Extralinguistic Factor

Sometimes we have to resort to so called extra-linguistic factor (auxiliary information or background knowledge) to make a correct translation. In other words, in order to translate, we should know not only SL and TL and the translation rules, but also the subject, situation, circumstances, in which the given text functions:

...that Rob had anything to do with his feeling as lonely as Robinson Crusoe (Dombey & Son).

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, ma’am... In a similar manner, ma’am” said Bounderby, “I can wait, you know. If Romulus and Remus could wait, Josiah Bounderby can wait” (Hard Times).

“I do not wonder that you... are incredulous of the existence of such a man. But he who sold his birthright for a mess of pottage existed, and Judas Iscariot existed and Castlereagh existed, and this man exists” (Hard Times).

Neither of these sentences can be fully understood, if a reader has no specific information about subjects, persons and phenomena mentioned here. To comprehend the first sentence, one should know why the name of Robinson Crusoe is identified with the idea of solitude in D. Defoe’s well-known book. To understand the second example one should know, who Romulus and Remus were, one should know the history and ancient mythology of Rome. In the third sentence we should know the Biblical myths about Isahav, who sold his birth right for the mess of pottage, as well as about Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus Christ for thirty silver coins; to understand this sentence, one should also know, who Castlereagh was and what mean things and actions his name is associated with, as it is associated with the ideas of venality and betrayal, so we need to know curtain facts of the English history.

“Open the door”, replied a man outside; “it’s the officer from Bow Street, as was sent to, today!”

A translator should take into account the fact that a reader is unaware of specific realities of another country he lacks knowledge to understand this passage. He does not know that in Bow Street there is a central police board of London. The volume of knowledge of native speakers and readers of the material translated is different and it is a normal situation. The passage sounds strange and is not understandable. The task of translator is to remove this misunderstanding in some way:

„Відчиніть двері! – відповів чоловік за дверима. – Це представник головного поліцейського управління Лондона, за котрим ви сьогодні посилали!“

My nose’s running. Have you got Kleenex or something?

Without any difficulty an American will understand that Kleenex is a well-known brand firm producing napkins, tissue paper, disposable diapers, absorbent paper, table paper cloths, articles of hygiene, etc. The best variant of the translation is as follows:

У мене страшний нежить, не знайдеться в тебе чогось на кшталт носовичка?

The same approach should be preserved when we translate for foreigners having no idea about our important events:

Він пішов в армію 22 червня 1941 року.

The best translated option is as follows:

On the day when Germany attacked Russia he joined the army.

The date unforgettable for every citizen on the territory of the former Soviet Union, might mean nothing for the English speaking reader and needs deciphering in translation, because it is important to emphasize, that the person left for the war on the very first day it started.

The British people are still profoundly divided on the issue of joining Europe.

For the Ukrainian reader it is unclear in what meaning the word Europe is used here. Citizens of the UK are aware of the political atmosphere in the country in 1973; the meaning of expression joining Europe is clear without any explanations:

Серед англійців ще досі існує глибоке непорозуміння щодо вступу Англії в європейський спільний ринок.

In the translation we should resort to some kind of explanation of the word combination “to join Europe” by means of developing (розширення) the meaning by way of adding the words which will make this expression clearer.

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