Aristotle: Translation Alignment (Greek, Latin, Arabic) (April 27)

Aristotle: Translation Alignment (Greek, Latin, Arabic) (April 27)

April 27, 2016: 17h00-18h15 CEST

Usama A. Gad (Ain-Shams University (Cairo) and University of Heidelberg), Riccardo Strobino (Tufts University).

• [Slides] (https://github.com/SunoikisisDC/SunoikisisDC-2016/blob/master/SunoikisisDC2016_SummerSemester_Slides/13_13thCommonSession.pdf)
• Live Broadcast

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The session is an introduction to what translation alignment is and how it can be useful for pedagogical and philological research. The presentation will be of three main parts; the first part, a general introduction to the topic, is delivered by Usama Gad (15 minutes) followed by the second part, a specific introduction about the translation movements and practical examples to use the editor, delivered by Riccardo Strobino (30 minutes) then a concluding part on how to overcome some of the problems specific to Arabic, delivered by Usama Gad (15 minutes). It is supposed that if anyone would have a question, could interrupt and ask the presenter during the talk or write the question in the chat.

Outline of presentation

• General Introduction about translation in general and translation alignment.
• General introduction about the translation movements between Greek, Arabic and Latin.
• How to use the Alignment Editor?
• Practical examples using Aristotle’s Posterior Analytics.
• Practical examples using Aristotle's Poetics.

Required readings

• Familiarize yourself with:
  • Aristotle: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle/.
  • Corpus Aristotelicum: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle/#AriCorChaPriDiv.
  • Bekker Numbering: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bekker_numbering.
  • Aristotle’s Poetics: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle/#RheArt.
  • Form and content of Arist. Po. : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetics_(Aristotle)#Form_and_content.
  • Aristotle’s Posterior Analytics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posterior_Analytics.
• Further reading lists (on the translation movements).
  • D. Gutas, Origins in Baghdad, in R. Pansanu and C. Van Dyke (eds) The Cambridge History of Medieval Philosophy, Cambridge University Press 2010: pp. 11-25.
  • D. Gutas, Greek Thought, Arabic Culture: The Graeco-Arabic Translation Movement in Baghdad and Early Abbasid Society (2nd-4th/8th-10th centuries), Introduction, Routledge 1998: pp. 1-8.
  • C. Burnett, The Coherence of the Arabic-Latin Translation Program in Toledo in theTwelfth Century, Science in Context 14 (2001): pp. 249–288.

Translation alignment recourses and samples

• A Digital Corpus for Graeco-Arabic Studies, where one have xml files of Greek originals and Arabic translations:: http://www.graeco-arabic-studies.org/home.html.

• Translation alignment of the first 4 chapters of Aristotle's poetics by Usama Gad:

  • http://www.perseids.org/sites/alignment-prototypes/.
  • Available also through Alpheios.net under Greek-Arabic: http://alpheios.net/.

Drills (Arist. Po)

• You may find these drills useful before you could start with exercising:

  • Greek- English alignment of the first paragraph of Arist. Po.: http://sosol.perseids.org/alpheios/app/align-editsentence-perseids.xhtml?s=1&numSentences=1&doc=28191.

  • Greek-Classical Arabic alignment of the first paragraph of Arist. Po.: http://sosol.perseids.org/alpheios/app/align-editsentence-perseids.xhtml?s=1&numSentences=1&doc=28182 .

  • Greek-Modern Arabic alignment of the first paragraph of Arist. Po. http://sosol.perseids.org/alpheios/app/align-editsentence-perseids.xhtml?s=1&numSentences=1&doc=28192

Exercises (Arist. Po)

• Align the first two paragraphs of the Arabic modern of Arist. Po. done by ʿAyyād 1967 (http://www.graeco-arabic-studies.org/single-text/text/ayyad-52.html ) with the Greek edition of the text done by Bekker 1837 (http://www.graeco-arabic-studies.org/single-text/text/bekker-11.html).

• Or Align the first chapter of Greek edition of the text done by Bekker 1837 with the classical Arabic translation done by Mattā between 900 and 940 (Ed. Badawī 1953); (http://www.graeco-arabic-studies.org/compare-texts/work/ars-poetica-3/left/11/right/12%2C54%2C53%2C51%2C52/active/11%2C12.html ).

• Or If you are not confident about your Arabic, so align the Greek of Bekker 1837 with the English done by W.H. Fyfe in 1932 (to be found here http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0056 ) then align the Arabic with the English and at the end align the Greek with the Arabic.