الفهرس 
Naguib MahfouzOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The present study compares the translations of two of Naguib Mahfouz’s novels: The Thief and the Dogs (1961) and Miramar (1967). The former was mainly translated by a native speaker of English in 1984; while the latter was conducted by a non-native speaker of English in 1978. It should be noted that Trevor Le Gassick and M.M Badawi are the translators of The Thief and the Dogs. However, Le Gassick, who is a native-speaker of English, is the main translator; whereas, Badawi, who is a non-native speaker is the co-translator. On the other hand, Miramar was translated by Professor Fatma Moussa Mahmoud, the late Egyptian Professor at Cairo University whose scholarly output was prodigious.
Since the two novels are literary works of art, the source audience is bound to be different from the target audience. In fact, the source audience are the speakers of Arabic who can read the original text; whereas, the target audience are the foreign speakers who belong to different cultural backgrounds. The TT, therefore, succeeds in so far as the translator manages to maintain and preserve the local color and the original setting of the SC. According to the Skopos theory, the TT will be exoticizing or foreignizing and the translator succeeds to the extent that he expands, interprets and paraphrases culture-
specific items or presupposed information by providing footnotes whenever necessary.
II. Significance of the Study:
The assessment of the translations is based on a comparative analysis of both the ST and the TT. This has in turn, provided information about the similarities and differences of the SL and TL structures represented in both texts. According to the Skopos theory, the skopos of a translation is determined by the function, which the TT is intended to fulfill. In our case, since the two novels under study are literary works, the function of the translation is informative. Therefore, the skopos or the intention of the translation is to ensure that the target reader gains intimate and authentic impressions of the values and structures that dominated the Egyptian society at the time when the two novels were written.
III. Research Questions:
The thesis attempts to answer the following questions: First, which of the two translators: the native or the non-native speaker of English was able to preserve the elements of the ST, in order to ensure an authentic reflection of the local color?
Second, how far is the presence of a native speaker of Arabic as a co-translator has helped in transferring cultural nuances and thereby, maintaining a culturally rich background of the novel?
Third, to what extent does the choice of the analytical tools, namely: componential analysis in the case of lexical choices, pragmatic presupposition, figurative language and culture-specific items, has helped in revealing the translators’ success in transferring the local color form the ST to the TT?
Theoretical Framework:
The Skopos theory is the general theoretical framework. The term skopos is a technical term for the aim or purpose of a translation. It was introduced into translation theory in the 1970s by Hans J. Vermeer. In fact, it focuses on the purpose of a translation, which determines the translation methods and strategies that are to be employed to produce a functionally adequate result.
IV. Research Methodology:
The Skopos theory has been adopted as a general theoretical framework. As it is a culture-oriented approach, it allows for an intercultural comparison between the cultures to which the two novels belong. Hence, this study will be limited to the analysis of some features that are relevant to the local color of the two novels, namely: the lexical choices, presuppositions, figurative language and culture-specific items. As a matter of fact, this framework is broad enough to accommodate other tools of analysis such as the use of CA in the case of lexical choices, pragmatic presupposition, figurative language and culture-specific items.
V. The Corpus:
The two novels under study are: The Thief and the Dogs (1961) and Miramar (1967) by Naguib Mahfouz. The former was translated in 1984 by Trevor Le Gassick, who is a native-speaker of English and the main translator and M.M.Badawi, a non-native speaker of English and the co-translator. On the other hand, Miramar was conducted in 1978 by the late Professor Fatma Moussa Mahmoud, a non-native speaker of English.
VI. Chapterization:
The study has been divided into five chapters: the first provides a literary background on Naguib Mahfouz and two of his novels; the second one gives a literary review of the Skopos theory; the third deals with CA and lexical relations; the fourth is about pragmatic presuppositions; and the final chapter examines the transference of figurative language and culture-specific items.
Chapter one: Naguib Mahfouz: A Literary Background. It throws light on Mahfouz’s position as one of the pillars of Arabic literature. A brief review of the literary background of Naguib Mahfouz is essential if a translator is to maintain the flavor of his style. Therefore, this chapter attempts to capture the most salient features of Mahfouz’s life and art. Furthermore, a section of this chapter is devoted to giving the cultural background of the two novels: The Thief and the Dogs and Miramar.
Chapter two: Skopos Theory: A Framework for Analysis. The Skopos theory as presented by theorists like Nord, Reiss and Vermeer are reviewed. Furthermore, it consists of the types of translation processes and some major principles and procedures in translation.
Chapter three: Componential Analysis and Lexical Relations. It deals with two topics which are of great relevance to making accurate lexical choices in translation: first, CA and second, lexical relations. The first topic attempts to break a word or rather decompose it into its components. Features are the components of words and decomposing a word is of great help in translation.
Thus, CA is helpful as a technique of splitting a word into its sense components. In the absence of a TL equivalent, the components are spread over a larger area of the TL. When the TL equivalent is inappropriate, CA also helps in selecting an emotive equivalent. Regarding the lexical relations, a light has been shed on the two sense relations of synonymy and hyponymy. In fact, a review of literature is given on each of the two relations.
Chapter four: Pragmatic Presupposition. It examines the extent to which the translators were able to explain and transfer the presupposed information in the ST to the target audience. Since the two novels are literary works, and since the translation skopos is to provide the target audience with a vivid and authentic picture of the SC, the translators are supposed to preserve the local color of the novels by fully communicating the cognitive, as well as the connotative
meaning. As for the purpose of such communication, the translator may resort to expansion or the use of footnotes.
Chapter five: Figurative Language and Culture-Specific Items. It compares the figurative language and the culture-specific items in the ST to the way they have been translated in the TT. Such a comparison has revealed the extent to which the translators maintained the local color of the two novels. As a matter of fact, this chapter has dealt with the cross-cultural difficulties with respect to the translation of figurative language and culture-specific items in order to detect the translation inaccuracies.
VII. Conclusion:
In conclusion, after analyzing the translations of the two novels; The Thief and the Dogs and Miramar, it has been shown that both translators have their shortcomings. In fact, the TTs turned out to be lacking in some of the important cultural characteristics and failed to a certain extent to maintain or preserve the culture-specific images and items in the ST. Therefore, both translators did not fill the gaps in the knowledge of the target readers.