Decoding the unspoken

Abstract This paper investigates challenges in translating context-based Arabic proverbs into English, using Naguib Mahfouz’s novels ( Ziqaq Al-Midaq , Awlad Haritna ) and their professional translations. Employing a descriptive analytical methodology grounded in pragmatic principles, the study analyzes 15 selected examples, scrutinizing how translators handle semantic-pragmatic divergence, cultural specificity, complex linguistic features (metaphor, irony), and religious connotations. Findings emphasize the power of context in determining a proverb’s operative meaning and reveal the general inadequacy of literal translation strategies for capturing the intended communicative force, or implicature. Obstacles include subtle irony recognition, deciphering culturally-bound metaphors, bridging disparate religious/social knowledge systems, and preserving linguistic artistry. The paper stresses prioritizing pragmatic equivalence and cultural sensitivity, calling for flexible, context-driven, and pragmatically-informed methods to achieve effective cross-cultural communication when translating Arabic proverbs into English.