TRANSLATION INTO ENGLISH
Introduction:
Translation is an activity that plays a very important role in acquiring information
that comes from a foreign language. It is a process of rewriting a text in another
different language.
RULES FOR TRANSLATION
Rule 1: Learn Syntax of Two Languages for English to Urdu Translation
It’s very important, you know! Before you embark on the English to Urdu translation endeavour,
do keep in mind English and Urdu are two totally different languages with each having its own
syntax and usage patterns.
Here the word context shouldn’t be unfamiliar to you. Okay, let’s explain it. Syntax – a sub-
branch of linguistics – is the study of rules and practices that govern the arrangement of words
and other elements to make meaningful sentences.
One Major Difference in the Syntax of English and Urdu
Try to grasp the syntactical difference in the following English to Urdu translation example
sentence.
English Version of the sentence
They climbed up the hill.
Syntax: Subject (they) + Verb (climbed up) + Object (the hill)
Urdu Version of the Sentence:
وه درﺧﺖ ﭘﺮ ﭼﮍھﮯ۔
Syntax: Subject ( )وه+ Object ( )درﺧﺖ ﭘﺮ+ Verb ()ﭼﮍھﮯ
In the above example sentence of English to Urdu translation, you can easily notice that in
English the verb comes immediately after the subject and before the object.
On the other hand, in Urdu, the subject is followed by the object and the verb appears in the end
of the sentence.
Rule 2: Identify parts of speech
Though they might be known by different names in their respective languages, there are over
half a dozen parts of speech in both English and Urdu.
These parts of speech are put in a proper order to produce a meaningful clause or expression.
Different types of words which the linguists have identified in English include:
Noun
Pronoun
Verb
Adverb
Conjunction
Preposition
Interjection
Determiner
Rule 3: Know The Cultures Of Native Speakers Of Urdu And English
Rule 4: Get Command Over Vocabulary
Rule 5: Grasp Verb Forms
Rule 6: Don’t Put That Much Focus On Literal Meaning
Rule 7: Try To Convery Message To Translate Urdu Sentences To English And
Vice Versa
Rule 8: Focus on Contextual Meaning as well
Rule 9: Do Learn Tenses But Deductively – Extract Rules Through Practice
Rule 10: Avoid Word-For-Word Translation (mostly in case of English to Urdu)
EXAMPLES
URDU TO ENGLISH TRANSLATION
• Identify subject + main verb in the given sentence.
• An English clause usually consists of three major components – subject,
verb, and object. When translating from Urdu to English, when you find that
there is no subject in it but you need one to create its English version, you
can use the introductory “It” and “There” as the subject of an English
sentence.
Urdu Sentence 1:
آج ﺳﺨﺖ ﮔﺮﻣﯽ ﮨﮯ۔
English Translation:
It is very hot today.
Urdu Sentence 2:
ﺷ ﺎ م ﮨﻮ ﮔ ﺌ ﯽ ۔
English Translation:
It is evening.
Urdu Sentence 3:
ﻣﯿﺰ ﭘﺮ ﮐﻮﺋﯽ ﮐﺘﺎب ﻧﮩﯿﮟ ﮨﮯ۔
English Translation:
There is no book on the table.
Urdu Sentence 4:
ﮐﯿﺎ ﮐﮭﯿﻞ ﮐﮯ ﻣﯿﺪان ﻣﯿﮟ ﮐﻮﺋﯽ ﮐﮭﻼڑی ﮨﮯ؟
English Translation:
Is there any player in the playground?
Urdu Sentence 5:
ﮐﯿﺎ اس ﺗﺎﻻب ﻣﯿﮟ ﻣﭽﮭﻠﯿﺎں ﮨﯿﮟ؟
English Translation:
Are there fish in this pond?
Urdu Sentence 6:
ﭘﺎﻧﯽ ﻣﯿﮟ ﺑﮩﺖ ﺳﮯ ﻣﯿﻨﮉک ﺗﮭﮯ۔
English Translation:
There were many frogs in water.
Urdu Sentence 7:
ﭘﻠﯿﭧ ﻓﺎرم ﭘﺮ ﮐﻮﺋﯽ ﻣﺴﺎﻓﺮ ﻧہ ﺗﮭﺎ۔
English Translation:
There was no passenger on the platform.
Urdu Sentence 8:
ﮐﮭﯿﺖ ﻣ ﯿ ﮟ ﮐ ﺘ ﻨ ﮯ ﻣﻮﯾﺸﯽ ﺗﮭﮯ؟
English Translation:
How many cattle were there in the field?
Urdu Sentence 9:
ﭨﻮﮐﺮی ﻣﯿﮟ ﮐﭽﮭ ﺳﯿﺐ ﮨﯿﮟ۔
English Translation:
There are some apples in the basket.
Urdu Sentence 10:
درﯾﺎ ﮐﮯ ﮐﻨﺎرے ﭼﺎر ﮐﺸﺘﯿﺎں ﺗﮭﯿﮟ۔
English Translation:
There were four boats on the bank of the river.
Urdu Sentence 11:
ﻣﮑﺎن ﻣﯿﮟ ﮐﻮﺋﯽ ﻧہ ﺗﮭﺎ۔
English Translation:
There was no one in the house.
Urdu Sentence 12:
ﺻﻨﺪوق ﻣﯿﮟ ﻧﺌﮯ ﮐﭙﮍے ﻧﮩﯿﮟ ﮨﯿﮟ۔
English Translation:
There are no new clothes in the box.
Urdu Sentence 13:
ﭼﮭﺖ ﭘﺮ ﮐﻮن ﮨﮯ؟
English Translation:
Who is there on the roof?
Urdu Sentence 14:
ﮐﯿﺎ اوﻟﮯ ﭘﮍ رﮨﮯ ﮨﯿﮟ؟
English Translation:
Is it hailing?
TRANSLATION OF PARAGRAPHS
Translation:
It is feared that the oil of the world will run out in a few years. Every country is
trying to discover more reserves of oil. It is not known how far this struggle will
succeed. The need of the hour is that we should cut down our oil requirements. The
consumption of oil in industry and agriculture cannot be curtailed. However,
personal needs can be curtailed. We should import buses in place of cars so that the
facility of buses may be improved for the students.
