An Error Analysis of Translation of Qur’ānic Verses: A Case Study of Surah Al-Kahf

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

1 Department of English Language, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran

2 Department of English Language, Baqir Al-Olum University, Qom, Iran

Abstract

This study assessed the quality of two English translations of the Al-Kahf chapter, produced by two prominent translators: Pickthall (1930), a native English speaker, and Qarai (2018), a non-native translator. The evaluation employed the model proposed by Khazaeefar (2012), which emphasizes error analysis. By referencing two commentary texts and two dictionaries of the Quran, the true meanings of the words were established, enabling a comparative analysis of their English meanings against the Arabic terms and identifying errors in the translations. Additionally, errors at the macro level of translation—specifically regarding sentence syntax, coherence, cohesion, and style—were examined. The findings indicated that the non-native translator exhibited fewer errors and produced a higher quality translation than Pickthall (1930). Consequently, it can be concluded that a translator's proficiency in the Arabic language and its structures, along with a contextual understanding, significantly influences the translation of the Quran, and the non-native translator has effectively fulfilled this responsibility.

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©2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers.

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History

  • Receive Date: 11 February 2024
  • Revise Date: 23 May 2024
  • Accept Date: 09 June 2024
  • Publish Date: 01 July 2024

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