Oscar Wilde and His Fairy Tales
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CHAPTER 2. PROBLEM OF EQUIVALENCE
OR(TRANSLATION EQUIVALENCE)
Where literature exists, translation exists. The very notion of literature would be inconceivable without translation. The entire history of literature is informed by a process of transmission; a great work of literature, indeed any text, is able to enrich itself by generating new meanings as it enters new contexts. Translation could be seen in this perspective as the secret metaphor of all literary communication. (Zinaida Camenev, Theory of translation)
Translation is the process of changing sth that is written or spoken into another language.
E.g. He specializes in translation from Danish into English.
(Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 2007)
From the teleological point of view, translation is a PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION: the objective of translating is to impart the knowledge of the original to the foreign reader. From the point of view the working situation of the translator at any moment of his work (that is from the pragmatic point of view), translating is a DECISION PROCESS: a series of a certain number of consecutive situation – moves, as in game – situation imposing on the translator the necessity of choosing among a certain (and very often definable) number of alternatives. (Jiří Levý, Translation as a decision process, 1976)
A trivial example will show the basic components of a decision problem. Suppose an Armenian translator has to render the sentence «Նրա մազերը սև են հակինթի նման, իսկ շուրթերը` երազային վարդի պես կարմիր:» He has to decide between two possibilities:
his her
These are the components of the decision problem:
The Situation in English, there is no single word equivalent in meaning and stylistic value to the Armenian «Նրա»; the range of meaning is covered by two words: “he” and “she”.
Every interpretation has the structure of problem solving: the interpreter has to choice is more limited (easier), if the number of possible alternatives is smaller, or if it is restricted by context.
One of the possible approaches to translation theory is to take into account all the subsequent decisions contingent on the given choice, and hence to trace the order of precedence for the solving of the difference problems and the resulting degree of importance of various elements in the literary work, when considered from this viewpoint.
The translation, in his system of decisions, may take one step more or less that the author of the original did; cf. the following translation from English into Armenian:
“And a delicate flush of pink came into the leaves of the rose, like the flush in the face of the bridegroom when he kisses the lips of the bride.”
(“The Nightingale and the rose”p.44)
Ու վարդի թերթիկները մեղմ շառագունեցին, ինչպես փեսացուի այտերը, երբ նա հարսնացուի շուրթերն է համբուրում:
(«Սոխակն ու Վարդը»էջ.96)
Here the translator shortened some words in order to avoid from repetition and make sentences clear.
Translation theorists have long disputed the interrelation of the two terms.
V. Komissarov considers them to denote non-identical but closely related notions. He claims that adequate translation is broader in meaning than equivalent translation.Adequate translation is good translation, as it provides communication in full. Equivalent translation is the translation providing the semantic identity of the target and source texts. Two texts may be equivalent in meaning but not adequate, for example:
“What! Is he not solid gold?” said the Swallow to himself.
(“The Happy Prince” p.30)
– Ինչպես, մի՞թե դու ոտից գլուխ ոսկեձույլ չես,- մտածեց Ծիծեռնակը:
(«Երջանիկ Արքայազնը»էջ.84)
Armenian sentence includes additional words in order to make the meaning more expressive.
Close to this understanding of translation adequacy is E. Nidas concept of dynamic equivalence, “aimed at complete naturalness of expression” and trying “to relate the receptor to modes of behavior relevant within the context of his own culture.” Nidas principle of dynamic equivalence is widely referred to as the principle of similar or equivalent response or effect.
Y. Retsker states that the notion of adequate translation comprises that of equivalent. According to him, an adequate target text describes the same reality as does the source text and at the same time it produces the same effect upon the receptor. Translation adequacy is achieved by three types of regular correlations:
equivalents, that is regular translation forms not depending upon the context (they include geographical names, proper names, terms): “The Star Child” – «Աստղամանուկը», “The Happy Prince”- «Երջանիկ Արքայազնը»
analogs, or variable, contextual correspondence, when the target language possesses several words to express the same meaning of the source language word: weathercock – հողմացույց-աքաղաղ, Oak-tree – երգեցկաղնի
transformations, or adequate substitutions: “Your picture was beautiful,” he murmured. -Ձեր նկարն անչափ գեղեցիկ էր,- շշնջաց նա :