VII. Stylistic Devices of Translation

One of the most interesting aspects of the theory of translation is the problem of passing stylistic devices in the target language. The given problem comes into notice of scientists-linguists, but is not developed enough. The importance of studying the way of translation of the figurative devices is conditioned by the necessity of faithful figurative information passing in any work of art.

Translation is the difficult many-sided phenomenon, the separate aspects of which can be the object of research by different sciences. Within the framework of the theory of translation the psychological, literary, ethnographic and others sides of translating activity are studied, as well as history of translating activity in this or another country.

A translator uses the methods of passing some stylistic devices that are used in the source language text in order to give a large brightness and expressiveness to the text. A translator has the following choice: either to make an effort to copy the device of the source language text, or if it is impossible, to create an own stylistic device that possesses a similar emotional effect in target language translation.

Expressive devices are phonetic, morphological, lexical, phraseological etc. forms, which exist in any language as a system of logical and emotional intensification of the utterance.

Expressive devices belong to a system of a language and are used in ordinary speech of a writer irrespective of stylistic purpose, but they may be employed with a definite stylistic aim. In each case, they must be carefully selected and arranged so as to reach certain stylistic effect. Any expressive device may be used for specific literary purpose and only in that way they can be described as stylistic devices. Stylistic device may be regarded as a literary transformation of an ordinary language phenomenon.

The stylistic aspect of translation is necessary to a translator as the faithful and good language translation cannot be created without it. It is the stylistic aspect of language that is not only responsible for translation from the source language into the target one, but for translator’s skill as well. Target language translation depends on a translator’s ability to pass the sense of stylistic units. This is the principle of stylistic compensation, that means a metaphor have to be passed by a metaphor, a metonymy by metonymy, a simile by simile etc. It is the function of stylistic device used in the text that is of essential importance for a translator.

A translator always tries to «improve» an author’s text, using different devices but it frequently results in failure. One of the reasons for it is the peculiarity of the source language word usage. The other reason that causes difficulties for a translator is the national peculiarities of the stylistic systems of different languages.

Thus, in order to reach the main goal of translation and convey the content of the source language text completely in the target language text it is necessary to pay special attention to using stylistic devices of translation, which are called figures of speech.

Figure of speech is a stylistic or rhetorical figure, i.e. a language stylistic phrase, which lies in special syntactic organization of expression for obtaining correspondent expressive and figurative effect.

Figures of speech are divided into 3 main groups:

1. Lexical devices of literary expressiveness (or trops).

2. Syntactic devices of literary expressiveness (figures of speech properly).

3. Phonetic devices of literary expressiveness.

I. Trops include:

Metaphor, which means the transference of a meaning from one word to another on the base of resemblance of subjects and phenomena.

The transference of meaning takes place when there is a resemblance in place of location, forms, feelings etc.

For example:

Warm water – тепла вода	Warm relationship – теплі стосунки
Cold rain – холодний дощ	Cold glance – холодний погляд
Foot of boot – підошва черевика	Foot of mountain – підошва гори
Golden watch – золотий годинник	Golden hair – золоте волосся

The first two examples demonstrate resemblance in feelings; the third – resemblance in place of location; the fourth – resemblance in colour.

In its own turn, metaphor includes:

1. Personification – a figure of speech in which objects acquire human qualities, which means that personified object can behave as a human being. It can speak, think, feel, move etc.

For example:

Adieu! Adieu! My native shore Fades o’er the waters blue; The night-winds sigh, the breakers roar, And shriek the wild sea-mew… (G.G. Byron «Childe Harold’s Pilgrimages»)

The moon and stars warn us by their tarnish

2. Symbol – a stable assimilation.

For example:

Knowledge is light, ignorance is darkness	Знання – світло, незнання – темрява
Undoubting Thomas (A person, who is difficult to convince, a sceptic)	Невіруючий Фома
A rose is a symbol of love	Троянда – символ кохання

1. Allegory – is a figure of speech, widely used in fables, when for example animals reveal vices of people etc.

There exists a classification of metaphors in the stylistic theory:

1) A simple metaphor. It is expressed by one image but not always of one word. For example: «Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines» etc.

2) An extended metaphor. It consists of a few metaphorically used words that create a single image. An extended metaphor includes the rank of simple metaphors that are interrelated and add each other. They intensify the motivation of an image by repeated connection of the same two plans and their parallel functioning. We can trace it by the example of 26th sonnet of W. Shakespeare:

«Lord of my love, to whom in vassalage

The merit hath my duty strongly knit,

To thee I send this written embassage,

To witness duty, not to show my wit».

3) A traditional metaphor. The metaphors generally accepted in some period or in some literary direction are called traditional metaphors. Thus, the English poets, describing the appearance of beautiful women widely used such traditional, permanent metaphorical epithets, as «pearly teeth», «coral lips», «ivory neck», «hair of golden wire» etc. A metaphorical epithet needs pointing of similarities and dissimilarities, semantic mismatch, violation of well-formedness etc. There are animistic metaphorical epithets when living creature characteristics are attached to inanimate objects, for example: «an angry sky» etc. or anthropomorphous metaphorical epithets that attach human properties and actions to an animal or an object «laughing valleys», «surly sullen bells» etc.

4) A compositional metaphor. It is realized at the level of a text. It can extend at a full novel. A compositional metaphor is met in numerous works of literature, for example, such as «Ulysses» by J. Joyce, «The Centaur» by John Updike etc.

A metaphor is not limited by a sphere of language and by words only. The thinking processes of a man are themselves largely metaphorical. The conceptual system of a man is determined metaphorically. Metaphors become possible as linguistic expressions owing to the existence of metaphors in the conceptual system of a person. Consequently, metaphors are to be understood as metaphorical concepts.

Thus, a metaphor is identified thanks to the presence of the artistic beginning in it. It necessarily supposes this or that extent of artistry. There could not be metaphors deprived of artistry, as jokes deprived of humour. Of course, there are tasteless metaphors, but there is the artistry in them as well, even if it was not worth of remembering or could be expressed much better.

Metonymy means transference of a meaning from one word to another on the base of contiguity or comparison or, in other words, it is the figure of speech in which a term denoting one thing is used to refer to a related thing.

Metonymy takes place when: