Research Article

Literary Translation and the Challenge of Metaphor: A Study of Translators' Handling of Rhetorical Devices

Authors

  • Abdullah Hamoud Alfauzan Department of Arabic Language and Literature, College of Languages and Humanities, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia
  • Ibrahim Abdelaziz Ibrahim Zeid Department of Arabic Language and Literature, College of Languages and Humanities, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This study addresses the challenge of metaphor in specialized literary translation and examines how translators have tackled it through various rhetorical devices. These devices aim to balance preserving the essence of the original text while adapting to the cultural and linguistic context of the target language. The study provides examples revealing varying degrees of the metaphor's prominence across literary genres: its presence is less pronounced in drama but more significant in poetry, emphasizing that the translator acts as a creative re-creator of the text. The study highlights a distinctive case in the handling of metaphor and rhetorical devices, exemplified by the efforts of the Arab translator, Mohammed Anani.

Article information

Journal

International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation

Volume (Issue)

8 (5)

Pages

612-621

Published

2025-05-24

How to Cite

Abdullah Hamoud Alfauzan, & Ibrahim Abdelaziz Ibrahim Zeid. (2025). Literary Translation and the Challenge of Metaphor: A Study of Translators’ Handling of Rhetorical Devices. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 8(5), 612-621. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijllt.2025.8.5.15

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Keywords:

Creativity, Literary Translation, Metaphor, Mohammed Anani, Rhetorical Devices, Translator