English Translations Of Quranic Verses Regarding Women: An In-Depth Analysis Of Loss And Gain In Meaning Based On Baker’S Taxonomy

Studies have demonstrated that no translation of the Holy Quran is devoid of shortcomings; the point of interest is not whether there are shortcomings, but lies instead in the extent of the shortcomings, since translating the Holy Quran into a foreign language with perfect accuracy is an impossible task. Referring to several Quranic verses, claims have been made that Islam oppresses women and deprives them of their rights. This general perception that women are looked down upon, discriminated and insulted based on verses of the Holy Quran is common in the West, where translations of the Holy Quran are relied on. This thesis comprises an in-depth analysis of four English renditions of Quranic verses regarding women from the renditions by Pickthall, Arberry, Sarwar and Abdel Haleem. The selected verses are analysed with the aim of identifying the strategies used and determining the extent of loss or gain in meaning. Also, identification of the most dominant and least used strategies, and determining the themes demonstrating the most loss or gain in meaning. To this end, the verses regarding women were identified and categorised into five major themes based on their subject matter, then analysed using Baker’s taxonomy

English Translations Of Quranic Verses Regarding Women An In-depth Analysis Of Loss And Gain In Meaning Based On Baker’s Taxonomy

Studies have demonstrated that no translation of the Holy Quran is devoid of shortcomings; the point of interest is not whether there are shortcomings, but lies instead in the extent of the shortcomings, since translating the Holy Quran into a foreign language with perfect accuracy is an impossible task. Referring to several Quranic verses, claims have been made that Islam oppresses women and deprives them of their rights. This general perception that women are looked down upon, discriminated and insulted based on verses of the Holy Quran is common in the West, where translations of the Holy Quran are relied on. This thesis comprises an in-depth analysis of four English renditions of Quranic verses regarding women from the renditions by Pickthall, Arberry, Sarwar and Abdel Haleem. The selected verses are analysed with the aim of identifying the strategies used and determining the extent of loss or gain in meaning. Also, identification of the most dominant and least used strategies, and determining the themes demonstrating the most loss or gain in meaning. To this end, the verses regarding women were identified and categorised into five major themes based on their subject matter, then analysed using Baker’s taxonomy. Ibn Kathir’s and As-Sa’di’s exegeses were utilised for the purpose of determining the meaning of the verses, while back translations served to justify any loss or gain in meaning. Based on the nature of the research problem and the research questions, the qualitative approach was used. Out of the 17 strategies proposed by Baker, 14 were employed in varying degrees. The findings indicate that all themes suffered loss in meaning, whereas gain was observed in three themes only. Overall, the findings reveal that using superordinate words is the most dominant strategy used, while using idiom of similar meaning but different form is the least used. With specific regard to each theme, voice change was most dominant in the matrimony theme, addition dominated the theme of rights and duties, paraphrasing was most dominant in the chastity theme, while in the equity theme, application of superordinate words was dominant. Regarding the least used strategies, paraphrasing using unrelated words was applied minimally in the matrimony theme, compensation in the rights theme, nominalisation in the theme of duties. Using idiom of similar meaning but different form is least used in chastity theme while in the theme of equity, extraposition and nominalisation were used twice each. Furthermore, it was found that the theme of rights demonstrated the most loss in meaning compared to the other themes, whereas the theme of matrimony demonstrated the most gain in meaning. The findings of this study contribute to the body of knowledge in the field of translation studies, and are relevant to scholars working with religious texts, gender discrimination and Islamic studies. Besides, claims and misconceptions about Islam could be justified and the reasons behind them clarified with further research

The Burden of Human Parechoviruses on Children in Oman: A retrospective study

Objectives: To study the burden, clinical and laboratory features, and outcome of Human Parechoviruses (HPeVs) infection among children managed at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH). Methods: This is a retrospective study of children (< 18 years of age) with molecular proven HPeVinfection managed at SQUH between January 2017 and December 2019. Data was collected from patients’ medical records and analyzed to describe the demographic, clinical and laboratory features, management and outcome. Results: HPeV was detected in 61 patients,  44 (72%) of whom were males. The median age of these patients was 9 months (IQR, 6-15 months). HPeV was detected throughout the year without any significant peaks. The majority of our patients (51; 84%) had co-infection with other viruses. Forty-eight (79%) children with HPeV infection required hospitalization and their median hospital length of stay was 5 days (IQR, 3 - 8 days).  Ex-prematurity (10; 16%) was the most common comorbidity  seen among this group. Fever (41; 67%) and cough (41; 67%) were the most common presenting symptoms among these children.Two-third of children with HPeV infection in this cohort were managed for lower respiratory tract infection and none for meningitis. Gastroenteritis was not common in our study, only 8 children had diarrhoea. All children had a full recovery. Conclusion: HPeVs does not show a clear seasonality in Oman. Most of the children were < 2 years of age and had a viral co-infection. Outcomes of HPeVs were favorable, with no mortalities, but thorough follow-up of neurological outcomes was lacking. Keywords: Children; Parechovirus; Infection; Outcome; Oman

“So good women are the obedient…” : an in-depth analysis of selected translated Quranic verses regarding women

Examining the translations of Quranic verses related to women might clarify claims that Islam oppresses women, and in which women are abused and deprived of their rights. Furthermore, the outcomes of a translation process can be influenced by different choices, which may lead to loss or gain in meaning. In this study, five of the more known and comprehensive verses pertaining to women were selected via purposive sampling and their English renditions by two translators were analyzed using a model of translation criticism proposed by Farahzad (2012). The translations by M.M. Pickthall (1930) and S.M. Sarwar (2011) formed part of the corpus. Ibn Kathir’s (2003) exegesis was utilized to determine each verse’s meaning/interpretation. The renditions were compared against the original (Arabic) versions, and analyzed at the textual level subsumed under the dimension of translational choices. The analysis also took into account the translators’ different backgrounds; instances of disparity are apparent in terms of translational choices and a portion may be inferred to have occurred because of the translators’ backgrounds. However, these instances are minimal. Overall, the findings indicate disparities in choice of lexis, grammar, and translation strategies. Literal translation was also found to be a dominant strategy, in addition to inaccuracies in meaning conveyance. To date, there is no available translational research similar to the present study in terms of corpus and design. This study and its findings are of relevance not only to religious units, but also to translators, educators and scholars engaged in language and translational research

Translating idiomatic expressions in literary prose : the case of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

Even though idioms constitute an essential part of language and are common in our daily communication, they are seen to possess uncommon linguistic characteristics and high degrees of linguistic and cultural specificities. Due to this, they pose various problems to native and non-native speakers of a language, as well as translators. The present study sought to identify the strategies adopted in translating these expressions found in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird and to examine if there is any loss of meaning post-rendition, referring to Tawfeeq Al-Asady’s Arabic rendition of the prize-winning novel. In meeting the study’s objectives, a sample of 80 idiomatic expressions were analyzed based on Baker’s (2018) taxonomy and Nababan et al.’s (2012) model. A comparative-descriptive approach was applied; first, comparing the SL idiom with its TL counterpart to identify the strategy used and to assess for any loss of meaning, and then calculating the frequency of the strategies adopted. The findings reveal that four primary strategies were employed: paraphrasing, total equivalence, literal translation, and partial equivalence. The kappa value for interrater reliability is highly favorable at .86, denoting almost perfect agreement between the raters who were invited to assess the study’s data for added validity. We are able to conclude that the idiomatic expressions were to a fair extent rendered effectively, with instances of loss of meaning observed. This study and its findings are of relevance to translators, educators, and scholars engaged in language and translation research

Identification of Asymptomatic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infections among Healthcare Workers at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the incidence and features of asymptomatic COVID-19 infections among HCWs at a tertiary hospital in Oman. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2020 and February 2021 among HCWs with no history of COVID-19 infection using an online questionnaire to collect sociodemographic and clinical data. COVID-19 infection was diagnosed using nasopharyngeal/throat swabs, which were tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Analyses were performed using Chi-squared test, Fisher’s exact test, or univariate ordinary least squares regression, as appropriate. Results: A total of 583 HCWs participated in the study. Most were female (56.6%) and the mean age was 35 ± 8 years . Only 9.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.3–12.3%) of the HCWs were at high exposure risk as they were directly involved in the care of COVID-19-infected patients. Overall, 4.1% (95% CI: 2.7–6.1%) of the HCWs screened positive for SARS-CoV-2; of these, five (20.8%) developed symptoms within two weeks. The frequency of SARS-CoV-2 positivity among HCWs working in high, intermediate, low, and miscellaneous risk areas was 1.8% (95% CI: <0.1–9.6%), 2.6% (95% CI: <0.1–6.5%), 5.3% (95% CI: 0.3–9.3%), and 4.8% (95% CI: <0.1–69.3%), respectively. Working in high-risk areas was associated with increased compliance with various infection control strategies (P <0.001). Conclusion: There was a greater frequency of SARS-CoV-2 positivity among HCWs working in lower-risk areas, whereas HCWs who worked in high-risk areas were significantly more likely to report increased compliance with infection control strategies. Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing; Asymptomatic Infections; Health Personnel; Occupational Exposure; Infection Control; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Oman

Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

As mortality rates decline, life expectancy increases, and populations age, non-fatal outcomes of diseases and injuries are becoming a larger component of the global burden of disease. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016) provides a comprehensive assessment of prevalence, incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for 328 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2016

Stress modulation as a means to improve yeasts for lignocellulose bioconversion

The second-generation (2G) fermentation environment for lignocellulose conversion presents unique challenges to the fermentative organism that do not necessarily exist in other industrial fermentations. While extreme osmotic, heat, and nutrient starvation stresses are observed in sugar- and starch-based fermentation environments, additional pre-treatment-derived inhibitor stress, potentially exacerbated by stresses such as pH and product tolerance, exist in the 2G environment. Furthermore, in a consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) context, the organism is also challenged to secrete enzymes that may themselves lead to unfolded protein response and other stresses. This review will discuss responses of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to 2G-specific stresses and stress modulation strategies that can be followed to improve yeasts for this application. We also explore published –omics data and discuss relevant rational engineering, reverse engineering, and adaptation strategies, with the view of identifying genes or alleles that will make positive contributions to the overall robustness of 2G industrial strains