Translating a spoken dialogue
Arabic · Key Stage 3 · The School
What register means
REGISTER is the level of formality in language — formal, neutral or casual. The same underlying idea can be expressed at very different registers: a formal written request and a casual spoken one can share the same core meaning while sounding completely different.
Matching register in translation
A strong translation preserves the ORIGINAL's register, not the translator's own preferred style. Translating a casual spoken exchange into formal written English changes something real about the text, even if every individual word is technically translated correctly.
Signs of casual, spoken register
Short sentences, questions, interruptions, and everyday vocabulary rather than formal terms are all signs of casual spoken register. A natural English translation of casual dialogue should sound like something a person would actually SAY, not something they would write in a report.
— أَهْلًا! كَيْفَ حَالُكَ اليَوْمَ؟ — أَهْلًا بِكَ! أَنَا بِخَيْرٍ، شُكْرًا. وَأَنْتَ؟ — بِخَيْرٍ أَيْضًا. هَلْ أَنْتَ ذَاهِبٌ إِلَى المَدْرَسَةِ الآنَ؟ — نَعَمْ، سَأَذْهَبُ بَعْدَ قَلِيلٍ. A stiff, overly formal translation: "Greetings! How are you today?" "Greetings to you! I am well, thank you. And you?" "I am well also. Are you proceeding to the school at present?" "Indeed, I shall depart shortly." A natural translation, matching the original's casual register: "Hi! How are you today?" "Hi! I'm good, thanks. You?" "Good too. Are you heading to school now?" "Yeah, I'll go in a bit." Both translations are technically accurate. Only the second one sounds like two people actually talking — which is exactly what the original Arabic dialogue was.