I. The notion of phraseological units

EXPRESSIONS

The Outline of the Lecture

 

I. The notion of phraseological units.

II. The main factors influencing the reproduction of phraseological expressions.

III. The ways of faithful reproduction of phraseological expressions:

1. Translating by way of equivalents:

1.1. Translating by way of absolute equivalents;

1.2. Translating by way of near (quasi) equivalents.

2. Translating by way of analogies:

2.1. Translating by way of genuine analogies;

2.2. Translating by way of approximate analogies.

3. Translating by way of word-for-word reproduction.

4. Reproduction by way of descriptive translation.

 

 

References:

1. Зорівчак Р.П. Фразеологічна одиниця як перекладознавча категорія. – Львів, 1983.

2. Крупнов В.Н. В творческой лаборатории пер еводчика. – М.: Международные отношения, 1976. – С. 118-135.

3. Рецкер Я.И. Теория перевода и переводческая практика. – М.: Международные отношения, 1974. – С. 145-166.

4. Федоров А.В. Введение в теорию перевода. – М., 1953. – С. 148-158.

5. Читалина Н.А. Учитесь переводить. – М., 1975. – С. 39-46.

I. The notion of phraseological units.

Phraseological (idiomatic) expressions are structurally, lexically and semantically stable language units whose meaning can’t be reduced to the sum total of meanings of their component parts.

An indispensable feature of phraseological (idiomatic) expressions is their figurative, i.e. metaphorical (or metonymic) nature. It is exactly this feature that makes them distinguishable from structurally identical free combinations of words of words like:

E.g.: to turn the tables (free comb.) – перекинути столи

to turn the tables (idiom) – кардинально змінити ситуацію, помінятись ролями, взяти реванш

 

Phraseological units are represented by syntactically different constructions like:

– some single words (especially proper names) with figurative meaning and possessing the necessary expressiveness, which are the distinguishing features of idioms.

E.g.: Croesus – Крез, багатій;

Jack Ketch – кат; (по імені анлійського палача (executioner)

Yankee – американець, etc.

– сompound words like

E.g.: fifty-fifty – так собі;

topsy-turvy – безлад, розгардіяш;

higgledy-piggledy – безлад, хаос; безладний, хаотичний; безладно, абияк

 

– word-combinations, very often prepositional, adjectival, verbal and adverbialphrases the meaning of which is not an actual sum of meanings made up by their constituent parts:

E.g.: cut short – обірвати на півслові;

make believe – прикидатись, тішити себе надією.

 

– also typical are coordinative combinations like:

E.g.: Tom, Dick and Harry – перший зустрічний; звичайні прості люди.

high and dry – викинутий на берег, залишений у біді, відсталий;

 

– sentences: If you run after two hares, you will catch neither – за двома зайцями поженешся – жодного не спіймаєш.

 

The phraseologisms with transparent lexical (semantic) meaning and literary images are easy to reproduce presenting no difficulty for the translator: to give a hero’s welcome – зустрічати як героя; to die a dog’s death – померти собачою смертю (як собака).

That is not the case when the idioms have obscure origin and ambiguous literary images. It is next to impossible to guess the real lexical meaning of such an English idiom as Hobson’s choice in which the origin of the proper name, and consequently the meaning of the idiom is obscure. Only a philological inquiry helps to establish the meaning of the idiom – “no choice whatsever; the acceptance of what is offered”.

 

Thus, one must be careful while translating idioms, proverbs and sayings comprising national literary images and reflecting nationally specific traditions, customs, the way of life. Mechanical transplantation of these images to the target language can often bring about complete destruction of the phraseological units and distiortion of the idea.