Style Shift in Translation

The phenomenon of style shift in translated texts is ascribed mainly to textual incompatibility in terms of rhetorical asymmetry and divergence at the formality level. Mandatory shifts result from a systematic dissimilarity between the source language and the target language in terms of the underlying system of syntax, semantics and rhetorical patterns. At the textual level, shifts become more frequent in terms of cohesive relations which are manifest in endophoric references, substitution, ellipsis, conjunctions and punctuation. On the other hand, optional shifts are carried out by the translator's personal preferences under the influence of idiolect and level of proficiency in the target language. It is argued that diglossic divergence leads to an increase in the level of formality in translating and subtitling casual dialogues and conversations from English into Arabic. To demonstrate this, samples are taken from a corpus of translated texts to show how various stylistic patterns operate across cultures