correspondence, differences in character and use – urge translators to make
necessary grammatical transformations while translating some piece. Those
grammatical transformations maybe divided into following types:
1) substitution
2) transposition
3) omission (ellipsis)
4) supplementation
Substitution is one of the grammatical relations among the parts of the
sentences. In substitution, an item (or items) is replaced by another item
(or items), ex:
I like politics. And I do.
In this example, do is a substitute for like politics . Items commonly
used in substitution in English include do, one, and the same, as in the
following examples from Halliday and Hasan:
You think US will start the war against Iraq? – No one does.
We make use of substitution while translating a piece because of
several reasons: absence of similar construction in Russian language,
unconformity in usage of corresponding forms and constructions and some
lexical reasons, which include different word usage and different norms of
combinability in English and Russian and the absence of the part of speech
with corresponding meaning.
An attempted overthrow in Peru.
Попытка совершить переворот в Перу.
In Russian we do not have the conforming participle II of the verb
пытаться. And this made us change the part of speech; the participle
attempted was translated into Russian by the noun попытка. The expression
попытка переворота does not conform to the norms of Russian language that’s
why we have to apply additional word совершить.
While translating the following text we will have to use substitution
several times.
On the whole the “popular’’ press – with the New York Daily News as its
cheer-leader – is vociferous in its support of the President’s policies and
merciless toward those who attack them. But among the so-called “quality”
papers led by the New York Times there is a growing mood of doubt and
questioning.
В общем «массовые» газеты, во главе с Нью-Йорк дейли ньюс», громогласно
поддерживают политику президента и беспощадно обрушиваются на тех, кто
критикует её. Но среди так называемых «качественных» газет, возглавляемых
«Нью-Йорк таймс», всё больше растут сомнение и неуверенность (в её
правильности).
In the first sentence are used the verbal noun, verb link and two
predicative parts expressed by adjectives with object clauses. In this
translation verbal nouns very replaced by predicative ones (именные
сказуемые были заменены глагольными): поддерживают and обрушиваются. Both
predicative parts of the sentence have been translated by adverbs:
громогласно, беспощадно. In the second sentence the introductory
construction there is was translated by predicative verb and the participle
growing was transformed into the function of an attribute. The noun mood
was omitted and its attribute of doubt and questioning was turned into its
object.
The transformation of ‘active’ into ‘passive’ is also when a translator
uses substitution.
More light was shed yesterday on the effect of C.S. gas, which was
claimed by Pentagon to be virtually harmless to health.
Вчера поступили дополнительные сведения о вредном действии газа C.S.,
который, по утверждению Пентагона, якобы не опасен для здоровья.
The phraseological unit more light was shed was translated by means of
lexical transformation and the passive construction was replaced by an
active one. The passive construction in the object clause also undergone
lexical transformation – verbal construction was substituted by substantive
one: по утверждению.
This example can illustrate the fact that lexical and grammatical
transformations are closely related with each other.
Transposition, that’s, change of structure of the sentence may be
caused by several reasons. But the main of them, as it has been mentioned
before is the difference in the structure of the English and Russian
languages. The fixed order of words in English bears hierarchic character,
first come the primary parts of the sentence; noun, predicate followed by
secondary parts. In Russian the word order is not fixed but one can observe
the tendency to locate the main information at the end of sentences
expressing it be the noun. The academic grammar of Russian points that the
word order in Russian sentences follows the model: adverbial modifier,
predicate and then the noun – that’s the order absolutely opposite to
English. In Russian, the secondary part of the sentence can stand at the
beginning if it represents the starting point of expression and introduces
theme of given information, ex:
Вчера в Вашингтоне состоялась пресс-конференция.
The essence of the information is пресс-конференция – which is
expressed by the noun located at the end of the sentence. Nevertheless,
this word-order is not obligatory, ex:
Премьер-министр выступил вчера по телевидению.
Here we find the main essence at the beginning of sentence.
In English, according to fixed word order, the noun of the sentence
stands at the beginning of clause. One of the prominent English linguists,
Halliday marks that, usually (but not always) a starting point is intrinsic
to English sentences.
Still in many cases the English sentence happens to be the center of
informative message, compare A Press Conference was held in Washington
yesterday. Usually it happens when the noun of the sentence is expressed
with an indefinite article. Something, semantically new has got to be
expressed in the sentence, and the earlier one should be opposed to the new
one, which is being expressed. Therefore the indefinite article functions
represents this new information, introduces it.
A smash-and-grab raid on two of the most important nationalized
industries is being organized by the Tory Party.
Консерваторы собираются обрушиться на две самые значительные
национализированные отрасли промышленности.
(the metaphor smash-and-grab has not been preserved in translated
version)
Nevertheless, similar word order in English and Russian sentences are
also evident.
A meeting of firemen’s and employers’ representatives scheduled for
today has been postponed.
Намеченная на сегодня встреча представителей пожарников и
предпринимателей была отложена.
A Catholic priest in South Africa told of the malnutrition, disease and
starvation there.
Один католический священник из Южной Африки рассказывал о существующем
там недоедании, болезнях и голоде.
Transposition is required when the English sentence contains a large
group of nouns with indefinite article and then it is natural that they,
being the center of informative message are placed at the end of the
sentence. Besides, a short, compared with the noun predicate can not bear
the emphatic sense of a large group of nouns.
A big wave of actions by all sections of workers – skilled and
unskilled, men and women, manual and non-manual – for higher wages and
equal pay, for shorter hours and a greater say in shaping the environment
at work is rising.
Сейчас нарастает огромная волна забастовок трудящихся всех категорий –
квалифицированных и не квалифицированных, мужчин и женщин, работников
физического и умственного труда – за повышение зарплаты, за равную оплату
женского труда, за сокращение рабочего дня, за улучшение условий труда.
It is very frequent when grammatical and lexical transformations demand
supplementation or omission of some words or elements. Therefore omission
and supplementation are frequently combined with other types of grammatical
transformations and more frequently with substitution of parts of speech.
Supplementation of parts of speech are characterized by several factors:
difference in structures of the sentences and that short English sentences
demand spread translation in the Russian language. Absence of some
corresponding word or lexical-semantic variant in both languages is also
one of the reasons of applying additional words in translation.
The American troops were thought to be heading toward Saigon, but no
one seemed to be aware of fierce resistance of the nation.
Полагали, что американские войска направляется на Сайгон, но казалось,
что никто не знал о жестоком сопротивлении местного населения.
The construction Nominative + Infinitive with two omitted elements
(which was) was given in object clause plus introductory sentences…
который, как полагали раньше, движется… Thus, the difference in the
structure of sentences demanded supplementation in the given translation.
In the following example, supplementation was caused by absence of
corresponding word in Russian to English conservationists.
The actions of Congress and of North Carolina and Tennessee statesmen,
aided by gifts of wise conservationists, have set this land aside as Great
Smoky National Park.
Эта местность на берегу реки Смоки-Хилл была превращена в Национальный
парк благодаря усилиям Конгресса и государственных деятелей штатов Северная
Каролина и Теннеси, а также благодаря пожертвованиям любителей природы,
понимающих всю важность её сохранения.
While translating this sentence besides transposition we have made many
other transformations and as a matter of the first importance we should
mentions the supplementation we have accomplished. In regard to the absence
on corresponding word in the Russian language to the English
Страницы: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
