types of
transformations of
written translation
Mumedjanova S. 20.124
Lexical transformations
1.Substitution:Russian: "проклятье" (curse)
English: "damnation" (similar meaning)
2. Addition: Russian: "Он был моим лучшим другом." (He was my best friend.)
English: "He was my very best friend." (adds emphasis)
3. Omission:
Russian: "Я не мог ничего сделать." (I couldn't do anything.)
English: "I couldn't do anything." (omitting "nothing")
4. Transposition:
Russian: "Он смотрел на меня странным взглядом." English: "He gave me a strange look."
(transposing the order)
5. Modulation:
Russian: "он был очень грубый" (he was very rude) English: "he was extremely impolite" (modifying
the intensity of rudeness)
6. Equivalence:
Russian: "дружба" (friendship)
English: "friendship" (equivalent translation)
Grammatical transformations
1. Adaptation to TL Syntax:
English: "The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck."
Russian: "Старик был худым и истощенным, с глубокими морщинами на задней части шеи."
Explanation: The sentence structure is adapted to fit the syntax of the Russian language while maintaining the original
meaning.
2. Preservation of Meaning:
English: "He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream."
Russian: "Это был старик, который ловил рыбу один в шлюпке в Гольфстриме."
Explanation: The translation preserves the meaning of the original sentence while adjusting the grammar to suit the
Russian language.
3. Cultural Appropriateness:
English: "The old man's sail was patched with flour sacks and, furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat."
Russian: "Парус старика был заделан мешками с мукой, и, свернутый, он напоминал флаг постоянного поражения."
Explanation: The translation maintains the cultural appropriateness of the original text by using imagery that resonates
with Russian readers.
Grammatical transformations
4. Clarity and coherence:
English: "He was too simple to wonder when he had attained humility."
Russian: "Он был слишком прост, чтобы задумываться о том, когда он достиг смирения."
Explanation: The translation ensures clarity and coherence by rephrasing the sentence to make it more
understandable in Russian.
5. Stylistic Consistency:
English: "Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and
undefeated."
Russian: "Все в нем было старым, кроме его глаз, они были такого же цвета, как море, и были веселыми и
непобедимыми."
Explanation: The translation maintains stylistic consistency by capturing the tone and style of the original text in
Russian.
I hope these examples illustrate how grammatical transformations are applied in translating passages from "The Old
Man and the Sea" into Russian while considering various aspects of translation.
Stylistic transformations
1. Cultural localization:English: "It is a truth universally acknowledged,
that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want
of a wife." Russian: "Всем известно, что холостой мужчина с
хорошим состоянием обязательно нуждается в жене."
2. Tone adjustment:English: "You must allow me to tell you how
ardently I admire and love you." Russian: "Позвольте мне
выразить вам свои искренние чувства и восхищение."
3. Idiomatic expressions :English: "It is a truth universally
acknowledged." Russian: "Это известно каждому .”
Stylistic transformations
5. Transcreation:
English: "In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be
repressed."
Russian: "Тщетно я боролся. Это не подходит. Мои чувства не поддаются
подавлению."
4. Register and Dialect:
English: "I am excessively diverted."
Russian: "Я чрезмерно развлечен."
Pragmatic transformations
1. Functional Equivalence:
English: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
Russian Translation: "Все животные равны, но некоторые животные равнее других."
2. Contextual Sensitivity:
English: "Four legs good, two legs bad."
Russian Translation: "Четыре ноги хорошо, две ноги плохо." (Note: The translation maintains the simplicity and directness of the
original phrase while adapting it to Russian cultural context.)
3. Interpersonal Pragmatics:
English: "Comrades, you do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege?"
Russian Translation: "Товарищи, вы не думаете, надеюсь, что мы свиньи делаем это в духе эгоизма и привилегий?"
4. Speech Acts:
English: "I will work harder!"
Russian Translation: "Я буду работать усерднее!" (Note: The imperative tone is maintained in the translation to convey the same
sense of determination and commitment.)
5. Implicatures and Presuppositions:
English: "All animals are comrades."
Russian Translation: "Все животные - товарищи." (Note: The translation preserves the implied equality and solidarity among
animals.)
semantic transformations
1. Connotation and Denotation:
English: "The sun was setting behind the forest."
Russian Translation: "Солнце садилось за лесом."
English: "The room was filled with a warm glow."
Russian Translation: "Комната наполнилась теплым свечением."
2. Idiomatic Expressions:
English: "Bite the bullet."
Russian Translation: " Стиснуть зубы “(Note: The translation captures the idiomatic expression in Russian
that conveys a similar meaning of enduring hardship.)
3. Metaphorical Language:
English: "She was a ray of sunshine in his life."
Russian Translation: "Она была лучиком света в его жизни." (Note: The metaphorical language of "ray
of sunshine" is preserved in the translation to convey the same imagery and sentiment.)
4. Polysemy and Homonymy:
English: "He saw a bear in the woods."
Russian Translation: "Он увидел медведя в лесу." (Note: The word "bear" in English can have multiple
meanings, but in Russian, it specifically refers to the animal.)
5. Synonymy:
English: "She was ecstatic."
Russian Translation: "Она была вне себя от радости." (Note: The synonym "вне себя от радости" in
Russian captures the intensity of the emotion conveyed by "ecstatic" in English.)
