Means of translation

Translation of neologisms and occasional words

Translation is a complex process which implies interaction of theory and practice. To convey the meaning of the word in original language the interpreter has not only to find the corresponding word in the target language but also take into consideration different stylistic and other factors. One of the key problems of translation is the problem of neologisms and occasionalisms.

Most linguists differentiate the terms «neologism» and «occasional word»
Rozental and Golub claim that «…we should differ neologisms from occasionalisms – words created «occasionally», in certain conditions of speech communication, which contradict the language standard and differ from usual ways of word formation in this language».

Neologism is a new word in the language, usually fixed in a dictionary of new words and having a pretty wide usage.

Occasional word (author's neologism) is individually coined word created by writers and poets with the aim of making the text more expressive

Occasional words (or author's neologisms) in the novels encompass a wide vocabulary layer, starting from specific things and actions which usually have their own name (the new word is invented to reach a greater expressiveness), and ending with giving name to the new things and often unreal, fantastic characters. It is done to make the created world more real.

Translating neologisms is not an easy task. Before you translate a new word, first you should analyze its morphological structure to discover its meaning, then to study the word in its textual environment or context and choose the proper variant of translation.

Depending on the way of creation neologisms can be divided into lexical and semantical. Lexical neologisms can either be created according to productive patterns or borrowed from other languages. According to the word-formative principle the words formed with the help of suffixes and prefixes can be singled out among the lexical neologisms, and also suffixal-prefixal formations, denominations formed by composition, abbreviated and contracted words.

COMPOUNDS

A compound is a unit of vocabulary which consists of more than one lexical stem functioning as a single item, with its own meaning and grammar.

· to ill-use

· wash o mat, sports a rama, plur i dimensional (cf. sport s man, state s man, spoke s man)

· The baby was … at …the putting-things-into-his-mouth stage.

means of translation

· another compound: tax-payer – налогоплательщик; law-abiding – законопослушный;

· analogue: homesick – ностальгический;

· calque: breathtaking – захватывающий дыхание.

Compounds with object and adverbial relations between the elements are often translated in the reverted linear order: tax-free – свободный от налогов; far-advanced – продвинутый вперед; home-grown vegetables – овощи, выращенные дома;

· half-calque: pop-star – поп-звезда;

· transcription or transliteration: popcorn – попкорн; videobusiness – видеобизнес; audioplayer – аудиоплейер. This technique is normally employed for culture-loaded loans;

· descriptive translation: flypaper – липкая лента от мух; Eurosceptics – те, кто скептически относятся к процессу объединения Европы

It is important that a translator not invent a new word, but use a standard word, fixed in the dictionary (it is of particular significance in translating terms).

CONVERSION

Conversion is transferring a word from one part of speech to another without the use of an affix.

Directions of conversion:

· a verb may come from a noun: to word, to bicycle, dos and don’ts;

· a noun may come from a verb: a try, a drive, a drive-in;

· an adjective may be converted to a noun: a round, the bitter;

· an adjective may be changed to a verb: to empty, to better, to calm down;

· adverb to noun: Yesterday was my birthday;

· a structural word may be converted to a noun: too many ifs and buts;

· affix to noun: “ ologies” and “isms”;

· phrases: to dog’s-ear - загибать уголки страниц

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