Forming Collocations

As we know, collocations are one of the most important elements in our everyday language. Collocations are the ready-made constructions that help us pass on meaning and sense to other speakers of the language. Without collocations it would be difficult to understand one another. Collocations are often seen to be the key to fluency or native-like linguistic competence. A native speaker of English will say knife and fork, it’s raining cats and dogs not fork and knife or dogs and cats.

These may seem like minor differences but they make the native speaker sound native. Previous posts (click here and here) have shown the importance of collocations and the intrinsic link between culture and language.

A noteworthy fact visible within the world of politics is the ability to turn common collocations (or set phrases) into new phrases (calling them collocations would be an injustice). A good example of this are the two Polish phrases przerażające fakty, porażające fakty which in loose translation might be understood as frightening facts and paralysing facts.

Both phrases are extremely similar but show how politicians or other language users have the creative ability to take meanings a ‘notch up’ and ‘crank up’ the force of certain collocations. What is even more fascinating is the way in which these linguistic changes are understood by the audience. A scan of these two collocations phrases shows that language users believe them to be synonymous regardless of the intentions of the original user.

The conclusion therefore is that linguistic forces have the ability to ‘level off’ and ’smooth out’ rough edges which are simply unnecessary. In the same way that erosion allows rivers to find the ideal route across a plain, so too language finds the ideal form through which communication is most effective.

Language of Advertising

As we have seen in a previous post (click here), within the language of advertising the translator is often bound by more factors than when translating other texts. We are constantly attacked by and completely surrounded by the language of advertising so much so that it filters into our respective cultures and seeps into the language of the average speaker.

The language of advertising has become an important element in the creation of new words, phrases and cultural references. It is noteworthy to mention Umberto Eco here and his last work of fiction The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana in which he shows the influence of both high and low culture on our social (and linguistic) make-up.

Advertising is intrinsically linked to a throw-away linguistic culture where words and phrases enter the language at great velocity, are used with great propensity and then disappear never to be heard again. Most people can remember the advertising slogans of their childhood, although these phrases often do not have the same function today as they once had.

Two common phrases in Polish advertising have been noted. The first is lubię chłodek. The second is mały głodek. Both are amusing phrases aimed at children or aiming to mimic the language of children through the use of diminutives: chłód (’chill’, ‘the cold’) –> chłodek and głód (’hunger’) –> głodek. The translation of these two phrases might prove difficult.

Lubię chłodek can be found on drinks and yoghurts that should be ‘kept refrigerated’. However, keep refrigerated is too formal a phrase for this context, thus constructions such as I like the cold or I prefer it chilly might be more appropriate, although in the second suggestion the key word has become an adjective.

Mały głodek is a slogan used as part of an advertising campaign for a well-known yoghurt-like product. The product is the enemy of ‘hunger’ which is personified as a small yellow creature. Here we have the additional problem of having to deal with a character/persona. A possible equivalent might be hunger pang which retains the noun quality of the original and adds an element of devilishness with the word pang.

Perfect equivalents they are not but they help shed light on the cultural, grammatical and semantic processes taking places in both languages.

Word Mobbing/Borrowing

A delightful phenomenon in translation is the transfer of words from and into other languages. As we all know languages are remarkably flexible systems and it is an enjoyable sight when we see a word break free of one language and migrate into another system and then take on a new life. Making the break from one system and moving to another is the simple part. Putting roots down in another system is a little more complicated.

The hegemony of English has meant that other languages readily steal or are sometimes compelled to borrow from English. New dictionaries that use English, be they Polish-English, German-English, French-English or otherwise often contain false friend sections where we can learn how we should avoid certain words and constructions. Countless lists of such false friends can be easily found on the internet.

An interesting transfer that has occurred relatively recently is the term mobbing. The verb to mob means ‘to jostle, hustle’; ‘to crowd into’ or ‘to attack in large numbers’. However, the word mobbing has decided to burrow into the rich, fertile ground of several other languages including German and Polish wherein it has come to mean something different.

In these two languages, mobbing can refer to mental and physical attacks and generally intimidation found in the workplace. This has led to a situation where German and Polish translators often translate the word mobbing straight into English without considering its context whereas a more appropriate English equivalent for this English loanword would be bullying, intimidation or harassment.

Meaning Transfer

Different languages use different ways to describe the same object. This is one of the fundamentals posited by Ferdinand de Saussure. What Poles call grzyb, English speakers call mushroom. Two different sounds for the same object.

The process of translation becomes interesting when there is more to the object than a simple word. Let us take, for example, the English word capital to mean the ‘head city of a country’. The word derives from the Latin capitalis (of the head) from caput (head). In Polish, however, we have stolica. We can also talk about capital punishment in English (i.e. off with the head) which in Polish is simply kara śmierci.

The more knowledge the translator has about a word, the more accurate the translation. In the above example, we have a metaphorical extension of the Latin word caput which has then been borrowed into English whereas in Polish we do not. The reverse could also be true where a word has metaphorical roots in Polish but not in English. A wonderful example is the Polish (słone) paluszki which might roughly be translated as salty sticks (never fingers!).

Body parts commonly lend themselves to metaphorical use, but again, it is not the simplest words that make for the more interesting work for the translator but rather the more complicated. Metaphors and tranferrals of meaning are not straightforward and require a little more thought. For instance, in English we speak of a plastic sleeve used in the office. The inexperienced translator may render this as plastikowy rękaw. The correct equivalent would, of course, be plastikowa koszulka which, in turn, could not be translated into English as plastic shirt.

Neologisms

The creation of new words is one of the most natural things in the (linguistic) world. It is what keeps the linguistic organism fresh and full of vitality. As presented in a previous post on New Words the renewal of linguistic tissue is a wonderful phenomenon.

With a change in the political system and entry into the European Union, Poland is experiencing major political, economic, social and psychological upheavals and it comes as no surprise that new lexcial items are forcing themselves into the vacuum left by the fall of social-realism and other now defunct social and political phenomena.

Of great interest are words like Gadu-Gadu (the internet messenger) or Spychologia (an attitude among people who constantly ‘pass the buck’). Obviously, proper nouns and company names are not translated, but ideas such as Walkie-Talkie and pass-buck-ability come to mind.

The politician Janusz Palikot in an effort to promote his weblog has embarked on an advertising campaign that makes use of some fascinating neologisms. These include: pyskusja (= ‘pyskować’ + ‘dyskusja’), odwkurzacz (= ‘odkurzacz’ + ‘wkurzać’), paplament (= ‘paplać’ + ‘parlament’), cudzogłupstwo (= ‘cudzołóstwo’ + ‘głupstwo’) and nielękarka (= ‘pielęgniarka’ + ‘nie lękać’). The neologisms reflect a particular approach to life and in an effort to understand this approach a translation of these words may be revealing:

pyskusja ~ disgussion
odwkurzacz ~ dumb-downer; zone-outer
paplament ~ howliament; growliament; borliament; papliament
cudzogłupstwo ~ adultawry; stupidility
nielękarka ~ nofearlette

Translating Lines

The previous post mentioned the metaphors used in translation. However, metaphors themselves can be difficult to translate. A problematic such metaphor is line. Interestingly, translation itself is often seen as ‘treading a fine line’ (balancować na cienkiej linie). Some may say that the difference between a spectacularly good translation (a very rare occurrence indeed) and an average one is an extremely fine line with only certain factors playing a vital role (for instance, cohesion, fluency and coherence).

This brings us to the metaphor itself. With the recent lustracja (vetting) debate raging in Poland, discussion of the historical reasons for the current political situation has centred around two historical events - the Round Table talks that pitted the Communists with the Solidarity Opposition and, what concerns us here, the term Gruba Kreska.

One of the first ideas that comes to mind is Terence Malick’s film The Thin Red Line based on the James Jones’ book of the same name. As we know it can refer to military units who are outnumbered holding firm against an enemy. However, this is not the term we are looking for but it is an interesting analogy to what is happening in current politics.

It is worth looking at the source of the phrase Gruba Kreska:

Przeszłość odkreślamy grubą linią. Odpowiadać będziemy jedynie za to, co uczyniliśmy, by wydobyć Polskę z obecnego stanu załamania.

Interestingly, Tadeusz Mazowiecki never used the word gruba kreska but gruba linia. His original idea - as we can see - was to divide the past from the present. German uses the useful composite Vergangenheitsbewältigung (past management) for the same concept. However, gruba kreska has changed its meaning somewhat and has now come to mean - in some political circles - the policy of not punishing the Communists for the crimes they committed.

The equivalent in common use is thick line, however, for many people this translation is simply not adequate and not entirely faithful. Yes, it is the easiest translation and a good example of one-to-one equivalence but there is some doubt about its fidelity. There is a sense that we have tried to capture smoke in a glass box: the meaning is fluid and changing but we have attempted to force it into the form thick line.

In certain contexts we could translate przeszłość odkreślamy grubą linią as:
we can draw a line to divide off the past
we can divide the past from the present
let us draw a line to strike out the past
…

However, the concept of gruba kreska still remains. A functional equivalent for this term may in fact not be thick line but thin line due to the fact that history has shown the ambiguity of this concept. The thick line has become a political thin line; for certain politicians there is little now to divide Mazowiecki’s camp from the post-communists. Therefore, for those who support Mazowiecki’s doctrine of responsibility for one’s own actions we might use thick line, but for those who believe he simply gave a bye to the criminal actions of the communists, we may use fine line or thin line.

In later years, Mazowiecki stated:

Starsi synowie pomagali mi także przy pisaniu pierwszego mojego wystąpienia w Sejmie z 24 sierpnia. Było w nim zdanie, że przeszłość odkreślamy grubą linią. Byliśmy w Laskach. Czytaliśmy zdanie po zdaniu. Przypomnę. “Rząd, który utworzę, nie ponosi odpowiedzialności za hipotekę, którą dziedziczy. Ma ona jednak wpływ na okoliczności, w których przychodzi nam działać. Przeszłość odkreślamy grubą linią. Odpowiadać będziemy jedynie za to, co uczyniliśmy, by wydobyć Polskę z obecnego stanu załamania”. Wojtek zapytał: “Z tą grubą linią, czy jesteś pewny, że chcesz to powiedzieć?”. “Pewny - odpowiedziałem - musi zostać”. Przestrzegł, że z tych zdań mogą wyniknąć kłopoty. Józio Duriasz też mnie przestrzegał. Powiedziałem cytatem z Ewangelii: “Com napisał - napisałem”… Przez wiele miesięcy nikt z tego akapitu nie robił żadnego problemu. Dopiero na wiosnę 1990 r. pojawiło się określenie grubej kreski, choć ja mówiłem o linii, ale to szczegół, nieważny. Gorzej, że przeinaczono jej sens i posłużono się nią w zniekształconej postaci i interpretacji do wywołania tzw. wojny na górze.

Gazeta Wyborcza 11/09/2004

This is a fine example of a term which has left its author and has taken on a life of its own.

Value of Translation

One of the greatest problems for modern translators is the question of remuneration and prestige. The two are of course intrinsically linked. It is interesting looking at the history of translation and translation studies and noting how the prestige of translators has ebbed and flowed like the tides of the sea. There was a time when translators were seen as great artists, cultural experts and greatly respected, if not revered, for the work they did. At other times translators were seen as the manual labourers of the publishing world, the minions who were forever at the beck and call of their masters.

As mentioned, prestige is linked to remuneration and with fluctuations in respect for our work come similar fluctuations in the state of the translator’s pocket. Happily, translators are a more organised group nowadays and there are certain standards implemented that do not allow employers to pay under the ‘going rate’. However, in Poland, for example, there is still a tendency for employers (who have little or no idea about the complexities and subtleties of translation) to employ younger, less experienced translators for very little pay. The overall effect is, of course, disastrous. Inexperienced translators lower the general qualitative level of translation throughout the country, in turn lowering the prestige of translators, and because of their eagerness to accept any low fee lower the general level of remuneration.

There are two solutions. Firstly, an improvement in the overall quality of translation training and secondly, a campaign to inform society of the need for better language use and therefore a greater respect for language skills and in turn a greater respect for the work of translators.

Cultural Anomalies - Part II

In the analogous but unlikely event of a King/Queen or Pope naming themselves the First in an uncanny burst of forethought or a film being tagged Part 1 before a sequel has even been conceived of, as regards the two most recent posts on this blog, there was a reason for giving the previous post the ‘Part I’ tag as the idea for Part II had already been planned.

Such is the abundance of new words filtering into the Polish language and being coined that this need seems obvious. The words that are being looked at this time include:

układ,    szara sieć,   IV RP (czwarta Rzeczpospolita),   oświadczenie lustracyjne,   irasiad

Such is the charm difficulty of translating the word uklad that the author of a recent Economist article did not even bother to translate it. In fact, the same can be said of lustracja (mentioned in a previous post) which is translated in the same article literally as “lustration”. Uklad can mean several things including ‘deal’, ’system’ and ‘agreement’ and this explains the difficulty had by most translators. It refers to the old-boy network formed by former communists who now control all there is to control. Perhaps, rendering it into the ‘old system’, ‘mafia’ or ‘network’ might be more helpful in a more explanatory way.

Szara sieć is an interesting phrase which literally means ‘grey net(work)’ and conjures up images of a complicated network of mafia-like structures spanning the whole country. It makes references to the grey market and network and could perhaps be rendered using the same equivalents for uklad.

IV RP (or literally), the ‘Fourth Republic’ is not difficult to translate however, the context is somewhat confusing. Polish history describes three Republics and not a fourth. However, the ruling coalition often uses this self-styled tag so translations of it may require the addition of ’so-called’.

Oświadczenie lustracyjne does not pose too may problems and may be rendered ‘vetting declaration’ or ‘vetting statement’ depending on context.

The final word Irasiad has become an ironic and at the same time political slogan denouncing the rule of the Kaczynski brothers. It was coined after Kaczynski, on hearing a dog trainer tell his dog Ira to sit (pol. Ira, siad!), referred to the dog as Irasiad - ‘Fidosit’ or perhaps ‘Dogshit’ ‘Dogsit’. The possibilities are endless…

Cultural Anomalies - Part I

Culture - as mentioned before - is one of the most difficult nuts to crack in the translation process. Recent political changes in Poland have led to a plethora of new and odd words entering the language. Some examples include:

łże-elity,   bure suki,   lumpen liberałowie,   wykształciuchy

How does one set about translating phrases that are very much particular to one culture and not another? Practically all these phrases were coined by a particular group of politicians.

Let us start with the first phrase łże-elity which (to provide a very limited gloss) refers to a group of people who allegedly run the country and have come to power through their deceit. The phrase might be roughly translated as the ‘lying elite‘. However, it must be added that the Polish collocation łżeć jak pies (’to lie like a dog’) is worth noting. The implications of this phrase are therefore not positive. Another interesting translation might be the ‘decepto-elite’ (however, this has a rather Sci-Fi ring to it).

The phrase bure suki is once again a reference to dogs and has similar connotations (a dark, shadowy elite) but is perhaps more to the point. It might be roughly translated as ‘dirty bitches’ or ‘drab dogs’. Again, not a nice phrase.

Lumpen liberałowie is another interesting construct which of course is a perverted version of the Marxist phrase lumpenproletariat and thus could be easily rendered as ‘lumpen liberals’ or ‘lowly liberals’ - whichever one prefers.

Wykształciuchy is a controversial formulation which takes the positive word wykształcony (’educated’) and appends a suffix which has a negative connotation. The meaning is something akin to ‘clever clogs’, although the context is again more sinister - the word is an open attack on intellectuals who believe liberalism to be a worthy political stance. Thus, equivalents such as ‘so-called intellectuals’ or ‘pseudo-academics’ might be more appropriate here.

As always new words and coinages are exceptionally fascinating for translators giving them hours of fun and pseudo intellectual joy.

Practice vs. Theory

As in many professions, there seems to be a distinct division within the field of translation between translation practitioners and translation theorists. Is there a correct path? Does one particular path dominate over the other? Experience shows that the two paths do not often cross and that there is a large organised group of translation theorists mainly centred around the academia, whereas translation practitioners are probably an even larger yet more loosely organised bunch.

The theorists think, the practitioners do, and because of this fact the theorists often draw more attention to themselves. The practitioners get their heads down and do the task required of them.

The best way forward is for practitioners to utilise some of the ideas put forward by the theorists (corpus linguistics being a wonderful example) and for theorists to take a healthy step away from what they are doing in order to actually translate and remember what it is all about. Many academic staff who teach translation do not actually translate. Unfortunately, a great deal of practitioners know little about the newest theories in their own field.