2015-08-21
709
In English this function is fulfilled by the articles whereas in Russian by word order. Both the definite and indefinite articles in English are meaningful and their meanings and their functions cannot be ignored in translation.
Every utterance falls into two parts – the so-called theme and rheme. The theme indicates the subject of the utterance while the rheme contains the information about the subject. The theme, in other words, represents a known thing, which has probably been mentioned before, whereas the rheme introduces some new information. Thus the theme is the starting point of the utterance and as such it can sometimes introduce a new subject about which the rheme gives some information. In this case the indefinite article is used to indicate indefiniteness. The theme usually occupies the initial position in the sentence. The theme in the English language with its fixed word order usually coincides with the grammatical subject of the sentence. When the theme again occurs in the text it is preceded by the definite article.
A lady entered the compartment. The lady sat down in the corner seat
(P.G.Wodehouse).
The categories of indefiniteness and definiteness are expressed by the indefinite and the definite articles respectively and these categories are rendered by word order in translation.
В купе вошла дама. Дама села в углу у окна.
When the articles are charged with some other meanings apart from the categories of definiteness and indefiniteness lexical means come into play in translation.
If these meanings are not rendered lexically the Russian sentence is semantically incomplete.
The influence and authority of the Secretariat depends to an extent (though not nearly to the extent that is popularly supposed) on the talents of one individual – the Secretary-General. (Peter Lyon, The U.N. in Action).
Влияние и авторитет Секретариата зависит в какой-то степени (хотя и не в такой степени, как обычно считают) от способностей одного человека – Генерального секретаря.
