Ways of translating gerundial complexes

Gerundial complexes as secondary predication constructions are formed by a noun in the genitive case or a possessive pronoun plus the gerund in any form. For example: Ann's/her reading.

1) When used as a complex subject, gerund construction may be rendered into Ukrainian with the help of:

a) a noun word-group: Her being ill will spoil everything. (Christie) – Її хворобавсе зіпсує.

b)a subordinate clause: It’s not good your flying in temper. (Maugham) – Недобре, що ти так шаленієш.

2) When used as a complex predicative or part of a compoundverbal predicate, the gerundial complex may be translated into Ukrainian with the help of the equivalent part ofthe compound verbal predicate expressed by an infinitive:The dollar at the New York Exchange began its climbing upagain. - Курс долара на Ньюйоркськійвалютній біржіпочав знову рости.

3) When used as a complex object, the gerundial constructionmay have various semantic, functional and partly structural realizations in Ukrainian:

a) an object subordinate clause:Ididn't like his hearing suchstupid things. (Fitzgerald) -

Мені не подобалось,що вінслухає такі нерозумні розмови.

b) an object subordinate clause or a noun phrase: She was wakened by someone knocking at the door. (S.Ross) -1) Вона прокинулась,тому що хтось постукав удвері. 2) Вона прокинулась відчийогось стукоту в двері.

4) When used in the attributive function, the gerundial complex may be translated in the following ways:

a)an attributive subordinate clause: She was tortured by the thought of Michael's unhappiness andherbaby being looked afterby strangers. (Ibid.)- Її мучила думка, що Майклбуде нещасливим і що її дитя доглядатимуть чужі люди.

b)an attributive infinitival word-group or an infinitive:Therewasnochanceoftheirbeingleftevenforamomentbythemselves. (Ibid.) - У них не було жодноїможливості навіть хвилинупобути самим.

5) When used in an adverbial function, the gerundial complex may be translated as an adverbial modifier expressed by diyepryslivnyk or as corresponding subordinate clause:On my being settled at Doctor Strong's I wrote to her again.(Dickens) - 1) Після того, як менепоселили у лікаря Стронґа, язнову написав їй листа.2) Поселившись у лікаряСтронґа. я знову написав їйлиста.

Synopsis 7

Ways of conveying the passive voice constructions

Some ways of expressing the passive voice in both languages may coincide in form and structure as can be seen in thefollowing sen­tence: She was disturbed bywhat her mother had said. (Maugham) - Вонабуластурбована тим, що сказала її мама.

Other passive voice constructions should be transformed in order to achieve faithfulness in translation. English passive forms referring to present tense have mostly no structural equivalents in Ukrainian where the auxiliary verb to be (є) is usually omitted and the past participle acquires other morphological and semantic expression. For example:

Rescue efforts are being hampered by dozens of aftershocks, below-freezing temperatures. - Рятувальним роботамперешкоджають повторніпоштовхи і температура, щопадає нижче нуля.

One more faithful Ukrainian transformation of this passive construction may be achieved by way of conveying it through the so-called middle voice form or -ся/-сьverb: Рятувальні роботи утруднюються повторними підземними поштовхами і тем­пературою, що падає нижче нуля.

Depending on the form of the passive construction and still more on the lexical verbal meaning, the passive voice form may have in Ukrainian some other transformations, namely:

a) an indefinite personal sentence:I am told that pork-packing is the most lucrative professionafter politics in America. - Кажуть,що в Америціпакування свинини - найбільш прибутковапрацяпісляполітики.

b) a compound verbal predicate:They are prepared to sacrificeeverything to satisfy their yearning. (Maugham) - Вони ладні пожертвувативсім,абизадовольнитисвоє прагнення.

c) asimpleverbalpredicate:Hehasneverbeenanswered.(B.Aidiss) - Його ще ніхто і ніколи неспростував.

d) anindefinitepersonalpastparticipleendingin-ho/-to:Itisasoundinstinct of thecommon people which persuades him that this all, that needs to be said,is said. (Maugham) - Це здоровий глузд простоголюду переконує його, такимчином, що все те, що требасказати, - сказано.

e) any other contextual and structural substitution of the En­glish passive voice form:I must be left to myself for аwhile. (Hemingway) - Мені треба якийсь часпобути самому.

The English passive voice constructions with prepositions have generally no equivalent passive constructions in Ukrainian. These are rendered then with the help of the indefinite personal forms of the verb:Why do you not answer whenyou are spoken to?(Galsworthy) - Чому ви не відповідаєте,коли до вас звертаються?

Synopsis 8