Translator' false friends

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

LINGUISTS DEFINITION OF THE “TRANSLATOR’S FALSE FRIENDS”

“TRANSLATOR’S FALSE FRIENDS” ARE PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL PROBLEMS.

“TRANSLATOR’S FALSE FRIENDS” CAN MISLEAD PEOPLE, WHO STRATED TO LEARN ENGLISH AND WHO KNOW ENGLISH VERY WELL.

THE CAUSES OF THE “TRANSLATOR’ FALSE FRINEDS” FORMATION

TYPES OF “TRANSLATOR’S FALSE FRIENDS” 

INFLUENCE OF “TRANSLATOR’S FALSE FRIENDS” ON TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS TEXTS.

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

 

LINGUISTIC COLLEGE

 

 

 

 

COURSE PAPER

 

 

 

 

TRANSLATOR’S FALSE FRIENDS IN TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS TEXTS

 

 

 

 

Done by 
Kuspanova Kamila 
the third year student 
group 303 B

 

Supervisor 
Seitova T.P.

 

 

 

 

 

Almaty 
2012

 

CONTENT

 

INTRODUCTION

Since the ancient times people use the translations from one language into the other one.

But nobody can tell exactly when the first translation was made. It is known only that this event took place when people having different mother tongues began to communicate with the help of the intermediary – the translator.

Thanks to the translation people could communicate in the multinational states, the translation helped the interlingual and intercultural communication. The translation favored the spreading of religion.

Sometimes, the translators (or simply people who learn the foreign language) during their professional activity can be entrapped by the words which have similar form, but different meaning. These words are known as “translator’s false friends”.  My work is devoted to this aspect of the theory of translation.

The aim of my work is to reveal the main features of the “translator’s false friends”.

My work has defined next tasks:

• To give the definition of the “translator’s false friends”.
• To reveal the reasons of “translator’s false friends’ ” formation.
• To make the practical research on this problem.

 

LINGUISTS DEFINITION OF THE “TRANSLATOR’S FALSE FRIENDS”

 

False friends of translator are pairs of words in two languages or dialects (or letters in two alphabets) that look and/or sound similar, but differ in meaning.

For example:

It lasted the whole decade.

Это продолжалось целое  десятилетие.

The Russian word «декада» cannot be used with such meaning in English languages.

Mr. Kessler and Mr. Derokini brought in “translator’s false friends” concept in 1928. Mr. Hayward and Mr. Mullen in 1984 have defined this concept as two signs in different languages, which have the same way if writing and the different meaning. However, there are many definitions of this concept. Some philologists (like Gouger) believe that cases with same meaning can be attached to this concept (orthographical, morphological, syntactical and etc. “translator’s false friends”). Budagov R.A. has defined “translator’s false friends” in the following way: “Translator’s false friends” are interlingual homonyms – words, which have the same resonance and different meanings”. The most unsuccessful concept gave linguists from Michigan school. They called “translator’s false friends” as deceptive cognates («обманчивые слова одного происхождения или когнаты»). The cognate concept is associated in linguistic with original meaning of the word in related languages, but we are considering words, which determine synchronic, without their origin. Due to differences in the meaning of “translator’s false friends” concept, linguists who research this phenomenon, often apply lexicological terms, for example interlingual homonyms and paronyms. We are discussing words, which look both unlike and alike. For example: word aggressive, in English meant: “hostile and destructive”. Now, in business English it means “full of thrusting ambition, energy and enterprise”. But I don’t like, that in Russian language this word has positive meaning. Rosenthal   pointed out the danger of this word. He offered to use more suitable equivalents, for example: «инициативный» (“initiating”).

Nowadays many linguists are arguing about “translator’s false friends”. How it will be better to call “translator’s false friends”. Some of them offered to call them “interlingual homonyms and paronyms”. Professor Hens offered to call them as anologonisms if they have the same meanings. But if they have different meanings they must be called as pseudo – analogonisms. So, pseudo – anologonisms are words from or more languages, which have the same way of writing but have different meanings.

You can see the transportation of the similar words from one language into another language in the related languages. Professor O.Kundzich wrote: “many people think that the word doesn’t change its meaning at the transportation from one language into another language. But it isn’t so. The word changes its meaning. It may be positive or negative, emotional terminological etc.”

THE WORD OR THE COMBINATION OF WORDS	THE WRONG TRANSLATION	TERMINOLOGICALLY RIGHT TRANSLATION
Выступать официально (для печати)	To speak officially	To go on record (for the press)
Газифицировать	To gasify	Gas supply, to provide gas
Гениальное изобретение	Genial invention	Great invention

 

 

“TRANSLATOR’S FALSE FRIENDS” ARE PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL PROBLEMS.

These problems result in different meaning of words appeared in various materials and documents. We must distinguish oral and written forms of “translator’s false friends”. In conversation, people don’t notice differences between “positive” in English and «позитивный» in Russian. For instance: “I have been in a positive state of excitement”, « Я была по – настоящему взволнована», but we can’t say « Я находилась в позитивном состоянии возбуждения». So, “translator’s false friends” problem comes out like problem of written form, but such problem should be taken into account by interpreters. I.Erenburg told about his meeting with E.Hhemingway. Ereburg spoke French and Hemingway spoke Spanish. Erenburg asked about news (nouvelles in French), but Hemingway thought, that Erenburg was interested in his nouvelles ( nouvellas in Spanish). “Translator’s false friends” nearly caused the quarrel between the writers.

MANY LINGUISTS ARE INTERESTED IN THE “TRANSLATOR’S FALSE FRIENDS” PROBLEM.

 

Although, issues of “translator’s false friends” draw attention of many professional translators and teachers of foreign language, detailed study of this category of words for many languages is not available. Unless giving particular attention to brief, more or less accidental lists in separate articles and in educational publications, here we can mention only bilingual vocabularies of French and English, Spanish and French, German and French, Russian and Polish languages.

 

“TRANSALTOR’S FALSE FRIENDS” AND BILINGUAL LANGUAGES

 

Distinctive feature of many dictionaries is that they do not substitute general bilingual dictionaries for given words, but rather used as collections of valuable comments to them. Such comments are used to prevent mistakes in using foreign language; sometimes they are applied to improve the quality of translation into native language culture. With regard to theory and practice, the more useful are dictionaries of “translator’s false friends”, which contain description of all meanings and which reflect stylistic, emotional – expressive, grammatical characteristics of the word and its lexical combination.

Depending on specific purpose of bilingual dictionary use, methods of word description in it can be different. The lexis can be described using proper terms of given language (from the point of its own system) as it occurs in one – language explanatory dictionaries as well.

However, bilingual dictionaries are the most useful for translation, because they compare lexis of foreign and native languages. Here, semantics of the language’s word is described from the position of another language.

Methods of such description can be twofold. Firstly, both languages are described in parallel; moreover some third language is used as a basis for comparison (including metha – language of related science, system of geographical images, etc.). secondly, meanings of the words on original language can be describe through the system’s prism of meanings in the second language, that is more or less consecutively applied in bilingual dictionaries used for translation. Lexical meanings, resulted from such description can be considered as related meanings. They are obtained by means of projecting the system of absolute meanings of original language on systems of absolute meanings of translating language; moreover results of description are valid for given pair of languages, one-sided and irreversible. Number, degree of divergence and distribution of “translator’s false friends” by parts of speech differ for different language pair.

IN WHAT PARTS OF SPEECH WE CAN FIND “TRANSLATOR’S FALSE FRIENDS”.

In English and Russian languages “translator’s false friends”, which count a few thousands of words, can be found in four parts of speech; noun, verb, adverb and adjective. In most cases, this role is performed by rather all representatives of related word – forming family of words that single words. Naturally, who have elementary level of the second language; false identifications occur in the area of similar parts of speech. For example: nouns are associated with nouns etc., homonyms of parts of speech don’t lead to problems as well. From the semantic point of view, words, which involve difficulties, either belong to similar or adjacent semantic spheres or can prove to be in the same contexts; lexemes coincide by chance, which are not found in same contexts (English “magazine” - «журнал»  , Russian «магазин»), don’t summon false association. Divergence in pairs of “translator’s false friends” can be outlined conceptual content, realities, stylistic characteristic and lexical compatibility; in practice all this types of divergence often get entangled.

Divergences of conceptual, logical content of falsely identified English and Russian words are caused by peculiarity of classification of occurrences, attributes and relations, which are typical for semantics of any language. For example: “concern” – in English it means «участие», «фирма», «предприятие», «хлопоты» - it has more general meanings; in Russian it means «концерн»,- it has more limited meanings. Another example: English word “artist” means a man of art in the general meaning of this word; also it means «художник», «живописец», «график», «мастер своего дела» (like “an artist in words”- мастер писать). Russian word «артист» means “professional actor” – it may be «артист балета» - “ballet dancer”; «артист оперы» - “opera – singer”.

Taking into account systemic relations is of high importance for correct understanding of the meaning of words.

The meaning of English “medicine” reveals itself in opposition to therapy, surgery, midwifery, stomatology, sanitation and hygiene; “medicine”, except for its general meaning «медицина», in English means therapy in particular. The word «медицина», means only totality of sciences about people’s illnesses, its treatment and prevention (unlike veterinary) and cannot be assimilated with its English analogue. Also, English word “medicine” means: «жидкое лекарство», «микстура» (in contrast to injection, lotion, medical preparation, pill, ointment and etc.); «колдовство», «магия» (for retrogrades); «талисман», «амулет». Russian word «медицина», has an absolutely different meaning «врач», «медик»; it is translated into English as physician, conversational doctor; and unceremonious doc in singular and plural forms.

It should be protested against common opinion that semantics of Russian words, similar to English words is, as a rule, proper then that of English analogues. Such a correlation is typical for some cases only, where Russian special term is compared with English word that combines terminological and non-terminological meanings. However, in parallel with such correlation, numerous opposite cases occur. Such a belief results in significantly impoverished description of Russian words in Russian – English dictionaries, which quite often recommended translating Russian word with complicated semantics using only one similar analogue which semantic meaning is relatively applicable.

 

“TRANSLATOR’S FALSE FRIENDS” CAN MISLEAD PEOPLE, WHO STARTED TO LEARN ENGLISH AND WHO KNOW ENGLISH VERY WELL.

At first sight, it can be decided that “translator’s false friends” are able to mislead only people, who can start to study language and who do know language very good. But in reality, as many researchers of this lexical category point out, the real situation is quite opposite: most of “translator’s false friends” turn out to be dangerous for those people, who have advanced knowledge of language. This is a case when numerous “semantic calque” (loan translation) and breach of lexical combination or stylistic agreement arise both in speaking foreign language and in translating into native language as well as in applying original word in native language. Herewith, we cannot regard such mistakes as an acknowledgment of bad foreign languages, can allow mistakes are similarity or apparent identity of materials in both languages with regard to function and phonation. In the part of the lexis, “translator’s false friends” not only often disorient many translators, but can mislead even philologist (including professional translator, teacher of English language, lexicographer and etc.)

This course paper is restricted to isolated cases of wrong translation from English language into Russian language.

For example:

Ammunition – in English it means «заряды», «боеприпасы». However, many Russian translators interpret it as «амуниция»; in Russian it means “снаряжение военнослужащего» (кроме оружия и одежды). Another example: expert is a “specialist”-translators often interpret this word as «эксперт» speaking about engineer or doctor, but they do not mean a person, who deals with expertise.

Similar cases are observed in mass media. In translations from English and in correspondence with respondents from English language countries there are numerous cases of such loan translation i.e. «вагон» - horse stage – coach, in English “wagon”; ассистент профессора from English assistant professor («доцент»)

  “A non-destructive testing college is to open in London this November”. The wrong translation is:  «В ноябре в Лондоне откроется не разрешающийся испытательный колледж». The right translation: «В ноябре откроется колледж, который будет готовить специалистов в области не разрушающихся методов испытания материалов».

Low-pressure procedures – in one case it may be «производители полиэтилена», in another case it may be «метод низкого давления».

To be fired – it means «быть уволенным», but also it means «быть сожженным».

For example:

“Earlier this month, insurance giant American International Group fired two managers from the staff department”.

«Раннее в этом месяце страховой гигант American International Group уволил двух менеджеров из отдела кадров».

“It was fired 20 buildings in Uralsk last year”.

«В прошлом году в Уральске было сожжено 20 зданий ».

From these two examples we see one word “to be fired”, but in different cases this word has different meanings. In one case (first sentences) this word has business meanings, which is translating as «быть уволенным» and in another case (second sentence) this word has such meaning as «быть сожженным».

 

 

 

Comparison of some “translator’s false friends” in English language and Russian language:

 

Актуальный – pressing, urgent, topical	Actual – фактический, действительный
Амуниция – accoutrement	Ammunition – боеприпасы
Аспирант – post – graduate	Aspirant – кандидат, претендент
График – time table, schedule	Graphic –наглядный
Дирекция – board, management	Direction – направление
Облигация –bond	Obligation – обязательство
Фабрика – factory, mill	Fabric – остов

 

Another examples:

«По мере роста Нью-Йоркскому университету, подобно многим другим городским учреждениям, долгое время приходилось мириться с плохо оборудованными классами, библиотеками, лабораториями и ощущать недостаток в жилплощади для преподавательского состава и студентов».

There are two variants of the translation

The first:

“With the growth N.Y.U like many other city establishments had for long time out to put with poorly equipped classes, libraries, laboratories and feel shortage of dwelling space for both the teaching staff and students”.

Can we say that the first variant of translation right? Yes, we can. But we can’t say that it is stylistically right. In this variant used such words as “establishments” (учреждение), “classes” (классы), “teaching staff” (преподавательский состав). In this variant we can see some syntactical mistakes (translator’s false friends). But it doesn’t mean that these words are wrong, no, they are right. Translator used other meanings of these words. We can replace them on synonyms:

Establishment – organization

Teaching staff – faculty members

“Classically, we should expect the stopping voltage to be different for different intensities. Furthermore we should not expect any simple direct dependence of the topping voltage on the frequency of the light used”.

«С точки зрения классической теории, можно ожидать, что запирающее напряжение будет различным для различных интенсивностей, но не будет зависеть от длины волны падающего света».

From this example we see such word as “stopping”, everybody know that this word has the verb form “to stop” or «остановиться». But in these sentences this word has another meaning as «запирающее». So in this case, if you don’t know all meanings of this word you will make a mistake and your translation will be incorrect.

 

 

 

THE CAUSES OF THE “TRANSLATOR’S FALSE FRIENDS” FORMATION

The false friends can be created in several ways:

• Borrowing. 

If Language A borrowed a word from Language B, then in one language the word shifted in meaning or had more meanings added, a native speaker of one language will face a false friend when learning the other.

Actual has a different meaning in English from what it means in other European languages, where it means current or up-to-date, and has the logically derivative verb to actualise meaning to make current or to update. Demand in English and demande in French are representative of a particularly treacherous sort of false friend, where despite a common origin - the words not only have different, but almost precisely opposite meanings. In French, a demande is a request, not a forceful requirement.

• Homonyms.

In certain cases, false friends evolved separately in the two languages. Words usually change by small shifts in pronunciation accumulated over long periods and sometimes converge by chance on the same pronunciation or look despite having come from different roots.

For example, German Rat (pronounced with a long a) (= council) is cognate with English read and German Rede (= speech), while English rat for the rodent has its German cognate Ratte.

 

 

• Different alphabets or homoglyphs.

For example, Roman P came to be written like Greek rho (written "Ρ" but pronounced [r]), so the Roman letter equivalent to rho was modified to R to keep it distinct.

• Pseudo-anglicisms.

 These are new words formed from English morphemes independently from an analogous English construct and with a different intended meaning.

For example, in German: Oldtimer refers to an old car (or antique aircraft) rather than an old person, while Handy refers to a mobile telephone.

Japanese is replete with pseudo-anglicisms, known as wasei-eigo ("Japan-made English"). A particularly complicated one is the word naitā which means night-time baseball game. It is derived from the American twi-nighter which is short for twi-night doubleheader, baseball slang meaning two games played by the same teams in a single day, one in the afternoon and the other in the evening, usually starting at twilight and continuing into the night.

The Japanese naitā is strictly Japanese baseball slang, and is unknown to American baseball fans. In English, nitre (of very similar pronunciation) is a name for potassium nitrate.

• Idioms.

Some phrases commonly used in one culture and language may lose context when translated to another language, conveying a totally different meaning.

For example: I'll call you back means that I will return your call, or make a later attempt to call you again.

However, translating literally to Spanish would end up in something like te llamaré para atrás. Although this phrase has no meaning whatsoever in Spanish, it is used frequently in Puerto Rico, and can be confusing when heard by other Spanish-speakers. The correct translation would be te volveré a llamar or te devuelvo la llamada (I'll return your call).

“TRANSLATOR’S FALSE FRIENDS” AND INTERLINGUAL HOMONYMY AND PARONYMY.

Cases of interlingual homonymy and paronymy have significant value among “translator’s false friends”. V.V. Akulenko wrote: “Cases of homonymy and paronymy are the main thing in “translator’s false friends” problem”. Linguists think that concept of “translator’s false friends” is more widely than interlingual homonyms and paronyms. This concept includes almost all lexical units. But many linguists used both terms. R.A. Budagov wrote: “translator’s false friends” are called interlingual homonyms. They are such words which have the similar sounding and different meaning”. Y.Vlchek also thought that “translator’s false friends” is not a term. Professor A. Shidlovsky wrote:” Translator’s false friends” are calling as interlingual homonyms in Linguistics. They ate such words which have the same way of writing and the same pronunciation, but have different meanings”.