Third Type – Situational or Factual Equivalence.

 

The content or sense of the utterance is conveyed by different grammatical and lexical units.

Situational equivalence is observed when the same phenomenon is described in a different way because it is seen from a different angle, e.g.

 

The police cleared the streets.

Полиция разогнала демонстрацию.

Unemployed teenagers are often left without means of gaining food and shelter.

Безработные подростки часто оказываются без средств к существованию.

Hold the line.

Не кладите трубку.

The Commonwealth countries handle a quarter of the world’s trade.

На страны британского содружества приходится четвертая часть мировой торговли.

This type of equivalence also comprises the translation of clichés, orders, warnings and notices, phraseological units and set expressions, formulae of politeness, etc.

 

There were no survivors.

Все погибли.

Fragile – осторожно, стекло;

Keep off, wet paint – не садиться, окрашено;

Many happy returns of the day – поздравляю с днем рождения.

In this way, the third type of equivalence conveys the sense, the meaning of the utterance without preserving its formal elements.

(For a detailed analysis of the levels of equivalence problems and the structural level patterns the reader is referred to the studies of Soviet linguists В.Н.Комиссаров «слово о переводе» and В.Н.Крупнов «сборник научных трудов», вып. 203, с. 183-199).

 

 

LEVELS OF EQUIVALENCE

Equivalence may occur at different linguistic levels: phonetic, word building, morphological, at word level, at phrase level, at sentence level and finally at text level.

 

Phonetic level of Equivalence

 

The sound form of corresponding English and Russian words seldom coincide, consequently this level of equivalence is not common and is of primary importance only in poetic translation.

 

Word-building Level of Equivalence

e.g.: irresponsible – безответственный; unpredictable – непредсказуемый; counterbalance – противовес, еtс.

 

Morphological Level of Equivalence

e.g.: The report’s proposals were handed to a political committee.

Предложения доклада были переданы политическому комитету.

Equivalence at Word Level

 

e.g.: She clasped her hands round her handbag. (Agatha Christie).

Она крепко сжала в руках свою сумочку.

Equivalence of Phrase Level

 

Equivalence at phrase level is of two kinds: a SL word corresponds to a TL phrase (to negotiate – вести переговоры), a SL phrase corresponds to a TL word (Hippies are in revolt against an acquisitive society. – Хиппи восстают против потребительского общества).