Initiation into Translation

1st year
2013 - 2014

Translation difficulties and translation techniques

Words: Lexical meaning

(Baker, 2003)

1. Propositional

2. Expressive

3. Presupposed

4. Evoked

1. Propositional meaning
It arises from the relation between the word
and what it refers to/ describes in the real
world.

Clothes: articles of dress

2. Expressive meaning

It relates to the speakers feelings or attitudes.

Two words may have the same propositional

meaning but not the same expressive
meaning:

Clothes vs. rags

3. Presupposed meaning

It arises from restrictions on what other words

we expect to see before/ after a lexical unit:

3.1. Selectional restrictions: logical

combinatorial restrictions:

Geometrical (+ object); studious (+ humans)

3.2. Collocational restrictions: arbitrary

combinatorial restrictions:
A se spla pe fa vs Wash ones face
A se spla pe dini vs
Brush ones teeth
Ceai tare vs
Strong tea
Cafea cu lapte vs
White coffee

4. Evoked meaning

It arises from dialect and register variation.

4.1. Dialect: a variety of language spoken

within a specific community:
4.1.1. Geographical: elevator vs lift.
4.1.2.Temporal: harvest vs autumn.
4.1.3. Social: toilet vs lavatory.

4.2. Register: a language variety which a

speaker considers appropriate to a specific
situation.

4.2.1. Field of discourse: context: making a

political speech vs discussing politics.
4.2.2. Tenor of discourse: participants:
mother vs child
4.2.3. Mode of discourse: the role of
language (speech, lecture, essay, a.s.o.) and
its medium of transmission (written, spoken).

Semantic fields and lexical sets

Semantic fields (are concepts which) reflect
the divisions (and sub-divisions) imposed by a
linguistic community on reality.

E.g.: Motion, Plants, Time, Dimensions, etc.

Motion: on land, on water, in the air, etc.

Lexical sets
They are the actual words and expressions
which belong to a semantic field.

E.g.:
Motion on land: move, walk, run, jump, crawl,
skip, dodder, tiptoe, etc

Lexical sets are arranged hierarchically in a semantic

field:
The most general word is called a superordinate/
hyperonym.
The specific word is called a hyponym.

E.g.: Move:
walk, run, jump, crawl, swim, fly, etc
Walk:
stroll, roam, limp, strut, etc
Flower:
Rose, daisy, peony, carnation, lily-of-the-valley, etc

Common types of non-equivalence

at word level
1. Culture-specific concept/ referent in
the SL:

Airing cupboard, Yorkshire pudding, coddler,

paisley, terraced house, etc
Mrior, sorcov, bulz, sarma, ie, etc

Yorkshire pudding n (Cookery) Brit a

light puffy baked pudding made from a
batter of flour, eggs, and milk, traditionally
served with roast beef
Romanian: un fel de sufleu care se servete
de obicei cu carne de vac prjit
ST: I went to a friend`s house and I had
some Yorkshire pudding for the first time
in my life.

airing cupboard - a warm cupboard

where you put newly washed clothes
until they are completely dry
Romanian: ???
ST: At the end of the wall I built an
airing cupboard with an electric
heater in the bottom so Elsie could
dry all her washing.

ST: It's an Egg Coddler: Crack the

egg and place it inside, salt and
pepper, add seasonings to taste simply screw on the lid and lower it
into a hot pan of water, covering it
completely. After 6 minutes the egg
should be cooked and ready to eat!
Romanian: coddle: (?) a fierbe
nbuit

Terrace house: a house that is one

of a row of identical houses situated
side by side and sharing common
walls
Romanian: ???
ST: Alicia has transformed this
terrace house at Netheroyd Hill
Road, Fixby and injected it with
character and charm.

1.1. The SL word is semantically

complex

scallop
to bake (oysters, potatoes, etc.) in a
scallop-shell or similar-shaped pan or
plate with bread crumbs, cream,
butter, and condiments

2. The SL concept/ referent is not

lexicalized in the TL

Savoury: not sweet

Flight: A series of stairs rising from one landing
to another.

Shallow: of little depth

3. The TL lacks a superordinate

Dotri, instalaii, mijloace

Toe, finger (in Everyday English)

Raspberry, blackberry, blueberry,

gooseberry, etc.

4. The TL lacks a hyponym

ncheietura minii, ncheietura

degetelor
Carne de porc, carne de oaie, carne de
viel, carne de vit, a.s.o.

A accepta tacit, a acepta pn la urm,

a inchide ochii (la ceva)

5. The SL and TL make different

distinctions in meaning

A mprumuta

Nepot

A cnta

6. Differences in expressive
meaning between SL and TL

Complain, whinge, gripe, grouse.

Bloody, son of a bitch; fraier, moule,

a.s.o.

Frog, Kike, Paddie, Aussie, a.s.o.

7. Differences in form between SL

and TL

trustee, dinee, enlistee, laughee, a.s.o.

Crabwise, clockwise, anticlockwise

Fortyish, Sixish, Sixty-fiveish, a.s.o.

Aluni, peri, stejri; fget, brdet; studene te,

muncitorete, romnete, englezete

8. The use of loan words in the SL

Rendez-vous, chic, weltanschaung,

a.s.o.

Didgeridoo, pinto, veldt, a.s.o.

9. False friends/ Deceptive

cognates

Sensible, crime, nervous, physician, library,

a.s.o.

Vest, biscuit, jelly, a.s.o.

Techniques for dealing with translation difficulties at

word level

1. Translation by a superordinate
They went for a stroll.
Au ieit la plimbare.
Shampoo the hair with a mild Wella-shampoo
Splai prul cu un delicat ampon Wella.

2. Translation by a more neutral/

less expressive word
The pandas home is wet and lush.
Habitatul ursului panda este umed si
luxuriant.
E un Pcal...
Hes such a jester/ joker

3. Translation using a loan word

or loan word plus explanation

She bought two Big Macs.

Ea a cumprat doi Big Mac.

George had some hogs pudding.

George a mncat nite hogs
pudding (un fel de caltabo).

4. Translation by paraphrase

Beautiful terraced gardens

Frumoase grdini amenajate n/ sub
form de terase

He nodded.
A dat din cap aprobator.
The lake is shallow.
Lacul e puin adnc.

5. Translation by omission

Types of cupboards: kitchen

cupboards, bathroom cupboards,
airing cupboards, etc.
Tipuri de dulapuri: dulapuri de
buctrie, dulapuri de baie, etc.