Textual Performativity in the Translation of Sūrah Maryam
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التكافؤ, الإنجازية, التداولية, القرآن الكريم, الترجمة Equivalence, Performativity, Pragmatics, Qur’ān, Translation
Abstract
This paper investigates how five English translations of Sūrah Maryam render illocutionary and perlocutionary dimensions of the text and how the selected translators convey pragmatic meaning in Qur’ānic discourse. Grounded in Austin’s Speech Act Theory, the study adopts a qualitative analytical approach to examine a selection of Ayahs as translated by Arberry, Pickthall, Asad, Abdel Haleem and Shawkat Toorawa. The Study comprises three sections: a theoretical framework delineating Speech Act Theory and Qur’ānic performativity, an analytical section examining selected translations, and a discussion of translational strategies and their pragmatic implications. The findings point out that the translators either prioritise formal adherence to the source text, limiting accessibility to target readers, or domesticate the source text to meet target-readers’ expectations, thereby compressing the performative force of the source text. The paper highlights the constraints inherent in translating sacred texts, notably the Qur’ān and underscores the need for a translation model that systematically accounts for the text’s pragmatic dimension.
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