TRANSLATING DIALECTAL EXPRESSIONS AND TERMS EMBEDDED IN SAUDI MODERN NOVELS WITH A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE GIRLS OF RIYADH

Abstract

Purpose of the study: The current study aims to assess the translation of dialectal expressions embedded in the Girls of Riyadh and whether the translation could transfer the overall effect, aesthetic values, cultural atmosphere, style, and pragmatic effect. Methodology: The study has used a corpus linguistic approach for collecting random samples of dialectal terms used in Saudi novels and classified dialectal elements under the rubric of cultural markers and assessed the rendition of these cultural markers in connection with Dickins’ degrees of cultural transposition and House’s concept of covert translation and its criteria. Main Findings: Following the assessment of samples from the novel, the study has found that the translators neither follow domestication nor foreignization and they rely heavily on the communicative translation strategy, and in most cases, dialectal expressions are omitted or rendered into formal English. Applications of this study: The current study can be useful in providing a translation approach for translating dialectal terms and expressions in Saudi novels as it draws their attention to the utmost importance of translating dialect in order to maintain the overall effect of the source culture in the target language text. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study is the first of its kind in addressing the issue of translating Saudi dialectal terms and expressions embedded in contemporary Saudi novels where there is a scarcity in the number of studies dealing with the problems of translating Saudi literature into foreign languages.