Analysis of Idiomatic Translation Problems: A Case of Government Colleges at Baloch AJ&K, Pakistan
Keywords:
Idiomatic translation problems, Urdu and English languages, Baloch AJ&K, PakistanAbstract
The present study aims to explore the idiomatic translation problems faced by Boys and Girl of Intermediate
students at Intermediate Colleges in Baloch, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. This study employs Baker’s (1992)
proposed strategies mentioned in Owji (2013) for translating idioms. Both qualitative and quantitative research
approaches were used for data analysis. The researchers selected the sample of eighty (80) students randomly from
the total population of one hundred and sixty (160) students. Eight lecturers were also selected for interviews. The
test was consisted of twenty (20) English idiomatic statements chosen to translate into Urdu and informal open-
ended questions were framed for interviews. The findings showed that, in translation test, wrong translations were
the most prominent, while the acceptable translations were proved to be least prominent errors. The literal
translation achieved the highest error frequency, whereas paraphrasing achieved the lowest error frequency. The
main causes of mistranslations were: students’ unfamiliarity with the target language and its culture, and had little
awareness of the appropriate translation strategies.
Key words: Idiomatic translation problems, Urdu and English languages, Baloch AJ&K, Pakistan
