A Comparative Study on Two Translations of the Holy Qur’an‏:‏‎ A Critical Discourse Analysis Approach

Abstract

The present study, working within the framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), aimed to ‎compare two translations of the holy Qur’an (i.e. the 1955 translation of Arthur Arberry and the 2001 ‎translation of Tahereh Saffarzadeh). Therefore, the researcher, using the three-dimensional analytical ‎framework of Fairclough (1989, 2001) (i.e. description of text, interpretation of the relationship ‎between text and interaction, and explanation of the relationship between interaction and social ‎context) sought to have a critical discourse analysis of these two translations to see whether any ‎difference can be found in them because of some significant parameters such as gender, time, place, ‎ideological beliefs and presuppositions of translators, and …etc. Based on the findings of this study, ‎the researcher came to the conclusion that these two translations are different, and, more ‎importantly, that this difference is not just a linguistic difference, but rather an ideological one. Data ‎analysis indicated that Saffarzadeh’s translation is as interpretive and ideological as possible. Her ‎translation is full of interpretive lexical choices (equivalents) as well as discursive structures (e.g. ‎overcompleteness, euphemism, nominalization, passivization, addition, and…etc.) which are ideology-‎laden and can indicate ideological implications. Arberry’s neutral lexical choices and his attempts to ‎keep the grammatical structure of the signs of the Holy Qur’an, nevertheless, has created a translation ‎which is less interpretive and less ideological.‎