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Lecture 5
Transformations in the process of translation

I Translator`s transformations, their types

You remember from the first lecture that according to transformational approach,
translation is regarded as a constant process of various transformations which can be
observed at morphological, lexical and syntactic language level. So, what is
translation`s transformation? We can define this notion as the kind of major or minor
alterations in the structural form of language units performed with the aim of achieving
faithfulness in translation.
There may be two types of transformations in the process of translation:
1. Objectively required.
2. Subjectively introduced.
The first type of transformations is conditioned by the peculiarities of the target
language and that`s why such transformations are inevitable. For example, English
passive voice is often changed into Ukrainian active voice.
e.g. He is followed – За ним стежать.
The second type of transformations is introduced at the translator`s own will and
therefore such transformations are not always unavoidable. They are often
predetermined by some national linguistic factors. Thus, to render the meaning of my
dear love, the translator is free to choose on his own will one of the following sematic
equivalents: люба, кохана, любка, серденько, дівчинка, зіронька etc. In this lecture
we аre going to concentrate at transformations on lexical and syntactic language levels.

II Transformations of Lexical Units

Among the lexical units are those which change their outer form in the target
language and those which do not change. Among the latter are most genuine
internationalisms, some idiomatic expressions, many specifically cultural notions, many
loan internationalisms, almost all proper nouns. Those lexical units which are
transformed in the process of translation include three main stylistically distinguished
classes of units:
1. Stylistically neutral lexis.
Among the simple and compound words there are different notional parts of
speech, the semantic equivalents of which in the target language may not be the same as
in the source language.
e.g. akimbo – взявшись руками в боки
airsick – той, хто погано переносить подорожування в літаку.
2. Stylistically evaluative lexis.
Here we include diminutive and augmentative layers of the lexicon. These lexical
units though may have the same meaning are differently expressed in English and
Ukrainian.

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