ARABIC-L: LING: Arabic Political Metaphor Response

[Dilworth B. Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Mon 15 Mar 1999
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject: Arabic Political Metaphor

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1)
Date: 15 Mar 1999
From: al-harrasi at msn.com
Subject: Arabic Political Metaphor

Hello all,

It was interesting for me to read the recent message by Ignacy Nasalski who
is preparing a Ph.D. thesis on Arabic political metaphor. I am doing
something similar.

I am currently working on a Ph.D. thesis (at Aston University, England) on
translation of Arabic political metaphor into English. I am analysing a
corpus of Arabic political texts (speeches and interviews) and their English
translations. I base my study on some recent developments of the theory of
metaphor, particularly the conceptual theory of metaphor. The results that I
have arrived at up to now (as far as Arabic political metaphor is concerned)
can be summarised as follows: Arabic politicians use particular conceptual
metaphors such as seeing THE ARAB WORLD as ONE FAMILY in speeches of
President Saddam Hussein or seeing DEVELOPMENT as PROGRESS FROM ONE POINT TO
ANOTHER POINT as in the case of the political discourse of Sultan Qaboos bin
Said of Oman. These metaphors are interwoven in the political and cultural
contexts in which they are used. They are also very related, often in highly
implicit ways, to the ideological orientations of the different politicians.

I have written and published some studies on translation of metaphor which
include analysis of metaphorical expressions and concepts. I feel that the
area of Arabic political metaphors is one that needs intensive 'urgent'
studies. To understand a politician one needs to understand his metaphors.
Arabic metaphors are not studied so one wonders whether we really
understands what Arab politicians are saying (or more precisely, what they
are telling us).

I welcome a discussion with any one interested in this topic or with Arabic
political discourse in general.
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Abdulla AL-HARRASI

ADDRESS:
12 Sandford Close
Wivenhoe
Colchester
CO7 9NP
UNITED KINGDOM

TEL/FAX: (0044)1206-825175
E-MAIL: Al-Harrasi at bigfoot.com
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End of Arabic-L: 15 Mar 1999