Translation by Choosing Phraseological Analogies.

 

The meaning of a considerably greater number of phra­seological expressions can be faithfully conveyed through analogies or near equivalents which are phraseologisms originating from a common source too but unlike absolute phraseologisms they are based on partly different components: baker's/printer's dozen чортова дюжина, the devil is not so black as he is painted не такий дідько/чорт страшний, як його малюють, a lot of water had flown/run under the bridge багато води спливло відтоді, love is the mother of love любов породжує любов, too much knowledge makes the head bald під великих знань голова лисіє, one fool makes many ду­рість заразлива, one's own flesh and bone рідна кровинка, as pale as paper блідий мов стіна.

The slight differences in the near equivalents as compar­ed with the source language phraseologisms can be:

*in the structure of the target language variant: to make a long story short

коротко кажучи;

*in the omission (or adding) of a component part in the target language:

a lot of water had run under the bridge багато води спливло відтоді;

*in the substitution of a feature (an image) of the source language phraseolo-

gical expression for some other (more fitting or traditionally accepted) in the target language: as pale as paper блідий мои стіна, baker's/printer's dozen чортова дюжина;

*in the generalization of the features of the source language phraseological expression/idiom: one's own flesh and bone рідна кровинка;

*in the concretization of some feature of the original: a voice in the wilderness глас волаючого в пустелі, you can­not catch an old bird with chaff старого горобця на полові не зловиш.

Similar substitutions both semantic and structural can also be observed in regular standardized collo­cations and in comparative proverbs or sayings like to do harm завдати шкоди, to do one's duty виконувати свій обов'язок, to throw light проливати світло, (as) busy as a bee працьовитий як бджола, (as) slippery as an eel сли­зький як в'юн, cool as a cucumber холодний як крига (лід, golden opportunity чудова можливість.

An overwhelming majority of English phraseological expressions have similar in sense phraseological units in Ukrainian. Often the lexically corresponding phraseological units of the source language may also contain easily understood for the target language speakers combina­tions of images as well as similar or identical structural forms. Naturally the phraseological expressions are in most cases easily given corresponding analogies in the target language which are usual­ly very close in their connotative (metaphorical) meaning in English and in Ukrainian. These common and similar features of phraseological expressions are a proof of their be­ing genuine analogies: he that mischief hatches mischief catches хто іншим лиха бажає, сам лихо має, to have the ready tongue за словом у кишеню не лізти, to keep body and soul together ледь зводити кінці з кінцями, like mistress, like maid яблучко від яблуньки недалеко падає, there is по use crying over spilt milk що з воза впало, те пропало, to lose one's breath кидати слова на вітер, to make a cat's paw of something чужими руками жар вигрібати, a joint іn one's armour ахіллесова п'ята (уразливе місце), по bees, no honey/по wоrк по money під лежачий камінь вода не тече, the sow loves bran better than roses кому що, а курці просо, sounding brass пусті слова, пусті балачки.

Some phraseological expressions may have two and more analogous by sense variants in the target language. The choice of an analogy rests then with the translator and is predetermined by the style of the text: not for time or money ні за що в світі/ні за які гроші, don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs не вчи вченого/не вчи рибу плавати/яйця курку не вчать, he that lies down with dogs must rise up with fleas з ким поведешся, від того й наберешся/скажи мені, хто твій друг, і я скажу тобі, хто ти, a crooked stick throws a crooked shadow який Сава, така и слава/який бать­ко, такий син/яка хата, такий тин; don't cross the bridges before you come to them не поспішай поперед батька в пекло, не кажи “гоп”, доки це перескочиш; first catch your hare then cook him скажеш “ гоп ”, як перескочиш.