Readability in Translation: A Comparative Study of Two Arabic Translations of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations

Abstract

Given the lack of research that addresses the problem of readability in translated literary texts, this research came from the standpoint of filling the gap that the translator faces when it comes to translating Great Expectations novel by Charles Dickens. For this research, two translations in English: the first by Dar Alahlya, published in 2005, and the other by the International Language House for Translation and Publishing, published in 2018. The importance of this research stems from finding the errors faced by the translator and linking them to readability and literal translation of texts. This research will contribute to providing an opportunity for future translators to follow the rule of readability in translation. The research aims to provide an overview of the translation of literature by Charles Dickens, compare two translations, determine the strategies used, measure the readability of texts for each translation, and arrive at an appropriate analysis that achieves the use of the proposed readability rule if possible. the research is based on the comparative study of the two Arabic translations of the original text of the novel in English and a comparison of the level of readability in both translated novels.