Grammatical transformations in translation

The process of translation may be viewed as a number of manipulations with the form or content of the original (SLText) as a result of which the translator creates the TLText.

Translation transformations are operations with the SLT aimed at conveying its meaning with maximum (-al) faithfulness in strict compliance with the standards of the TL.

The type of the operation/ transformation is identified by comparing the SLT and the TLT.

Translation transformations may be classified according to different criteria. These classifications offer an overlap and are rather conventional.

Transformation in translation is any replacement of a SL unit by its equivalent in the TL. Transformations may be observed at the phonological, orthographic, morphological, lexical, syntactic, stylistic, pragmatic levels.

Grammatical translation transformations involve various grammatical changes.

This group includes:

1) Transposition (перестановка) – is the rearrangement of language units in the TLT in comparison with their arrangement in the SLT.

Вчора на вечірці я з класним хлопцем познайомилась. – I met a great guy at the party yesterday / Yesterday I met a great guy at the party.

The most common case of transposition is the change of the word order in a sentence or rearrangement of clauses.

Russian President signed a limited partnership agreement in Rome on Friday.

– У п’ятницю в Римі Президент Росії підписав угоду про обмежене партнерство.

З того часу, як закінчилась війна в Перській затоці іракські курди прагнуть незалежності.

– The Iraqi Kurds have been striving for/ seeking (for) independence since the Gulf war ended.

1) Substitution (заміна) – is the change of grammatical units in the process of translation. It includes:

1. The change of the grammatical form of a word.

Я люблю полуницю. – I like strawberr ies. (here the Ukrainian word полуниця used in the singular corresponds to/ is translated as the English word strawberries, used in the plural)

outskir ts – околиця, окраїна, передмістя. On the outskir ts – У передмісті.

money – гро ші

Mr. Bush says – Буш заявив ( here the English verb says used in the Present may be translated as the Ukrainian verb заявив used in the Past ).

2. The change of the part of speech.

The Ukrainian President – Президент України (here the English adjective Ukrainian is translated as/ corresponds to the Ukr. noun України).

Я мало їм. – I am a light eater.

3. The change of the parts of a sentence/ of the syntactical function.

В заяві йдеться – The statement says (Here the Ukrainian adverbial modifier в заяві is translated as the English subject statement).

The terrorist was killed by a/the US Marine. – Терориста вбив американський морський піхотинець. subject – підмет

(Here the English subject terrorist is translated as/ corresponds to the Ukrainian object терориста) predicate – присудок

(Here the English object Marine corresponds to the Ukrainian subject піхотинець) object – додаток, attribute – означення adverbial modifier – обставина

4. The change of the number of sentences or clauses. It includes:

Ø Partitioning (членування) – is breaking an original sentence into several parts (sentences) in the translation, or replacing a simple sentence in the original with a complex one in the translation.

Ваша присутність на зустрічі є необов’язковою і навіть небажаною. – Your presence at the meeting is not necessa ry. N or is it desirable.

I saw you dancing. – Я бачив як ти танцювала. (dancing – object or complex subject)

Ø Integration (об’єднання, інтеграція) – is combining 2 or more original sentences into 1 in the translation, or replacing a complex sentence in the original with a simple one in the translation.

Your presence is not obligatory. Nor is it desirable. – Ваша присутність є необов’язковою та навіть небажаною.

Though it was pretty late, the bar was full of people. – Навіть у таку пізню годину у барі було повно людей. (Навіть у таку пізню годину - adverbial modifier )