THE TRANSLATION OF REFERENCE SWITCHING (ILTIFAT) IN SURAT AL-BAQARAH

Abstract

Reference switching( Iltifat) is  a unique style found in the holy Qur‟an. It is a rhetorical device that has a tremendous impact as a means of communication. It is considered as one of the remarkable aspects found in the Glorious Qur‟an. The Qur'an is the only form of Arabic prose to use this rhetorical device iltifat in an extensive and complex manner. However, reference switching may constitute a problem for translators in transferring reference switches from one language environment to another, particularly when working with a sacred text such as the holy Qur‟an. Moreover, reference switching is used in the Qur'an to serve various pragmatic functions. Reference switching in the holy Qur‟an does not occur haphazardly or randomly, but instead  it creates some special effects that would encourage the  reader to search for some kind of implicature. This study looks at the translation of reference-switching (iltifat) in Surat Al-Baqarah and focuses on three aspects: firstly, it identifies the reference switching in Qur‟anic discourse especially in surat Al-Baqarah and its translation into English; secondly, it looks at the  pragmatic functions of iltifat (reference-switching) and finally, the study will look at the strategies employed by the translator to transfer reference switching that is obvious in the Qur‟an to the target language (English).