Daria Ivashchenko
Donetsk National University (Vinnytsa)
Scientific Supervisor: PhD, Grigoshkina Y.V.
TRANSLATION OF ENGLISH SLANG VOCABULARY INTO UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE BASED ON THE NOVEL “THE CATCHER IN THE RYE” BY J.D. SALINGER
The language is quite vivid and dynamic system of verbal expression of thoughts and emotions. Its changes always attracted enough attention to many researchers. Especially, it concerns such specific category as slang.
Key words: Salinger, slang, transformations, methods of translation
In this work, the comparative analysis of lexical items of the novel “The Catcher in the Rye” written by J.D. Salinger was conducted in English and Ukrainian languages. The goal of research was to identify the formation degree of slang vocabulary in another language. The objective was to define slang, its peculiarities and the ways of translating. As an example can be phrase “to keep yap shut” [5; 24], which has the Ukrainian equivalent «тримати язик за зубами», and by the translation in the novel – «за ткати пельку» [2; 68, 69, 158].
The relevance of the work is that the novel still causes the arguments and does not lose its popularity among the readers up to now. It is also worth noting that little attention was paid to study of slang and literary language of the novel in Ukrainian language as today there is only one translation of the novel by OleksaLogvynenko (1984).
The works of Magomedova A.N., Shilnov A.G., Barhudarov L.S. and other linguists, researchers and scientists were dedicated to study of slang in the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”.
The target of research is slang vocabulary of English and Ukrainian languages, and the research subject are slangisms in English in the novel and its matches in novel’s translation into Ukrainian. Amount of research is 62 units both in Ukrainian and English languages.
The definition of slang is quite controversial as there are a lot of points concerning its subject matter. In general, slang can be defined as speaking style of speech, which changes rapidly and is used in a narrow circle. It has also emotional coloring and it’s often identified with jargon.
The youth slang is used in the novel, as the main character is a teenager that is why the novel has a plenty of slang phrases. With the help of slang, the character expresses his emotions, there is his specific style of monologue, and his image opens up just by means of it. It should be noted that today some words and speech patterns settled in formal language. In the novel, one may emphasize two social groups as representatives of two generations – teenagers and adults. Slang of teenagers can be seenthrough the whole novel. The example of adult generation can be phrase «Do you blame me for flunking you, boy?» [5;7], that in Ukrainian language is «Тидорікаєшменізате, щоятебезасипав, хлопчику?» [2;20]
The translator has to use various methods and transformations. Different ways of translation are used in the novel, that is antonymic translation (eng. no kidding [5;14] – ukr. серйозно [2;40]), compensation (eng. That kind of stuff. The old bull. [5;7] – ukr. Однеслово, наплівйомусіммішківвовни. [2;21]), generalization (eng. He comes over and visits me practically every week end. [5;1] – ukr. Братмайжещосуботинавідуєтьсясюди. [2;4]), functional analogue (eng. to chew the rag [5;15] – ukr. чесатиязиком [2;42]), modulation (eng. I meant it, too. [5;60] – ukr. І я казавщиро. [2;171]), elimination (eng. I still had it with me when I and Brossnad and Ackley got on the bus. [5;20] – ukr. Коли трохизгодом ми з Еклі та Броссардомсіли в автобус, я щетримавсніжку в руках. [2;57]) etc. Considering the number of chosen lexical items, it is worth noting that the method of functional analogue was used the most frequently, as it let to substitute one culture-bound term, which is unknown to reader, with another one that is familiar to him/her. This type of translation is very practical as any developed language has such analogues. After the chosen items, functional analogue makes 77%, word for word translation – 13%, modulation and antonymic translation – 3% each, elimination and compensation – 2% each.
As can be seen from the above, in spite of its controversial place in the language, slang plays an important role in expression of feelings and thoughts, thanks to which we can discover the image of the main character. The language, full of slangisms, helps to understand better the peculiarities of certain period.
According to quantitative data, the method of functional analogue was used the most frequently in the novel. Elimination and compensation are the least spreading types.
References
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