Example of Criticising a Translation
The source language text (SLT) is a journalistic news report. It attempts to inform the reader about certain event. On the other hand, The target language text (TLT) is weak and its obvious that the translating process has been done using a translation machine AL WAFI that upholds word-for-word translation. The target language text (TLT) reads foreign. as well as, its difficult to be understood, it does not flow smooothly and does not have a natural feel due to the lexical, grammatical and textual errors that are detected in the text.
In the target language text (TLT), there are many lexical errors have been detected. First, the lexical item "فخامتهم" in the first paragraph does not collocate with "`الملك و الملكة" since in Arabic language the word "فخامة" collocates with "الرئيس" and the word "جلالة" is used to collocate with kings and queens. The second lexical error that detected in the text is the word "حمل" in the second paragraph, which does not collocate at all with the word "محادثات". the word that collocates with "المحادثات" in Arabic language is "عقد". There is another lexical error detected in the text associated with equivalence. The word "القلق" in the second paragraph. The lexical item "concern" means "القلق" in arabic, but in this context it should have been translated into "القضايا", while the translation machine service AL WAFI has disregarded the context which the lexical item appears in and opted only one meaning for the lexical item "situation".
There are also grammatical errors that are detected in the text. The first error associated with the word order in the first paragraph, where an obligatory straucture shift should have been taken place, since in Arabic language we start the sentence with the verb and the word order is (VSO) different from the English lamguage. So the translator machine should have started with "بدأ" the verb, not with "الرئيس" the subject. The second grammatical error is detected in the second paragraph, the word
In the target language text (TLT), there are many lexical errors have been detected. First, the lexical item "فخامتهم" in the first paragraph does not collocate with "`الملك و الملكة" since in Arabic language the word "فخامة" collocates with "الرئيس" and the word "جلالة" is used to collocate with kings and queens. The second lexical error that detected in the text is the word "حمل" in the second paragraph, which does not collocate at all with the word "محادثات". the word that collocates with "المحادثات" in Arabic language is "عقد". There is another lexical error detected in the text associated with equivalence. The word "القلق" in the second paragraph. The lexical item "concern" means "القلق" in arabic, but in this context it should have been translated into "القضايا", while the translation machine service AL WAFI has disregarded the context which the lexical item appears in and opted only one meaning for the lexical item "situation".
There are also grammatical errors that are detected in the text. The first error associated with the word order in the first paragraph, where an obligatory straucture shift should have been taken place, since in Arabic language we start the sentence with the verb and the word order is (VSO) different from the English lamguage. So the translator machine should have started with "بدأ" the verb, not with "الرئيس" the subject. The second grammatical error is detected in the second paragraph, the word