Proverbs exist in every language to express particular messages. However, when a proverb is translated, certain issues emerge due to its particular cultural and linguistic connotations which are different from one language to another. Nevertheless, such issues can be resolved by proper selection of translation methods. This study evaluates the accuracy of Nida’s (1964) translation theory in dealing with Arabic proverbs. For this purpose, the researcher employs Nida’s theory as a framework of this study. In addition, the researcher randomly selects 20 Arabic proverbs from different resources as the study data. In order to conduct this research, the researcher uses a comparative analysis approach. First, the study transliterates the data into English. Next, the researcher applies formal and dynamic equivalence strategies to render the research data. Then, the researcher compares and analyzes the final translation product in terms accuracy. The results show that although Nida’s theory is useful to some extent, Arabic proverbs lost some of their cultural and religious values in the target language.
Keywords: Proverb Translation, Translation Methods, translation
