15. Translation of equivalent-lacking units

Since language units often function in their accepted meanings, many SL units have regular equivalents in the TL. A number of SL units have no regular equivalents in the TL. The absence of regular equivalents makes the translator resort to occasional equivalents.

Equivalent-lacking words may be translated in one of the following ways:

1. by imitating the form of a SL word/word group through transcription, transliteration or loan translation. In the course of time such occasional formations may get the status of regular equivalents:

Ex. impeachment – імпічмент ( transcription), inauguration – інавгурація (transliteration), brain wash – промивка мізків (loan translation)

2. by using approximate substitutes, i.e. TL words with similar meaning which is extended to convey some additional information

Ex. drug store – аптека (drug store sells medicine as well as other goods, so the choice of the variant depends on the context)

3. using lexical transformations (ex. The word “exposure” is equivalent-lacking in the meaning of “the medical condition caused when smb has been exposed to severe weather conditions”, so its meaning is modulated in the process of translation. Accordingly the sentence “He died of exposure” may be translated as “Він помер від переохолодження/сонячного удару”)

or the same word drugstore may be translated as крамниця, so its meaning may be generalized.

4. by using an explanation (landslide – переконлива перемога на виборах, перемога зі значним відривом)

Equivalent-lacking phraseological units are translated in one of the following ways:

1. by word-for word translation (ex. people who live in glass shouldn’t throw stones – людям, які живуть у склі краще не кидати каміння)

2. by explaining their figurative meaning (ex. to dine with duke Humphrey – залишитись без обіду, white elephant – подарунок, який замість задоволення приносить багато клопоту)

Equivalent-lacking grammatical units are translated in one of the following ways:

1. by using zero translations – the meaning of an equivalent-lacking unit is not rendered because it is practically identical to the meaning of some other SL units

Ex. By that time he had already left – До того часу він вже поїхав (Here the Past Perf. Tense is equivalent-lacking, the meaning of the Past Perf.

Tense (priority - попередність) is not conveyed by the verb left, because it is identical to the word “already” and “by that time”).

2. by using approximate translations – TL units with similar meaning

Ex. I heard him playing the piano – Я чув як він грав на піаніно (Here a complex object clause – him playing corresponds to a subordinate object

clause – як він грав (Objective Participial Construction)

3. by using grammatical transformations

Ex. Your presence is not obligatory. Nor is it desirable – Ваша присутність є необов’язковою та навіть небажаною (it represents integration)

16-18. MODELS OF TRANSLATION

A model is a conventional representation of the translating process describing mental operations by which the ST or some part of it may be translated, irrespective of whether these operations are actually performed by the translator.

Translation models can be oriented either toward the situation reflected in the ST or toward the meaningful components of the ST. Every translation model postulates the existence of some interlingual level of equivalence.

The situational (referential) model is based on the identity of the situations described in the original text and in the translation. The intermediate level is extralinguistic. The process of translating consists of two stages:

1. the break-through to the situation (the translator understands the actual situation described in the ST);

2. the description of this situation in the TL (the translator says the same thing in the TL).

Wet paint. – Обережно, пофарбовано. Keep off the grass. – По газонах не ходити.

Make yourself at home. – Почувайтеся як вдома.

The transformational model is based on the identity of nuclear structures in the SL and the TL. The immediate level is linguistic (structural). The model postulates the existence of nuclear structures common to the SL and the TL. The process of translating consists of three stages:

1. the stage of analysis (the transformation of the original structures into the nuclear structures within the SL);

2. the stage of translation proper (the replacement of the SL nuclear structures with the equivalent nuclear structures in the TL);

3. the stage of synthesis (the development of the TL nuclear structures into the terminal structures in the TL).

1. They heard a bomb explode. – A bomb exploded. They heard.

2. A bomb exploded. – Бомба вибухнула. They heard. – Вони чули (почули).

3. Бомба вибухнула. Вони чули (почули). – Вони (по)чули, як вибухнула бомба. Вони почули вибух бомби.

The semantic model is based on the identity of basic notions in the SL and TL. The intermediate level is linguistic (semantic). The model postulates the existence of deep semantic categories common to the SL and the TL. The process of translating consists of three stages:

1. the stage of analysis (the reduction of the original semantic units to the basic semantic categories within the SL);

2. the stage of translation proper (the replacement of the SL basic semantic categories with the equivalent basic semantic categories in the TL);

3. the stage of synthesis (the development of the TL basic semantic categories into the terminal notions in the TL).

1. студент – а) чоловічої статі, а не жіночої (на відміну від студентка)

б) навчається, а не навчає (на відміну від викладач)

в) навчається у ВНЗ, а не в школі (на відміну від учень)

д) одна особа, а не множина (на відміну від студенти)

2. а) чоловічої статі, а не жіночої (на відміну від студентка) – a male (not relevant)

б) навчається, а не навчає (на відміну від викладач) – studies

в) навчається у ВНЗ, а не в школі (на відміну від учень) – goes to college or university

д) одна особа, а не множина (на відміну від студенти) – one person

3. a person who is studying at a university or college - student