“In the process of telling and retelling, they [stories] were modified to conform to the general life and customs of the Arab society that adapted them and to the particular conditions of that society at a particular time.” (Introduction – Dissemination and Manuscripts, pg. xiv)
- Stories were modified when shared in order to convey the lifestyles of Arab society as time went on and different conditions arose.
- When storytelling in regards to the Arab society, changes were made in order to relate better to the current state of the culture as the society developed.
- Stories about Arab society were altered at certain points in time in an effort to convey more accurate information over the years about the culture as it developed over time.
“These translators did not deviate from the letter of the original because they did not know sufficient Arabic. On the contrary, a careful comparison between any given Arabic passage and their own respective translation of it reveals an admirable command of Arabic diction, grammar, and syntax, except where the text itself poses severe problems, as it often does.” (Introduction – Past Translations, pg. xx)
- Since these translators lacked sufficient Arabic knowledge, they accurately translated the original text; however, a close comparison of any given Arabic piece and their own separate translation of it displays remarkable mastery of Arabic diction, grammar, and syntax, aside from when the text itself creates major challenges, which it frequently does.
- Because those who translated did not know Arabic very well, they stuck closely to the original. Contrarily, side by side examination of Arabic texts and their translations show expertise of Arabic diction, grammar, and syntax, except for occasions where the text has serious issues, which generally happens.
- These translators followed the original due to the fact that they did not know much Arabic. On the other hand, when Arabic passages and their translations are closely compared, there is accurate Arabic diction, grammar, and syntax present; however, there are often times when the text has grave mistakes.
– To be honest, I found paraphrasing these two passages to be a more of an eye-opening experience for me. It forced me to reword parts of the passages in order to create a sense of clarity when reading them without having to reread words to search for the true meaning behind what the author is trying to convey to the audience. Since I took passages from the Introduction, it has helped me to more broadly understand different aspects of Arabian writing and what I can expect to come across further along in the text. From doing this, I learned that I should paraphrase texts more often so that I can better understand what I am reading.
