Arabic-English Translation of Legal Binomials: The Case of the Moroccan Family Code

Abstract

Legal Translation requires precision and the preservation of the intended legal effect of original texts. However, this process is often challenging due to the specialized nature of law and the disparities between legal languages, which stem from differences in their respective legal systems. One particularly complex aspect of legal Translation is the transfer of legal binomial expressions, syntactic pairs frequently used in legal texts to enhance precision and ensure direct interpretation. This study examines the Translation of legal binomial expressions in the Moroccan Family Code, locally known as the “Al-Moudawana”. A total of 74 legal binomials were identified in the document.  The analysis explores the structural and semantic shifts these expressions undergo in their rendition from Arabic into English. Prior to examining these shifts, the binomials were analyzed based on their syntactic structure and the semantic relationships between their lexical constituents. To investigate these changes, two models were applied: Catford’s Translation Shifts Model was adopted to analyze formal shifts, and Cyrus’s Semantic Shifts Model to identify semantic transformations. Findings indicate that translators rendered a substantial portion of binomials literally. However, a considerable number of binomial expressions underwent formal and semantic modifications, which were necessary to convey the intended legal meaning while ensuring that the translated Text aligns with the patterns of the target language.