Translation transformations

Translation transformations are defined by L.S. Barkhudarov as numerous and varied in their quality inter-lingual changes which are made to achieve adequacy in translation in spite of discrepancies in the formal and semantic systems of a SL and a TL

the syntactic level favours substitutions which retain the syntactic invariant despite various other replacements, e.g. The sun disappeared behind a cloud. - Солнце скрылось за тучей. The semantic level admits of a variety of transformations including passivization, nominalization, replacement of a word by a word group, etc. E.g. Ваша жена прекрасно готовит - Your wife is a superb cook. In such cases the invariant is retained on two sublevels: (a) componential& (b) referential (У меня стоят часы - My watch has stopped). The pragmatic level regarded as a top level in the hierarchy of levels exists irrespective of the other two levels and allows a wide range of transformations which cannot be described in terms of a single type (e.g. Many happy returns of the day - С днём рождения).

An understanding of translation transformations offered by V.S.Vinogradov connects it with two stages in a translator's work:

· the first presupposing perception of a SL text is divided into two phases: pre-translational and translational perception;

· the second phase connected with re-creation

In the author's opinion causes of translation transformations include two major factors:

(a) a SL text as a determinant of translation modifications and (b) a lingua-ethnical barrier as another important determinant.

A SL text as a determinant of its transformations contains the following features:

1) textual content comprising denotative, significative connotations, the

interpreter's level of content, intra-lingual content, structural content;

2) f unctions of a text including intellectual informative, emotive, aesthetic, nominative, voluntative, phatic. A lingua-ethnical barrier includes linguistic (proper) and ethno-cultural factors:

a) linguistic factors comprise discrepancies between two language systems on various language levels, language norms, speech norm;

b) ethno-cultural barrier refers to pre-textual information stock of SL and TL speakers.

22. Substitutions made on various levels: lexical, stylistic, grammatical (morphological and syntactic).

Lexical substitutions

a) concretizing - a SL word with an abstract, broad and general meaning is replaced by a TL word with a concrete, narrow and specific meaning, e.g. After dinner - После ужина b) generalization - a SL word with a concrete, narrow, specific meaning changed for a TL word which has an abstract, broad, general meaning, c) sense development - a SL word is replaced by a TL word the meanings of which denote notions connected with each other through cause-result links. Since such links are usually connected with an action mere may be basically 6 varieties of such transformations: result – cause; result – action; action – result; action – cause; cause – result; cause – action (When I opened my eyes she had lit the lamp (action) Когда я открыл глаза, лампа была зажжена (resultant state)); d) antonymic translation - a SL word is translated by its TL antonym which as a rule brings about changes in the grammatical structure of a sentence, namely an affirmative sentence often becomes negative and vice versa a negative sentence may turn into an affirmative one,

Compensation can be of two types:

1) semantic compensation which is used as a means to compensate for sense losses especially while translating culture-bound and nationally specific units(five-and-ten-cent store trade Warren – дешёвые)

2) stylistic compensation which can be local and non-local and is employed to compensate for stylistic losses: пятихатник - 500 roubles.

Grammatical substitutions refer to various changes of grammatical (morphological) forms and syntactic structures that include several kinds of modifications:

a) part-of-speech characteristics

Я ему обрадовался - I was glad to see him (me Russian verb denoting emotional behavior is often replaced by the English phrase: to be (turn, get, grow, become) + adjective);

b) parts-of-a-sentence substitutions: John kept whistling " Song of India" while he shaved - Джон брился и насвистывал «Индийскую песню» (subordination in the English sentence is replaced by coordination in the Russian sentence)

23. Transformations of restructuring. Transpositions cover: all cases of restructuring(on the syntactic level). two kinds(the nature of a unit undergoing restructuring, its size and syntactic functions): (a) re-patterning on the level of a word-group, (b) re-patterning on the level of a sentence.

Re-patterning I is caused by differences in the structural patterns of correlated SL and TL(morphological (part-of-speech) or syntactical substitutions)-Алёшка, стуча зубами, стал сказывать про Тыртова His teeth chattering, Alyosha began explaining about Tyrtov(Rus verb.adver.phrase=> Eng.abs.con-n.

Re-patterning II: (a)changes in the w-o within a sentence (It was very tiring to stoop all the time-Идти всё время согнувшись было очень утомительно).Eng-the change in the sentence-type, theme-rheme structure. There is no re-patterning of Russian sentences which are characterized by two features: 1)a verb-predicate is intransitive so there is no direct object in them; 2)a sentence begins with some adverbials (of manner, place), e.g. Км, в этом краю, очень много озёр. - Up in that lake country were many, many lakes.

b)changes in the order of clauses within a complex or a compound sentence

Re-patterning II bc of difference in the theme-rheme organization=> a number of other transformations: a)changes in the order of sentences, e.g. Photographers came. The tragedy had interested the local press. - Трагедия заинтересовала местную прессу. Пришли фотографы

24. Complex lexico-grammatical transformations – antonyms, additions, omissions. antonymic translation - a SL word is translated by its TL antonym which as a rule brings about changes in the grammatical structure of a sentence, " He will not be long ", Теперь он скоро придёт,

Additions are complex lexico-grammatical transformations which bring about changes in the lexical elements of a SLT+gram.changes. Causes: 1) the difference in the word-building, combinatorial, grammatical and other features of SL and TL, e.g. / '11 have him call you - Я скажу ему, чтобы он позвонил тебе. 2) the absence of a ready lex cor-ces in TL Его встретили с хлебом-солью - Не was met with the bread and salt of hospitality. 3) e llipsis of some elements in a SLT where they are considered redundant, but which have to be restored in a TLT since they are compulsory in it, e.g. Everybody heard the President's energy message - Все прослушали послание президента о проблеме нехватки энергоресурсов в США. 4) stylistic demands in keeping with the norms of TL, e.g. A few minutes later nurse Davis, starched and curious, arrived - Через несколько минут вошла сестра Дэвис, вся накрахмаленная, едва сдерживая своё любопытство.

Omissions result in dropping some elements from a SLT which may be caused by a number of factors: 1) the difference in combinability of SL and TL, The treaty was declared null and void -Договор был объявлен недействительным. 2) well-established traditions of expressing some information, Eng-detailed descriptions which is redundant in Rus and are usually replaced by their functional analogues, e.g. Every inch of his face expressed amazement - На его лице было написано изумление. 3) the desire to create compression in an English sentence which is often achieved thanks to frequent uses of participial, infinitival, gerundial phrases, complex object, complex subject and other complexes, e.g. Как сообщается, свыше 30 автомашин застряли в пути на 12 часов из-за снежных заносов - More than 30 cars are said to have stuck twelve hours in snow drifts. Omissions are more frequently made while translating from R. into E. in contrast to additions that are usual when translating from E. into R.

25. Context-free words: proper names in translation.

General defin – nouns used to name a certain person, place or thing. Until recently they didn’t enter dics as t-rs thought they are untranslatable. 1)proper ns – heterogeneous system: pers ns, pet ns, diminutive, endearing; geogr; institutions, etc

2)can be t-ed following well-est tradition (monarchy, biblical) and acc to modern demand. Shall not be mixed not to create dublets.(may depend on the nationality of the bearer: hugo – Хьюго – Гюго.

Personal names – 2 groups depending on their translation: those translated according to tradition and those translated in keeping with the modern tendency.

Pet ns used to -!)characterize a person in? 2)express interpersonal distances 3)show the attitude. Can be expressed implicitly or explicitly. When translating – var means (Shorty – Коротышка; Scout – Глазастик; Матрёшенька – tiny Matreshka). Firms, ships, newpapers – transcribed../// Organizations, societies – loan translated: Фонд обязательного мед страхования – Obligatory Medical Insurance Fund. /// Geogr and microtoponyms – depending on several factors: 1)type of nomination – 1 word or multi-word. 2)structure of multi-word complexes. 1) – transliterated(Giblartar – Гиблартар) 2) a) transcribed and/or transliterated (Downing steet – Даунинг-Стрит) b) t-ed – Cape of the Good Hope – Мыс Доброй Надежды. c) both – Bull lake – озеро Булл Лэйк.