Concretisation

There are cases when SL lexical items of broad semantics do not have equivalent counterparts in the TL or the context itself due to some reason does not permit their usage. Besides, lexis of a certain language or at least a part of it may or may not possess clear-cut features of higher or lower specifity. Therefore we resort to the lexical transformation of concretisation, which is a cross-language replacement of a SL lexical item with broad semantics by a TL lexical item possessing narrower semantics. From the viewpoint of lexicology it’s the replacement of the general notion by the concrete one or the replacement of the generic notion by the specific one. In the semantic aspect it reflects the narrowing of meaning or hyponymic operation. The technique is being resorted to when the degree of the information ordering in the SL item is lower than that in the TL. In English-to-Ukrainian translation the following “non inner differentiation” lexemes most often undergo the operation of concretisation: you, meal, to be, to say, to tell, to go, to come, to arrive etc.

He is in the army now. – Тепер він служить у війську.

They arrived yesterday. – Вони прилетіли учора.

Tell him to be our guest. – Запропонуй йому залишитися у нас.

Here the context is to be the chief factor in deciding whether the transformation of concretisation is advisable.

Mr. Yeltsyn said he expected six other states would join after his meeting on Saturday.

Пан Єльцин підкреслив, що сподівається на те, що після суботньої зустрічі до угоди приєднаються шість інших республік.

The English verb to say embraces a large area of notions and possesses a broad semantic field. In translating messages of similar type one has to resort to concretisation in order to avoid tautology, since the item підкреслив is narrower than сказав.

At seven o’clock p.m. an excellent meal was served.

О сьомій вечора подали чудову вечерю.

The item meal in English corresponds to several Ukrainian lexemes: прийом їжі, сніданок, обід, вечеря. The context is to be taken into account either.

Fiction translational practice testifies a high frequency of hyponimic transformations resorted to by skilful translators.

My mother had left her chair in agitation, and gone behind it in the corner.

Схвильована, мати підвелася з крісла і зачаїлася в кутку.

Translation of English language periodicals and publicity also yields a great number of concretisation operations.

One Whitehall insider said Mr. Howard could escape by persuading MPs and the public that Miss Widdencombe, while acting honorably has been duped by Mr. Lewis.

Співробітник міністерства заявив, що панові Говарду вдалося б обійти цю проблему, якби він переконав парламент та громадськість у тому, що пані Відденком діяла доброчинно, але дарма довірилася панові Льюїсу.

It is not a rare occasion when practical translators make a complex of transformational operations, i.e. a number of various transformations are being carried out in one sentence. For in the previous sentence the translator effected concretisation: співробітник міністерства, and supplemented it with the logical development technique: довірилася.

The presence of security-obsessed Beijing leaders might explain the sudden demand for weapons before the ceremony.

The situation-substance deals with the handover of Hong-Kong under the jurisdiction of China. The Beijing officials made efforts to obtain the consent of the Hong Kong authorities to early arrival of Chinese troops to the territory. Still the authorities responded in negative. The heading of the article is “Tanks in Hong Kong”. Thus the sentence in consideration is to be translated as:

Присутність занепокоєних пекінських керівників пояснює несподівану вимогу ввести бронетехніку, перш ніж відбудеться церемонія передачі влади. + grammatical transformation + addition.

The last example illustrates the complex approach to translational transformation implementation within the framework of one sentence. This is an important element not to be ignored by the translator.

Assignment. Analyse the following sentences in the aspect of the translation effected. Examine and estimate the use of the concretisation technique.

I have been at him all the evening. (J.Joyce).

Я докучала йому цілісінький вечір.

Miss Spence’s car was standing by the front door.

Авто панни Спенс припаркували біля парадного під‘їзду.

She snatched away their plates with mock something… (K.Mansfield).

Вона прибрала тарілки з липовими стравами.

… he asked her if she could use a drink (T.Capote).

… він запропонував їй келишок віскі.

Dinny waited in a corridor which smelled of disinfectant (J.Galsworthy).

Дінні чекала у коридорі, що просяк карболкою.

Oh dear, have you started bidding already? (J.Priestley).

Дорогенька, ти вже показала масть?

“I could certainly swallow a highball,” said Logan. (J.Collier).

Я не від того, щоб перехилити коктейль, зауважив Лоуген.

Libbard is only a country doctor. You ought to see a specialist.

Ліббард – всього-на-всього сільський лікар, вам варто було б проконсультуватися у кардіолога.