- •The Theory and the Craft of Translation
- •The Translation Process
- •Equivalence and Adequacy in Translation
- •The Translation of Word Combinations
- •Grammatical Aspects of Translation
- •Translation and the Problems of Style
- •Classification of Translation Techniques
- •The Theory and the Craft of Translation
- •Is Translation an Art or a Craft?
- •2. The Theory of Translation as a Linguistic Science
- •3. Translation Studies as an Academic Discipline
- •3. A Brief History of Translation
- •4. Ethics of Translation
- •5. Criteria for Assessing the Translator’s Competence
- •The Translation Process
- •1. Classification of the Types (Methods) of Translation
- •2. Translation Strategy
- •3. Stages of Translating Process
- •4. The Problem of the Unit of Translation (ut)
- •Equivalence and Adequacy in Translation
- •1. A Brief Outline of Approaches to Defining Equivalence in Translation
- •III. Mona Baker distinguishes between:
- •2. Semantic Correspondence
- •3. Translation of Internationalisms (Borrowings) and the Problem of False Friends
- •Internationalisms (Borrowings)
- •The Translation of Word Combinations
- •1. The Translation of Free Word Combination
- •2. The Translation of Bound Word Combinations
- •Grammatical Aspects of Translation
- •1. Ways of Translating the Passive Voice
- •2. Ways of Translating Modal Verbs
- •3. Ways of Translating the Subjunctive Mood
- •4. Ways of Translating the Non-Finite Forms of the Verb
- •5. Translation Problems of Syntactical Stylistic Devices
- •Translation and the Problems of Style
- •1. Definition of Style
- •2. Classification of Functional Styles
- •3. Translation Problems of Lexical Stylistic Devices
- •Classification of Translation Techniques
- •1. Lexical translation techniques
- •2. Contextual Replacements
- •1. Lexical Translation Techniques
- •2. Contextual Replacements
- •3. Grammatical Transformations
- •The Translation of Word Combinations
- •Grammatical aspects of translation
- •Translation: Working Procedures Part I
- •Part II
- •Переславль-Залесский и московские художники
- •20. Ways of translating the passive voice
- •22. Ways of translating modal verbs
- •33. Translation problems of lexical stylistic devices
5. Translation Problems of Syntactical Stylistic Devices
When translating an emphatic sentence, the first thing we will have to do is “establish what the author really means, and act accordingly.” (N. Strelkova. Introduction to Russian-English Translation. New York, 2012, p. 58) There are many ways of expressing emphasis and prominence in English, but we will focus only on the most widespread devices.
Stylistic Inversion
Stylistic inversion is used when a word or a group of words is put in a prominent position so as to produce a greater effect. So word order often becomes a means of emphasis, thus acquiring a stylistic function.
The main function of stylistic inversion is to make prominent or emphatic that part of the sentence which is more important or informative in the speaker’s opinion. Though prominence and emphasis are different in their purpose, in many cases they go together or overlap and are difficult to differentiate. (Kobrina, et al., p. 92)
Type of inversion |
English sentence |
Russian translation |
The inversion of a direct object |
A serious talk I had with one of my employees. |
Серьезный разговор произошел у меня с одним из моих работников. |
An adverbial modifier opens the sentence or clause. (as a rule such inversion is translated into Russian by lexico-grammatical means) |
Rarely can a demerger have had such contrasting results … demerger - разъединение, разделение (разделение одной крупной компании на несколько самостоятельных компаний, особенно разделение ранее слившихся компаний) |
Редко разделение компании может иметь столь контрастирующие результаты … |
The fact is that seldom can you focus on only one area. |
Дело в том, что крайне редко можно сосредоточиться только на какой-либо одной сфере деятельности. |
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The inversion of an object or an adverbial modifier expressed by a word group with not a …, or many a … which open the sentence or a clause |
Not a single tear did she shed when she was told to leave London. |
Она не проронила ни слезинки, когда ей велели уехать из Лондона.
|
The inversion of possessive pronouns |
Mine came from Mark Cross, and they were genuine cowhide and all that crap and I guess they cost quite a pretty penny. (J. Salinger, ‘The Catcher in the Rye’, ch. XV) |
Мои-то чемоданы были куплены у Марка Кросса, настоящая кожа, со всякими штучками, и стоили они черт знает сколько. |
The inversion of prepositions denoting direction |
Into that disorderly mass, did Adam Smith introduce symmetry, method, and law. |
И в этот беспорядочный хаос Адам Смит привнёс гармонию, метод и закон. |
Inversion occurs when the sentence has the following structure: the 2-nd part of the predicate (it may be expressed by Participle I, Participle II, a noun or an adjective) opens the sentence; then stands the first part of the sentence, and finally – the subject. |
Gone, it seems, is the fashion for drinking from bathtub-sized American coffee cups. bathtub – ванна
|
Мода на то, чтобы пить из огромных кофейных чашек, похоже, осталась в прошлом. |
Of great importance is the translator’s ability to employ various transformations. |
Особую важность представляет умение переводчика применять различные трансформации. |
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Inversion occurs when the adverbial words such as only, never before, no longer, not only but, not until – только после, hardly, no sooner … than, or the conjunction nor open the sentence. |
Not only can failure make us better human beings, but it can improve our chances for future success. |
Такие неудачи не только положительно влияют на наш характер, но и увеличивают наши шансы на успех в будущем. |
Inversion occurs when a predicative expressed by an adjective or by a noun modified by an adjective or by the pronoun such opens the sentence.
|
But, admirable as such sentiments are, that is where I have reservations about this otherwise wholly delightful artist. |
Но какие бы восхитительные чувства меня не переполняли, у меня все равно есть некоторые оговорки в отношении этого потрясающего артиста. |
Inversion occurs when the 1-st place is occupied by an adjective, followed by the conjunctions as, though. |
Unfamiliar though most of these dishes will be, all are easy to cook and could be made the day before.
|
Даже если большинство этих блюд вам и не знакомо, все они готовятся легко. Кроме того, это можно сделать и накануне. |
Inversion is found in conditional clauses introduced without any conjunction when the predicate is expressed by was, were, had, could, should. |
Should this avenue prove fruitless, a reporter will then aim to flesh out his article with historical examples and precedents … avenue - путь, средство flesh out - расширять (текст), облекать плотью; конкретизировать |
Окажись это средство бесполезным, корреспондент обязательно нацелится на то, чтобы оживить, описав какие-либо исторические примеры или прецеденты … |
The introductory construction there + verb, followed by an attributive clause is used to emphasize the subject.
|
Then came the second long wait: at the town hall. town hall - здание муниципалитета |
Затем наступило второе долгое ожидание: на этот раз в здании муниципалитета. |
Negative-emphatic constructions
Way of achieving emphasis and prominence |
English example |
Russian translation |
Emphasis is achieved with the help of the negative pronoun no, followed by a noun. |
No politician can pretend that these colossal sums can be found without hurting very large numbers of people. |
Ни один политик не может делать вид, что можно собрать такие огромные суммы денег, при этом не ущемив положение огромного количества граждан. |
In some cases antonymous translation is employed when rendering emphatic negative structures into Russian. |
People can’t be reminded of their faults too often. |
Лучше людям реже напоминать об их недостатках. |
In English the constructions with two negations (e.g. not until - только; не раньше чем) are widely spread. In this case both negations exclude each other and the negation becomes affirmation. |
He had been spending money like water and it was not until he got a letter from the bank that he saw the red light. see the red light - видеть или подозревать опасность |
Он сорил деньгами и осознал грозящую опасность только тогда, когда получил предупредительное письмо из банка.
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Especially emphatic are the constructions with the words derived from the negative pronoun no. |
Nowhere is the issue of journalistic freedom more sensitive than in the case of the BBC … |
Нигде в мире независимость журналистской деятельности не является таким больным вопросом, как в компании ВВС. |
Elliptical constructions
Elliptical constructions are incomplete subordinate clauses which usually consist of the following elements: a conjunction + an adjective or a noun with or without a preposition. Such sentences lack one or two main members. There are several types of elliptical constructions.
Type of construction |
English sentence |
Russian translation |
The elliptical constructions with the conjunctions although, though, once (стоит лишь ..., если), when, while. |
Once the process of the wealthy, the gap-year has become a global finishing school for would-be students from across society. gap year - a year's break taken by a student between leaving school and starting further education |
Когда-то подобная практика была лишь уделом богатых. Теперь же такая ситуация стала распространенной и на глобальном уровне: выпускники школ зачастую предпочитают уезжать из дома куда-либо на год, прежде, чем поступят в вуз. |
The elliptical constructions like if any, if anything have an expressive, intensifying meaning and are translated as conditional clauses or the words почти, пожалуй, вовсе, вообще, etc. |
If anything, this iconic garment became even more popular after the war … |
Пожалуй, в послевоенное время эта культовая одежда завоевала даже большую популярность … |
The clauses of concession introduced by the conjunctions whatever, however are translated as complete clauses of concession with the conjunctions какой бы ни, как бы ни. |
Money, in whatever hands, will confer power. |
Деньги, попавшие в любые руки, приносят власть. |
Other Means of Expressing Emphasis and Prominence
Type of emphatic sentence |
English sentence |
Russian translation |
A detached attribute may be placed in preposition, post-position, or often at some distance from the headword (заглавное слово). A detached attribute may refer not only to the headword, but also to another part of the sentence and have in addition to its attributive meaning some adverbial shade of meaning, such as conditional, casual, or concessive (условность, случайность, уступка).
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A darling of the media, he followed Dior’s example by licensing his increasingly marketable identity … |
Любимец прессы, Карден шел по стопам Диора … |
With her quotable wit and her talent for mixing with the right crowd, Coco fits right into our alternative history of fashion – one that emphasizes the power of marketing. |
Благодаря ее остроумию и умению завязывать отношения с нужными людьми, Коко четко вписывается в нашу альтернативную историю моды, где важнейшая роль отводится именно маркетингу. |
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It is / was … + relative clause What … is / was …
Cleft sentence is a sentence which has been divided into two parts, each with its own verb, to emphasize a particular piece of information. Cleft sentences usually begin with It plus a form of the verb be, followed by the element which is being emphasized. |
It is the ‘art of the deal’ that gets celebrated, not the production and distribution of quality … goods and services. ‘art of the deal’ – зд. «умение совершать сделки» |
Приветствуется именно «умение совершать сделки», а не само производство и распределение качественных товаров и услуг … . |
What I find so exciting about circus is that there is always that moment of wonder when you don’t know what is going to happen next. |
Что для меня в цирке является наиболее захватывающим, так это то, что там всегда бывают моменты, когда происходит нечто удивительное, и при этом ты не знаешь, что же случится потом. |
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As for the predicate it can be emphasized with help of the auxiliary verb to do which is used to intensify positive statements and commands. |
Nobody ever does remember details. |
Действительно, ни один человек, не может припомнить ни одной подробности. |
What yesterday’s numbers did show is a company trading well on all fronts. |
Что вчерашние цифры на самом деле продемонстрировали, так это то, что компания продолжает вести свою коммерческую деятельность во всех направлениях. |
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Emphasis is created by the following words: whoever, whatever, wherever, whenever, however. |
Whenever a disturbance or perturbation such as a road violates an established ecosystem, invasive weeds like thistle or broom take over bare ground … |
Всякий раз, когда устоявшуюся экосистему нарушает какое-либо вмешательство извне, как например, дорога, то быстро распространяющиеся семена, такие как чертополох или ракитник тут же колонизируют лишенную растительности почву … |
Emphasis can be created with the help of the construction: the or possessive determiner + very + a noun. |
This is the very book I have been searching for almost a year. |
Это та самая книга, которую я ищу почти год. |
Lecture 6