Introduction to Translation Equivalence Above Word Level Lexical
Introduction to Translation Equivalence Above Word Level
Lexical Patterns � Words rarely occur on their own, they almost always occur in the company of other words. � There always restrictions on the way words are combined to convey meaning.
Lexical Patterns � Restrictions are two types: 1 - No exceptions: come in the form of rules. Usually related to word classes. E. g. a determiner cannot come after a noun. Beautiful girl the. X
Lexical Patterns 2 - Exceptions: apply to individual words rather than classes. Cannot be expressed in terms of rules. They are called Lexical Patterns. � There are two main types of lexical patterning: 1 - Collocations. 2 - Idioms and fixed expressions.
Collocations � Definition: 1 - A semantically arbitrary restriction which do not follow logically from the propositional meaning of a word. 2 - The tendency of certain words to co-occur regularly in a given language. E. g. Cheque: bank, money, pay, write ….
Collocations � Sometimes meaning cannot always account for collocational patterning (arbitrary). E. g. Visit: - Pay a visit. - Make a visit. ± - Perform a visit. ×
Collocations E. g. When butter or eggs go bad, we say: Rancid butter / addled eggs. We cannot say: - Addled butter / rancid eggs. - � Synonyms and near synonyms have different collocations. E. g. verdict: deliver, pronounce. Sentence: pronounce
Collocations � When two words collocate, the relation can be in any grammatical form. E. g. - Achieve + aims: Achieving aims, aims has been achieved, achievable aims.
Collocations across languages � Collocations are considered arbitrary restrictions within and across languages. � E. g. Deliver - ﻳﻮﺻﻞ English Arabic Deliver a letter ﻳﺴﻠﻢ ﺭﺳﺎﻟﺔ Deliver a speech ﻳﻠﻘﻲ ﺧﻄﺎﺑﺎ Deliver news ﻳﻨﻘﻞ ﺧﺒﺮﺍ Deliver a blow ﻳﻮﺟﻪ ﺿﺮﺑﺔ Deliver a verdict ﻳﺼﺪﺭ ﺣﻜﻤﺎ Deliver a baby ﻳﻮﻟﺪ ﺍﻣﺮﺃﺔ
Collocations across languages � Collocations across languages usually reflect cultural preferences. � E. g. Law and order – ﺍﻟﻘﺎﻧﻮﻥ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﻘﺎﻟﻴﺪ ﻭﺍﻟﻌﺎﺩﺍﺕ - English collocation reflects the high value of order, while Arabic collocation reflects the high value of traditions.
Problems of translating collocations � Differences in the collocational patterning of the source and target language create potential pitfalls and pause problems in translation.
Problems of translating collocations 1 - The engrossing effect of source text patterning. � Translators sometimes get quite engrossed in the source text and may produce the oddest collocations in the target language.
Problems of translating collocations E. g. (ST) “and wondered why Lonrho’s bid was in the hands of a man who couldn’t organize his own shoe repairs. ” (TT) (in French) “…. reparer ses chaussures. ” � � The collocations used in the TT is not familiar in french, because the word “reparer” is usually used with electronic devices. To produce a good collocation the translator should’ve said “ressemeler ses chaussures”
Problems of translating collocations � How can the translator detach himrself from the ST? � The best way is to leave the TT for few hours. Then when you read it again you will have a better chance to identify the wrong collocations without being influenced by the ST.
Problems of translating collocations 2 - Misinterpreting the meaning of a SL collocation. �A translator can easily misinterpret a collocation in the ST due to interference of his native language. � This happens when the SL collocation has the same form of the TL collocation, but with different meaning.
Problems of translating collocations � E. g. (ST) The industrialist had been struck by his appearance as someone with modest means. (TT) ﻭﻗﺪ ﺭﺃﻰ ﻓﻴﻪ ﺭﺟﻞ ﺍﻟﺼﻨﺎﻋﺔ ﺷﺨﺼﺎ ﻳﻨﻢ ﻣﻈﻬﺮﻩ ﻋﻦ . ﺍﻟﺘﻮﺍﺿﻊ ﻭﺍﻟﺒﺴﺎﻃﺔ � Modest means: suggests that the person doesn’t look sophisticated. � In Arabic ﺍﻟﺘﻮﺍﺿﻊ is related to manners. Therefore, the translator added ﺍﻟﺒﺴﺎﻃﺔ to make closer to the SL collocation.
Problems of translating collocations 3 - The tension between accuracy and naturalness. � The translator aims at producing a collocation which is familiar in the TL, at the same time, preserving the meaning associated in the ST.
Problems of translating collocations � E. g. English: bad/good law. Arabic: ( ﻏﻴﺮ ﻋﺎﺩﻝ)ﻇﺎﻟﻢ / ﻗﺎﻧﻮﻥ ﻋﺎﺩﻝ English: hard drink Arabic: ( ﻣﺸﺮﻭﺑﺎﺕ ﺭﻭﺣﻴﺔ different distinctions)
Problems of translating collocations � Accuracy is important, but it is also important to use a common TL pattern. � E. g. (ST) New Tradition offers a fascinating series of traditional patterns in miniature using rich jewel-like colors that glow against dark backgrounds. (TT) ﺗﻘﺪﻡ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ ”ﻧﻴﻮ ﺗﺮﺍﺩﻳﺸﻦ“ ﻋﺪﺩ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺘﺼﻤﻴﻤﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺘﻘﻠﻴﺪﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻤﺘﻌﺔ ﺑﺤﺠﻢ ﻣﺼﻐﺮ ﻓﻲ . . . ﺃﻠﻮﺍﻥ ﺑﺎﻫﺮﺓ ﺑﺄﻠﻮﺍﻥ ﺍﻟﺠﻮﺍﻫﺮ
Problems of translating collocations � E. g. (ST) Tiny Rowland is a crisper writer than Peter Wright and has an even stranger story to tell. (TT) ﻛﻤﺎ. ﻭﺗﺎﻳﻨﻲ ﺭﻭﻻﻧﺪ ﺃﺤﺪ ﻗﻠﻤﺎ ﻣﻦ ﺑﻴﺘﺮ ﺭﺍﻳﺖ . ﺃﻦ ﺍﻟﺤﻜﺎﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﻳﺮﻭﻳﻬﺎ ﺃﻐﺮﺏ ﺑﻜﺜﻴﺮ Crispy writing: clear, concise. ﺃﺤﺪ ﻗﻠﻤﺎ : fierce crtitism.
Problems of translating collocations � E. g. (ST) In fact the money came from Sultan Brunei, a naive individual, easily romanced and seduced by the oily charm of Mohamed Fayed. (TT) ﻭﻟﻜﻦ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻮﺍﻗﻊ ﺇﻥ ﻫﺬﻩ ﺍﻷﻤﻮﺍﻝ ﻗﺪ ﺟﺎﺀﺕ ﻣﻦ ﺳﻠﻄﺎﻥ ﺑﺮﻭﻧﺎﻱ ﻭﻫﻮ ﺇﻧﺴﺎﻥ ﺳﺎﺫﺝ ﻳﺼﺪﻕ ﺍﻟﻘﺼﺺ . ﺍﻟﺨﻴﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻔﻘﺔ ﻭﺇﻏﺮﺍﺀ ﺍﻟﺴﺤﺮ ﺍﻟﺰﺍﺋﻒ ﻟﻤﺤﻤﺪ ﺍﻟﻔﺎﻳﺪ Oily charm: insincere, unpleasant due to excessive politeness and flattering. � ﺍﻟﺴﺤﺮ ﺍﻟﺰﺍﺋﻒ : appearing good at first, then turns out to be different. �
Problems of translating collocations 4 - Culture-specific Collocations. � Some collocations reflect the cultural setting in which they occur. If the cultural setting of the SL is significantly different from the TL the translator might have to translate collocations that are not familiar to the TT reader.
Idioms & Fixed Expressions � Difference between collocations and idioms: Collocation Idiom Flexible pattern and the form can be changed. Frozen patterns and allow little or no variation. E. g. deliver a letter / delivery of a letter. E. g. kick the bucket (the bucket is kicked X) We can guess the meaning of the collocation from the meaning of its words. Idioms’ meanings cannot be deduced from their individual components. E. g. Dry Cow E. g. the long and short of it (the basic facts of the situation)
Idioms � The speaker or writer cannot do any of the following with idioms: 1 - change the order of the words. (the short and the long of it) 2 - delete a word. (spill----beans) 3 - add a word to it. (face the classical music) 4 - replace a word with another. (the tall and the short of it) 5 - change the grammatical structure. (the music was faced) passive
Fixed Expressions � Fixed expressions allow little or no variation in form. E. g. Ladies and Gentlemen, having said that, as a matter of fact, all the best. - Proverbs: practice what you preach. � � Unlike idioms, they have transparent meaning (you can understand their meaning from their individual components).
Translation Problems � The main problems that idioms and fixed expressions pose in translation are: 1 - the ability to recognize and interpret an idiom or fixed expression. 2 - the difficulties involved in rendering the various aspects of meaning to the TL.
Interpretation of idioms � The first difficulty that a translator faces is being able to recognize that he is dealing with an idiomatic expression. � In General, the more difficult an expression is to understand the less sense it makes in a given context, the more likely the translator will recognize it. � The translator should have a reference (dictionary to help him interpret idioms, or ask a native speaker to help him with such expressions.
Interpretation of idioms � There are two cases in which an idiom can be misleading: 1 - the idiom has a literal and idiomatic meaning. E. g. go out with, take someone for a ride 2 - the SL idiom has a very close equivalent in form in the TL but with different meaning. E. g. to Pull someone’s leg – ﻳﺴﺤﺐ ﺭﺟﻠﻪ
Translation of idioms: Difficulties 1 - An idiom or fixed expression have no equivalent in the TL. E. g. Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully ﻭﺗﻘﺒﻠﻮﺍ ﺑﻘﺒﻮﻝ ﻓﺎﺋﻖ ﺍﻻﺣﺘﺮﺍﻡ
Translation of idioms: Difficulties 2 - An idiom or fixed expression may have a similar counterpart in the TL but the context of use may be different. E. g. “to sing a different tune” English: say or do something indicated the change of opinion (contradiction). Chinese: contradiction but in a more political situation.
Translation of idioms: Difficulties 3 - An idiom may be used in the ST in both its literal and idiomatic senses at the same time. E. g. Egypt’s Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal Amin, was horrified to see president Nasser ordering a tattoo artist to print on his right arm the names of all territories seized by Israel like Sinai, Gaza, Sharm Al-Sheikh, Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. “Why are you doing this? ” “Lest I should forget them. ” “But why tattooed? What will you do if we get them back? “If we get them back I’ll cut off my right arm. ”
Translation of idioms: Strategies 1 - Using an idiom of similar meaning and form. E. g. (ST) The Fayeds have turned the pre-bid House of Fraser strategy on its head. (TT) ﻭﺑﺬﺍ ﻳﻜﻮﻥ ﺍﻷﺨﻮﺓ ﻓﺎﻳﺪ ﻗﺪ ﻗﻠﺒﻮﺍ ﺍﺳﺘﺮﺍﺗﻴﺠﻴﺔ . ﻫﺎﻭﺱ ﺃﻮﻑ ﻓﺮﻳﺰﻱ ﺍﻟﺴﺎﺑﻘﺔ ﺭﺃﺴﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻋﻘﺐ
Translation of idioms: Strategies 2 - Using an idiom of similar meaning but different form. E. g. (ST) Feel the force of my Fist, Frozen Friend! (TT) (Back translated from German) I will make things hot for you, monster!
Translation of idioms: Strategies 3 - Translation by Paraphrase. E. g. (ST) The suspension system has been fully uprated to take rough terrain in its stride. (TT) ﻭﻗﺪ ﺭﻓﻌﺖ ﻃﺎﻗﺔ ﻧﻈﺎﻡ ﺍﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻖ ﺑﺤﻴﺚ ﻳﺘﻐﻠﺐ . ﻋﻠﻰ ﻭﻋﻮﺭﺓ ﺍﻷﺮﺽ
Translation of idioms: Strategies 4 - Translation by omission: there is no close match in the TL, the meaning cannot be easily paraphrased or for stylistic reasons. 5 - Compensation: the translator may omit or change the idiom in one place and replace it elsewhere in the TT.
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