Papers by Mohammad Ali Kharmandar
Despite the pervasiveness of equivalence in most linguistic translation theories, the notion has ... more Despite the pervasiveness of equivalence in most linguistic translation theories, the notion has been criticized on many grounds for plausible reasons. One could even argue that equivalence is a theoretically obsolete paradigm of translation. Yet, in actual practice there are many areas in which equivalence is predominantly resorted to. Terminology translation is an area that seems to have been traditionalized in the discourse of equivalence, as it basically relies on textual units postulated by sub-branches of linguistics (e.g. morphology, syntax, semantics). The purpose of this brief essay is to answer the question whether equivalence is indeed a valid theory in terminology translation, by investigating Vinay and Darbelnet’s model in a bilingual corpus. The study reveals several theoretical flaws in the model, especially from a post-structuralist perspective. The most serious shortcoming is that, contrary to the idea of scientificity taken for granted in linguistic models (including Vinay and Darbelnet’s), they seem to lack an explanatory function and ignore many important factors.
As a literary work is reviewed or commented on by a large corpus of critical approaches, stratifi... more As a literary work is reviewed or commented on by a large corpus of critical approaches, stratified lines of interpretation may take shape, which try to appropriate the work in question. This condition can have significant implications for literary translation. The translator’s subjective decisions situate the translation in a matrix of relations with critical readings. This study addresses the theoretical and methodical aspects of the interaction between literary criticism and literary translation by focusing on the historicity of the literary work. The study argues that an interpretive tradition is gradually and cumulatively shaped in the form of metatexts with compatible philosophies. As a result, a literary work may be interpreted according to various traditionalized readings. The study incorporates elements of transtextuality (intertext and metatext) with the temporality-related postulates of hermeneutics, suggesting a holistic analysis method.
This study correlates argumentation, translation, and literature to construct a new model for ass... more This study correlates argumentation, translation, and literature to construct a new model for assessing the quality of translated literature. Literary translation is described as being compatible with the rhetorical stream of argumentation studies, while the study rests on the overriding notion of ethics of difference in argumentative cross-cultural and translational encounters. The model incorporates ethics of difference and interpretive act, pragma-dialectical contributions of scheme/structure and rhetorical/dialectical situations, and aesthetic features including figures of speech and (sub)genres of literature. Application of the model to an English translation of a classical poem (a Rumi’s allegory) shows that the model can be systematically applied to quality assessment of translated literature (and literary genres e.g. plays, novels, audiovisual/cinematic products, etc.). Considering the implications and suggestions for further research, the study can progressively develop into a literary or cross-linguistic subgenre of argumentation theory, with implications for comparative literature, philosophy of meaning, translation theory, and dialectical hermeneutics.
George Steiner’s Hermeneutic Motion, published in his major book After Babel, is usually regarded... more George Steiner’s Hermeneutic Motion, published in his major book After Babel, is usually regarded as the most important theory in the hermeneutics and even philosophy of translation. The work, however, has received criticism by authors who normally write outside of the classical realm of hermeneutics. A lingering assumption is that hermeneutics, and even other strands of Continental philosophy, necessarily need or should rely on Steiner’s postulates. A critical approach to his theory from a hermeneutic perspective can clarify how valid/practical Steiner’s ideas are. Reviewing all of the chapters in After Babel, this study thematically unifies the criticisms on Steiner’s theory, while highlighting deeper conflicts in the work. As a most substantial reading of the hermeneutic motion, the study emphasizes the importance of emerging hermeneutic theories of translation in the twenty-first century.
Redefining Translation and Interpretation in Cultural Evolution, 2018
Books by Mohammad Ali Kharmandar
Conference Presentations by Mohammad Ali Kharmandar
Language and society are thought to be inseparably interconnected; on the one hand, the existence... more Language and society are thought to be inseparably interconnected; on the one hand, the existence of a human language outside of a human community is difficult to imagine, and on the other, a society, to sustain its identity and historical development, directly depends on language. Sociolinguistics is the sub-branch of linguistic studies concerned with social factors. A problem in this line of studies is that there are numerous effective variables that are not genuinely linguistic (e.g. habitual action) but are considerable in sociological investigation. This study suggests a narrativist approach to sociolinguistic research in which a more comprehensive framework incorporates language and society. The study explains that narrative: (a) includes both lingual analysis and identity formation; (b) analyzes motives, action and agency, in line with social events, structures and hierarchy of relations; and (c) describes socio-historical accounts as storylines, without being constrained to synchronic linguistic models.
National Conference on New Approaches in Humanities in the 21st Century, 2017
First National Conference on Innovative Multidisciplinary Research in the Humanities , 2017
One of the fundamental concerns of translation quality assessment (TQA) is to reach valid and rel... more One of the fundamental concerns of translation quality assessment (TQA) is to reach valid and reliable criteria for evaluating translation quality. One of the lines of TQA has relied on argumentation theory, although this specific line has fallen into stagnation. The purpose of this study is to primarily review Williams’s application of Toulmin’s argumentation model to TQA, and secondly highlight certain shortcomings of the model. Two basic problems that seriously attenuate the application of Williams’s model are observed: first, the model does not consider literary translation, and second the model fails to take into account complex argumentation. To solve these problems, this study proposes a novel method based on pragma-dialectics, called argumentation-based literary translation quality assessment, which is in line with recent trends in translation philosophy.
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Papers by Mohammad Ali Kharmandar
Books by Mohammad Ali Kharmandar
Conference Presentations by Mohammad Ali Kharmandar