Corpus-Based Analysis of Translation Strategies in Religious Texts: Simplification and Explicitation in Surah Yusuf

Abstract

This study adopts a corpus-based approach to explore how simplification and explicitation are used in translating Quranic texts by analyzing four English translations of Surah Yusuf. The translations, selected from different time periods, include Ali (1938), Khan (1977), Ghali (1997/2003), and Saheeh International (1997). To investigate Simplification, the study uses Laviosa’s (2021) framework, which focuses on examining lexical metrics (type-token ratio, mean word length, unique word count) and syntactic metrics (sentence length, grammatical complexity). For explicitation, the study follows Blum-Kulka (1986) and Baker’s (1996) framework, focusing on cohesion and coherence by examining conjunction- to- preposition ratios and referential shifts. The quantitative analysis shows that Ali’s translation exhibits the highest degree of simplification, whereas Saheeh International exhibits the highest degree of explicitation. Both Khan’s and Ghali’s translations occupy intermediary positions. The qualitative analysis suggests that historical context influences the translators’ strategic choices; this has important implications, offering practical benchmarks for translation-training and cultural dialogue. 

Highlights:

• The study employs a corpus-based approach to evaluate simplification and explicitation in four English translations of Surah Yusuf.
• Ali’s translation employs the highest degree of simplification.
• Saheeh International's translation shows the highest degree of explicitation among the selected texts.
• Translators frequently utilize cohesive markers and parenthetical insertions to clarify implicit cultural nuances and improve readability.
• A translator's historical and academic background directly shapes their stylistic choices.