Ways of rendering the meaning of the subjective with the infinitive constructions

This construction consists of subject, usually noun or pronoun, and predicate expressed by the infinitive. For example, He is reported to have left the country two days ago.

A. When used with the verbs expressing permission, request, intention, order, compulsion (to allow, to permit, to order, to command, to force, to make, to request, to intend, etc.), the subjective with the infinitive construction may be rendered in Ukrainian in the following ways:

1. with the help of an indefinite personal sentence;

2. with the help of an impersonal sentence having the passive verbal predicate in -но, -to;

c) with the help of an object subordinate clause, for example:

The inmates were ordered not to try to leave their wards.(USA Today)

1) В’язнямнаказалине робити спроб залишити камери.

2) В'язням було наказано не виходити з камер.

3) В'язням наказали, щобвони не робили спроб залишити камери.

B. The subjective with the infinitive construction used with theverbs of physical perception (to feel, to hear, to see, to taste,etc.)can be translated:

a) with the help of the one-member introductory indefinite per­sonal sentences followed by an object subordinate clause as in the following sentence:

He was seen the first to come.(D.Carter) - Бачили, що він прийшовпершим.

b) with the help of the impersonal introductory sentence:

It was felt to be hopeless. (Galsworthy) – Відчувалося,щоцебезнадійно.

C. Similar ways of translation are employed when the subjectivewith the infinitive construction is used with the verbs of mentalperception (to believe, to deny, to expect, to know, to suppose, etc.):

He is supposed to be workingin the sanatorium. (Cusack) - Вважають (вважається),щовін працює в санаторії.

D. When used after the verbs of saying and reporting (to say, to report, to tell, etc.), the subjective with the infinitive complex is translated with the help of the introductory indefinite-personal sen­tence followed by an object subordinate clause.

The US Secretary of State is reported to have arrived in Ge­neva. (The Guardian)

1. Повідомляють, що державний секретар США прибув до Женеви.

2. Як повідомляють, державний секретар США прибув до Женеви.

3. Повідомляється, що державний секретар США прибув до Женеви.

Е. When used with the verbs to appear, to chance, to hap­pen, to prove, to seem, or with the mood phrasesto be sure, to be certain, to be likely/unlikely,the subjective with the infinitive con­structions may have different interpretations in Ukrainian. Thus, the verbs to seem, to believe, to appear, which function as simple verbal predicates in English, are converted into parenthetic words or intro­ductory –сь/-сяimpersonal/definite personal sentences:

Alice didn't seem to haveheard of me. (Braine) - Еліс, здавалося, не чула промене./Здавалося, Еліс не чулапро мене.

Other contextual semantic variants of sentences with the predi­cate verbto seemmay be the ad­verb очевидно or the modal particle ніби/нібито:

He seemed to be thinking of something else. (Dreiser)

1) Він, здавалося, думав прощось зовсім інше.

2) Його думки, очевидно, були зайняті чимось іншим.

3) Він нібидумав про щось зовсім інше.

Sentences with the subjective with the infinitive constructionsmay have predicates expressing the modal meanings ofcertainty, uncertainty, probability(to be sure, to be certain, to be likely/unlikely, etc.). Such sentences are not transformed in Ukrain­ian translation, i.e., they maintain their simple structure, with the predi­cates turning into modalwords/particles or adverbs (such as можливо, певне/напевне, навряд чи/неможливо, обов'язково):

The fire is certain to produc epanic.(Dreiser)- Пожежа обов'язково зчинить паніку.

But he is sure to marry her.(T.Hardy) - Але він обов'язково одружиться з нею.

Sheis likely to consume contaminated food or water in Мехісо. (Hailey) - Існує можливість/цілком імовірно/ цілком можливо/ не виключена можливість, що вона споживатиме в Мексиці забруднені продукти чи питиме забруднену воду.

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