Literal Interpretation Research Articles

BEYOND LITERAL INTERPRETATIONS: EXPLORING THE CULTURAL AND COGNITIVE DIMENSIONS OF ENGLISH BODY PARTS IDIOMS

The present study aims at unraveling the deep cultural and cognitive dimensions embedded within English idioms that relate to body parts. Through a systematic analysis of a comprehensive corpus compiled from diverse sources such as dictionaries and websites, it scrutinizes not only the literal interpretations of these idioms but also their socio-cultural significance and cognitive underpinnings. The findings highlighted the solid interplay between language, culture, and cognition, shedding light on how these body parts idiomatic expressions reflect and shape socio-cultural norms and cognitive processes. These idioms are revealed to be more than mere linguistic quirks; they serve as conduits for conveying shared experiences and cultural heritage. The findings of the present study not only enrich our understanding of language and culture but also offer practical implications for English as a foreign language education and cross-cultural communication. The insights gained from this investigation contribute to various fields, such as linguistics, cultural studies, cognitive science, and language education.

Assessing Saudi EFL Learners’ Use and Understanding of English Idioms: Perceptions, Problems, and Patterns of Learning

This study aims to investigate Saudi EFL learners’ perceptions of English idioms, their problems, and the patterns of their learning and understanding of English idioms. 458 students (around 10%) were selected through a random sampling method from the undergraduate learners in different levels of programs at the College of Business Administration and the College of Science & Humanities, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, KSA. As the study looked at how certain independent variables (gender, level/year of study, and parents’ profession) shaped dependent variables (perceptions/attitudes), a questionnaire was self-developed which includes modified items from existing research. A quantitative approach (descriptive statistics) was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that Saudi EFL learners’ perceptions were very positive about English idioms and their impact on enhancing their English proficiency. It was found that lack of background information, unfamiliarity, variation in literal interpretation, lack of Arabic parallels, and insufficient EFL classroom training made learning English idioms challenging for respondents. It was also revealed that Saudi EFL learners acquired and comprehended English idioms via using them in sentences, consulting a dictionary, guessing from contexts, group discussions, and breaking them down into their constituent parts. One-way ANOVA analysis found no statistically significant difference among the respondents based on their demographic differences. The study holds implications for both teachers and students as it will help them teach and learn English idioms effectively. The most common method is translating English idioms into their language.

Understanding Religious Egocentrism

The exploration of religious egocentrism reveals its prevalence and significance within religious discourse, with implications for individual development and societal interactions. Rooted in early developmental stages and characterized by narcissism and self-centeredness, religious egocentrism influences perceptions of morality, relationships with others, and interpretations of divine concepts. Contrasting religious egocentrism with radicalism and extremism underscores nuanced distinctions in cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions. While religious radicalism shares certain traits with egocentrism, such as literal interpretations of sacred texts and emphasis on religious symbols, extremism diverges by glorifying violence and imposing personal beliefs on others. This delineation underscores the spectrum of religious orientations, ranging from egocentrism's self-centeredness to extremism's militant ideology.

More Than Implied: Reading Naja Marie Aidt’s When Death Takes Something from You Give It Back. Carl’s Book

Contemporary autobiographical fiction, especially in Scandinavian literature post-Karl Ove Knausgård, challenges traditional literary interpretation. This article examines interpretive strategies for Naja Marie Aidt’s When Death Takes Something from You Give It Back, advocating for a shift to empathetic, engaged reading, aligning with Rita Felski’s idea of postcritical reading.

Circumventing Section 116 Through ‘Indirect or Devious Means’: Freedom of Religion and the Boundaries of Executive Power

This article considers how section 116 of the Australian Constitution applies to executive power. Notwithstanding that the express terms of s 116 apply only to legislative power, we argue that s 116 should be interpreted to also limit the exercise of executive power. A literal interpretation would have the effect that the Commonwealth can circumvent a constitutional limitation on legislative power through the exercise of executive power and would undermine the fundamental constitutional principle of legislative supremacy. An implication that s 116 restricts executive power in the same fashion as legislative power enhances the coherence of the Constitution as creating an integral polity and eliminates disconnect between legislative power and executive power with respect to the same subject matter.

Cross-Language Translation and Comparative Study of English Literature Using Machine Translation Algorithms

Cross-language processing in English literature involves the translation and analysis of literary texts from English into other languages or vice versa. This multidimensional task encompasses various aspects, including language translation, cultural adaptation, and literary interpretation. Through cross-language processing, literary works originally written in English can reach a wider audience, enabling individuals from diverse linguistic backgrounds to access and appreciate the richness of English literature. This paper presents an innovative approach to language processing tasks through the integration of Ant Swarm Domain Statistical Machine Learning (ASDS-ML). Leveraging principles of swarm intelligence and statistical learning techniques, ASDS-ML offers a robust framework for addressing challenges in language translation and classification. In the domain of translation, ASDS-ML demonstrates promising results in achieving accurate and nuanced translations across diverse language pairs, while also exhibiting adaptability to varying linguistic contexts. Furthermore, ASDS-ML showcases its effectiveness in text classification tasks, accurately categorizing instances across multiple classes with high precision and recall. In language translation tasks, ASDS-ML achieves an average BLEU score of 0.85 across multiple language pairs, outperforming baseline methods by 10%. Additionally, in text classification tasks, ASDS-ML achieves an average accuracy of 0.92 across ten different classes, surpassing existing approaches by 5%.

"KLAVKA", "YURA", "LARA" BY MARYNA HRYMYCH: FAMILY TRILOGY

The article explores the peculiarity of literary interpretation of the Soviet past in the family trilogy by Maryna Hrymych. The author navigates through time, from post-war Kyiv to the late 1980s. Hrymych creates a unique three-dimensional reflection (the story of three generations) intertwining it with her own experiences and personal reckonings with the past. Attentive to details at the level of toponims (Kyiv, taiga, Crimea, Chernobyl) and everyday life, the author shifts the focus from the collective to the individual stuff stripping the past of monumentality and infusing it with intimacy. Her protagonists attempt to adapt to life in a totalitarian state (Klavka and Yura) or reclaim lost national identity (Lara). In the novel "Klavka," the author delves into the literary scene of 1940s post-war Kyiv focusing on the character of Klavka, the secretary of the Writers' Union of Ukraine. Klavka finds herself at the center of the events of 1947 including the Plenum where the names of Ukrainian writers Maxim Rylskyi and Yurii Yanovskyi were denounced. Hrymych intertwines the stories of artists (the Writers' Union, the ROLIT house, Irpin dachas) with the story of a young woman seeking her place in the world. The next novel, "Yura," is set in 1968, a pivotal time for the Soviet totalitarian state (Khrushchev Thaw gives way to the repressions of the 1970s). Klavka and the following generation of the youth are depicted as adherents of the Soviet world, conformists who adapt to and feel secure as well as fully-fledged in the reality around them. The trilogy concludes with the novel "Lara," unfolding in four locations: the taiga in the northern Tomsk region (1986), Kyiv and Crimea (1987) and Chernobyl (1988). Hrymych intertwines the stories of two nations – Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars – forced to share not only one territory but also a fate in the totalitarian Russian world. While the older generation (Klavka and her son Yura) may settle for culinary reconciliation (Uzbek plov and chebureks), the third generation (Lara) finds conformity in decisions and the substitution of concepts unacceptable. The main heroine not only reflects on history (both general and individual one) but also demands self-definition ("Not Lara – Diliara").

Between a ‘flexible’ and ‘rigid’ interpretation of the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination under article 21(3) of the constitution of Uganda: Uganda Law Society and 12 others v Attorney General [2024] UGCC 2 (13 February 2024)

Article 21 of the Constitution of Uganda (1995) provides for the right to freedom from discrimination. Article 21(3) provides that for the purposes of Article 21, discrimination ‘means to give different treatment to different persons attributable only or mainly to their respective descriptions by sex, race, colour, ethnic origin, tribe, birth, creed or religion, or social or economic standing, political opinion or disability.’ Article 45 of the Constitution provides that ‘[t]he rights, duties, declarations and guarantees relating to the fundamental and other human rights and freedoms specifically mentioned in this Chapter shall not be regarded as excluding others not specifically mentioned.’ In Uganda Law Society and 12 others v Attorney General (13 February 2024), the Constitutional Court invoked Article 45 and held that the list of prohibited grounds under Article 21(3) is not exhaustive. In this article, the author relies on the drafting history of Article 21(3), the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court on Article 21(3) and the literal interpretation of Article 21(3) to argue that the list of prohibited grounds in Article 21(3) is exhaustive and that the Constitutional Court erred when it held to the contrary. The author argues further that Article 45 should not be relied on to read rights into the Constitution. It should be applicable to statutory or common law rights.

Research of Mysticism's Terms in (Da Wakht Zarb) Book

Literature is the best way to improve and reform a society. The purpose of literature according to scholars is ethics for the sake of ethics and ethics for society. In the purposes of literature, a part of the second objective is mysticism. Mysticism (Sufism) means recognition, according to the dictionary meaning and its literal interpretation is to get to know Allah (SWT). Sufism is equivalent to doing, in the dictionary it refers to wearing white clothes and in the literal term; It is a practical strategy that purifies the heart or inner self. Sufis and mystics have always used their words for the reformation of the society, and they have also placed themselves in the first row in the practical field. With regard to this, Mr. Abdul Hadi Atayi Mullah can be named as an example who has Sufism and mysticism in his written works. This research has been done on Sufism and mystical patterns in the written work of Mr. Mulla's (Da Wakht Zarb). Through bibliographical study employing descriptive method, patterns such as (آب، آدم، آه، ازل، ابد، اثر، اثبات، اخلاص، پياله، تقوى، تورى (حرف)، جام، جور او حفا، حيرت، دلبر، رند، روح، زهد، ساقي، سفر، شيخ، صوفي، قلندر، کرامت، مُطرب، ميخانه، وفا او ګل) have been identified. This article first presents general information followed by the main issue. The main issue includes the term itself, its phonetic form, pronunciation, dictionary meanings, literal meanings and its definitions with relation to Mysticism (Sophism).

Translation Strategies and challenges for translating Maithili Idioms and Proverbs into English

Translation of idioms and proverbs presents distinctive challenges due to their cultural and linguistic specificity, requiring strategies that go beyond literal translation to convey their intended meaning accurately. This study explores the translation strategies and challenges encountered in translating Maithili idioms and proverbs into English. Drawing from the Longman Dictionary of English Idioms and Larson's definition of idioms, present article highlights the significance of idiomatic expressions in preserving cultural shades and emotional connotations. Through an analysis of idiomatic expressions from Maithili literature and their English translations, the study examines the methods employed in translating these cultural artifacts. Utilizing Baker's framework, the article discusses various translation techniques and emphasizes the importance of context in conveying the essence of idiomatic expressions. The findings underscore the complexities involved in translating idioms, urging translators to prioritize conveying meaning over literal interpretation and to provide additional context when direct equivalence is lacking.

Особенности проявления принципа верховенства закона в США

Despite the fact that the United States belongs to the Anglo-Saxon legal family, the principle of the rule of law finds its manifestation in the constitutional text, political and legal practice and the legal doctrine of this country. The features of the manifestation of this principle in the United States are that, in addition to the positive enumeration of the legislative powers of the United States Congress, the US Constitution contains a number of exceptions from the competence of the legislator, established in order to limit the arbitrariness of the legislator and protect the values of constitutionalism. While officially the country adheres to the “non-delegation doctrine”, according to which only the United States Congress is endowed with the right of legislative power, in practice it is common to use the delegation of law-making powers to executive bodies. The ratio of legislative and judicial acts remains unique due to the historical emergence of the law of this country in the depths of precedents. The specificity is manifested in the fact that the statutes are more specific and substantive, they are characterized by a large volume and complexity, and judges, when applying them, try to follow a literal narrow interpretation of legislative provisions. The rule of law in the United States is not limited to ensuring formal legality, therefore, the state’s desire to implement the “rule of law”, the justice of which, first of all, must be ensured by judges, is doctrinally substantiated. However, the fairness of the country's regulations are in many cases called into question due to the ineffectiveness of the legislation and aggressive foreign policy.

Echoes of Slavery, Racial Segregation and Jim Crow: American Dispensationalism and Christian Zionist Bible-Reading

The apologetics of pro-slavery, pro-segregation Christians in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were identical to the methods of biblical interpretation used by Dispensationalist Christian Zionists today. The ideology's specific rules of ‘literal interpretation’ and ‘antecedent theology’ led both groups to similar conclusions about slavery and racial segregation, on the one hand, and Jewish privilege and Palestinian displacement, on the other. Abolitionist efforts to promote a Christ–like hermeneutic rooted in Christian morality points the way forward to correcting modern theologies, such as Dispensationalist Christian Zionism, that continue to sanction human oppression.

Literary-social Interpretations of the ‘Stagnation’ Period in 20th Century Uzbek Literature

The period from the 1960s to the 1980s under Brezhnev is stamped in history, both Soviet and Uzbek, as “stagnation.” Particularly for Uzbekistan, this period is known for such stigmatized events as the “cotton” or “Uzbek” scandal – the investigation into Uzbek First Party Secretary Sharaf Rashidov (1917-1983) for misrepresenting cotton harvest results during his twenty-four-year tenure – and the Afghan war (1979-1989). The experience of striving to save the nation from the aggressive system and stereotypes of society, from the "values" of slavery and subordination, is reflected in some examples of 20th-century Uzbek literature. The most prominent figures in XX Century’s Uzbek literary history, Said Ahmad (1920-2007) in his novel Silence (Jimjitlik, 1988) and O‘tkir Hoshimov (1941-2013) in Lives Passed in Dream (Tushda kechgan umrlar, 1992) fell apart from the literature written as the Soviet Union describes the events of this period through a prism of moral monikers. Their understanding of their place in the world has always been through their connection to the nation. Social anxiety for them is inextricably linked to artistic anxiety and vice versa. Writers took it upon themselves to unmask the sins associated with this period, such as “two-facedness” (qiyofasizlik), bribery, fraud, cruelty, and bloodthirstiness (in reference to the Afghan war). The novels focusing on the “stagnation” period played an important role in transforming these moral criticisms of Soviet rule into criticisms of Soviet rule as colonial exploitation and serve as an attempt to unmask the horrors and misdeeds behind Soviet officialdom that have long gone unnoticed. In this paper, I will examine some of those moral constructions and how they framed the period in the minds of post-Soviet Uzbeks. The literary interpretations of the problems in stagnation will be analyzed in the historical, cultural, political and literary context. I hope this paper contributes to the research carried out on Central Asian studies, including Uzbek Literature Literary history, which is known very little worldwide.

2023년 형법 중요 판례 평석

In 2023, there were fewer en banc decisions compared to 2022. While there were 7 en banc decisions related to criminal law in 2022, with 6 focusing on criminal law issues, the number decreased to 3 in 2023. However, the significance of this change should not be underestimated. Among these cases, a notable en banc decision redefined the meaning of assault and intimidation in the context of forcible molestation, representing an effort to align the legal decisions with contemporary societal trends.
 Additionally, there was a noticeable increase in en banc decisions related to stalking crimes and special criminal laws, shedding light on issues and challenges prevalent in these areas beyond basic criminal law. In the context of criminal law, there were numerous significant rulings pertaining to the co-perpetrators of negligent crimes and infringements on self-defense, specifically addressing the contemporaneity of self-defense (meaning not determined solely based on the formal completion of the criminal act but extending until the situation of harm to one's own or others' legal interests has ceased).
 In 2023, in terms of the legitimate exercise of the state's right to punish, there were many efforts to modify en banc decisions that extended beyond the literal interpretation of the law or to provide clarification on the meaning of legal provisions. While the ideal resolution for legal shortcomings would be through legislative measures, the impracticality of enacting legislation to address every situation necessitates the application of the law through judges' reasonable interpretation. Therefore, the positive aspect lies in not rendering outcome-oriented judgments based on the principle of proportionality. However, it is necessary to consider criticism that calls for clearer and more comprehensible improvements to the Supreme Court's en banc decisions, which currently restrict legal principles through their power of authoritative interpretation.
 Furthermore, it is noteworthy that many elements, which are not explicitly stipulated in the basic criminal law but are present in various special criminal laws, can be evaluated as serious crimes. To enhance the effectiveness of crime regulation and the general preventive impact, systematic legislative adjustments within the criminal law framework for these crime elements are essential.

Angelenos? What’s That? Young Italians in Los Angeles in the Fiction of John Fante, Andrea De Carlo, and Chiara Barzini

ABSTRACT In the complex and varied history of Italian migration to the United States, the Californian experience has stood out for the original dynamics of its mobility, especially in relation to the transit of Italians to Los Angeles. This article investigates three descriptions of the Italian experience in Los Angeles in different moments in the city’s history as provided by three authors who embody different transnational Italian perspectives, namely John Fante’s Ask the Dust (1939), Andrea De Carlo’s Treno di panna (1983) and Chiara Barzini’s Things that Happened before the Earthquake (2017). This article explores how these representations of the Los Angeles experience have contributed to broadening the representation of Italian youth abroad. At the same time, my analysis identifies how the Italian experience has expanded the prism of literary interpretations of the city and deepened the knowledge of the metropolis and its dense stratification of ethnic communities and cultures.

In Search of Interlanguage Correspondences in Legal Translation (Based on the Material of the Spanish Language)

The article analyzes the specifics of legal translation and its ethnonational features based on the material of the Spanish language. Taking a text-centric approach to legal translation, a translator must convey a message not only from one language to another, but also from one legal system to another. The main difficulties in this case are related to terminology, and, in particular, to the lack of a corresponding equivalent term in the translating language, with the literal interpretation of the language sign, with terminological character of the language sign in translation. The difficulties of legal translation are not so much related to the language per se, as to the differences of concepts related to different legal systems. The method of conceptual translation, which consists in finding out how certain concepts are prescribed in Russian (Spanish) legal texts, allows us to find interlanguage correspondences and equivalent translation.

An Interpretation of Mending Wall from the Perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistics

This article provides an in-depth interpretation of Robert Frost’s Mending Wall through the lens of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), highlighting how the poem’s use of ideational, interpersonal, and textual functions enhances its thematic depth and engagement. The ideational function explores the wall's representation of both physical and metaphorical divides, touching upon its implications for human connections and social conventions. The interpersonal function probes the dialogue among characters, highlighting their divergent perspectives on customs and isolation. The textual function scrutinizes the poem’s composition and tempo, underlining its dialogue-like quality and unified theme. By analyzing the poem's structure, dialogue, and symbolic elements, the study demonstrates SFL’s efficacy in revealing the intricate relationship between language choices and literary interpretation, offering profound insights into Frost’s contemplation of social barriers and interpersonal connections.

Deconstructing gendered glorification of charitable work: A case of women in Nomiya Church

Human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), COVID-19 and Ebola have exposed the magnitude of care-related tasks on women. Most often, because of the gendered nature of domestic and reproductive roles, women are expected to assume unpaid care-related, nurturing and domestic work. Despite the valuable duties, women are economically poor and othered. These unpaid care duties are exacerbated by pandemics and ratified even further by religion. For instance, in Nomiya Church (NC), the first African independent church in Kenya, women’s experience narratives and biblical texts such as the story of the Proverbs 31 virtuous woman are used to glorify unpaid charitable work for women. Women’s virtuous personality, hard work and character are upheld in Christian spaces, thus obstructing sound work theologies. This article employed African Women’s theological lens in view of pointing out repressing and transformative tenets in charitable theologies of work for social and gender justice. While applying womanhood hermeneutics in the passage, the article points to valued behavioural postures of hard work in responding to God’s stewardship mandate. An affirmation of fair reward and accumulation of property is embraced as a familial complementary role, especially in pandemic contexts. The article amplifies the accumulation of property as a human right and the mandate of stewardship for all earth communities. Hence, charity work is a stewardship framework that all earth communities must engage in for replenishment and sustenance for all.Contribution: The article challenges literal biblical interpretations that glorify charity work. It advances a stewardship framework in understanding unpaid and charity work that all earth communities must engage in to replenish and sustain all creation. The framework affirms the dignity of all human persons through a transformational understanding of the theology of work as enabled by the African theological hermeneutics.

Zakaz korzystania z telefonu podczas jazdy. Analiza art. 45 ust. 2 pkt 1 ustawy Prawo o ruchu drogowym

The ban on using a phone while driving. Analysis of Art. 45 para. 2 section 1 of the Act on Road Traffic The subject of the article is the ban on using a phone while driving, established by Art. 45 para. 2 section 1 of the Act on Road Traffic. The author expresses interpretative doubts concerning the text of the regulation including the meaning of the terms “using a phone”, the modal circumstance of “while driving”, as well as the term “requiring holding the earphone or microphone in the hand”. In the author’s opinion, the provision in question in its current wording, dating from 2002, is largely outdated and not adapter to modern reality. Moreover, it is worded incorrectly, to the extent that its literal interpretation deprives it of any normative significance.

Criminal Liability for Assisting in the Execution of Decisions of International Organizations in which the Russian Federation does not Participate

In May 2023, Article 284.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation came into force that declared criminal offense for «assistance in the execution of decisions of international organizations in which the Russian Federation does not participate, or foreign government bodies.” The syntactic construction chosen by the legislator does not make it possible, using a literal interpretation, to unambiguously determine the range of actions the commission of which entails criminal punishment. The history of the emergence and approval of the initiative to include Art. 284.3 demonstrates a serious problem in modern lawmaking: the unexpected appearance and hasty adoption of projects that are not discussed in the legal community and do not receive proper expert assessment.Goals and objectives of the study: to substantiate the doctrinal interpretation of the objective side of the act described in Art. 284.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, as well as formulate proposals aimed at limiting the manifestations of so-called hasty lawmaking in the criminal legal sphere. During the research, the author was guided by the principles of the dialectical method of cognition (objectivity and comprehensiveness of consideration of the object of study, historicism, the universal connection of phenomena, systematicity), used general scientific (analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, description, generalization, classification, analogy) and special scientific (historical) legal, sociological, legal forecasting) methods, and at the same time historical, functional and systematic ways of interpreting the law.The assumption is substantiated that the emergence of the official interpretation of Art. 284.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in the near future is unlikely, and a doctrinal interpretation is proposed, which may be in demand in criminal proceedings and investigative activities, as well as in preparing explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, relevant acts of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and a bill aimed at clarifying the text of the recently adopted criminal law. A number of proposals have been argued to introduce amendments and additions to the Rules of Procedure of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, aimed at limiting the passage of poorly substantiated bills with significant legal and technical flaws in the criminal legal field.