Investigating the Principles and Criteria of Translation of Slang Language (A Case Study of Arabic Slang)

Language is an integrated system, the most important use of which is to enable individuals to communicate with each other. Humans do not all speak the same language. There are different languages in the world, and each language has its own distinctive features that distinguish it from other languages. Even the people of a given nation do not speak the same language. Languages differ in terms of use, and these differences conduce to accents and dialects. Slang language refers to colloquial vocabulary that is only understood by specific groups of people. The use of slang language has increased in the contemporary era, and some writers have developed a tendency to write their stories and plays in slang. This has placed a great deal of demand on the translator, as slang translation always comes with its challenges. The most important of these challenges is to find the right equivalents for slang words and phrases in the target language. What methods and techniques are utilized to translate slang expressions; what types of slang are used in formal texts; and what problems the translator is faced with in translating dialects are among the main concerns of the present paper which the authors attempt to address. The results show that there are different types of slang language such as social or geographic with which, the most appropriate translation method is equivalent finding, rather than literal translation.