THE PROBLEM OF MEANING IN TRANSLATION Translatability vs untranslatability
On what principle does the theory (and practice) rest? Roman Jakobsons words: anything that can be said in one language … (complete!). Do we translate from language to language or from culture to culture? Comment on the phrase his black heart (Arab). What are your associations with the adjective white?
Let us examine the ways of translating expressions with white White hair, white lie, white man, white elephant, stand in a white sheet, white sturgeon, white coffee, white wings, white Christmas, white straw crops, white sale, white collar. Белая ворона, белое пятно, белый как мрамор, белая кость, сказка про белого бычка, средь бела дня.
John Catford and his term untranslatability British and American national or cultural «realia» (culturally loaded words): sauna, kilt, bonny, kirk, pet, babushka, baby-sitter, drugstore, bucks, etc. Спутник, ударник коммунистического труда, баня, запой, субботник, путевка, дом отдыха, мыть голову, etc.