Constrains of Rendering Some Selected Qur’anic Verses (Āyahs) into English: A Socio-rhetorical Interpretation

Abstract

The present study aims to examine  the cultural and lexical  constrains that encounter  the translators  of the Holy Quran in rendering some selected Qur'anic  verses (Āyahs) into English (with reference to three English translations by Khan and Hilali (1996), Pickthall (1997), and Abdel Haleem (2005))  that are based upon the contexts and the interpretive meaning of the elugent and rhetorical expressions   To avert  such cultural and lexical  constrains, the study aims to explore the translation strategies that   are employed by the three translators in rendering the Qur'anic elugent and rhetorical expressions into English . The study has revealed that there are some cultural and lexical  constrains  that face the translators  when rendering Qur'anic   verses (Āyahs) into English. That is  due to  their  sacred status and  cultural and linguistic barriers that exist between Arabic and English cultures..Also, the results of the study have  showed that the three translators have adopted  various strategies such as transliteration, transposing , cultural substitution, and footnotes .It is expected that the study will cast light on  an important  idea. It is essential that translators of the Holy Qur’an must render the meaning of the elugent and rhetorical expressions   of the Noble Qur’an accurately to preserve the original meaning of the Qur’anic text.