10. Original Metonymies and their Translation

The rendering of metonymy is not always easy because of differences in usage.

So the pink sprigged muslin and the champagne voile ran downstairs in a hurry.

(C. Dane).

The metonymies «рожевий муслин у квіточках і палева кісея збігли по сходах» are hardly possible in Ukrainian. The following is an acceptable rendering:

Подружки, одна в рожевому муслині в квіточках та інша у палевій кісеї швидко збігли по сходах.

The addition of a concrete word – подружки – is prompted by the macro context, but the stylistic effect is certainly lost in translation. What is permissible and possible in our language is impossible in another. Still there are cases when the norms of the Ukrainian language permit the use of original metonymies.

There were only four other people in the bar. I knew them all, or knew what they did for a living: timber, flour, textiles, insurance. Timber and Flower were standing at the counter discussing the cost of labour; Textiles at a table on the opposite side of the room was complaining about his garage bills. Insurance was listening patiently. (J.Braine).

У барі було ще тільки четверо людей. Я знав їх, вірніше знав, чим вони займаються: будівельний ліс, борошно, текстиль, страхування. Будівельний ліс і Борошно стояли біля стійки, обговорюючи вартість робочої сили; Текстиль, сидячи біля столику в іншому кінці бару, скаржився на великі рахунки за гараж. Страхування терпляче його слухав.

11. Transferred Epithet and its Translation

Another example of different frequency and different specific weight of a stylistic device is presented by the transferred epithet which is a structural variant of the metaphoric epithet. Its expressive force lies in its peculiar distribution: syntactically it modifies one word whereas logically it refers to another. Thus, syntactically it stands apart from the word to which it is semantically attached. Transferred epithets both trite and original are widely used in English while in Ukrainian they are mainly confined to poetry. Such combinations with transferred epithets as “hasty luncheon”, “quick cigarette”, “accusing finger”, “indifferent shoulder”, etc. have become clichés through their frequent use.

Some models of transferred epithets are more unusual and therefore more expressive but nevertheless are rarely preserved in translation.

…his commanding officer had called him … and sent him on his puzzled way. (M. West).

Командир покликав його ... й послав із дорученням, яке зовсім спантеличило його.

The Ukrainian translation in keeping with the existing norms of valency re-establishes the logical link between the attribute and the modified word but inevitably destroys the stylistic effect.

In the narrow darkness between the doors he drew his pistol. (E.Gardner).

The epithet “narrow” semantically refers to the implied word “interval” (between the doors) which is introduced in the Ukrainian translation.

У вузькому проміжку між дверима він витягнув свій пістолет.