Translation transformations

The process of translation may be viewed as a number of manipulations with the form or content of the original (SLText) as a result of which the translator creates the TLText.

Translation transformations are operations with the SLT aimed at conveying its meaning with maximum (-al) faithfulness in strict compliance with the standards of the TL.

The type of the operation/ transformation is identified by comparing the SLT and the TLT.

Translation transformations may be classified according to different criteria. These classifications offer an overlap and are rather conventional.

I group – imitation translation transformations are characterized by imitation of the form of a SL word /word group in the TL.

This group includes:

1) transcription (phonetic imitation) – is a substitution of sounds in the process of translation, i.e. (that is to say) the replacement of SL sounds with the corresponding sounds of the TL.

New-Castle – Нью-Касл

impeachment – імпічмент

leader – лідер

2) transliteration (graphic imitation) – the substitution of letters in the process of translation, i.e. the replacement of SL letters with the corresponding letters of the TL.

London – Лондон (but not Ландан)

Dublin - Дублін

club - клуб

Transcription and transliteration are often used to translate proper names, including geographical names, streets, the names of newspapers and magazines, as well as internationalisms, neologisms and units of specific national lexicon.

Bush – Буш

General Motors – Дженерал Моторс

The Financial Times – Файнєншал Таймс

gaydar – гейдар

In recent decades there has been a tendency to transcribe rather then transliterate proper names.

3) loan translation (ways of translation equivalent-lacking units) – калькування, запозичення - is the creation of words and word-combinations from the material (of=) available in the TL but according to SL patterns by way of word-for-word or morpheme-for-morpheme translation.

organized crime – організована злочинність

world market – світовий ринок

The United Nations Organization – Організація Об’єднаних Націй

колхоз – collective farm (kolkhoz)

superpfofit – надприбуток (morpheme-for-morpheme translation)

superpower – наддержава (morpheme-for-morpheme translation)

Loan translation isused to translate proper names, internationalisms, neologisms and units of specific national lexicon.

Richard the Lionheart(ed) – Річард Левине серце (Річард - transliteration)

Chingachgook the Big Serpent – Чінгачгук Великий змій (Chingachgook – transliteration from one of the native American languages)

In loan translation the word order of a word-combination may be changed.

The United Nations Organization – Організація Об’єднаних Націй (ООН, but not ОНО)

The World Trade Organization – Світова Організація Торгівлі (СОТ, but not СТО)

Transcription and transliteration may go together with loan translation.

petrodollar – нафтодолар

superpower – суперсила (супер - transliteration, сила – калька=loan translation)

II group – Lexical translation transformations involve various/ different/ certain semantic changes.

This group includes:

- Specialization (конкретизація, уточнення) – is the choice of a more specific TL word or word-combination, which gives a more detailed description of the notion designated to be the SL unit.

It is frequently used in the English-Ukrainian translation because English often uses/ makes use of general terms/ words to describe quite definite notions.

to say/ tell – сказати, заявити, зазначити, зауважити…

to come – приходити, підходити, підбігати…

to go – йти, їхати, пливти, летіти…

meal – сніданок (замість прийом їжі)

рука – hand (частина руки)

My bedroom was changed. And I was to lie a long way off. – Моєї спальні вже не було. І я змушений був спати/ночувати в іншому кінці дому

- Generalization (узагальнення) – is the use of an equivalent with a more general meaning.

This transformation is more often used in the Ukrainian-English translation.

заявити – to say

дарувати – to give (She was given a box of chocolate.)

hand – рука (частина руки)

I packed my two Gladstones. – Я спакував мої дві валізи. (Gladstone – фірма, що виробляє валізи)

(p.s. Gladstones – щасливі камінчики (loan translation), - Гладстоунз (transcription)

(т.ч. відомі торгові марки не перекладаються, а транскрибуються, ex. Rolex - Ролекс)

- Modulation (засіб змістового розвитку) – is the creation of an equivalent by logical deducing its meaning from the SL unit.

The window was full of clothes I wouldn’t want to be seen dead in. – У вітрині було повно одягу, у якому я б не хотіла навіть лежати у труні.

A fiesta of tropical bounds – свято латиноамериканської музики (свято – generalization, латиноамер. музики – логічно вивели=modulation)

- Addition (додавання) – is the introduction of some additional lexical components to the TL text.

He began a new book. – Він почав читати/ писати/ перекладати нову книгу (додавання нового слова, не конкретизація)

oil countries – країни -експортери нафти

They signed a cease(-)fire. – Вони підписали договір про припинення вогню.

- Omission (випущення, вилучення) – is the reduction of some excessive elements in the process of translation.

Я себе добре почуваю. – I feel well.

договір про припинення вогню – cease-fire

pollution and environmental damage – шкода, завдана навколишньому середовищу (pollution – omission, завдана - addition)

bold and courageous struggle – мужня боротьба (т.я. це синоніми, для англ.мови це х-терно=>1 слово слід випустити, будь-яке)

III group – Grammatical translation transformations involve various grammatical changes.

This group includes:

1) Transposition (перестановка) – is the rearrangement of language units in the TLT in comparison with their arrangement in the SLT.

Вчора на вечірці я з класним хлопцем познайомилась. – I met a great guy at the party yesterday / Yesterday I met a great guy at the party.

The most common case of transposition is the change of the word order in a sentence or rearrangement of clauses.

Russian President signed a limited partnership agreement in Rome on Friday.

– У п’ятницю в Римі Президент Росії підписав угоду про обмежене партнерство.

З того часу, як закінчилась війна в Перській затоці іракські курди прагнуть незалежності.

– The Iraqi Kurds have been striving for/ seeking (for) independence since the Gulf war ended.

3) Substitution (заміна) – is the change of grammatical units in the process of translation. It includes:

1. The change of the grammatical form of a word.

Я люблю полуницю. – I like strawberr ies. (here the Ukrainian word полуниця used in the singular corresponds to/ is translated as the English word strawberries, used in the plural)

outskir ts – околиця, окраїна, передмістя. On the outskir ts – У передмісті.

money – гро ші

Mr. Bush says – Буш заявив ( here the English verb says used in the Present may be translated as the Ukrainian verb заявив used in the Past ).

2. The change of the part of speech.

The Ukrainian President – Президент України (here the English adjective Ukrainian is translated as/ corresponds to the Ukr. noun України).

Я мало їм. – I am a light eater.

3. The change of the parts of a sentence/ of the syntactical function.

В заяві йдеться – The statement says (Here the Ukrainian adverbial modifier в заяві is translated as the English subject statement).

The terrorist was killed by a/the US Marine. – Терориста вбив американський морський піхотинець. subject – підмет

(Here the English subject terrorist is translated as/ corresponds to the Ukrainian object терориста) predicate – присудок

(Here the English object Marine corresponds to the Ukrainian subject піхотинець) object – додаток, attribute – означення adverbial modifier – обставина

4. The change of the number of sentences or clauses. It includes:

Ø Partitioning (членування) – is breaking an original sentence into several parts (sentences) in the translation, or replacing a simple sentence in the original with a complex one in the translation.

Ваша присутність на зустрічі є необов’язковою і навіть небажаною. – Your presence at the meeting is not necessa ry. N or is it desirable.

I saw you dancing. – Я бачив як ти танцювала. (dancing – object or complex subject)

Ø Integration (об’єднання, інтеграція) – is combining 2 or more original sentences into 1 in the translation, or replacing a complex sentence in the original with a simple one in the translation.

Your presence is not obligatory. Nor is it desirable. – Ваша присутність є необов’язковою та навіть небажаною.

Though it was pretty late, the bar was full of people. – Навіть у таку пізню годину у барі було повно людей. (Навіть у таку пізню годину - adverbial modifier )