الفهرس 
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Abstract
Presupposition is a type of pragmatic inference that has been the subject of extensive
debate for more than a century. While logicians and linguists disagree on many
aspects of this inference, they do agree that the role it plays in the structure and
interpretation of discourse is crucial. The concept was born in philosophical logic, but
later became an area of special interest to linguists, who regard it now as an essential
part of an integrated theory of language.
The present study examines this concept in relation to the translations of three works
by the Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz. The main issue the study attempts to
address is the importance of preserving the status of presupposition in translation, this
being a major constituent of thematic meaning. Presupposition is linked with the way
information is structured and presented. Because it is an element of background
meaning, it would be erroneous to equate it with foregrounded and asserted meaning.
The techniques used by translators to preserve presuppositions are equally explored in
the study.