Interpretation and Translation of Figures of Speech in the Holy Qur’an: Implications and Theory

Abstract

This study attempts to examine how rhetorical speech acts interface at the lexicosemantic and pragma-emotive levels in the Qur’an. It examines how these acts are interpreted and translated into English despite the fact that one speech act may convey two or more figures of speech i.e., irony, exaggeration, understatement, satire, etc.   The selected data samples are methodologically classified and interpreted according to Allusional Pretence Theory by Nakamura, and Nida’s Theory of Equivalence. The data samples are qualitatively analysed. The findings show first that there is a vast body of multiple functions and dissociative thoughts resulting from rhetorical speech acts interface in the Qur’anic discourse. The findings show that translating interrelated rhetorical speech acts is a formidable challenging task due to fundamental differences in the syntactic, semantic, phonological and pragmatic aspects differentiating the Arabic linguistic system from its English counterpart. Componential Analysis Approach is found essential in solving the semantic ambiguities of the source language lexical items into the target language text.