‘TRANSLATION ANALYSIS OF A FAREWELL TO ARMS WRITTEN BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY, TRANSLATED BY ASHFAQ AHMAD AS WIDAA-E-JUNG’

1Translation studies project

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY

M.A ENGLISH LITERATURE & LANGUISTICS

4th SEMESTER-SECTION A

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

Subject: TRANSLATION PROJECT

SUBMITTED TO: MADAM NIGHAT

SUBMITTED BY:

HUMA ASLAM

HUMA HAFEEZ

SUMAIRA BIBI

KINZA GHAFOOR


‘TRANSLATION ANALYSIS OF A FAREWELL TO ARMS WRITTEN

BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY, TRANSLATED BY ASHFAQ AHMAD AS

WIDAA-E-JUNG’

INTRODUCTION:

Translation is “the process of turning an original or "source" text into a text in another

language1.” It is communication between humans; however, unlike most human linguistic

communication, it is tied to communication between two parties that do not understand one

another without the mediation of a middleman – a translator.

“Translation has a central core of linguistic activity, it belongs most properly to semiotics,

the science that studies sign systems or structures, sign processes and sign functions”2.

Beyond the notion stressed by the narrowly linguistic approach, that translation involves the

transfer of `meaning' contained in one set of language signs through competent use of the

dictionary and grammar, the process involves a whole set of extra-linguistic criteria also.

According to Nida and Taber in The Theory and Practice of Translation, “Translating consists

in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source-

language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style”.

Our project is about translation analysis of A Farewell to Arms (English text) by Ernest

Hemingway translated as Widaa-e-Jang (Urdu text) by Ashfaq Ahmad. Although the manner

and the style of English language differs to some extent as compared to Urdu language, even if

the translator tries his best to retain authenticity. In our present project, we are going to analyze

that how the manner and the style are different in the two languages. "To translate, one must

have a style of his own, for otherwise the translation will have no rhythm or nuance, which come

from the process of artistically thinking through and moulding the sentences; they cannot be

1Jeremy Munday2 Hawks, Structuralism and Semiotics, London, 1977

http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/rhythmterm.htm

http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/styleterm.htm


reconstituted by piecemeal imitation. The problem of translation is to retreat to a simpler tenor of

one's own style and creatively adjust this to one's author3."

We have selected two texts for this project. One is in English language (the source text) and the

other is it’s translation in Urdu language (target text). For the purpose of analysis, we will apply

the models, approaches and theories on respective texts, more specifically the translated text. The

following novels are selected for the analysis in this project. Novel is A Farewell to Arms by

Ernest Hemingway and its translation is Widaa-e-Jang by Ashfaq Ahmad.

HYPOTHESIS:

“Ashfaq Ahmed is acknowledged as a globally-renowned playwright, intellectual and

spiritualist.”

It is assumed that the target text (translated by Ashfaq Ahmad) has succeeded in providing the

aesthetic pleasure to the readers in approximately the same manner as that of the original one.

INTRODUCTION TO THE SOURCE TEXT:

Hemingway was the most influential fiction writer of his generation who changed the way many

of his contemporaries expressed themselves. Ernest Hemingway was an American author and

journalist. His style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction.

Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and won the

Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. After high school he reported for a few months for The Kansas

City Star, before leaving for the Italian front to enlist with the World War I ambulance drivers. In

1918, he was seriously wounded and returned home. His wartime experiences formed the basis

for his novel A Farewell to Arms. He published seven novels, six short story collections and two

non-fiction works. Many of these are considered classics of American literature.

When it was published in 1929, A Farewell to Arms was considered to be the bestseller. It was

built on the theme of universal loneliness in the midst of war, and it left the impression of

overwhelming emotion severely controlled, conveyed with the fewest possible words. That was

the typical of the best of Hemingway‘s writing.

3 Paul Goodman, Five Years: Thoughts During a Useless Time, 1969


The love story of A Farewell to Arms is narrated against the background of war. In the course of

the novel, there are many references to the war and troops-movement. In fact, the novel is as

much a story of war as of love. A Farewell to Arms deal with the subject: the condition of man in

a society upset by the violence of war. The setting of the novel is war itself, and the romance of

Frederic Henry and Catherine Barkley, their attempt to escape the war and its resulting chaos is a

parable of the 20th century man’s disgust and disillusionment at the failure of civilization to

achieve the ideals it had been promising throughout the 19th century.

The novel opens with World War I raging all over Europe. A young American student, studying

architecture in Italy, offers his services to the Italian army. In Gorizia, he is wounded in the knee

and is sent to recuperate in a hospital in Milan. He falls in love with an English nurse, Catherine

Barkley, then he lives with her, and she becomes pregnant. He returns to the front in Gorizia and

is caught in the Italian retreat. In order to save his life, he deserts his post and goes away to a

hospital in Milan to take Catherine and go some place where they can start a new life. They go to

Switzerland but cannot live happily, for a fresh tragedy awaits them. Their eagerly awaited son is

stillborn and Catherine, who can never have a normal delivery, dies after a Caesarean operation.

A Farewell to Arms was the first to be made available in Urdu. Its Urdu translation is done by

well-known writer and journalist Ashfaq Ahmed, under the name of Widaa-e-Jang.

INTRODUCTION TO THE TARGET TEXT:

Ashfaq Ahmed was one of the most prolific Urdu writers in Pakistan. He was a distinguished

playwright, broadcaster, intellectual and spiritualist. He wrote the finest works in Urdu. He

started writing stories in his childhood.

He completed his Masters in Urdu literature from Government College Lahore. He worked as a

teacher at Dayal Singh College, Lahore and at Rome University. He worked in Radio Pakistan

as a script writer. He also joined Radio Rome as an Urdu newscaster. During his stay in Europe,

he learned Italian and French languages from the University of Rome and University of

Grenoble, France. He took out his own monthly literary magazine; Dastaango. Ashfaq Ahmed

started his popular radio program, Talqeen Shah which made him immensely popular. He was

appointed director of the Markazi Urdu Board. He also served as adviser in the Education

Ministry.


Ashfaq Ahmed's subtle sense of humor and deep thoughts are reflected in his writings. His

popular TV plays include Aik muhabbat sau afsanay, Uchhay burj Lahore dey, Tota kahani,

Hairat kadah and Mun chalay ka sauda. All through his life, Ashfaq Ahmad endeavored to

reform the society through his writings. He had authored over twenty five books including a

travelogue, Safar dar Safar with a typical style. In fact, he gave a new mold to diction and locale.

He used Punjabi literary words very well in Urdu and introduced a new kind of prose. Ashfaq

Ahmed, in his later period of life, was greatly inclined towards Sufism, which was visibly

reflected in most of his works.

Ashfaq Ahmed has translated Ernest Hemingway's famous book, A Farewell to Arms as Widaa-

e-Jang. In ‘taaruf’ (introduction) of the translation he has written a short account of

Hemingway’s life. He has not written a summary of the source text, but told about author’s

intention of writing the source text. He has not provided any translator notes about his method of

translation.

LITERATURE REVIEW:

Translation has always been understood to refer to a written transfer of a message or meaning

from one language to another. For a formal definition, Dubois says “translation is the

expression in another language (or target language) of what has been expressed in another,

source language, preserving semantic and stylistic equivalences” (in Bell, 1991: 5).

The theoretical framework for Translation theories, models and analogies has to be drawn, for

the understanding of the Translation system, and to determine its validity for application in real

life translation.

The explanation of the system is the theory of the scientist which, when passed on to the other, is

realized as a model.

A theory is an explanation of a phenomenon, the perception of the system and order of

something observed. It has no tangible manifestation. It is an idea which constitutes the internal

representation of phenomenon.


A model is, in contrast, an external manifestation, rather than an internal representation of the

explanation; a realization of the theory/pedagogy. It exists as a tangible object or form which

‘stands’ for the idea embodied in the theory/pedagogy.

Translation theory, in fact, limits its activities to the level of technique or that of method, while

what is required is a principled approach from which the rest can flow.

In order to assess that how far the translator has succeeded in making the text to meet all the

standards of textuality, different translation theories, models and approaches are applied on the

text. The applied theories, models and approaches help to check the validity of the translated

text. Moreover these are applied in order to see the levels of differences occur in writing in

different languages.

The models selected to analyze the target text in our present project are;

Eugene Nida And The Science of Translating

Roman Jacobson: The Nature of Linguistic Meaning and Equivalence

Vinay and Darbelnet’s Model

Katharina Reiss’s Text Typology

1. EUGENE NIDA AND THE SCIENCE OF TRANSLATING:

Nida and Taber in their book; The Theory and Practice of Translation (1969) listed some

universal features of text that should be taken into account in translation:

“…all languages do have certain important features which can be used, and which in

’effective’ communications are used, to mark the units larger than sentences”

Equivalence is a preoccupation of the American Bible translator Eugene Nida who rejects the

“free” versus “literal” debate in favor of the concept of formal and dynamic equivalence – a

concept that shifts the emphasis to the target audience. This was done in order to make reading

and understanding the Bible easier for people with no knowledge of it. Let us examine his model

of translation as shown in Figure below (1964: 146):


In this model, Nida divides the translation process into a decoding phase and an encoding phase

in between the transfer of the message (M) from the source to the target language (A to B). This

model is clear and makes sense in a number of ways.

In the history of translation, the Bible has very often been translated by a source-language

speaker into the target language (from his mother tongue (A) into his foreign language (B)); this

version would often be edited and written in ‘correct target language’ by a target-language

speaker.

Eugene Nida's gave two types of equivalence: formal and dynamic. Formal equivalence

“focuses attention on the message itself, in both form and content” “Principles of

Correspondence” in (Venuti, 129). Formal equivalence centers on the form and content of the

message of the ST while dynamic equivalence, later termed functional equivalence (Venuti

p.148), “aims at complete naturalness of expression” (Munday p.42) in the TT. His 1964 Toward

a Science of Translating and his co-authorship with Taber in 1969 of Theory and Practice of

Translation aim at creating a scientific approach incorporating linguistic trends for translators to

use in their work (Munday p.38).

Dynamic equivalence is based upon “the principle of equivalent effect”. In this sort of

translation the emphasis is on the “dynamic relationship” between message and receptor, and

care is taken that “the relationship between receptor and message should be substantially the

same as that which existed between the original receptors and the message” (129). Catford terms

such translations ‘free' as opposed to ‘literal' translations; Dagut goes even further and classifies

them as ‘reproductions' rather than translations. Nida points out that there are a “number of

intervening grades” between these two poles of translation. Recent trends in translation,

however, seem to be inclined towards dynamic rather than formal equivalence.


The British translation theorist Peter Newmark, influenced by the work of Nida, feels that the

difference between the source language and the target language would always be a major

problem, thus making total equivalence virtually impossible (Munday p.44). He replaces the

terms “formal equivalence” and “dynamic equivalence” with “semantic translation” and

“communicative translation”, and alters the focus of the translation back to the ST with his

support for a literal approach.

2. ROMAN JAKOBSON: THE NATURE OF LINGUISTIC MEANING AND

EQUIVALENCE:

Douglas Robinson writes that for some translators “the entire purpose of translation is achieving

equivalence. The target text must match the source text as fully as possible” (p.73)

Roman Jakobson’s study of equivalence gave new impetus to the theoretical analysis of

translation since he introduced the notion of 'equivalence in difference'. Linguistic meaning and

equivalence are the key issues for the Russian structuralist Roman Jakobson who, in his 1959

work On Linguistic Works of Translation, states that there are 3 types of translation:

Intralingual (rewording or paraphrasing, summarizing, expanding or commenting within

a language)

Interlingual (the traditional concept of translation from ST to TT or the “shifting of

meaning from one language to another” (Stockinger p.4)

Intersemiotic (the changing of a written text into a different form, such as art or

dance (Berghout lecture 27/7/05; Stockinger p.4).

For Jakobson, meaning and equivalence are linked to the interlingual form of translation, which

“involves two equivalent messages in two different codes” (1959/2000: p.114). He considers

Saussure’s ideas of the arbitrariness of the signifier (name) for the signified (object or concept)

and how this equivalence can be transferred between different languages, for example the

concept of a fence may be completely different to someone living in the suburbs or a prison

inmate. He expands on Saussure’s work in that he considers that concepts may be transferred by


rewording, without, however, attaining full equivalence. His theory is linked to grammatical and

lexical differences between languages, as well as to the field of semantics.

Jakobson claims that, in the case of interlingual translation, the translator makes use of synonyms

in order to get the ST message across. This means that in interlingual translations there is no full

equivalence between code units. According to his theory, 'translation involves two equivalent

messages in two different codes' (ibid: 233).

Jakobson goes on to say that from a grammatical point of view languages may differ from one

another to a greater or lesser degree, but this does not mean that a translation cannot be possible,

in other words, that the translator may face the problem of not finding a translation equivalent.

He acknowledges that 'whenever there is deficiency, terminology may be qualified and amplified

by loanwords or loan-translations, neologisms or semantic shifts, and finally, by circumlocutions'

(ibid:234). Jacobson provides a number of examples by comparing English and Russian

language structures and explains that in such cases where there is no a literal equivalent for a

particular ST word or sentence, then it is up to the translator to choose the most suitable way to

render it in the TT.

There seems to be some similarity between Vinay and Darbelnet's theory of translation

procedures and Jacobson's theory of translation. Both theories stress the fact that, whenever a

linguistic approach is no longer suitable to carry out a translation, the translator can rely on other

procedures such as loan-translations, neologisms and the like. Both theories recognize the

limitations of a linguistic theory and argue that a translation can never be impossible since there

are several methods that the translator can choose. The role of the translator as the person who

decides how to carry out the translation is emphasized in both theories. Vinay and Darbelnet as

well as Jacobson conceive the translation task as something which can always be carried out

from one language to another, regardless of cultural or grammatical differences between ST and

TT.

So Jakobson's theory is essentially based on his semiotic approach to translation according to

which the translator has to recode the ST message first and then s/he has to transmit it into an

equivalent message for the TC.


3. VINAY AND DARBELNET’s MODEL:

A classical model and one which has had a very wide impact is the Vinay and Darbelnet model.

Vinay and Darbelnet in their book Stylistique comparée du français et de l’anglais came in 1958

and its revised form in English in 1995, thirty seven years after the original. It compare the

differences between English and French and identify two translation techniques that somewhat

resemble the literal and free methods (Vinay and Darbelnet in Venuti p.128). Vinay and

Darbelnet identified two general translational strategies direct translation and oblique

translation and these two strategies comprise seven procedures.

Direct (literal) translation discusses three possible strategies:

1. Literal translation: it is word-for-word translation. According to Vinay and Darbelnet

it is most of common between languages of same family and culture.

2. Calque: SL expression is literally transferred to the TL, such as the English character

‘Snow White’ in French becomes ‘Blanche Neige’, because the normal word

configuration in English of ‘white snow’ would be transferred as ‘neige blanche’

3. Borrowing: SL word is transferred directly into the TL.

When literal translation is not possible, Vinay and Darbelnet say that the strategy of oblique

(free) translation must be used. This covers further four procedures:

1. Transposition: interchange of parts of speech that do not affect the meaning, a noun

phrase for a verb phrase.

2. Modulation: This changes the semantics and point of view of the S.L. It is a procedure

that is justified, in the words of the English edition, ‘when, although a literal, or even

transposed, translation results in a grammatically correct utterance, it is considered

unsuitable, unidiomatic or awkward in the T.L.

3. Equivalence: Vinay and Darbelnet used this term to refer the cases where languages

describe the same situation by different stylistic or structural means. It is particularly

useful in translating idioms and proverbs.

4. Adaptation: cultural references may need to be altered to become relevant (Vinay and

Darbelnet in Venuti pp129-135).


Direct translation proceduresBorrowing

Calque

Literal Translation

Oblique translation procedures

Transposition

Modulation

Equivalence

Adaptation

Table 1 Vinay & Darbelnet’s model of translation procedures

Two other important features arise from the work of Vinay and Darbelnet. The first of these is

the idea of “servitude”, which refers to the compulsory changes from ST to TT; and “option”,

which refers to the personal choices the translator makes, such as the modulation example

above. Option is an important element in translation because it allows for possible subjective

interpretation of the text, especially literary texts (Munday pp. 59-60).

These seven main translation categories operate on three levels, i.e. the lexicon, syntactic

structure, the message.

To facilitate analysis where oblique translation is used, Vinay and Darbelnet suggest numbering

the translation units in both the S.T and T.T. The units which have the same number in each text

can then be compared to see which translation procedure has been adopted.

4. KATHARINA REISS’S TEXT TYPOLOGY:

In 1970’s Katharina Reiss introduced the concept of text type which builds on the concept of

equivalence but views the text rather than the word or sentence as the level at which the

communication is achieved and at which the equivalence must be sought. Her functional


approach initially aims at systematizing the assessment of translations. It borrows Karl Buhler’s

three way categorization the functions of language. There three functions of language, according

to Reiss, are linked to the corresponding language dimensions and to the text types or

communicative situations in which they are used.

The main characteristics of each text types as summarized by Reiss, are as follows;

1. The first type of text is the ‘Informative text’. The function of language in this text is to

represent objects and the facts. There is a plain communication of facts i.e. the

information, knowledge and opinions etc are transferred are transferred to the readers of

the translated text. The language dimension used to transmit the information is logical

and referential. The content is the main focus of this type of text, the translated text

should transmit the referential content i.e. it should aim to transmit the information, facts

and object of the source text.

2. The second type of text is the ‘Expressive text’. It is actually a ‘creative composition’, in

which the author of the translated text expresses the sender’s attitude. The translation

method is identifying method, in which the translator adopts the perspective of source

text author. Form of text is focused on in this type and the author uses the aesthetic

dimension of language. The sender or author of the original text is fore grounded.

3. The third type of text is the ‘Operative text’. The function of the language is appellative

in this type i.e. it makes appeal to the reader or receiver of the text in a certain way. The

translation should employ the ‘adaptive method’, thus creating an equivalent effect

among the TT readers. This adaptive method is actually concerned with changing the

behavior of the readers of the text. The form of language is dialogic and the focus is

appellative.

4. The fourth type of text, according to Reiss, is the ‘Audio medial text’. Such text

include films and visuals and spoken advertisements which supplement the other three

functions with visual images, music etc.

Reiss also lists a series of intra linguistic and extra linguistic instruction criteria by which

adequacy of the target text may be assessed.

Intralingual criteria involve semantic, lexical, grammatical and stylistic features.


Extra lingual criteria involve situation, subject field, time, place, receiver, sender and ‘affective

implications’. (Irony, humor, emotion etc)

For an expressive text, it is important to retain the metaphor in the translation of an expressive

text than in informative text, where translation of only semantic value alone will be sufficient.

(Munday:72-74)

According to Reiss (1976), the assessment of a translation requires that in the first place one

must determine the kind of text the original represents (in term of text type and text variety); the

translator's conception of the translation (to be inferred from his manner of translating, and

perhaps also explicitly stated in a translator's preface); and the aim of the translated text. Only

when these factors have become established is one in a position to judge a translation "fairly", in

accordance with the appropriate criteria. (Reiss 1976:97-100.)

Text concept Translation type Translation aim

Text = sum of words word-for-word translation (interlinear)

comparative linguistic research

Text = sum of sentences literal translation (grammar translation)

foreign language learning

Text = basic linguistic sign

learned translation (deliberately marked + commentary)

study of culture-bound language differences

Text = verbal component of a communication process (text-with-a-function)

communicative translation

a) normal case

b) special subtype

a) integral communicative performance

b) all kinds of changes of function

Table 2 Katharina Reiss’s model of translation typology


ANALYSIS OF THE TARGET TEXT:

EUGENE NIDA AND THE SCIENCE OF TRANSLATING:

Eugene Nida rejects the “free” versus “literal” debate in favor of the concept of formal and

dynamic equivalence – a concept that shifts the emphasis to the target audience. His introduction

of the formal and dynamic equivalence was crucial in introducing a receptor-based (or reader-

based) orientation to translation theory.

Eugene A. Nida (1964) distinguishes between formal and dynamic equivalence in translation. He

says “formal equivalence” refers to a faithful reproduction of source-text form elements

whereas a “dynamic equivalence” refers to equivalence of extra linguistic communicative effect

(Nida 1964 in Nord 1997: 5). Moreover, in “A Framework for the Analysis and Evaluation of

Theories of Translation” (1976) Nida emphasizes the purpose of translation, the roles of both the

translator and the receivers or recipients of translation, and also the cultural implications of the

translation process.

Nida’s model of equivalence is applicable to the translation of A Farewell to Arms as Widaa-e-

Jung. Examples from the text are as follows:

1. Formal equivalence is described as; it focuses attention on the message itself, in both

form and content. It is actually word to word translation of the text.

ST (Source Text) TT (Target Text)

The trunks of the trees too were dusty and

the leaves fell early that year.(pg 7)

اس اور تھے چکے ہو آالود گرد بھی تنے کے درختوںتھی۔ ہوگئ شروع جلد بہت جھڑ پت (pg 5) سال

The plain was rich with crops, there were

many orchards of fruit trees and beyond

the plain the mountains were brown and

bare.(7)

پھلدار ۔ اور تھی کھڑی فصلیں بجا جا میں میدان

تھے موجود یہاں باغ کئ کے درختوں

آاتے نظر ننگے اور خاکستر پہاڑ پرے سے میدان


تھے

(Pg 5)

The next year there were many victories.

(pg 8)

ہوئیں فتوحات بڑی سال (pg 6) دوسرے

The day had been hot.

(pg 21) ۔ تھی رہی گرمی بھر (pg 26) دن

The carpet on the stairs was worn.

(pg 115) تھا گھساپٹا نہایت قالین ہوا بچھا بر pg)سیڑھیوں

167)

I stepped out into the rain and the carriage

started.

(pg116)

دی چل بگھی اور ہوگیا کھڑا میں بارش کر اتر ۔ میں

(pg 168)

The roads were muddy.

(pg 118) ۔ تھا کیچڑ پر (pg 173) سڑکوں

I went to the door and looked out.

(pg 128) ۔ لگا دیکھنے باہر اور گیا چلا تک دروازے میں(pg 189)

The girl looked at me fiercely.

(pg 141) طرف میری سے کرختگی نہایت نے لڑکی اس۔ دیکھا

(pg 209)

Later we were on a road that lead to a

river. (pg 150)

بعد طرف کی دریا جو ہولئے پر سڑک ایسی ایک ہم میں


(pg 224)

We were supposed to wear steel helmets

even in Gorizia.(pg 25) بھی میں گوزریا کہ تھی جاسکتی کی توقع سے ہمکریں رہا پہنے خود فولادی ۔ہم

(pg 32)

From the above instances, it can be seen that sentences from source text (ST) is translated word

to word in the target text (TT) i.e. Urdu.

2. Dynamic equivalence is defined as the relationship between receptor and message which

is substantially the same as that which existed between the original receptors and the

message. It is actually sense to sense translation of the text.

ST (Source Text) TT (Target Text)۔

Sculpture had always seemed a dull business.

(pg 25)

لگتا کام والا دینے اکتا بڑا سے ہمیشہ تراشی بت مجھے۔تھا

(pg 31)

It’s not my leg. I got a rupture.

(pg no. 29)

شکایت کی ورم نہیں،صرف نقص کوئ تو میں ٹانگ(pg 38)ہے

The driver came out of the door with papers

for the wounded in the car.

(page no. 29)

پیش کاغزات وہ مجھے اور نکلا باہر سے میں کار ڈرائیورتھے متعلق سے زخمیوں موجود میں کار جو کیے

(pg 38)

I drove coming back and went fast with the

empty

car to find the man from Pittsburgh.(30)

کیو‍نکہ دی کر تیز رفتار کی کار نے میں پر واپسیتھا رہا ستا خیال کا سپاہی کے جوہرٹسبرگ مجھے

(pg 40)

The column stalled again in the night and did

not start. I got down and went back to see

میں سکا۔ چل نہ پھر اور گیا رک ٹریفک پھر کو راتکرنے دریافت خیریت کی بونیلو اور ایمو اور اترا نیچے


Aymo and Bonello. Bonello had two sergeants

of engineers on the seat of his car with him.

They stiffened when I came up. (140)

سارجنٹ دو اور انجینئر پر سیٹ کی بونیلو دیا۔ چل

سے کنچھے کنچھے وہ ہی دیکھتے تھے۔مجھے بیٹھےبیٹھے ہو پرے

(pg 209)

They were ruddy and healthy looking (152). تھے۔ ہورہے گلابی چہرے کے فوجیوں صحتمند ان(pg 226)

They did not talk but we could not have heard

them because of the noise from the river.(pg

152)

بھی باتیں وہ اگر لیکن تھا۔ خاموش بالکل رسالہ سارا یہشور کا دریا کیونکہ پہنچتی نہ تک ہم آاواز انکی تو کرتے

ڈوبتا لے کو آاوازوں انکی(pg226 )

It was beginning to be light enough,

so I could see the bushes along the shore-line.

(163)

اگی کنارے کے دریا اور تھی رہی پھیل روشنی کی دنتھی لگی آانے نظر جھاڑیاں ۔ہوئ

(pg 244)

While we play billiards, we drank champagne.

(181)

پۓ پیک کئ کے شیمپئن ہوۓ کھیلتے بلیرڈ نے ہمتھے(pg 270 )

I went to the door very softly, not to disturb

Catherine, and opened it. (188)

کو کیتھرین میں پہنچا تک درواذے پاوں دبے میںکھولا پٹ سے آاہستہ نے میں تھا۔پھر چاہتا نہیں جگانا

(pg 281)

From these instances, it can be seen that sentences from source text (ST) is translated sense to

sense in the target text (TT) i.e. Urdu. The meaning of the source text is closer to the meaning of

target text.

2. ROMAN JAKOBSON: THE NATURE OF LINGUISTIC MEANING AND

EQUIVALENCE:


Roman Jakobson in On Linguistic Aspects of Translation, described three kinds of translation;

intralingual, interlingual and inter-semiotic. Jacobson examined the key issues of interlingual

translation (i.e. translation between two different written languages) notably linguistic meaning

and equivalence.

Jakobson has built his model on the relation set out by Saussure between the signifier (the

spoken and written signal) and the signified (the concept).together, the signifier and the signified

form the linguistic meaning; that is arbitrary. He then moves on to consider the thorny problem

of equivalence in meaning between words in different languages. Jacobson says that: ‘There is

ordinarily no full equivalence between code-units.’

Jakobson’s model of linguistic meaning and equivalence is applicable to the translation of A

Farewell to Arms as Widaa-e-Jung. For example, the English word patriot is translated in Urdu

as Razaa kaar. Though there is no full equivalence between code-units in English and Urdu but

still the meaning is conveyed. For the message to be ‘equivalent’ in source text (ST) and target

text (TT), the code-units will be different since they belong to two different sign systems

(languages) which partition reality differently.

As in Jakobson’s description, interlingual translation involves ‘substituting messages in one

language not for separate code-units but for entire messages in some other language’. Thus it is

not any inability of one language to render a message that has been written in another verbal

language. (Jakobson 1959/2004; 139)

For Jakobson, cross-linguistic differences centre on obligatory grammatical and lexical forms;

‘languages differ essentially in what they must convey and not in what they may convey’ .

(Jakobson 1959/2004; 139)

The differences in interlingual translation (English-Urdu, vice versa) occur at:

1. The Level of Gender:

There are certain nouns which are feminine in English language but are masculine or

neutral in Urdu. Likewise, sometimes it is the other way around. For example,



A bat flew

Page no. 75

ہوئ اڑتی چمگادڑPage no.111

the moon shone through

Page no. 261

لگا چمکنے چاندPage no. 290

the lake widened

Page no. 261

تھی گئی ہو چوڑی کر پھیل جھیلPage no. 290

the wind blew

Page no. 276

چلتی ہوا تیزPage no. 305

they should declare war on her (Austria)

Page no. 79

گا کرے جنگ خلاف کے ؟آاسٹریاPage no. 84

From the above examples it can be observed that ‘moon’ is neutral in English while it is

masculine in Urdu. Likewise, ‘Austria’ is feminine in English while masculine in Urdu.

2. The Level of Aspect:

The level of aspect involves the change of part of speech.


I couldn’t conscientiously open a knee

Page no. 97

بات اس مجھے ہی ضمیر میراگا دے نہ اجازت کیPage no. 106

Don’t talk

Page no. 97

کرو۔ ختم باتیںPage no. 106


As in the above-given examples, ‘Conscientiously’ is adverb in English while it is noun

in the Target text i.e. Urdu.

3. The Level of Semantic Fields:

The main focus of the level of semantic fields is equivalence in meaning between the two

languages.


Races

Page no. 94

دوڑ گھڑPage no. 134

Bandaged

Page no. 94

بندھا میں پٹیوںPage no. 134

Bowed

Page no. 115

سلام کر جھکا سرPage no. 167

sunset

Page no. 57

روشنی کی شفق Page no. 48

tanneries

Page no. 188

کارخانے۔ والے رنگنے چمڑاPage no. 208

Undressing

Page no. 38

کرنا تبدیل کپڑےPage no. 36

horse-drawn carts

Page no. 188

گاڑیاں۔ گھوڑاPage no. 208

British batteries

Page no. 42

خانے توپ انگریزPage no. 41

wedge like gap

Page no. 261

شگافPage no. 290

steer

Page no. 261

پھیرنا رخ کا کشتیPage no. 290


under your arm

Page no. 261

بغلPage no. 290

Close

Page no. 260

قریب قریب Page no. 289

noble

Page no. 260

الشان عظیمPage no. 289

marble

Page no. 260

مرمر ِگگ سنPage no. 289

ambulance

Page no. 260

شفاخانے سفریPage no. 289

As in the first example, there is one word ‘sunset’ in the source text while in the Urdu language

in order to achieve equivalence in meaning, it has been translated into more than one words in

Urdu.

VINAY AND DARBELNET’S MODEL:

Vinay and Darbelnet carried out a comparative stylistic analysis of French and English. They

noted the differences and identified the translation strategies and ‘procedure’ in the texts of both

the languages i.e. source text and target text. The two general strategies identified by them are:

1. Direct translation

2. Oblique translation

Both the strategies comprising seven procedures can be found in the translation of the text A

Farewell to Arms into Widaa-e-Jung.

Direct Translation:


Direct translation is a literal or word for word translation. It covers the following three

procedures:

1. Borrowing:

In borrowing, the word in the source language (SL) is directly transferred into target

language (TL). It is done to bridge the semantic gap between two languages. For example,


station

page no. 116

سٹیشن Page no. 168

Radiator

Page no. 140

ایٹر ریڈیPage no. 208

first

Page no. 108

فسٹPage no. 104

machine

Page no. 108

مشین Page no. 104

x-ray

Page no. 108

ایکسرےPage no. 104

surgeon

Page no. 108

سرجنPage no. 104

Shawl

Page no. 191

شالPage no. 214

Gear

Page no. 191

گیئرPage no. 214

socialist

Page no. 191

سوشلسٹPage no. 214


regiment

Page no. 191

رجمنٹPage no. 214

Seats

Page no. 35

سیٹوںPage no. 45

unit

Page no. 35

یونٹPage no. 45

mess

Page no. 35

میس Page no. 45

Espagette

Page no. 35

اسپاگئیPage no. 45

Bench

Page no. 35

بنچPage no. 45

truck

Page no. 35

ٹرکPage no. 45

stock-yard

Page no. 35

یارڈ سٹاک Page no. 45

Cabin

Page no. 35

کیبنPage no. 45

hoyle

Page no. 35

ہویلPage no. 45

porch

Page no. 35

پورچPage no. 45

Order

Page no. 35

آارڈرPage no. 45

In all of the above examples words in source language are directly transferred in target text.

2. Calque:


Calque is ‘a special kind of borrowing’ in which the source language expression is

transferred in a literal translation. For example,


Fuse cap

Page no. 80

کیپ فیوزPage no. 118

Medals

Page no. 118

میڈلز Page no. 174

clearing station

page no. 135

سٹیشن کلئیرنگPage no. 201

Field hospitals

Page no. 135

ہسپتالوں فیلڈPage no. 201

metal to metal brakes

Page no. 35

بریکوں مکینیکلPage no. 45

golden gate

Page no. 35

گیٹ گولڈنPage no. 45

wheel

Page no. 35

وہیلPage no. 45

Sergeant

Page no. 35

سارجنٹ Page no. 45

differential

Page no. 35

ڈفرنشیلPage no. 45

ambulance

Page no. 35

ایمبولنسPage no. 45


In the above examples, Urdu substitutes of the words like ambulance, golden gate etc could be

used by the author, but he borrowed these words as it is from the source text, and transferred the

source language expression in a literal translation.

3. Literal Translation:

It means word for word translation. For example,


Rotten

Page no. 182

خراب Page no. 271

Delightful language

Page no. 185

زبان پرلطفPage no. 276

Noble young man

Page no. 74

نوجوان طبیعت نیکPage no.109

Good man

Page no. 189

النفس شریفPage no. 210

Good night

Page no. 190

بخیر شبPage no. 210

In cases where literal translation is not possible, the strategy of oblique translation is used.

2. Oblique Translation:

Oblique translation refers to the free translation of the source text into the target text. The

following four procedures fall in the oblique translation.

1) Transposition:

It is a change of one part of speech for another without changing the sense. For example,



You talked out loud

Page no. 143

تھے رہے بول اونچے اونچے آاپPage no. 213

He slept heavily

Page no. 211

ہے۔ کرتی ہوا گہری بہت نیند اسکیPage no. 234

‘I was very extravagant darling’, she said,

‘but it’s a fine.’

Page no. 148

بڑا گاوں لیکن خرچی فضول تو کی لگی، کہنے وہہے۔ خوبصورت

Page no. 161

In the first example, the word ‘loud’ is a verb in the source language which shows some action.

While in its translation it has been changed to noun that is ‘bol’. Similarly in the second

example, the word ‘slept’ is a verb in the source language which shows some action. While in its

translation it has been changed to noun that is ‘neend’

2) Modulation:

It changes the semantics and point of view of source language. It exists in sentences where

the translator changes the sentences in such a way e.g. affirmative to negative, active to

passive, etc. but meaning remains the same as shown through the given examples. For

example,


If I had brains I wouldn’t be here.

Page no. 151

کیا ہوتا یہاں میں تو ہوتی عقل میں مجھ ؟اگر

Page no. 225

Why haven’t you brains, anarchist?

Page no. 151

بھلا۔ آائ نہ کیوں عق تجھے دشمن حکومت اےPage no. 225


the Austrians were sons of bitches

Page no. 95

لگا دینے گالیاں کو لوگوں آاسٹرینPage no. 104

I shook hands with the third doctor

Page no. 98.

ملایا ہاتھ باری باری ساتھ کے ان نے میں Page . پھر

no. 107

you wouldn’t be in bed

Page no. 108

کہا۔ کو رہنے نے کس کو آاپ بھلا میں بستر لیکنPage no. 99

we’re all friends here

Page no. 160

ہے ہیں۔ ن تو غیر کوئی یہاںPage no. 177

I didn’t say anything

Page no. 211

رہا۔ خاموش میںPage no. 233

no one was talking

Page no. 215

تھی خاموشی طرف ہرPage no. 238

3) Equivalence:

Equivalence is used to refer to the cases where different languages describe the same

situation by different stylistic or structural means.


It was all right.

Page no.185

مجھے اور گۓ جھٹ بادل کے وسوسوں تمامرہا۔ نہ اندیشہ کا قسم کسی

Page no. 273

It is a very unattractive wisdom

Page no. 187

ہے۔ شے بھونڈی نہایت تو دانشمندی ایسیPage no. 279

I said I had killed plenty خاکسار کہ کیا اقبال ساتھ کے انکساری جھٹ نے میں


Page no. 95 ہیں مارے آاسٹرین کئی نےPage no. 104

And much lifting I was upstairs and in bed

again

Page no. 95

چہرہ پرور سکون پر بستر اپنے نے میں کرکے خدا خدا اوردیکھاPage no. 104

an army travels on its stomach

Page no. 195

سہارے کے پیٹ اپنے ہمیشہ فوجہے چلتی Page no. 216

In the above examples, the translator has used idioms and proverbial expressions while

translating simple sentences but still the meaning is fully conveyed.

4) Adaptation:

It involves the changing of cultural reference when a situation in the source language culture

doesn’t exist in the target language culture. For example,


Go to hell

Page no. 52

پہہ تم ہو لعنتPage no. 73

I hope to Christ not.

Page no. 149

کرے نہ خداPage no. 222

it was like being put to bed after early

supper

Page no. 72

ابھی ہےاور گئی ڈال میں بستر کر کھلا کھانا مجھے اماںگی سنائیں کہانیاں مجھے کر نکل پریاں میں اندھیرے

Page no. 75

for Christ’s sweet sake take me to some

room

Page no. 83

چلو لے میں کمرے کسی مجھے لیے کے Page خدا

no. 91

Christ, I say it’s rotten ہوں کہتا سچ قسم کی پروردگار پاک اس


I say it’s rotten. Jesus

Page no. 40 Page no. 39

Jesus Christ, ain’t this all a goddamn war?

Page no. 41

ہے جنگ لعنتی حد بے یہ قسم کی پاک .Page no خدا

40

they’ll shell the hell out of us

Page no. 52

گے کریں بمباری ایسی پر ہم وہگا جائے آا یاد دودھ کا چھٹی کہPage no. 50

The given examples show that the writer has used or changed the words according to his beliefs

and cultural context.

KATHARINA REISS’S TEXT TYPOLPGY:

The target text (TT) i.e. Widaa-e-Jung is both an expressive and informative text.

The informative text is one which provides us information about the facts. In this case, the

target text provides us information about the details and horrors of the World War.

1. Language and Dimension:

Being an informative text, the Target Text represents the full accounts of objects and figure.

Examples from the source and target texts are given below:


At the front they were advancing on the Carso,

they had taken Kuk across from Plava and

were taking the Bain-sizza plateau.

Page no. 85

تھیں رہی بڑھ جانب کی کاسو فوجیں ہماری پر محاذ دنوں اناور تھا۔ جاچکا کیا قبضہ پر کوک کر بڑھ سے جانب کی پلاوہ

جاری کوششیں کی لینے کو بانیزاPage no. 97

Many Germans in Italian uniform mixing with پہنے وردیاں اطالوی فوجی جرمن سارے جانب بہت کی شمال


the retreat in the North. That as one of those

things you always heard in the war

Page no. 209.

جنگ افواہیں ایسی تھے رہے آا چلے کر مل ساتھ کے فوجیوںتھیں ہیں ہوتی حصہ لازمی کا

Page no. 232

Not in war times. I don’t think they let the

Italians cross the frontier.

Page no. 267

اطالویوں۔ یہ ہے خیال میرا ہوتا۔ نہیں ایسا میں زمانے کے جنگگے ہوں دیتے آانے نہ پار سرحد Page no. 296 کو

I am sorry, we haven’t any rolls in war time

Page no. 268.

ملا نہیں روز ہاں ہمارے میں زمانے کے جنگ کیجیے معافکرتے Page no. 297۔

The above examples show that the text type is ‘plain communication of facts’ i.e. it is

informative and referential.

2. Text Focus:

The Target Text (TT) is content-focused and descriptive as well. For example:


We walked down the stairs instead of taking

the elevator. The carpet on the stairs was

worn. I had paid for the dinner.

Page no. 115

راہ کی سیڑھیوں نے ہم بجاۓ کی چڑھنے پر لفٹگھساپٹا نہایت قالین ہوا بچھا بر سیڑھیوں کی۔ اختیار

نے میں جسے تھا بیٹھا بیرا نزدیک کے دروازے تھا۔دئے ۔پیسے

Page no. 167

We got into Milan early in the morning and

they unloaded us in the freight yard. An

ambulance took me to the American hospital

Page no. 62

گہے۔ پہنچ میلان ہم الصبح علیگیا دیا اتار میں احاطے کے گودام مال ہمیں

ہوا روانہ میں ایبولینس ایک میں کو ہسپتال امریکن سے یہاںPage no. 89


Catherine Barkley was greatly liked by the

nurses because she would do night duty

indefinitely.

Page no. 107

ہوگئ مقبول لۓ اس میں نرسوں بارکلے کیتھرینتھی رہی جا کیے ڈیوٹی کی رات بےتکان مسلسل وہ کیونکہ

Page no. 118

At the start of the winter came the permanent

rain and with the rain came the cholera. But it

was checked and in the end only seven

thousand died of it in the army.

Page no. 7

کے بارش اور گیا بندھ تانتا کا بارشوں ہی میں سردیوں شروع

اور گیا لیا پا قابو ہی جلد پر اس اس لیکن پھوٹا ہیضہ میں دنوںفقط کے چڑھے 7فوج بھینٹ کی اس جوان ہزار (page no.

6)

The text is expressive text and transmits the aesthetic and artistic form of Source text. The

translation uses the ‘identifying’ method; still the translator is adopting the stand point of ST

author. For example,


I watched her brushing her hair, holding her

head so the weight of her hair all came on one

side. It was dark outside and the light over the

head of the bed shone on her hair and on her

neck.

Page no. 184

ایک سر اسنے لگا۔ دیکھنے سنوارتے بال اسے میںبوجھ سارا کا بالوں اسکے اور تھا رکھا جھکا کو طرف

اور تھا ہوا پھیلا اندھیرا باہر تھا۔ طرف کی جھکاؤ اسیکندھوں گردن، کی اس روشنی والی جلنے اوپر کے بستر

تھی۔ رہی جگمگا پر بالوں اورPage no. 275

When I awake after the operation I had not

been away. You do not go away They only

choke you. It is not like dying, it is just a

کہ ہوا احساس مجھے تو کھلی آانکھ میری بعد کے آاپریشن جب

کے آاپریشن دراصل تھا۔ موجود یہیں اور تھا گیا نہ کہیں میںنہیں چلا کہیں انسان ہوتے، نہیں غائب حواس میں دوران دورانجانا گھٹ یوں کا دم ہے جاتا پڑ سا پھندا میں گلے بس ۔ جاتا


chemical choking, so you do not feel, and

afterwards you might as well have been drunk

except that when you throw up nothing comes

but bile and you do not feel better afterwards

Page no. 106

روک سانس پر طور کیمیائی بس ہوتا نہیں مشابہ بھی کے موتمیں بعد اور ہے۔ جاتا مر احساس کا موت اور ہے جاتا لیا سا

نہیں خمار وہ لیکن تھا نشہ کا شراب کو آاپ جیسے ہے لگتااندر اور ہے رہتا الٹا معدہ وقت سارا اور ہوتا۔ کے صفرا سوائے اندر

ہے۔ رہتی منغض حد بے طبیعت اور نکلتا نہیں بھی کچھ

(page no 117)

I am afraid of rain because sometimes I see me

dead in it

Page no. 125

میں کبھی کبھی ہے۔ آاتا خوف بڑا سے بارش اس مجھےہوں پڑی مری میں اس میں اور ہے ہورہی بارش کہ ہوں دیکھتی

Page no. 133

The shutters were up but it was still going on

inside. Page no. 38

زندگی اندر لیکن تھے ہوۓ کھنچے پردے اور تھے بند دریچےموجود افتاںوخیزاں گہماگہمی تھیPage no. 36 کی

It seems she had one hemorrhage after

another. They couldn’t stop it. I went into the

room and stayed with Catherine until she died.

She was unconscious all the time, and it did

not take her very long to die

Page no. 317

کے دورے ایک بلکہ نہیں تھما لہو کا کیتھرین کہ تھا لگتا یوںاندر میں سکے۔ نہ روک بہاو کا لہو وہ تھا۔ پڑتا دورہ دوسرا بعد

وہ رہا۔ ہی پاس کے اس میں تک مرنے کے کیتھرین اور گیا چلا

قبول کو موت اور رہی بیہوش وقت سارالگی نہ بھی دیر ایسی کچھ اسے میں کرنے Page no. 352

Blow, blow ye Western wind.

Page no. 191

آا چلی آا۔۔۔۔۔چلتی چلی ۔۔۔۔چلتی پچھواPage no. 212

From the given examples, it can also be said that the text is a ‘creative composition’ that is

aesthetic and expressive.


ASHFAQ AHMAD AS A TRANSLATOR:

Importance of translator is defined as; ‘...the translator is a bilingual mediating agent between

monolingual communication participants in two different language communities4’.

Role of a translator varies from culture to culture, country to country, and from text to text.

Translator acts as a mediator or reconciliatory and bridges the gap between source text (ST) and

aesthetics of the source text in the target text.

In the translation of the novel A Farewell to Arms as Widaa-e-Jang Ashfaq Ahmad has played a

role of both mediator and creator.

As a translator, Ashfaq Ahmad is first and foremost a mediator between the two parties for

whom mutual communication might otherwise be problematic. He not only possessed a bilingual

ability but also had bicultural vision. He has tried to overcome the incompatibilities which stand

in the way of transfer of meaning. There are certain signs which have the value in one cultural

community but are devoid of significance in another. Ashfaq Ahmad being a creative translator

has identified and resolved the disparity between two cultures.

Furthermore, the translation of the title of the novel (A farewell to Arms as Widaa-e-Jang) also

reflects his creative ability as a translator. The translation of the title of our source text is a

literary one. Because Ashfaq Ahmad has not translated it word for word but he has conveyed the

sense which renders the connotative power present in the original English words of the title.

Widaa- e -Jang reflects Ashfaq Ahmad’s reading and defines him as a non ordinary reader. He

has also involved his own beliefs and values in the process of translation and has also skipped

certain sentences and paragraphs in his translation. In most part of the novel he has translated

many simple sentences in the form of proverbs.

Widaa-e-Jang reflects Ashfaq Ahmad’s reading and defines him as a non-ordinary reader. In

short, looking at the general and specific analysis of the novel, the translator’s role as a creator

and mediator can be justified. He has attempted to present the original text’s theme and main

idea with great fidelity and care.

4 David Katan’s Translating Cultures (2004: 16).


FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION:

An analysis of the target text(TT) and the source text(ST) i.e. Farewell to the arms by Earnest

Hemingway and Wida-e-Jung by Ashfaq Ahmed, exhibits the Equivalent effect, No formal

correspondence, Proverbial expressions, Natural and easy expressions, Sense for sense

translation, Changed according to personal beliefs, Skipping of paragraphs and sentences,

Aesthetics is preserved/maintained

All the four models given above are fully applicable to the translation of A Farewell to Arms. In

a crux it can be said that, Widaa-e-Jung is a fine translation of A Farewell to Arms by Ashfaq

Ahmed. It carries traces of different approaches and theoretical frameworks of translation given

by theorists.


REFERENCES:

Introducing Translation Studies by Jeremy Munday, 2nd Edition

A Farewell To Arms by Earnest Hemingway

Widaa-e-Jang by Ashfaq Ahmed

http://nativepakistan.com/quotes-of-ashfaq-ahmed/

http://ashfaqahmedsahab.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/introduction-ashfaq-ahmed/

http://ashfaqahmedsahab.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/introduction-ashfaq-ahmed/

http://nativepakistan.com/quotes-of-ashfaq-ahmed/

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‘TRANSLATION ANALYSIS OF A FAREWELL TO ARMS WRITTEN BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY, TRANSLATED BY ASHFAQ AHMAD AS WIDAA-E-JUNG’