2015-08-21
305
Some lexical or structural elements of the English sentence may be regarded as redundant from the point of view of translation as they are not consonant with the norms and usage of the Ukrainian language, e.g.:
| For the fishermen of Rebun, the notion that young outsiders may choose to adopt their way of life is both fascinating and perplexing. | Рибалки з острова Ребун дивуються і не розуміють того, що приїжджа молодь може віддати перевагу їхньому способу життя. |
Two omissions have been made here. The meaning of the word “notion” is implied in the predicate of the Ukrainian sentence and this word can safely be left out. The verb “to choose” and “to adopt” may be regarded as synonymous and the meaning of these two verbs is fully covered by the Ukrainian expression віддати перевагу which implies choice.
Some typical cases of redundancy may be mentioned here: synonymous pairs, the use of weights and measures with emphatic intent, subordinate clauses of time and place.
Homogeneous synonymous pairs are used in different styles of the language. Their use is traditional and can be explained by extra-linguistic reasons. Gradually synonymous pairs have become a purely stylistic device. They are often omitted in translation even in official documents as pleonastic, e.g.:
| Equality of treatment in trade and commerce. | Однакові можливості в торгівлі. |
Words denoting measures and weights are frequently used in describing people or abstract notions. They are either omitted or replaced in translation, e.g.:
| Every inch of his face expressed amazement. | Його обличчя виражало здивування. |
| He extracted every ounce of emotion from Rachmaninov's Third Concerto. | Він показав усю емоційність Третього концерту Рахманінова. |
Subordinate clauses of time and of place are frequently felt to be redundant in Ukrainian and are omitted in translation, e.g.:
|
|
|
| The storm was terrific while it lasted. | Буря була жахливою. |
Sometimes even an attributive clause may be regarded as redundant and should be omitted in translation, e.g.:
| And yet the migrants still pour in from the depressed Northeast of Brazil, many of them walking the 1.000 miles or more in search of a better life than the one they left. | І проте, переселенці все ще прибувають з району лиха на північному Сході Бразилії; багато хто з них проходить відстань в тисячу миль і більше у пошуках кращого життя. |
The grammatical structure of any language is as important as its word-stock or vocabulary. Grammatical meanings are no less significant than a lexical meaning as they express such fundamental categories as tense relations, gender, number, modality, categories of definiteness and indefiniteness, etc. Some of these categories may be expressed grammatically in different ways owing to the existence of grammatical synonymy. But sometimes they can also be expressed lexically by means of transformations.
