Ways of Rendering the Meanings of the Infinitive and Infinitival Complexes

Translation of the English infinitive is greatly predetermined by its form and sometimes by its function in the sentence. The infinitive functioning as a single part of the sentence has usually corresponding equivalents in Ukrainian. When the infinitive functions as:

1. The subject:

It was pretty nice to get back to my room (Salinger). Було так приємно знову дістатися до своєї кімнати.

There was no need to describe the Kelseys (Christie). Не було жодної потреби описувати родину Келсів.

2. The simple nominal predicate:

«A gentleman to strike a lady!» (B.Shaw). «Щоб чоловікові вдарити / бити жінку!».

His son – descend to this! Його синові – так опуститись!

3. Part of a compound predicate:

No, you couldn't have called her beautiful (Mansfield). Hi, її не можна було назвати гарною.

«We are bound to win our next game», their coach promised (The Jordain). «Нашу наступну гру ми зобов’язані виграти» - пообіцяв тренер.

Her next step was to speak to Llewellyn (Cronin). Її наступним кроком було поговорити з Ллевеллином.

4. The Object (simple, extended or expanded):

Julia found it very pleasant to sit then in the shade looking at the river. (Maugham). Джулїі дуже подобалось тоді сидіти в затінку і дивитися на річку/воду.

She taught him to sit at a table and not put his elbows on it. (Ibid). Вона вчила його сидіти за столом і не класти на нього руки.

The infinitive has also its equivalents in Ukrainian when it is used as a complement to an adjective or adjectivized past participle:

«I'm very glad to have seen you again...» (Cronin). «Я дуже радий, що зустрівся з вами знову...»

Very often the English infinitival object may have in Ukrainian an equivalent infinitival phrase introduced by the conjunction:

I was too much disturbed to go to bed. (C.P.Snow). Я був аж надто стурбований, щоб іти спати.

5. An attribute:

«Can I give you anything to eat or to drink?» (Lawrence). «Дати вам щось поїсти чи попити?»

Attributive infinitives can also be conveyed with the help of attributive subordinate clauses:

We made a list of thingsto be taken... (Jerome). Ми склали список речей, щоб узяти з собою /які візьмемо з собою.

6. An adverbial modifier (usually of purpose, result or consequence) may be conveyed in Ukrainian with the help of an infinitival щоб -phrase, a prepositional noun or a noun word-group:

She wanted timeto think it over (Galsworthy). Їй треба було часу для обдумування/щоб обміркувати це.

It was too dark to distinguish anything (Lawrence). Було занадто темно, щоб розрізняти що-небудь.

 

Ways of translating infinitival complexes

There are three types of infinitival complexes in present-day English: 1) the for-to -infinitival complex; 2) the objective with the infinitive and 3) the subjective with the infinitive complexes.

Ways of Translating the For-to-Infinitive Construction. These constructions are used in their active and passive forms. Depending on its function in the sentence and on the voice form (active or passive) the infinitive may have different equivalents in Ukrainian. The most often occurring are the infinitive, an infinitival phrase introduced by the conjunction щоб, a finite form of the verb or a subordinate clause:

1. The complex subject having for its equivalent in Ukrainian a simple subject expressed by the infinitive or an extended subject expressed by the subordinate clause:

«For me to see you is the happiest minute in my life... (P. Abrahams). «Побачити тебе – для мене найщасливіша мить у житті…

«It would be better for us to leave him» (Wilde). «Було б краще для нас залишити його.

2. A complex predicative having for its Ukrainian equivalent either an infinitive functioning as the simple nominal predicate, or a finite form of the verb:

«It is not for you to make terms» (Wilde). Не тобі ставити умови.

«The simplest thing», said Fleur, «is for him to resign at once.» (Galsworthy). «Найпростіший вихід для нього — негайно відмови тись від членства».

3. A complex object corresponding to a simple or extended object in Ukrainian:

We are waiting for the boys back from Hanoi (Greene). Ми чекаємо повернення наших хлопців з Ганоя...

4. An attribute to a nominal part of speech:

She had only to express а wish for him to fulfill (Mauaham). Варто було їй тільки виголосити якесь (своє) бажання, він негайно ж виконував його.

There was no room for us to sit down... (Galsworthy). He було місця, де можна було сісти.

5. An adverbial modifier of purpose or result having for their equivalents a subordinate clause or an Infinive in Ukrainian:

I left something under your door for you to read it (Carter). Я дещо залишив тобі під дверима, щоб ти почитав.

Her home was too far west for anyone to come to him (Cusack). ЇЇ домівка була далеко західніше, тож ніхто не міг навідатись до нього.

Ways of translating the objective with the infinitive constructions. The objective with the infinitive complexes can have mostly one function in the sentence – that of the complex object. The most common ways of translating the objective with the infinitive constructions are the following:

1. By means of a subordinate clause:

«Do you want me to take these (slides) away?» (Hailey). Ви хочете, щоб я їх (діапозитиви) забрав?

Everyone watched him walk across the garden. (D. Lessing). Усі спостерігали, як він іде садком.

2. By means of an objective infinitival word-group forming part of the compound modal verbal predicate:

I rather wanted to be a painter when I was a boy, but my father made me go into business. (Maugham). У дитинстві я бажав стати художником, але батько змусив мене піти в бізнес.

Slowly, economically, he got dressed and forced himself to walk. (Lawrence). Повільно, збираючись з силами, він одягнувся і змусив себе йти.

3. By means of a noun derived from the objective infinitive or an object clause.

He heard the blackbird sing. Він чув спів дрозда.

Не had expected him to be more sympathetic. (Maugham). Він очікував від нього більше співчуття.

4. By means of a simple verbal predicate:

The champagne and the altitude made him sleep (Hailey). Від шампанського й висоти його хилило до сну.

Не never made me laugh (Maugham). Він ніколи не міг мене розсмішити.

Ways of translating the subjective with the infinitive constructions. Subjective infinitive comlex consists of a noun or personal pronoun in a common case and an infinive denoting an action fulfilled by a person or a subject.

When used with the verbs expressing permission, request, intention, order, compulsion (to allow, to permit, to order, to command, to force, to make, to request, to intend, etc.), the subjective with the infinitive construction may be rendered in Ukrainian in the following ways:

a) with the help of an indefinite personal sentence;

b) with the help of an impersonal sentence having the passive verbal predicate in -но, -то;

c) with the help of an object subordinate clause, for example:

The inmates were ordered not to try to leave their wards (USA Today).

1) В 'язням наказали не робити спроб залишати камери:

2) В 'язням було наказано/наказали не робити спроб...

3) В'язням наказали, щоб вони не робили спроб залишати камери.

The subjective with the infinitive construction used with the verbs of physical perception (to feel, to hear, to see, to taste, etc.) can be translated with the help of the one-member introductory indefinite personal sentences followed by an object subordinate clause as in the following sentence:

He was seen the first to come (D. Carter). Бачили, що він прийшов першим.

The garden gate was heard to bang. (Lawrence). 1) Чули/було чути, як 2) Почулося, як у садку хляпнула хвіртка.

It was felt to be hopeless (Galsworthy). Відчувалося, що це безнадійно / Відчувалося, що з цього нічого не буде.

Similar ways of translation are employed when the subjective with the infinitive complex/constrtuction is used with the verbs of mental perception (to believe, to deny, to expect, to know, to suppose, etc.):

He is supposed to be working in the sanatorium (Cusack). Вважають (вважається), що він нібито працює в санаторії.

Irene was known to take very sudden decisions (Galsworthy). Знали, що Айріні приймає зовсім несподівані рішення (здатна на несподівані рішення).

When used after the verbs of saying and reporting (to say, to report, to tell, etc.), the infinitive complex is translated with the help of the introductory indefinite-personal sentence followed by an object subordinate clause:

Paper is said to have been invented in China (Bennett). Кажуть, що папір винайдений/винайдено в Китаї.

But: US Secretary of State is reported to have arrived in Geneva. (The Guardian).

1) Повідомляють, що державний секретар США прибув до Женеви.

2) Як повідомляють, державний секретар США прибув до Женеви.

3) Повідомляється, що державний секретар США прибув до Женеви.

The rally was seen to be much smaller than had been expected (The Guardian). Виявилося (як виявилося), мітинґ зібрав менше людей, ніж очікувалося.

The verb understand with the subjective infinitive construction has a peculiar meaning – згідно наявних відомостей:

The trial is understood to be held next week (The Guardian). Згідно наявних відомостей, суд відбудеться наступного тижня.

When used with the verbs to appear, to chance, to happen, to prove, to seem, or with the mood phrases to be sure, to be certain, to be likely/unlikely the subjective with the infinitive constructions may have different interpretations in Ukrainian:

«Aliсе didn't seem to have heard of me» (Braine). Еліс, здавалося, не чула про мене / Здавалося, Еліс не чула про мене.

She was believed to have taken part in the first flight to Alpha 73 (J.Christoper). Вважали/здається, вона брала участь у першому польоті до Альфи 73.

He seemed to be thinking of something else (Dreiser). Він, здавалося, думав про щось зовсім інше.

Sentences with the subjective with the infinitive constructions may have predicates expressing the modal meanings of certainty, uncertainty, probability, etc. (to be sure, to seem, to be certain, to be likely/unlikely, etc). Such sentences are not transformed in Ukrainian translation, i.e., they maintain their simple structure, with the predicates turning into modal words/particles or adverbs such as можливо, певне/напевне, навряд/чи/неможливо, обов'язково:

The fire is certain to produce panic in the morning (Dreiser). Пожежа обов'язково зчинить паніку взавтра вранці.

But he is sure to marry her (T.Hardy). Але він обов'язково (певно-таки) одружиться з нею.

Alice did not seem to have heard me (Braine). Аліс, очевидно/здавалося. не почула мене.

Ukrainian semantic equivalents for the modal words likely/unlikely followed by the subjective infinitive may also be clauses of modal meaning: є можливість (існує ймовірність), не виключена можливість:

She was likely to consume contaminated food or water in Mexico (Hailey).

Існує можливість, що вона споживатиме в Мексиці забруднені продукти чи питиме забруднену воду.

«...we're unlikely to get everything we want in one man» (Snow). «... навряд чи можна в одній людині поєднати все, що хочеш»