9.2. Mistakes in Translation Related to Differences in Realia

Nonconformity, which cause mistakes in words, are related to the differences in realia, i.e. specific elements or entire systems in the cultures of corresponding nations. Traditions and customs, reflected in realia, are very important for language. Their violation results in “mistakes of ignoramus” („помилки профана“), which must not be allowed in word usage and translation. If in Ukrainian the term “rector” refers to the director of any university, and since the 60s of XX century means also a leader of a higher educational establishment in Ukraine, then in the English higher institution the term “rector” means only the leaders of Scotch universities and leaders of two colleges of Oxford; in other cases they say (according to the tradition of every educational establishment) “president, principal, vice-chancellor” etc.

The word „факультет“ in its form and meaning corresponds to English faculty, but the last refers only to the faculties of old universities of England; in new educational establishments it is more frequently substituted by the word “department”.

It is a tradition to call in English the event in history of the USA, known as „Війна за незалежність США“ “The American Revolution”, „парламент США“ — Congress. Thus in a number of cases the differences in traditions of nomenclature and/or realia are intricately interwoven with the differences in lexical meanings in similar, alike words of different languages.

Apart from common meanings in Ukrainian консультація and Engl. consultation порада, вказівка спеціаліста; нарада спеціалістів, а саме лікарів, the new fact of reality has been reflected in a specific meaning of the word — “установа, що надає допомогу населенню порадами спеціалістів, for example:

юридична консультація — legal advice office

дитяча консультація — baby/infant welfare centre, children’s clinic, paediatric clinic, nursing-centre

жіноча консультація — antenatal clinic, maternity welfare centre/clinic, maternity advice bureau.

Here the quality of “false friend” is conditioned by the word „консультація“ both by realia and semantics, that expresses it.

The words industry — індустрія in the meaning „промисловість“ coincide, but the English word is not always translated by the word „індустрія“ because we say: соціалістична, капіталістична, сучасна, важка, легка, машинобудівна, кіно -індустрія or промисловість, but we will always and only say: автомобільна, атомна, газова, гірська, добувна, консервна, нафтова, обробна, харчова, содова, склодувна, будівельна, ткацька, електротехнічна, енергетична та ін. промисловість.

There is not uncommon the differences in expressive-stylistic coordination of words which are compared (there is a necessity during the selection of a synonym to orient oneself on the stylistic mode, tonality of the context).The most frequent type of stylistic nonconformity or discrepancy in the English and Ukrainian words — nonconformity, discrepancy in the bookish and colloquial character, or in the specific functional-stylistic colouring. Thus, even in a similar meaning дивний, навіжений, химерний English word extravagant and Ukrainian — екстравагантний not very much coincide in use, as the first word is stylistically neutral, and the second is bookish. Differences in the evaluative colouring are a substantial type of stylistic differences, too, for example:

English “compilation” — складання, збирання, укладання (the compilation of a dictionary) is fully neutral unlike the negative Ukrainian компіляція — зіставлення на основі механічного використання чужих матеріалів.

The stylistic interpretation (навантаження) is especially noticeable in the figurative meanings: Ukrainian word елемент in the meaning особа has the colloquial and negative colouring and is rendered in English by the words individual, person, fellow with negative epithets (підозрілий елемент — suspicious-looking fellow, lum customer).

English agony expresses a wide concept about spiritual and physical sufferings and their manifestations, and is represented in a bilingual dictionary by the followings equivalents: 1) нестерпний біль, фізичне страждання, as in a yelp of agony — крик болю; 2) вибух почуттів, as in agony of fear — приступ жаху; 3) жах, відчай, as in:

“The town had known in the past the agony and horror of major mine disasters”.

„Місту доводилось переживати в минулому відчай та жах через великі катастрофи на шахтах“.

4) агонія, as in agony of death — смертельна агонія. The word „агонія“ means only передсмертні муки (англ. death-struggle, agony of death, mortal agony).

Broader and less differentiated notions are also inherent to Ukrainian words as compared with English: in Ukrainian тютюн листя відповідної рослини для куріння чи нюхання corresponds English tobacco — тютюн для куріння and snuff — тютюн для нюхання; the word журнал періодичне видання у вигляді книжки corresponds English word journal — спеціальний журнал в якій-небудь галузі and magazine — журнал, переважно ілюстрований, розрахований на широке коло читачів.

Mechanical comparison or likening (уподібнення) of semantically non-equivalent Ukrainian and English words violates the intelligibility of a text, but not necessarily results in complete distortion of meaning. Thus the incorrect translations of the English word hospital as „госпіталь“ are practically clear in the context, which goes about hospital, or English apartment — as „апартаменти“ in the context, which goes about an apartment.

But in most contexts the following translations will be grossly incorrect: Ukr. барак — wooden building, hut as “barracks” — казарми, Engl. race (in the meaning “clan, origin”) as „раса“, medicine (in the meaning „терапія“ therapy ) as „медицина“, Ukr. інвалід — cripple, disabled person as “invalid” — хворий, etc.