Investigating the Translation of Proper Names in the Documentary “Ma’alem Men Khuzestan” on Al-Kawthar Channel Based on Van Coillie's Theory

In post-coronavirus societies and the return of enthusiasm and motivation of people to exchange cultures and travel, the need for translation is felt more than ever. In the meantime, different branches of the tourism industry have been associated with interpretation. The purpose of this research is to find the most suitable solutions in the translation of proper names of tourism, know the most used strategy from the ten strategies of Van Coillie's theory (2007) in this documentary, and learn about its challenges. The research method is descriptive-analytical, in which 200 proper names were extracted from the tourism-historical documentary "Ma’alam Men Khuzestan" (Khuzestan at a Glance in Farsi) which was broadcast on Al-Kawthar International Channel, and after comparing the samples in the two Persian and Arabic versions of the documentary, it has been criticized and analyzed based on Van Coillie's theory. The research results indicate that the strategy of not translating, reproducing and copying has been used more than others. In the field of tourism, the strategy of non-translation, reproduction, and copying is considered the most appropriate translation strategies, because introducing the unique attractions of a region is one of the goals of the translator in this type of text, which must be preserved and distinguished by mentioning its original name. Other strategies are reproduction along with phonetic or morphological adaptation to the target language, deletion, non-translation along with additional explanation, and replacement with an equivalent in the target language, respectively.Keywords: Translation Strategies, Proper Names, Van Coillie, Al-Kawthar, Tourism.IntroductionKnowing the specific cultural, tourism, historical, and architectural elements of each country requires familiarity with translation approaches, which includes new researches in the field of translation of proper names. With the progress of communication and the increasing connection of all types of tourism, including cultural, religious, medical, urban, etc., with the Arabic language, the importance of translating proper names doubles.This documentary was produced by Maziar Mohajer Soltani and its text was translated into Arabic by Alireza Khajehpour. The narrators are Reza Mansour Jassim, Basmeh Shekarchi, and Manar Qitouli.Questions and Hypotheses 1- What are the challenges in the translation of proper names of tourism in Persian and Arabic languages in Van Coillie's theory?Analyzing Arabic proper names through a Western theory faces many challenges, because these strategies correspond to the structure of English grammar. The lack of Persian or Arabic theories in the translation of proper names and the lack of translation of Van Coillie's books are other problems of this research.2- In oral texts of tourism, what is the most appropriate strategy for translating proper names?It seems that combining several strategies is the best solution for translating proper names of tourism. 3- What is the most frequent method in translating proper names in this documentary and why is this method used more?It seems that the strategy of not translating, reproducing and copying has been used more than other strategies to preserve the priorities of the text or the author and transfer the cultural richness of the source language.Literature ReviewIn general, no research has been conducted on the translation of Persian proper names into Arabic in an oral tourism text. However, few research studies have been done on the translation of proper names in religious texts (Qur'an) and literary texts (novels).MethodologyThe research method is descriptive-analytical. In a way, 200 proper names were extracted from this documentary which was made in 1390-91 AH and was broadcast in 1395 in 13 episodes of 20 minutes on Al-Kawthar International Channel. After comparing samples in the two Persian and Arabic versions of the documentary, it was criticized and analyzed based on the ten strategies of Van Coillie's theory.In the theoretical literature section, the definition of proper and common nouns was mentioned, and different views on the division of proper names were also expressed.The ten axes of Van Coillie's theory are 1) Non-translation, reproduction, and copying. 2) Non-translation with additional explanations in the text or the footnote. 3) Replacement of personal name by a common noun. 4) Phonetic or morphological adaptation to the target language. 5) Replacement with the equivalent in the target language. 6) Replacement by a more widely known name from the source culture or an internationally known name with the same function. 7) Replacing a name with another name from the target language or substitution. 8) Translation of names with a particular connotation. 9) Replacement by a noun with another or additional connotation. 10) Delete. After presenting the ten strategies of Van Coillie's theory, 5 strategies were used by the translator more than other strategies, and under each strategy, explanations and several examples of those strategies and the percentage of their use compared to 200 samples were mentioned in the data analysis section.ConclusionThe strategy of non-translation, reproduction, and copying was recognized as the most used strategy of this documentary by 36%, and one can understand the source-oriented perspective of the documentary translator. According to statistics, the copying of the names of geographical places with 57% is more than the copying of the names of characters with 38%. In the field of tourism, the strategy of non-translation, reproduction, and copying is considered the most suitable translation strategy, because introducing the unique attractions of a region is one of the goals of the translator in this type of texts, which should be preserved and distinguished by mentioning its original name. In the second strategy, the criterion is the way of pronouncing a proper name with the phonetic rules of the target language, and the translation method had a special place in this strategy. In the third strategy, complete and incomplete deletion has occurred in some proper names. The fourth strategy or copying with additional explanations was used to inform the audience and express its implicit meaning. Finally, the last strategy, replacement with an equivalent, seems to be useful in the form of integration with another strategy in tourism texts. Therefore, in general, the combination of strategies is considered a suitable choice in the translation of proper names of tourism oral texts. In this documentary, we have seen examples of combinations, and one of the best combinations is the combination of copying with equivalence. But combination as an independent strategy remains hidden from Van Coillie's point of view