Technical Terms and Processes: A Case for Transliteration

Abstract

This literature review article looks into the practice of finding literal translations in the target language for each and every technical term and process in the source language, even if the equivalents are not intelligible to the readers. This practice is evident in many translated textbooks in highly technical majors including IT, engineering and medicine. The paper suggests a hybrid model of translation by employing transliteration (Arabicisation) as well as traditional translation. In other words, known terms and processes should be treated as proper nouns rather than lexical items and subsequently referring to the entities as sounds rather than meanings. This process makes a translated text easier to comprehend, keeps the intended meaning as accurate as possible and saves translators time finding awkward and pointless equivalents in the target language.