel Arabic word order.

• Thus, the style of parallelism is functional , implying a significant part of meaning. Therefore, in translation into Arabic we should insist on imitating this type of style to reflect the same function.

• When it is not possible for students to produce parallelism in Arabic, they can solve the problem by ignoring it , with a loss of rhetoric, aesthetic effect as a part of the meaning, though.