Nameh Farhangestan
Year:2007 | Volume:9 | Issue:2 (34)|Papers Count:11

In this paper the writer first presents an analysis of the language of the modern translations of the Quran. The writer then defines addition and omission as two strategies that must be used in the translation of mojmalat (verses that leave certain things unexpressed due to conciseness) and motajabehat (verses that are subject to interpretation). To show how effective and unavoidable the two strategies are, the writer translates the chapter Joseph into Persian, using the linguistic resources and limitations of Persian, avoiding any linguistic interference from Arabic.

Ayaz was a close member of the inner circle of the court of Mapmiid Gaznavl. In historical texts, there are numerous stories of the king's kind affection toward him. These stories have provided material not only for literary but for mystic works as well. In Tarik s-e Beyhaql and Tarik-e Gardlzl, there are expressions that confirm the existence of Ayaz. In most mystic texts, there are stories of the king Mapmiid and Ayaz. For example, Zolali kansari has devoted his Sab le-ye Sayyareh to an exposition of the king Mapmud's love for Ayaz. Also, 'Attar, Sana'i and hafez have made subtle references to the relationship between Mahmud and Ayaz. 'Attar concludes from this relationship the mystic concepts of "self-negation" (fana) and "life in God" (baqa). Mowlavi considers Ayaz as a wayfarer who has embarked on the path of Sufism, liberated himself of all worldly inclinations and reached Truth.

As the late Sa'id Nafisi states in the introduction to Dehkhoda Dictionary, none of the Persian-to-Persian dictionaries, exceeding 200 books, follows consistent lexicographical conventions. In this paper, the writer examines the methods of recording entries and word combinations in several dictionaries, especially in Dehkhoda Dictionary. The purpose of this comparison, the write states, is not to pass value judgments on the dictionaries, but to try to reach a method that could be rationally justified and ideally used in writing new dictionaries.

The Surkh Kotal inscription was discovered in Baghlan, a northern province of Afghanistan by a group of French archeologists. The inscription is written in Greek and Balkhi, a language of the northeastern branch of the Middle Persian. Balkh is an ancient land mentioned both in the Avesta and the Darius inscription in Bistoon. For about 200 years, Alexander incorporated it into the Greek empire. Balkh reappeared with its annexation by the Kushans. This was a fortunate era because Balkhi was replaced with Greek as the official language, even though the Greek script continued to be used along with other scripts including the Balkhi script. Later, as the Kushan dynasty began to weaken, Balkh became part of the Sassanian empire. The Surkh Kotal was first deciphered and translated in part by A.M. MARicQ but it was W. B. HENNiNq who managed to discover the message of the inscription. The major part of the inscription concerns the foundation of a temple by the emperor Kanishka, its abandonment as a result of problems with the water-supply, and its re-establishment by a high official named Nukunzuk in the year 31 of the era of Kanishka, that is, early in the reign of his successor Huvishka. The inscription also mentions three other men who helped Nukunzuk with the reconstruction of the temple. It seems that the purpose of the inscription was io honor Nukunzuk for his reconstructing the temple.

The oldest Persian translations and commentaries of the Holy Quran are traced back to the late 3rd century and the early 4th century AH. These works include large numbers of old and rare Persian single words and compounds. Since the authors of the translations under investigation chose Persian equivalents with meticulous care, the study of these sources is of great significance from the perspective of historical linguistics. Among the linguistic characteristics of these translations, the usage of adverbs and interrogative particles, most of which have now lost their interrogative function, is worthy of note. Since Persian dictionaries have not presented the interrogative meaning of these words, the author of the present paper has tried to clarify some of these interrogative particles as used in the texts survived.