Challenges in translating idioms

One of the difficulties a translator encounters is selecting a variable equivalent. It should be as expressive as the original and correspond in style and connotation, and convey an adequate meaning. For example, the idiom to pull one’s leg has the following equivalents: обманывать, разыгрывать кого-то, морочить голову, водить за нос. In the dialog “You are pulling my leg.” “ I’m not pulling your leg; nothing would induce me to touch your beastly leg.” (P. D. Wodehouse), this expression can be translated by морочить голову because it best suits the situation: «Ты морочишь мне голову.» «Я не морочу тебе голову; ничто не заставит меня даже прикоснуться к твоей дурацкой голове.»

Variable equivalents, or synonymous idioms, used in one and the same text, break the monotony of the text and help to diversify the style. For example, in one of his works J. Galsworthy used the expression to cost a pretty money several times. To avoid monotony in the translated text, the translator applied variable equivalents: She cost him a pretty money in dress. – Ее туалеты, должно быть, недешево ему обходятся. She was spending a pretty penny on dress. – Она тратит уйму денег на наряды.

When choosing an equivalent, a translator should observe the requirements of proper style. For example, the proverb Can the leopard change its spots? corresponds to some Russian equivalents – Может ли человек изменить свою судьбу? (neutral explanatory equivalent), Горбатого могила исправит. (informal expression), Черного кобеля не отмоешь добела. (low colloquial). The selection of an adequate equivalent will depend on the text style.

Another problem is translator’s ‘false friends’. When calqued, idioms may have another, even opposite, meaning as compared with the original one. For example, to pour oil on troubled waters does not correspond to the Russian подливать масла в огонь, whose meaning is 'to add fuel to the flame'. On the contrary, the expression means утихомиривать, успокаивать (to calm). Similarly, to see eye to eye with somebody – сходиться во взглядах, to run somebody to the ground– достать из-под земли, to wash one’s neck – закладывать за галстук, пьянствовать.

It is not only the denotative meaning of idioms that should be taken into consideration but also their connotation. It may be different in the source language idiom and the target language equivalent. For example, in Russian спасти свою шкуру has a negative connotation, whereas in English it is neutral: the expression may be used both for negative and positive meaning; e.g., Clarke aroused loathing and contempt because he had turned informer to save his skin… (K.S.Prichard) Кларк вызывал презрение, гадливость, потому что стал доносчиком ради спасения своей шкуры.172 Betty saved Tim’s skin by typing his report for him; without her help he could not have finished on time. – Бетти выручила Тима, напечатав его доклад: без ее помощи он не смог бы закончить вовремя. In the latter sentence it would be impossible to use the Russian expression спасти шкуру.

Local coloring is another translator’s trap. It is ridiculous to attribute ethnic features of one country to another foreign culture. For example, the English idiom to carry coals to Newcastle semantically is equal to the Russian ездить в Тулу со своим самоваром. However, the following translation seems inadequate: Джо отправился в Тулу со своим самоваром, когда стал поучать доктора, как лечить простуду. (Joe was carrying coals to Newcastle when he told the doctor how to cure a cold.). A receptor would be right to ask: why should an English boy go to Russia’s Tula with a specific Russian object like a samovar? A neutral expression should be used in this translation: морю воду добавлять or something of the kind.

 

 

LEXICAL TRANSFORMATIONS

Lexical transformations change the semantic core of a translated word. They can be classified into the following groups:

1.Lexical substitution, or putting one word in place of another. It often results from the different semantic structures of the source language and target language words. Thus the word молодой is not always translated as young; rather, it depends on its word combinability: молодой картофель is equal to new potatoes. This translation equivalent is predetermined by the word combination it is used in. This type of translation can hardly be called substitution, since it is a regular equivalent for this phrase.

Deliberate substitution as a translation technique can be of several subtypes:

a) Specification, or substituting words with a wider meaning with words of a narrower meaning: Will you do the room? – Ты уберешься в комнате? I’ll get the papers on the way home. – Я куплю газеты по дороге домой. The underlined English words have larger scopes of meaning than their Russian counterparts and their particular semantics is recognized from the context.

b) Generalization, or substituting words of a narrower meaning with those of a wider meaning: People don’t like to be stared at. – Людям не нравится, когда на них смотрят. If we compare the semantic structure of the English and Russian verbs, we can see that the English stare specifies the action of seeing expressed by the Russian verb. The Russian смотреть can imply staring, facing, eyeing, etc. The specific meaning in the Russian sentence can be expressed by the adverb пристально. Another reason for generalization in translating can be that the particular meaning expressed by the source language word might be irrelevant for the translation receptor: She bought the Oolong tea on her way home. – По дороге домой она купила китайского чаю. Oolong is a sort of Chinese tea but for the receptor this information is not important; therefore, the translator can generalize.

c) Differentiation is a rather rare technique of substitution. It takes place when we substitute a word by another one with parallel meaning, denoting a similar species: bamboo curtain – железный занавес. Both bamboo and железо (iron) are materials known for their hard nature. They are used figuratively to denote the barriers between the Western and Communist countries (bamboo curtain in reference to China, железный занавес in reference to other Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Aid) states. There are no hyponymic relations between the notions of bamboo and iron (though the referential area of железный занавес is of course much wider than that of bamboo curtain.)

d) Modulation is a logical development of the notion expressed by the word: But outside it was raining. -– Но на улице шел дождь. The primary equivalent of the word outside is снаружи. But it is impossible to say in Russian *Но снаружи шел дождь. By means of unsophisticated logical operation the translator finds another equivalent: на улице. Thus he takes into consideration a tradition of the word combination and acceptability of collocation. He is aided in this by the metonymical closeness of word meanings based on contiguity of the two notions.

2.Compensation is a deliberate introduction of some additional element in the target text to make up for the loss of a similar element in the source text. The main reason for this transformation is a vocabulary lacuna in the target language. For example, one of the Galsworthy’s characters was called a leopardess. But there is no one-word equivalent of the same stylistic coloring in Russian. Therefore, the translator compensated the word by using the word тигрица to characterize the lady.

3.Metaphoric transformations are based on transferring the meaning due to the similarity of notions. The target language can re-metaphorize a word or a phrase by using the same image (Don’t dirty your hands with that money! – Не марай рук этими деньгами!) or a different one (Он вернет нам деньги, когда рак свистнет. – He will pay us our money back when hell freezes over). The source language metaphor can be destroyed if there is no similar idiom in the target language: Весна уже на пороге. – Spring is coming very soon. Or, on the contrary, the target text is metaphorized either to compensate a stylistically marked word or phrase whose coloring was lost for some reason, or merely to express a source language lacuna: Он решил начать жить по-новому. – He decided to turn over a new life.

COMPLEX TRANSFORMATIONS

This type of transformations concerns both the lexical (semantic) and grammatical level, i.e. it touches upon structure and meaning. The following techniques can be associated with lexical and grammatical transformations:

1.Explicatory translation, that is, rewording the meaning into another structure so that the receptor will have a better understanding of the phrase. Sometimes this transformation is named as explicitation, defined as the technique of making explicit in the target text information that is imlicit in the source text.51 This transformation is often accompanied by the extension of the structure, the addition of new elements: I have a nine-to-five job. –Я работаю с 9 утра до 5 вечера. Leslie Mill’s play, which was also included in the FORUM, was taken up with children from grades 1-5. – Пьеса Лесли Милла, которая также была опубликована в журнале «Форум», была поставлена детьми 1-5 классов. The reason for which this transformation is made is that the target text receptor has different background knowledge. Sometimes this transformation is required because of the dissimilarity between the language structures, with the source language structure being incomplete for the target language, like gun licence is удостоверение на право ношения оружия.52

2.Reduction (omission, implicitation) is giving up redundant and communicatively irrelevant words: Elvis Presley denied being lewd and obscene. – Элвис Пресли отрицал свою непристойность. The reduction is a must if a source language expresses the notion by a phrase and the target language compresses the idea in one word: сторонники охраны окружающей среды – conservationists. There is a general tendency of the English language to laconic and compressed expressions as compared with Russian: внебюджетные источники финансирования – nonbudget sources; контроль за ходом проекта – the Project control.

3.Integral transformation is the replacement of a set phrase with another clichéd structure that has the same speech function: How do you do! – Здравствуйте!; Wet paint. – Осторожно, окрашено. Help yourself. – Угощайтесь.

4.Antonymic translation is describing the situation by the target language from the contrary angle.

It can be done through antonyms: the inferiority of friendly troops – превосходство сил противника. The reason for this transformation is the lack of a one-word translation equivalent to the word inferiority.

This transformation can also take place when we change the negation modality of the sentence: She is not unworthy of your attention. – Она вполне достойна вашего внимания. In the English sentence we deal with double negation, called understatement, which, according to logic rules, means the positive expressed in the Russian sentence. Through understatement, English-speaking people avoid expressing their ideas in too a categoric tone.

Shifting the negation is another manifestation of the antonymous translation: I don’t think I can do it. – Думаю, я не смогу сделать это., which is a result of linguistic tradition peculiar to this or that language.

5.Metonymical translation is the transferance of meaning and structure based on the contiguity of forms and meanings of the source and target languages: The last twenty years has seen many advances in our linguistic knowledge. – В последние 20 лет наблюдается значительный прогресс в лингвистике. In the English sentence, time is expressed by the subject of the sentence, whereas in Russian it is more typical to express it by the adverbial modifier. This causes grammar restructuring of the sentence.

6.Complex compensation is a deliberate change of the word or structure by another one because the exact equivalent of the target language word or phrase is unable to produce the same impact upon the receptor as does the source language word or phrase. For example, we often have to compensate on the lexical level the meaning of the Past Perfect in the Russian text translation, since there is no similar tense category in Russian: Their food, clothing and wages were less bad than they had been. – Теперь их еда, одежда и зарплата были не такими уж плохими, как когда-то. Puns, riddles, tongue-twisters are often compensated; for example, Don’t trouble trouble until trouble troubles you. – Во дворе трава на траве дрова. Compensation exercises the translator’s ingenuity; however, the effort it requires should not be wasted on textually unimportant features.

TRANSLATING THE INFINITIVE

The challenges in translating the English infinitive are due to its specific forms, functions and structures.

Unlike Russian, the English language possesses a number of forms of the same verb: the Simple infinitive, the Continuous infinitive, the Perfect infinitive, the Perfect Continuous infinitive. The first two forms indicate actions simultaneous with that of the main predicate: Я рада, что вижу вас. – I am glad to see you. Я рада, что читаю эту книгу. – I am glad to be reading the book, or the future actions: Я рада, что пойду туда. – I am glad to go there. The Perfect and Perfect Continuous infinitives denote actions prior to that of the predicate: Я рада, что увидела вас. - I am glad to have seen you. Я рада, что читала эту книгу. – I am glad to have been reading the book. On the other hand, the difference between the Simple / Perfect and Continuous / Perfect Continuous forms of the infinitive lies in expressing either a fact (incomplete or completed) or a process, respectively:

рад, что делаю (каждый день) – glad to do (every day)

рад, что делаю сейчас – glad to be doing

рад, что буду делать – glad to do

рад сделать (что сделаю) – glad to do

рад, что сделал – glad to have done

рад, что делал – glad to have been doing.

The actual meaning of the infinitive can be determined by the context only.

English infinitive functions can also be a stumbling block for a fledgling translator. The attributive function of the infinitive can cause difficulties in translation due to its modal meaning: This is a book to read. – Вот книга, которую можно (нужно) почитать. The type of modal meaning can be seen from the context: When nature has work to be done, she creates a genius to do it. (Emerson) – Когда природе предстоит что-то сделать, она создает гения, который может сделать это. However, it is not always necessary to verbalize the modal meaning in Russian: The latest reports from Europol, the organization to be established for the coordination of police work in all the countries of the European Union, indicates that it has not yet been able to agree on a single working language. – В последних докладах Европола, организации, созданной для координации работы полиции во всех странах Европейского Союза, отмечается, что в вопросе о едином рабочем языке согласия еще не достигнуто. As is seen from the examples, the attributive infinitive usually has the meaning of a future action/state.

The function of some adverbial infinitives presents difficulties in translation. For example, the English infinitive can be used to denote a subsequent event or a parallel action, which is often confused with the infinitive of purpose: Iron combines with oxygen to form rust. – Железо соединяется с кислородом и образует ржавчину. The infinitive in this function is usually rendered by a parallel finite verb: (In many rooms, one wall or another was overgrown with black-green mold.) … In some rooms, the mold grew thickly halfway down a wall, only to stop in a sharp horizontal line, as if cut by a knife. – (Во многих комнатах одна-две стены были покрыты темно-зеленой плесенью)…В некоторых комнатах плесень густо покрывала полстены, и резко прерывалась, словно ножом была проведена горизонтальная линия.

This infinitive should be distinguished from the infinitive of purpose: Live not to eat, but eat to live. – Живи не для того, чтобы есть, но ешь для того, чтобы жить.

When translating the infinitive of result, a translator should take care to render properly the connotation of the construction: the infinitive with too implies a negative meaning, while the infinitive with enough suggests a positive one: She is too old to go there. – Она слишком стара и не поедет туда. She is old enough to go there. – Она достаточно взрослая и может поехать туда.

Infinitive constructions are the most challenging problem. They are usually translated by a clause. For instance, the Complex Object construction: We expect them to pay us by Friday. – Мы ожидаем, что нам дадут зарплату к пятнице.

When translating the Complex Subject construction, it is recommended that the finite verb be translated first, and then the subject and the infinitive be joined to form a clause: After a few minutes the men were seen to be running in all directions. – Через несколько минут увидели, что эти люди бегут в разные стороны. The letter seems to have been opened. – Кажется, письмо уже вскрыли. The main verb of the sentence is translated with the indefinite or impersonal form (кажется, видели) or with a parenthetical phrase (конечно, по-видимому, очевидно): The reporters were certain to misunderstand his attendance... – Конечно, журналисты неправильно истолковали его присутствие.., or by an introductory phrase (согласно сообщению, как сообщают): The EPO is expected to make a final decision in the near future. – Как ожидают, Европейское патентное ведомство примет решение в ближайшем будущем.

When dealing with the for-to-infinitive construction, a translator substitutes an English simple sentence with a Russian complex one, i.e. s/he does the partitioning of the sentence: She arranged for the office to be opened by one of the security people. – Она устроила так, что офис открыл один из охранников. In some cases this type of construction can be rendered by a compound sentence: He was a very nice fellow, you had only to say you wanted something for him to give it to you. – Он был очень славный малый: стоило вам только сказать, что вам что-то нужно, и он тут же давал это вам.

Special difficulties can arise from the Absolute construction with the infinitive. This construction usually has the meaning either of concession or of successive events: With so much to say, the two said nothing. – И хотя этим двоим так много надо было сказать, они не сказали ничего. The resolution calls for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from occupied territories, with a peace conference to follow. – В резолюции содержится призыв вывести израильские войска с оккупированных территорий, после чего будет созвана мирная конференция.

To summarize, the ways of translating English infinitives are as follows:

· by the infinitive: To err is human. – Человеку свойственно ошибаться.

· by the noun: The best way to make children good is to make them happy. – Лучший способ воспитания хороших детей – это сделать их счастливыми.

· by the participle: The problem to be considered in Chapter 2 is concerned with the article. – Вопрос, рассматриваемый в главе 2, касается артикля.

· by the clause: Вопрос, который будет рассмотрен в главе 2, касается артикля.

· by homogeneous, that is, parallel, verbs: He went to Australia to fall sick there. – Он поехал в Австралию и там заболел.

TRANSLATING THE GERUND

The gerund is not a regular equivalent of the Russian adverbial participle (деепричастие). It is closer to the verbal noun than to the adverbial participle.

The gerund can be translated by the following means:

· the noun: A woman’s idea of keeping a secret is refusing to tell who told it. – Представление женщины о том, как надо хранить секрет, - это отказ сообщить, кто ей его рассказал.

· the infinitive: There’s nothing more tragic in life than the utter impossibility of changing what you have done. – Нет ничего трагичнее в жизни, чем абсолютная невозможность изменить то, что ты сделал.

· the adverbial participle: Learn to swim by swimming. – Учись плавать, плавая.

· the clause: I am always ready to learn, but I do not always like being taught. (Churchill) – Я всегда готов учиться, но мне не всегда нравиться, когда меня учат. The gerundial construction is always translated by the clause: He was amused at my becoming so impatient with him. – Он удивился тому, что я стал так нетерпелив с ним. He stayed there without our knowing it. – Он остался там, а мы даже не знали об этом.

When translating from Russian into English, it is necessary to pay attention to the careful selection of either the single gerund or the gerundial construction. While in the Russian sentence the subject is named twice, the English sentence does not take the same subject before the gerund. Cf.: Я настаиваю на том, чтобы мне позвонили. – I insist on being phoned. The gerundial construction in English is used only in case of two different subjects in the sentence: I remember his asking the question. – Помню, как он задал этот вопрос.

Some practical grammars of English do not distinguish the – ing participle and the gerund. However, in translation the difference can be essential, since the gerund and the participle have different functions and, therefore, convey different meanings. For instance, Flying planes can be dangerous can be translated as Летать на самолетах опасно, if flying is used here as a gerund. The sentence could also be translated Летающие самолеты опасны, the word flying being treated as a participle.