The AI Translation Problems of English Money Idioms into Arabic

Abstract

The current study examines the translation of English financial idioms (EMIs) into Arabic using artificial intelligence translation (AIT) via DeepSeek Translate (DST). The main objectives of the study are to determine the extent to which English financial idioms (EMIs) are preserved in English translation by DST and to show whether Baker's (1992) strategies for translating idioms (BSFTIs) which are a similar meaning and form, a similar meaning but a different form, translation by paraphrase, or translation by omission were applied during the translation of EMIs into Arabic. The current study employed a qualitative descriptive approach

in both data collection and data analysis. The source of the study samples: 20 EMIs and their Arabic translations through DST. These samples were selected based on specific criteria to achieve the study objectives. After comparison, the selected samples were analysed according to Baker's strategies. The novelty of this study lies in its focus on translating EMIs into Arabic. The results of the study revealed that the meanings of some EMIs generally differ in the target language, resulting in the chosen texts intended meaning being lost. This is due to the nature of EMIs and the English language. The study also showed that the meaning of some texts was preserved through accurate translation, which bodes well for overcoming these difficulties by feeding the machine with EMIs in both languages, enabling the DST program to find an accurate equivalent in Arabic without adding or deleting any elements. Finally, knowledge of bilingual idiom may help the DST program recognise any change or loss in the meaning of EMIs or their equivalents during the translation process.