AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, Volume 6, Number3. August 2022 Pp.177-199
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol6no3.13
Significance of Performative Speech Acts for the Translation of Nahjul Balagha from
Arabic into English
Khalida H. Tisgam
Department of English, College of Education for Women
University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
Corresponding Author: khalida.hamid@coeduw.uobaghdad.edu.iq
Mehdi Falih alGhazalli
Department of Translation, Faculty of Arts
Al-Mustansiriya University, Baghdad, Iraq
Received: 05/27/2022 Accepted:08/20/2022 Published:08/28/2022
Abstract:
The current study investigates the significance of performative speech acts for translating Nahjul Balagha. Attempting to accredit the claim that performatives are essential for understanding the intended meaning of a text is, speech act theory is employed to show that the different functions of performative acts must be considered in translation. For the elucidation of the potential of this theory, this study employs Searle’s taxonomy. The main question of this study is: How does Imam Ali (A.S.) employs performatives in his letters? In relation to this, the present study aims to see how Imam Ali’s performative acts in Nahjul Balagha are interpreted and then translated into English. To achieve this aim, the study qualitatively analyzes five selected letters from Nahjul Balagha with their English translation by Reza (2003) by comparing the performative function in the source text with the English target text. The results of this study attested the significance of performatives for translating Nahjul Balagha. It has been shown that Imam usually uses various performatives, mainly directives, to effect change in his addressee(s).
Keywords: Directives, Imam Ali, Nahjul Balagha, pragmatics, performative utterances, performativity,
speech acts theory,translation from Arabic into English
Cite as: Tisgam, K. H., & alGhazalli, M. F. (2022). Significance of Performative Speech Acts for the Translation of Nahjul Balagha from Arabic into English. Arab World English Journal for Translation & Literary Studies 6 (3) 177-199.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol6no3.13
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