Rendering of Contextual Meanings

A contextual meaning arises in the context. It should not be regarded as part of the semantic structure of the word. Every word possesses an enormous potentiality for generating new contextual meanings. These occasional contextual meanings are not arbitary, but are always predetermined by the semantic structure of the word. It largely depends upon the semantic context. A contextual meaning possible in one language is impossible in another.

In an atomic war women and children will be the first hostages (D.W.) Первыми жертвами в атомной войне будут женщины и дети.

In this sentence the contextual meaning of the word "hostage" is the "victim". This contextual is evidently implicit in its dictionary meaning. A similar contextual meaning cannot be generated by the Russian word «заложник». Thus the word «жертва» is the only possible equivalent.

The word "exploitation" acquires an unexpected contextual meaning in the following sentence: Britain's worldwide exploitation was shaken by colonial Liberation Movement. (D.W.)

The contextual meaning was formed metonymically: every colonial system is based on exploitation which is the foundation of colonial power. The Russian word «эксплуатация» can not generate similar contextual meaning. A possible equivalent will also be formed metonymically: Колониальное могущество Англии было потрясено до основания национально-освободительным движением в колониях.

Contextual meanings often produce a strong effect, performing a stylistic function of "deceived expectancy". The translator is confronted with a double difficulty: he should avoid toning it down and must not violate the norms of the target-language.

Translation of "Non-equivalents"

The so-called "non-equivalents" are the words of the source-language which either have no equivalents in the target language or no equivalent denotatum in the target culture. They may be divided into two groups. The first group consists of the so-called realia-words denoting things, objects, features of national life, customs, habits, etc., e.g. House of Commons, thane, coroner, teach-in, drive-in, cricket, etc.

The second group embraces words, which for some linguistic reason have no equivalent in the target language: conservationist, readership, glimpse, etc.