Equivalence in Translating Metaphors and Idioms in King Hussein’s Political Speeches

This study deals with equivalence in the translation from Arabic to English of metaphors and idioms in the political speeches of King Hussein of Jordan. It argues that intertextuality and ideology are of paramount significance when translating culture-bound metaphorical expressions in Arabic political speeches and that dealing with these phenomena is unavoidable if translators wish to render the intended cultural meaning of the Arabic metaphor. This study draws on a data sample selected from thirty speeches originally delivered in Arabic by King Hussein and their English translations. Using Newmark’s (1988) typology of culture those examples involving metaphorical expressions have been categorized under the headings of (1) religious culture; (2) social culture; (3) political culture; and (4) material and ecological cultures. The study stresses the importance of grasping the intertextuality, emotiveness, and ideology embedded in Arabic political speeches when attempting to translate the metaphorical expressions they contain into English.