Complications of phraseological units' translation

Управление образования г. Алматы

Алматинский государственный гуманитарно-педагогический колледж №2

 

 

 

 

Специальность: 0512000                      «Утверждаю»

«Переводческое дело»      Зам. директора по УР

Квалификация: 0512013                 Чинюкина О. В.

«Переводчик»            «___»  _________ 2014г.

 

Курсовая работа

По предмету: «Теория и практика перевода»

«The complications of phraseological units’ translation from English into Russian»

 

 

 

Выполнил:

Коробейников И. А.

Группа: ПД-38

Руководитель:

Мельникова К. С.

 

 

 

 

Алматы

2014

 

 

РЕЦЕНЗИЯ

На курсовую работу обучающегося

Алматинского государственного гуманитарно-педагогического

колледжа № 2

Специальности: 0512000 – «Переводческое дело»

Коробейникова Ильи

По теме: « The complications of phraseological units’ translation from English into Russian »

Фразеологизмы - это особенность каждого языка, которая является одной из самых интересных и, более того, одной из самых сложных тем в рамках перевода.

Актуальность данного исследования обусловлена необходимостью углубления в историю языка , знанием тех или иных деталей перевода и уяснением понятия «ложные друзья переводчика», которые встречаются в данной сфере довольно часто.

Перевод фразеологизмов фигурирует как одна из самых сложных частей перевода, потому что фразеологизмы в большей степени являются частью истории языка.

Глава I “Theoretical aspects of phraseological units’ translation” посвящена анализу истории возникновения «фразеологии» и особенностям перевода фразеологических единиц.  

В главе II “The practical work in phraseological units’ translation” рассматривается четыре типа фразеологизмов и их переводы.

В заключении содержится обобщение данной темы.

Считаем, что данная работа соответствует всем требованиям, предъявляемым к курсовой работе по специальности «Переводческое дело» и может быть рекомендована к публичной защите.

Научный руководитель: Мельникова К. С., преподаватель английского языка

 

«____»  ____________ 2014 г.   _______________/ _________________________

      подпись                  ФИО

 

Оценка _______________     

 

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ………………………………….	4
I. THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS’ TRANSLATION…	5
Subject and tasks of phraseology……………….	5
1.2. Phraseological meaning and their values ...........	6
1.3. Types of phraseological units …...........................	7
II. THE PRACTICAL WORK IN PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS’ TRANSLATION…	25
2.1. The translation of terms from owner`s manual of guitar...........................................................................	25
2.2. The translation of extract from a motorcycle catalogue……………………………………………..	27
CONCLUSION…………………………………......	32
REFERENCES …………………………………….	33
APPENDIX I..............................................................	35
APPENDIX II……………………………………….	36
APPENDIX III………………………………………	59

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

  Theme of our course work is “The complication phraseological units’ translation”. We think that it will be better to begin from definition of translation in general and also from history of phraseology.

Translation is the way of word`s transmission from one language into another.

The word ‘translation’ derives from the Latin translatio (which itself comes from trans- and fero, the supine form of which is latum, together meaning "to carry across" or "to bring across"). The modern Romance languages use words for translation derived from that source or from the alternative Latin traduco ("to lead across"). The Slavic and Germanic languages (except for the Dutch "vertaling", "literally" a "re-language-ing") likewise use calques of these Latin sources.

English has a thousand-year history. During this time it has accumulated a large number of expressions that people have found successful, well-aimed and beautiful. And there was a special part of the language - phraseology, a set of stable expressions that have independent meaning.

Good knowledge of the language, including English, is impossible without the knowledge of his phraseology. Phraseology knowledge makes it easier to read as journalistic and fiction. Reasonable use of phraseological units makes it more expressive.

With the help of phraseological expressions, which are not translated literally, as perceived rethought, enhanced aesthetic aspect of language.

 

THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS’ TRANSLATION

 

1.1 Subject and tasks of phraseology

 

Phraseology - a branch of linguistics that studies the stable combinations in the language. Phraseology is also known as set of stable combinations in the language in general

As an independent linguistic discipline phraseology arose relatively recently. Subject and objectives, scope and methods of studying phraseology has not yet clearly defined. Least of all identified problems about the main features of phraseological units compared to free collocations, the classification of phraseological units and their relationship with the parts of speech, etc. Linguists have not developed consensus about what the idiom, and so there is no unity of opinion on the composition of these units in the language. Some researchers include in the phraseology idioms, others - only certain groups. Some linguists (including Academician Vinogradov) do not include in the definition of phraseological units proverbs and popular expressions, believing that they are in their semantics and syntactic structure differ from phraseological units. Vinogradov stated: "Proverbs have sentence structure and are not semantically equivalent of words" Phraseology develops principles of defining phraseological units, methods of study, classification and description in dictionaries.

On the basis of existing research methods in linguistics developed "phraseological own methods of analysis and description":

1. Identification method - establishing the identities of words and syntax, idioms forming, with their free analogues;
2. Method of application, which is a variation of the method of identification.

 

1.2 Phraseological meaning and their values

 

 

Unfortunately English and American literature has small number of linguistic works specifically devoted to the theory of phraseology.

The term "phraseology" is currently understood as a branch of linguistics that studies the phrase, and, on the other hand, the set of all stable combinations of words of the language.

English idioms value is very high, because learning a new language at the same time a person enters into a new national culture, gets great spiritual wealth stored by studied languages.

In particular, the Russian student or common person mastering a foreign language, in this case English, gets an opportunity to join a highly national culture and history of the people of Britain. Phraseology, as an integral part and a kind of treasure chest of any language of the world, may be of particular help to this familiarization. Collocations and phraseological combinations reflect the long history of the English people, the uniqueness of its culture, life and traditions.

Idioms – it’s highly informative units of English. In their most idiomatic expressions created by the people, so they are closely linked to the interests and daily activities of ordinary people. Many idioms associated with superstitions and traditions. However, most English idioms emerged in the professional voice. All nations, all people should cherish and preserve the integrity of idioms, because they are the real treasure that helps understand all the secrets and mysteries of language.

 

1.3 Types of phraseological units

 

 

Phraseological unit / set expression / idiom – a complex word-equivalent in which the globality of nomination reigns supreme over the formal separability of elements. It is reproduced in speech.

Typology of PU (according to the degree of motivation):

• - unities, phraseological (q.v.);

• - combinations, phraseological (q.v.);

• - fusions, phraseological (q.v.).

Phraseology.

Alongside with separate words speakers use larger blocks functioning as whole (consisting › 1 word). In any language there are certain restrictions imposed upon co-occurence of words.

They can be connected with linguistic factors or the ties in the extra-linguistic reality.

Three types of lexical combinability of words:

 

1. Free combination 
Grammatical properties of words are the main factor of their combinability.

Ex.: 

• I’m talking to you. You are writing.

Free combinations permit substitution of any of its elements without semantic change of the other element.

2. Collocations.

Ex.:

• To commit a murder

• Bread & butter

• Dark night

• Blue sky

• Bright day

 

They are the habitual associations of a word in a language with other particular words. Speakers become accustomed to such collocations.

Very often they are related to the referential & situational meaning of words. 
Sometimes there are collocations, which are removed from the reference to extra-linguistic reality.  
(collocations involving, colour words)

Ex.: 

• To be green with jealousy

• Red revolution

3.  Idioms

Idioms are also collocations, because they consist of several words that tend to be used together, but the difference – we can’t guess the meaning of the whole idiom from the meanings of its parts.

This criterion is called the degree of semantic isolation. 
In different types of idioms – it is different.

Ex.:

• To cry a blue murder = to complain loudly

This classification of idioms according to their structure:

3.1 Fixed idioms

• Fixed regular idioms 

It’s a 60-thousand dollar question = difficult question

• Fixed irregular (can be varied on the grammatical level)  
  to have a bee in one’s bonnet (She has.., I have...)

3.2 Variable (varied on the lexical level)

Ex.: 

• To add fuel to the fire/flame

• To mind one’s own business /to mind one business

• To nap a cat’s nap / to have a short nap (вздремнуть)

 

Semantic classification:

Two criteria:

• The degree of semantic isolation

• The degree of disinformation

1. Opaque in meaning (трудный для понимания)

 
The meaning of the individual words can’t be summed together to produce the meaning of the whole.

Ex.:

•  To kick the bucket = to die

It contains no clue to the idiomatic meaning of this expression

The degree of semantic isolation is the highest. => phraseological fusions

2. Semi-opaque

One component preserves its direct meaning

Ex.: 

• To pass the buck = to pass responsibility – свалить ответственность

 

3. Transparent

 
Ex.: To see the light = to understand 

There are lots of idioms (proverbs, saying).

Ex.: Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back

 

Idioms institutionalized formulas of politeness:

• How do you do?

• Good-bye (God be with you)

• How about a drink?

Lots of clichés, quotations.

Clichés form a notable part of the public speaking style. They use clichés because of the intellectual laziness or in the hope of appealing to emotions of smb.

A talk based on clichés is easier to produce.

Ex.: It’s high time to do smth

( these expressions are store in our mind, ready-made )

Quotations:

To support our arguments, to add some prominence

Ex.: “I have a dream” M.L.King

They may be clipped or shortened.

Ex.: To beer or not to beer (creates humorist effect)

Sources of idioms:

1. From our everyday life

Ex.: To be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth

2. From the Bible

Ex.: Black sheep, lost sheep (заблудшая овца)

3. World literature

Ex.: An ugly duckling (Danish)  – гадкий утенок

4. Different languages

Ex.: To lose face (Chinese)

5. From history

Ex.: To cross the Rubicon

 

Koonin classification:

1. With one peak

(one peak phraseological units, one form word, one notional)

Ex.:

• To leave for good

• By heart

• At bay

2. Phrasemes with the structure of coordinate word combination.

Ex.:

• A bitter pill to swallow

• All the world & his wife

3. Partly predicative

(a word + subordinate clause)

Ex.:

• It was the last straw that broke the camel’s back

4. Verbal with (infinitive, passive)

Ex.:

• To eat like a wolf

• The Rubicon is crossed

5. Phrasal units with a simple or complex sentence structure

Ex.:

• There is a black sheep in every flock.

• It was the last straw that broke the camel’s back

 

 

Koonin: “Structural-semantic classification”.

1. Nominative

• Substantive: crocodile tears

• Adjective: as mad as a hatter, as cool as a cucumber

• Adverbial: by & by, to & fro

• Verbal: to live like a lord

2. Nominative –communicative

• The ice is broken

3. Interjectional & modal

• (Emotions, feelings)

• Oh, my eye! (= Oh, my God!)

• As sure as eggs is eggs (просто, как 2х2)

4. Communicative (proverbs, sayings)

• There is no smoke without fire.

As you know, idioms arise from the free combination of words that is used in a figurative sense. Gradually figurative forgotten, erased, and the combination becomes stable.

English has the following types of phraseological units:

1. Typology based on the grammatical similarities.

А) The combination of the adjective with the noun:

Vicious circle - заколдованный круг

The Indian summer - бабье лето

B) The combination of a noun in the nominative case of the noun in the genitive case:

Point of view - точка зрения 

2. Typology based on syntactic functions according phraseological units and parts of speech which may be substituted

 

 

THE PRACTICAL WORK IN PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS’ TRANSLATION

 

 

 

This theme was chosen because phraseology found in most styles of speech and translator must know the details of translation phraseological units.

The main aims of this work are:

1. To know what phraseology is;

2. To determine its peculiarities, aim and importance.

The following tasks have been solved in our course work:

1. To understand and explain what phraseological units is;
2. To demonstrate its peculiarities;
3. Practice in translation of phraseological units individually and in context.

Topicality of this work

In modern English got a huge number of phraseological units, each of which is either native English, or of borrowing from other languages.

The structure of the work

Our course work consists of the following parts:

• Introduction, there we say about translation in general;
• Theoretical part, which describes types of phraseology, phraseological units and their translation;
• Practical part, there is a translation of various types of phraseological units;
• Conclusion; 
• References;  
• Appendix I;
• Appendix II;
• Appendix III;

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

Making this course work we would like to study technical translation, its peculiarities, aim and importance. The following aims were established:

1. To understand and explain what technical translation is;

2. To demonstrate its peculiarities;

3. Practice in translation of different technical materials.

There are 2 points in practical part – the translation of owner`s manual of guitar and the translation of extract from a motorcycle catalogue because we wanted to show technical translation in several sphere of human activity and these were music, especially musical instruments and means of transport, motorcycles.

As the result of our scientific research the following conclusions can be given:

1. Technical translation is a difficult task. It is needed enough knowledge of different techniques, terms, documentation and of course very good knowledge of Source and Target languages;
2. Technical translator must have diploma and it will be great if he or she has diploma of specialist in the sphere where technical translation is used;
3. Technical translator should have practice almost every day to memorize a lot of terms.

The following advices for technical translators can be given:                                    

• Be sure you are able to translate the given text before you accept it:                                            
• Try to work only one direction of translation (technical profession has different directions).                                                                                                                     Learn as much information about technical equipments and terms as possible.                                           
• Try to understand the meaning of each technical term.                                                                
• Learn technical terms every day.                                                                                                
• Learn the application of any technical term correctly.                                                                      
• Keep in touch with the modern sources of information, because every day new gadget and new technical term appears.