Idioms of Comparison in English, Russian and Bashkir

XVII Научно – практическая конференция

Секция «Иностранный язык»

Idioms of Comparison in English, Russian and Bashkir

Выполнила: Зиатдинова Юлия,

 10 класс МОБУ СОШ №15

 Руководитель: Шайбакова М.Р.,

учитель английского языка

Нефтекамск,2013

Contents

1. Introduction …………………………………………………………3
2. Main part

1. Theoretical part

1. Idioms of comparison in English, Russian and Bashkir……...5
2. Various types of translation of idioms………………………..6

2. Practical part

1. Equivalent translation…………………………………………8
2. Analogue translation…………………………………………..8
3. Typical American and English idioms and their translation…..9
4. Idioms of comparison in proverbs…………………………….10

3. Conclusion……………………………………………………………11
4. Bibliography………………………………………………………14
5. Appendix……………………………………………………………...15

Introduction

 Last year I translated the fairytale by R. Mukhametov “How the bear cub got wise” from Bashkir and Russian into English (Appendix 1).

 Unlike of other types of translation a literary translation is more than simply changing words from one language to another, but it involves the intricate task of expression the words of the writer in a way that express the original intention. In other words, the translator should leave the same impression on the target text reader as the original author did on the source text reader.

 The most difficult task is, of course, to leave the rendered text as expressive as the original text.

 When translating the fairy tail I found translating the idioms the most challenging.

 An idiom is a succession of words whose meaning is not obvious through the knowledge of the individual words.  It must be learned as a whole.

 Every language has its own expressive and stylistic devices. That is why a translator should avoid calquing the idioms from source language and try to use the specific devices of the target language. For example, Bashkir “хәйләкәр төлкө” is equivalent of the English “a sly dog”, “тәмлетамақ” - “having a sweet tooth”. These are examples from my experience of literary translation (Appendix 2).

 Especially idioms of the comparison seemed interesting to me. Every culture has its own idioms. I am going to define the difference and similarities in idiomatic and stable expressions, which signify such notion as ‘comparison” and examin different shades of meaning and equivalents of translating in English, Russian and Bashkir. Why is one and the same meaning is expressed in every language by different associations? The theoretical background to the practical findings will be provided in the theoretical part of the paper.

   The aim of this paper is to research ways of translating idiomatic expressions of comparison into the English, Russian and Bashkir languages, taking into account different criteria, compare and contrast the results of investigation in order to discover differences and similarities in translating meanings, stylistic peculiarities and usage.

The objectives of the work are:

1) to compare some English, Russian and Bashkir idioms of comparison;

2) to find out some consistency and logic in etymology of these idioms.

  The research materials are the idiomatic expressions concerning the subject “comparison” in English, Russian and Bashkir.

  The methods of research are: the overall selection ( used in gathering the research material), componental analysis (used in considering the semantic nature of researched units).

I. Theoretical Part

1. Idioms of comparison in English, Russian and Bashkir

In English Idioms of Comparison are also called similes. Similes just can be found just about anywhere; from the printed word to oral conversation; in language, literature and music. A simile is an analogy that compares two things that are alike in one way.

Similes can make our language more descriptive and enjoyable. Writers, poets and songwriters make use of similes often to add depth and emphasize what they are trying to convey to the reader or listener. Similes can be funny, serious, mean, or creative.

Idioms of comparison with the structure be + as…as are mostly used in description of people, their appearance, character, mood, actions or behavior. For example:  as busy as a bee, as cold as ice (таблица1).

There are idioms of comparison with the word like. For example: like a dog in the manger, like a fish out of the water.

In Russian they are called сравнения. Сравнения are used with the conjunctions как - будто, словно, точно, как, будто. For example: смешной как клоун; ясное, как солнце.

In Bashkir there is a stylistic device сағыштырыу. It is made with the help of suffixes - дай, - тай, -дәй, - тәй, - ҙай, - ҙәй or they are used with the conjunction кеүек. For example: қуяндай йомшақ, ерҙәй қара or қуян кеүек йомшақ, ер кеүек қара.

Таблица 1

Idioms of Comparison in English, Russian and Bashkir

II. Various types of translation of idioms

According to A.B.Kunin* there are several ways of translation of Idioms into other languages. Let’s see them in the example of translation from English into Russian.

1. Equivalent, i.e., Russian expression coinciding with the English in meaning and in imagery, e. g. as cold as ice – холодный как лед; Augean stable(s) -авгиевы конюшни; the salt of the earth - соль земли; swallow the pill -  проглотить (горькую) пилюлю.
2. Analogue, i.e., a set Russian expression that is equivalent to the English in meaning but differs completely or partially in its imagery. In this case in phraseological dictionaries a symbol of approximate equivalence ≅ is placed before the Russian analogue, e. g. a drop in the bucket ≅ капля в море; a fly in the ointment ≅ ложка дегтя, в бочке меда; it is raining cats and dogs ≅ льет как из ведра.
3. Descriptive translation, i.e., translation by conveying the meaning of the English expression with a free word combination. Descriptive translations are used when no equivalent or analogue is available in Russian, e.g., accept the Chiltern Hundreds – (парл.) слагать с себя полномочия члена парламента; cross the floor of the house – (парл.) перейти из одной партии в другую.
4. Antonymic translation, i.e., conveying the meaning of a negative construction by means of a positive constructions or vise versa, e.g., don’t count your chickens before they are hutched – (посл.) цыплят по осени считают; hold cheap -  не дорожить; keep one’s head – не терять головы; keep one’s head above water – не влезать в долги; keep one’s pecker up – не падать духом.
5. Calque or a loan translation. This method is used when the author wishes to stress the imagery used in the English expression or when the expression cannot be rendered in any other way, e.g., promises are like piecrust, made to be broken - (посл.) «Обещания, что корка от пирога: их на то и пекут, чтобы ломать потом» (this rendering is given in V. I. Lenin’s «Буржуазия сытая и Буржуазия алчущая», Соч. т. 9, стр290 - 291.); the old lady in (or

*A.V.Kunin. English – Russian Phraseological Dictionary. Moscow Russky Yazyk,1984

of) Threadneedle Street – (шутл.) «Старая леди с Стреднидлстрит», Английский банк; the moon is not seen when the sun shines – (посл.) « когда светит солнце, луны не видно».

6. Combined translation. In cases when the Russian analogue does not fully convey the meaning of the English expression or has a different specific colouring the place or time, we give a loan translation, followed by a descriptive rendering and the Russian analogue for comparison, e.g., carry coals to Newcastle – « возить уголь в Ньюкасл», т.е возить что–либо туда, где этого и так достаточно (ср. Ехать в Тулу со своим самоваром).

 II. Practical part

1. Equivalent translation

As I have already mentioned some idioms can be equivalently translated. For example: as cold as ice – холодный как лед. But some of them can have only analogues that are equivalent to the English meaning.

While working with idioms I looked through about 207 English,  Russian and about  Bashkir idioms. I have been collecting them from different sources: books, dictionaries, the Internet resources, as well as I asked from my teachers, friends, parents and native Bashkir speakers. I came into conclusion that mostly used and popular idioms are those which are connected with the names of animals, colours.

Let’s see some of animal idioms. These idioms are equivalent translated into Russian and Bashkir:

As brave as a lion   - храбрый как лев          - арыçландай батыр

As busy as a bee     - занятый  как пчела      - бал қортолай  эшсән

As free as a bird      - свободный как птица  - қоштай ирекле

As timid as a rabbit – трусливый как заяц   - қуяндай қурқақ

As dumb as a fish    - нем как рыба              - балық тай тын

2.  Analogue translation

At the same time many idioms cannot be equivalently translated into other languages. In this case we use analogue translation. For example:

As cross as a bear ≅ голодный  как волк ≅еландай уçал (in this case usually in the dictionaries a symbol of approximate equivalent ≅is placed)

As fast as a hare ≅ быстрый  как ветер  ≅ елдәй  ете

As stubborn as a mule ≅ упрямый как осел ≅ кәҙә кеүек тиçкәре

As hungry as a hunter ≅ голодный как волк - бүреләй ас

As poor as church mouse ≅ голый как сокол ≅  бетле хәйерçе кеүек

As proud as a peacock ≅ гордый как орел - бөркөттәй ғорур

As silly as a goose ≅ глупый  как овца - һарықтай башһыҙ

As strong as an ox ≅ сильный как слон - филдәй коçлө

As wet as drowned rat ≅ мокрый как курица - һыуға төшкән тауықтай

As greedy as a pig ≅ прожорливая, как корова - һыйырҙай убыр

As blind as a bat ≅ слепой, как крот -  һуқыр  cыcқандай

Colour idioms make our speech more expressive and enjoyable:

As black as coal ≅ черный как смола ≅ ерҙәй қара

As black as night - черная как ночь ≅ қара қарғалай қап-қара

As black as thunder cloud ≅ черная как туча - қара болоттай

As bright as a day ≅ яркий как день - яқты көндәй

As brown as a berry ≅ темный, как шоколад ≅ қояшта янғандай

As white as snow - белый, как снег ≅ һөттәй ақ

3. Typical American and English idioms and their translation

Some idioms are typical only to English, because they refer to features common to England and America. Let’s see some of them:

As American as an apple pie ≅ типичный Американец - типик Америкалы

As smart as Einstein ≅ умный как ботаник ≅ Әфләтун (Платон) кеүек ақыллы

As changeable as weather ≅ семь пятниц на неделе ≅ бер алдым, бер артым

As drunk as a lord ≅ пьяный вдребезги ≅ лайақыл иçерек

As easy as ABC ≅ как дважды два ≅ ике-икең дүрт кеүек

As save as a  bank of England ≅ как у Христа за пазухой ≅йылы қанат аçтында кеүек

To work as hard as an Alabama cotton picker ≅ пахать, как вол ≅ ер һөреп қайтқаң кеүек.

I think it is necessary to compare some idioms with structure do/does like something. Some of them have direct equivalents, some of them have analogues:

To drink like a fish – пьет как верблюд – һыйыр кеүек семерә

To eat like a bird - есть как птичка - қоштай семсенеү

To eat like a horse - есть как корова - һыйыр кеүек ашау

To eat like a pig - есть как свинья - үрдәк кеүек ашау

To fight like cats and dogs - как кошка с собакой - этле-мәселе һуғышыу  

To sleep like a log - спать как сурок - беçәй кеүек йоқлау

To work like a dog - работать как лошадь - ат кеүек эшләү

4. Idioms of comparison in proverbs

Similes or comparison is used in proverbs.

A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated which expresses a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity.

Proverbs are often borrowed from similar languages and cultures and sometimes come down to the present through more than one language. Both the Bible and medieval Latin have played a consideration role in distributing proverbs across Europe, although almost every culture has examples of its own.

As for English, Russian and Bashkir languages some proverbs have equivalent meaning. For example:

As a man sows, so he shall reap –что посеешь, то пожнешь – ни сәсhән, шуны урырhын

But mostly proverbs have their analogues, but not equivalent translations in other languages. For example:

As the tree, so the fruit – яблоко от яблони недалеко падает – алма ағасынан йырақ төшмәй

As the old cock crows, so doth the young ≅ яблоко от яблони недалеко падает ≅ ояһында ни күрһә, осқанында шул булыр

Enough is as good as a feast ≅ хорошенького понемножку ≅ көн дә майлы ботқа булмай

Like father, like son – каков отец, таков и сын ≅ атаһына қарап улын қос, әсәһенә қарап қыҙын қос

Like master, like man – каков хозяин, таков и слуга ≅ яқшы кешенең эте лә яқшы

Like cures like ≅ клин клином вышибают ≅ тишек ертықтан көлә

Like to like ≅ рыбак рыбака видит издалека ≅ силәгенә күрә қапқасы

Conclusion

A language is a living substance, which evolves under the influence of different factors. Being very flexible English, Russian and Bashkir languages constantly enrich their vocabulary with the words invented by the language speakers, making it more colorful with new idiomatic expressions, and at times refills its stocks with the borrowings and neologisms.

 In this paper there was conducted analysis of idiomatic  expressions concerning subject “comparison” and the process of transferring the comparison in English, Russian and Bashkir. During the investigation there were analysed 207 English and  Russian and  Bashkir  idiomatic  expressions of comparison.

           Though the difference is not a great, but I suppose that this figure must be taken into consideration. I have chosen this topic because I think     it is obvious that such expressions play an important part in the language. Thus idioms of comparison  enrich the vocabulary and make the language more colourful and emotionally shadowed. In this  paper expressions which I have found were classified according to such classifications: by choosing absolute/complete or near equivalents, translation by choosing genuine idiomatic analogies, translating idioms by choosing, descriptive translating of idiomatic and set expressions.

The aim of my investigation was: to compare and understand which language boasts the greater number of idioms of comparison and to find differences and similarities in translating these phrases in given languages, to find out some consistency and logic in etymology of these idioms.

My research consisted of the following stages:

• first of all I collected idioms of comparison from Bashkir, Russion and English dictionaries of idioms and from some other dictionaries, from the Internet recourses,

•  then I devised ways of faithful rendering  the idioms, which I have found. That presented considerable difficulties as there was a need for a proper classification which could illustrate typical features of translating these stable phrases denoting comparison in  English, Russian and Bashkir .

• the forthcoming work was  dedicated to the confrontation idioms according to formulated classifications;

In the prosess of research I came into conclusion that idioms derived from the culture of the nation and from day-to-day life. Idiomatic expressions pervade every language with a peculiar flavor and give it astounding variety, bright character and colour. They help language learners understand culture, penetrate into customs and lifestyle of people, and make a deeper insight into history of the country. For example, the idioms “as black as coal” in English, “ерзәй қара» in Bashkir show that coal-mining was mostly common to England and crop farming is typical to Bashkirs. Whilst, the majority of native language speakers can not always know the origin of idioms they use, though as long as they utilize them in every day communication, they know its meaning and feel where it is appropriate to use this or that idiom.  

Bibliography

1. A.V.Kunin. English -Russian Phraseological Dictionary.Moscow, 1984.

2. З.Ғ.Урақсин. Башкорт теленең фразеологик  hуҙлеге. Өфө -2006.

 Useful English , Idioms of Comparison    usefulenglish.ru 2007-2013

4.Cambridge  International  Dictionary of  Idioms      twirpx.com›Cambridge University

5.Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. – Harlow, Pearson Education Limited, 2001

6.Идиомы на шести языках с переводом и толкованием.

http://polyidioms.narod.ru/english_list/ 2010-2011

7.Идиомы, устойчивые выражения на русском языке с объяснением на английском ( Idioms )  http://www.znatok.ua/Russian_idioms

Appendix