Unit II. Appropriate, Literal, Free Translation.

As for quality, translation can be classified into appropriate, literal and free translation. You should thoughtfully avoid formal accuracy of reproduction, with resulting unfaithfulness to the content and impact of the message.

The best translation is appropriate translation. It does not sound like a translation. It is determined by semantic or pragmatic (dealing with matters in the way that seems best under the actual conditions) equivalence between SL and TL. It is characterized by:

· accurate, precise and complete conveyance of the SL content;

· adequate conveyance of the norm of SL text;

· faultless use of the TL norm.

Literal translation is the most primitive translation. It is used in commentaries, untranslatable play of words, interlinear translation of poetry. Some of us never forget that we are only translators. It does not help to come nearer to the style of the original. You translate literally when you:

1) reproduce the form at the expense of meaning:

магазин (lit.) журнал (lit.)

e.g. magazine journal

журнал (appr.) газета (appr.)

2) overlook idiomatic meaning:

высокие…(lit.)

e.g. high hopes

большие… (appr.)

to pay through the nose – заплатить с лихвой ( appr.)

to have one’s cake and eat it – и нашим, и вашим (appr.)

3) violate stylistic norm:

Это был он, кто … (lit.)

e.g. It was he who did it

Именно он … (appr.)

I am the last man to do it. – Кто угодно только не я.

4) reproduce linguistic and denotative norm but ignore the pragmatic aspect:

e.g. Three officers from Bow Street entered the house. – полицейский участок на…

Never drink unboiled water! – Не пейте сырую воду!

Keep off the grass! - По газонам не ходить!

Too literal a rendering is a mistake. Sources of literal translation:

· superficial resemblance of Russian and foreign words:

e.g. diet – диета, but also кухня, заседание

aggressive – агрессивный, but also наступательный, решительный, активный

· misleading words:

e.g. decade, conductor, major

dynamic program –

social work –

total compensation package –

To avoid literal translation use antonymic translation:

e.g. I have not forgotten anything. – Я все помню.

Relax. – Не беспокойся.

We hope he will still stay. – Надеемся, он нас не покинет.

Free translation consists of pragmatically unmotivated additions and omissions of semantic information. While in literal translation we distort the message by slavishly representing the form, in free translation we distort it by overstepping our authority and assuming the role of a co-author. The SL is subjected to more transformations than it is expected to:

e.g. Hemingway’s “Papa, it’s all right with me. Don’t worry for a moment, Papa”. Voznesensky’s «Старикан, все в ажуре. Не трухай, старикан».

Free translation is not permissible in translating diplomatic, official, scientific and technical texts, documents. We can use it in interpreting when you forget something:

e.g. черемуха (bird cherry) a flowering tree

Translation that is free gives a general idea of a piece of writing rather than exactly translating every word.

REMAIN TRUE TO EQUIVALENT OR APPROPRIATE TRANSLATION!

Further reading and exercises:

1. Козакова Т.А. Translation Techniques. СП 2002. Ch.1 (P1), pp. 9-26.

2. Translate:

It cost him damn near 400 bucks.

I knew him like a book. I really did.

Emotions are high, tempers are short.

Been there, done that.

Хотели как лучше, а получилось как всегда.

Это была авантюра.

Муха сидит на потолке.

Там было очень неплохо.

Он пошел на войну 22 июля 1941 года.

Вы ошиблись номером.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-10