Сроки выполнения практических заданий до 13 апреля

Сроки выполнения практических заданий до 13 апреля

Лекции

Special terminology

Translation of technical terms is absolutely dependent on the translator's knowledge of the subject matter of the source text. Translators must take great pains to get familiar with the system of terms in the corresponding sphere and make good use of terminological dictionaries and other books of reference, as well as online resources. It is necessary to remember that a term is usually translated by a corresponding term of the target language. Such ways of translation as analogues, using synonyms and descriptive translation are used only when there are no equivalent terms for translation. Terms are relatively context-free language units though the context often helps to identify the specific field to which the term belongs. As a rule, English scientific and technical terms have their permanent equivalents in the respective Russian terminological systems: heater –нагревательный прибор; alkaline medium – щелочная среда; silicic acid – кремниевая кислота; spherical shell – сферическая оболочка. Many terminological equivalents in the Russian language have been formed from the English terms by transcription or loan translations: container – контейнер, file – файл, design – дизайн. Terminologies possess international units: atom – атом, proton – протон, focus – фокус, plus – плюс, diode - диод. In some cases there are parallel forms in Russian: one formed by transcription (a loan-word) and the other which is usually a native word, e.g.: эквивалентность and равенство; баланс and равновесие; резистор and сопротивление; бустер and ускоритель; индустрия and промышленность, installation – инсталляция and установка. The correct choice is absolutely necessary in this case. Translators make their choice considering whether the source text is highly technical or not, because a borrowed term is usually more familiar to specialists than to laymen. Translators have also to take into consideration the possible differences between the two forms in the way they are used in the target language. For example, the Russian word индустрия is restricted in usage and somewhat old-fashioned. Much attention is paid to the systematic character of new words. In many fields there are special rules of terms‟ formation to denote concepts and objects of a particular class. For instance, the names of different kinds of electron tubes are formed by analogy with the term electrode indicating the number of electrodes used in the tube (diode, triode, tetrode, pentode, hexode, heptode, etc.); a number of special electronic devices have the element -tron in their sructure (additron, carcinotron, cryotron, exitron, ignitron, klystron, permatron, phantastron, plasmatron, platinotron, skiatron, thryatron, etc.); chemical terms ending with -ite, -ate denote salts (sulfate, sulfite, nitrite), etc. From the point of view of its structure a term may 1) consist of one word or 2) be a word combination of one key-word and one or several adjuncts specifying or modifying the meaning of the term. These terms are wide spread and may cause difficulties while translating. Such combinations may consist of two or more elements. а. A word combination consisting of two words. The first element may be translated into Russian in different ways: 1) by an adjective (distribution shaft – распределительный вал; fuel cock – топливный кран); 2) by a noun in the Genitive case (isobutylene oxide – оксид изобутилена; failure detection – обнаружение неисправностей; accumulator cell – элемент аккумулятора; land retirement – эрозия почвы, выдувание почвы); 3) by a noun with a preposition (split burner – горелка с рассекателем, carbon cloth – ткань из углеродного волокна); 4) by a compound (development engineer – инженер-разработчик; electrical engineer – инженер-электрик); 5) by a participial construction (unbounded coating – многослойная изоляция (трубопровода), состоящая из несвязанных между собой слоѐв; designed experiment – эксперимент, проводимый по заранее составленной программе); 6) by other descriptive means (squawk altimeter – высотомер, показания которого выведены в ответчик; square engine – двигатель, в котором диаметр цилиндра равен ходу поршня). b. A word combination consisting of several components. Translating such kind of combinations it is necessary to stick to the following succession of actions: 1) translate the dependent noun (the last word of the word-group); 2) analyse the semantic relations between the members of the wordcombination and divide them into sense-groups (it should be analysed from left to right); 3) translate the word-combination beginning with the dependent word and then translate every sense group from right to left. For instance, car speed calculation problem. 1. Translate the last word problem – проблема. 2. Divide the whole word-combination into sense-groups: 1) car speed; 2) calculation problem. 3. Translation: проблема вычисления скорости автомобиля. Attributive combinations may begin with an adjective. In this case it is necessary to determine which word it modifies (dynamic braking circuit – цепь реостатного тормоза, general reactor equation – общее уравнение ядерного реактора). The terminological systems of many fields of knowledge such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, medicine, technology contain so-called eponymic units. Those are terms the structure of which includes the proper names of outstanding scientists, inventors, doctors, etc. For example: watt – ватт, Weierstrass theorem – теорема Вейерштрасса, Marfan syndrome – синдром Марфана. If there is a proper name in preposition, it is translated by an adjective, a noun in the Genitive case, or a noun with a preposition: Kirchhoff's first law – первый закон Кирхгофа; London Air Traffic Control Centre – Лондонский центр управления воздушным движением. If there is a participle in the middle of the attributive construction it may be translated into the Russian language by a noun in the Genitive case (decision-making system – система принятия решений). A new foreign term demands an exact decoding by the logical and linguistic analysis of this word and its connection with the context and formation of a precise monosemantic equivalent. From the point of view of the understanding and translation difficulty terms may be classified into three groups: 1) Terms denoting realia of other countries. Several ways of translation are possible: a) by a Russian term, the form of which is connected with a form of an English word (international terms); b) by a Russian term, the form of which is not connected with a form of an English term; c) the meaning of a multi-word English term has a fully equivalent Russian term; d) the general meaning of a multi-word term coincides with the meaning of an analogous Russian term, but their components are different. 2) Terms denoting realia of other countries, but having generally accepted Russian terminological equivalents. 3) Terms denoting realia of other countries and not having generally accepted Russian terminological equivalents. Translation of such terms may be done in the following ways: а) description of an English term; b) word-for-word translation; c) partial or full transliteration; d) transliteration and word-for-word translation; e) transcription; f) transcription and translation. It is necessary to mention that the main mistake in translation of such terms is that translators sometimes try to find a literal equivalent of the English term in Russian materials. Such approach is not completely correct as it is important to render the specific character of foreign realia. Furthermore, these terms may express concepts typical only of foreign reality and, consequently, they may not correspond to the realia accepted in Russian special texts. Translators can also make a mistake as a result of wrong referring of a term to one of the groups mentioned above and choice of an inadequate way of translation. One more translator's mistake is word-for-word translation when an English term or its components are analogous to a Russian term, but they have another meaning. In translation it is necessary to take into consideration the meaning of the term in the particular situation and concrete context. It is also necessary to take into account the possible changes of term's meaning if it is used in the plural form. Thus, correct understanding and translation of terms depend not only on good knowledge of the language, but also on being aware of foreign and Russian realia.