Page 17 - Міністерство освіти і науки України

Idiomatic and stable expressions are lexically and structurally fixed phrases or
sentences having mostly the meaning which is not made up by the sum of meaning of
their componental parts. The following five ways of faithful rendering their meaning are
to be identified:
1. By choosing absolute equivalents.
e.g. Pandora`s box – скринька Пандори (джерело всіляких бід)
Prodigal son – блудний син.
My house is my castle – мій дім – моя фортеця
2. By choosing near equivalents.
e.g. the devil is not so black as he is painted – не такий чорт страшний, як
його малюють.
Everything is good in its season – все добре в свій час
3. By choosing idiomatic analogies
e.g. like mistress, like maid – яблуко від яблуні недалеко падає
to beat a dead horse – товкти воду в ступі
4. By choosing approximate analogies
e.g. more power to your elbow – ні пуху, ні пера!
to be finger and thumb – нерозлийвода
5. By descriptive translating
The meaning contained in the source-language idiom can be expressed in the
target language by a single word, free combination of words or by a sentence
e.g. red blood – мужність, відвага
short odds – майже рівні шанси
yes-man – людина, що з усіма згоджується, тільки підтакує

IV Units of specifically national lexicon and ways of their translation into
Ukrainian

In contrast to internationalisms are units of nationally specific lexicon, which
designate peculiar geographical, environmental conditions of nation`s life. Peculiar may
be the cultural or religious traditions, elements in a governmental or election systems, in
monetary systems, etc.
The units of specifically national lexicon are rarely similar by their nature and
meaning in either of two languages. There are various approaches to expressing their
meanings in the target language. The following methods of conveying the meaning of
the units of nationally specific lexicon are recognized:
1. By transcription or transliteration exclusively.
The units of the nationally specific lexicon, whose meanings are rendered at
the phonological level, usually belong to genuine internationalisms.
e.g. lord – лорд mister – містер
lady – леді shilling – шилінг
2. By transcription or transliteration and explanation of the meaning. In many a
case transcription or transliteration cannot provide a full expression of lexical meaning.

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