THE CHALLENGE OF TRANSLATING SCIENTIFIC TERMINOLOGY IN DDCProf. Rifaat H. HilalNational Library and Archives of Egypt4/27/2010

1Alex. April 2010

Content

History of Scientific Translation. Efforts of Arabic Language Council Dewey Decimal Classification. Scientific Terminology. Future Challenges. Conclusions.

4/27/2010

2

Alex. April 2010

History of Scientific Translation into arabic

4/27/2010

3

Alex. April 2010

Hunayn ibn Ishaq (also Hunain or Hunein)

Famous and influential scientist, known for his work in translating scientific and medical works in Greek into Arabic and Syriac during the glory years of the Abbasid Caliphate.

Most productive translator of Greek medical and scientific treatises.

He was originally from southern Iraq but he spent his working life in Baghdad, the center of the great ninth-century Greek-into-Arabic/Syriac translation movement.

His translations did not require corrections at all. This perfection possibly came about because he mastered four languages: Arabic, Syriac, Greek and Persian.

He became known among the Arabs as the "Sheikh of the translators. Iluminure form the Hunayn ibn-Ishaq

al-'Ibadi manuscript of the Eye

4/27/2010

4

Alex. April 2010

Evolution of methodology for Scientific Terminology Daoud Al-Antaki ( 10th century ) in

his Al-Tazkira. Derived expressions explained them by different ways.

Mfateh Al-uloum: The first Arabic encyclopedia for scientific expressions by: Al-Khaurizmi ( 11th century).

4/27/2010

5

Alex. April 2010

Transmission of Arabic Science to Europe Eleventh through thirteenth centuries. Transmission of knowledge from one

culture to the other through Spain, southern Italy and Sicily.

The greatest of all translators was Gerard of Cremona (1114?-1187).

Arabic expressions were mostly adopted

4/27/2010

6

Alex. April 2010

Scientific translation in Modern Egyptian History

Muhammad Ali Pasha

Missions to Europe.

Compulsury translations.

4/27/2010

7

Alex. April 2010

Refa'ah Rafie' Al Tahtawi

Together with his colleagues started the modern wave of scientific translations.

In 1841, Tahtawi established the Translation Department as a specialized institution mainly dealing with four branches of knowledge: mathematics, medicine and physics, social sciences and Turkish writing.

4/27/2010

8

Alex. April 2010

Arabic Language Council

4/27/2010

9

Alex. April 2010

Efforts of Arabic Language Council Efforts started at the end of the 19th

century. The main goal was to standardize the

construction of Scientific expressions. Efforts to clearly define The Science of terminology The science of terminography

4/27/2010

10

Alex. April 2010

Moulding of Scientific Terms

Borrowing by Arabization. hydrogen...hydrogenation (( هدرجه- هيدروجين Borrowing by translation car , journal , magazine ( ( مجله – - جريدة سياره Derivation new words with new meanings Superscription ( sculpturing )نحت new word

from two old familiar words. ( amphoteric=حمضلي (

al-kaloid , electrostatic -) قلوي) شبه شبقلي ) ساكنه) كهرباء كهراكدة

Not very successful

4/27/2010

11

Alex. April 2010

Composition by mixing

A + chromic للوني + ال

Anti-biotic حيوي + مضاد

Non + inorganic عضوي + ال

In + organic عضوي + غير

Un + certainty تأكد + عدم

4/27/2010

12

Alex. April 2010

More Mixing

Hyper + sensitivity الحساسية + فرط

Sub + soil التربة + تحت

Inter + node العقد + بين

Semi + desert صحراء + شبه

Uni + axial المحور + أحادي

Ultra + violet البنفسجي + فوق

Super + sonic سمعي + فوق

4/27/2010

13

Alex. April 2010

Dewey Decimal Classification

The DDC is the most widely used classification system.

DDC is used to organize and provide access to libraries collections.

editors detect trends in the literature that must be incorporated into the Classification.

4/27/2010

14

Alex. April 2010

DDC isa general knowledge organization tool universally

recognized Arabic numerals,

well-defined categories,

well-developed hierarchies, and

a rich network of relationships among topics.

Ten main classes, which together cover the entire world of knowledge.

000 Computer science,

information .100 Philosophy &

psychology200 Religion300 Social sciences400 Language500 Science600 Technology700 Arts & recreation800 Literature900 History & geography

4/27/2010

15

Alex. April 2010

500 Science

510 Mathematics520 Astronomy530 Physics540 Chemistry550 Earth sciences &

geology560 Fossils & prehistoric

life570 Life sciences; biology580 Plants (Botany)590 Animals (Zoology)

540 Chemistry & allied sciences

541 Physical chemistry542 Techniques,

equipment & materials543 Analytical chemistry544 [Unassigned]545 [Unassigned]546 Inorganic chemistry547 Organic chemistry548 Crystallography549 Mineralogy

The hundreds Division

The Thousand Sections

4/27/2010

16

Alex. April 2010

Scientific terms of overlapping meanings Ligands chelates Isomers tautomers Supramolecular macromolecular Stoichiometry radiochemistry radiation

chemistry Chemiluminescence Colligative

4/27/2010

17

Alex. April 2010

Difficult very specialized Terms extrameridional instruments

الزوالية األجهزة Including astrolabes, quadrants, reflecting

circles , sextants, zenith and equatorial telescope

آلة و العاكسة الدائرة و والرباعية األسترالب على تحتوياألستوائي والمنظار السمتي والمنظار السدس

Quasars النجوم اشباة

Cosmogony النجوم ديناميكا

4/27/2010

18

Alex. April 2010

Terms may be widely used , popular and move from science to culture

Nanotechnology النانو تقنية Femtosecond ثانيه فيمتو Quark كوارك NMR , x-ray , CAT scan

4/27/2010

19

Alex. April 2010

Future Challenges.

DDC is now deep into science. Translation into Arabic is just a

beginning. Libraries may play a role in broadcasting

scientific culture. DDC 5xx translation group will arrange

periodic meeting to consolidate the terminology and ensure its adaptation.

4/27/2010

20

Alex. April 2010

Conclusions

DDC 5xx translation is difficult than ever. New terms has been introduced into

Arabic based on the criteria put down by the Arab language Council.

Translators of DDC 5xx should not only masters the two languages but also the science being translated.

The use and wide spread broadcasting of a scientific term is the only guaranty of its prevalence.

4/27/2010

21

Alex. April 2010

DD5xx translation Team

4/27/2010Alex. April 2010

22

Professor Ahmed M. Abou-Khadra Professor M. Magdi Abdel-Wahab Professor Ead Dohaa Professor Rifaat H. Hilal To be supported by specialists in

Zoology and Botany

4/27/2010Alex. April 2010

23