Problems of Translating Zeugma in English Literary Texts into Arabic

Jasim, Asst. Prof. Anwar Abdulwahab

doi:10.25130/Lang.10.2.P1.20

	Problems of Translating Zeugma in English Literary Texts into Arabic
Journal of Language Studies
Volume 10, Issue 2, Part 1, June 2026, Pages 394-425 PDF (797.01 K)
Document Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.25130/Lang.10.2.P1.20
Author
Asst. Prof. Anwar Abdulwahab Jasim
Translation Department, College of Arts, Mosul University, Mosul, Iraq
Abstract
This study explores zeugma in English and the difficulties involved in the process of translating it into Arabic. Zeugma is an essential rhetorical device usually used in English literary texts. It is based on the semantic alignment between the governing word, which is often a verb, and its two incompatible words (literal and figurative). The study notes that zeugma has no exact equivalent term in Arabic that covers its full mechanism. The study aims at investigating zeugma and its types in English, analyzing the translations of zeugma into Arabic, exploring the methods that are followed in the process of translation, and to what extent they preserve its appropriate meaning and structure. It is hypothesized that translators may face difficulties in translating zeugma into Arabic due to the unexpected connection of words or the use of words out of their literal meaning. The study reveals that most translators failed to convey the rhetorical aspect of zeugma owing to their unfamiliarity with this stylistic device. Zeugma translation requires a literal method when a direct equivalent existed, a metaphorical one is adopted when no direct equivalent existed, and paraphrasing is adopted when neither existed, at the expense of its aesthetic aspect.
Keywords
figurative translation; literal translation; paraphrasing; zeugma; English literary texts

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