Abstract

George Orwell’s 1984 is a challenging literary text where manipulating the language is an integral part of the novel’s theme. Orwell invents a new form of English, changes the writing style of the main character, and uses intentional incorrect grammatical structures in dialogues. This study examines the translations of neologisms in George Orwell’s well-known novel 1984. Drawing on Vinay and Darbelnet’s (1995) seven translation procedures, the researchers analyzed the strategies used by Ash-Shami and An-Nabhan in their translations of neologisms in Orwell’s 1984 and offered translations where necessary to provide examples for the possible ways to tackle language manipulations. The results show that in translating neologisms, Ash-Shami used Explicitation the most (24%), but An-Nabhan used Literal Translation and Adaptation (27% each). They both had a preference for domesticating neologisms to the Arabic reader, which was not always successful. The researchers’ suggested translations are intended to intrigue the ideas of the translators and researchers in this field such that the standard language is used when necessary, and other variations are also used when the ST demands it. Translators should always consider the purposeful changes in the language of the text they translate and develop strategies that tackle them in line with the purpose and context of the text.