Studying Gains and Losses at the Grammatical, Lexical and Stylistic Levels in Three Notable Qur'an Translations From the Context of Translation Theories

This study explores gains and losses at the grammatical, lexical, and stylistic levels in three eminent Qur'an translations from the context of translation theories. It also utilized the descriptive qualitative research method, Hervey and Higgins' (1992) concept of loss, and Nord's (2005) paradigm of textual analysis in the translation. The results implied that losses occur at grammatical, lexical, and stylistic levels due to the imprecision of chosen words when translating the meaning of some Qur'anic Arabic terms, expressions, and structures into English. Additionally, the intended translators subjected to inquiry on occasion seemingly grasp the meanings and subtleties of the lexemes; thus, they pick out lexemes that are appropriate and usable in their grammatical, lexical, and stylistic contexts. Such fidelity in choosing words and varied expressions resulted in gains at the grammatical, lexical, and stylistic levels. Also, the three translators espoused verbatim and loan translation strategies, which led to grammatical, lexical, and stylistic losses. Finally, it elaborates that profound linguistic repertoire, broad cultural knowledge, language proficiency, and thorough understanding of both Arabic and English, besides greater understanding of good books on exegesis and linguistics, are crucial in offering a proper translation of the Holy Qur'an generally and Qur'anic Arabic words particularly.