Explication in the Translation of Kalila and Dimna: “The Lion and the Ox”

Translation as one of the main factors in universalizing a work of art plays a significant role in the relationship between various nations and cultures. It offers an interactive context for two thoughts, and opens up new intellectual horizons for them. Kalila and Dimna, written by Ibn al-Muqaffa and Translated by Abu’l-Ma’ali Nasrallah from Arabic into Persian, is one of the most important texts of Persian literature. It has attracted the attention of a large number of researchers. Having been translated in different stages of history, translators have manipulated its text to suit their tastes. One kind of manipulation is explication which was first introduced and theorized by Jean Darbelnet as one of the strategies of translation. This study examines the process of explication in Abu’l-Ma’ali Nasrallah’s translation of the story of “The Lion and the Ox” in Kalila and Dimna. Research findings demonstrate that the translator has employed all types of explication in the levels of meaning and discourse, namely replacement, reference, deletion, coherence, and elaboration. Furthermore, they show that elaboration is the most frequent type of explication.