TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY OF ARISTOTLE’S IDEAS WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO BAKER’S NON-EQUIVALENCE NOTION

Abstract

The translation of philosophical texts is essential for cross-cultural intellectual exchange. This thesis examines the translation and commentary of Chapter 5 on Aristotle from C. Stephen Evans’s "A History of Western Philosophy: From the Pre-Socratics to Postmodernism," applying Mona Baker’s strategies for dealing with non-equivalence at the word level. It addresses the challenge of conveying Aristotle’s complex terminology when direct equivalents are absent in Arabic. Although Aristotle’s works have been extensively translated, the question remains: How can his philosophical terminology be accurately translated using Baker’s strategies? This research contributes to philosophical translation studies by offering insights into practices for handling non-equivalence at word level. The findings highlight the significance of translation in maintaining the integrity of philosophical discourse across languages. The aim of this paper is to analyze and translate Chapter 5 of Evans’s book while applying Baker’s strategies for handling non-equivalence at the word level. This study seeks to enhance Arabic philosophical scholarship and deepen engagement with Aristotelian thought. Key words: Philosophy, word-level, equivalence, translation strategies.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Humanities and Social Science