Partial Equivalence

SL and TL grammatical forms hardly ever coincide fully. The scope of their meaning and their functions and usage generally differ, therefore these forms are mostly partial equivalents.

The category of number in English and in Ukrainian is a casein point. Most often the use of the singular and the plural in the two languages coincides. But divergences in the use of the singular and the plural appear in the first place in the so-called Singularia and Pluralia Tantum, that is, in those nouns which have either only a singular or a plural form, e.g. gate – ворота, ink – чорнила, money – гроші, and vice versa: gallows – шибениця, news – новини. Sometimes a countable noun in English and in Ukrainian, E.G. talent – talents; талант – таланти develops a new LSV (lexical-semantic variant) which is used as an uncountable noun.

Abstract nouns are more often used in the plural in English than in Ukrainian, e.g.

The struggles of many sections of the U.S. population against the war-lovers in America have grown to a height never reached before.

Боротьба багатьох верств населення Сполучених Штатів проти прибічників війни досягла нечуваного розмаху.

Allende’s political skills made him four times candidate for the presidency.

Політичний досвід Альєнде забезпечив чотирикратне висування його кандидатури на пост президента.

Sometimes different usage prevents a strict observance of he category of number in translation, e.g.

The right to work is ensured by the democratic organization of the national economy, the growth of the productive forces and the elimination of crisis and unemployment.

Право на труд забезпечується демократичною організацією народного господарства, зростом продуктивних сил і відсутністю криз та безробіття.

The plural form in Ukrainian (криз) achieves the required degree of generalization.

There is also a tendency in English o use nouns like “eye, “cheek”, “lip”, “ear”, “limb”, etc. in the singular, e.g.

He always thought of her as seventeen or so, clean of limb, beautiful of feature and filled with the impatience for life. (R. Wilder).

Він завжди уявляв собі її якою вона була років сімнадцяти – красиві риси обличчя, стрункі ноги і нестримна жага до життя.

The noun “limb” can also be rendered metonymically – ваблива фігура.

There is also a considerable difference between the use of the Passive voice in English and in Ukrainian. The English language allows different types of passive constructions and there are a number of verbs in English which can be used in the passive voice while the correlated verbs in Ukrainian cannot. For example, many English verbs are used both as transitive and intransitive.

Original samples of Paris clothing have been flown to London to illustrate lectures to the fashion industry.

Нові моделі паризьких туалетів було доставлено літаком до Лондону для показу під час лекцій представникам англійських домів моделей.

English verbs with a prepositional object are also used in the passive voice, a construction non-existing in Ukrainian.

Lovers if familiar symphonic fares are catered for with two Brahms symphonies and First Piano Concerto by Beethoven.

Прихильників часто виконуваної симфонічної музики в нинішньому сезоні частують двома симфоніями Брамса і Першим фортепіанним концертом Бетховена.

The impersonal passive with a preposition is translated by an impersonal construction.

The increase in the family allowances that was widely hoped for has come to nothing.

Збільшення допомоги багатодітним сім’ям, на яку всі так розраховували, не здійснилося.

Verbs formed by conversion present great difficulties in translation especially when used in the Passive.

The roads were sentinelled by oaks. (Clemance Dane).

По краях дороги, немов вартові, стояли дуби.

Its picturesqueness is rendered by a simile which makes the translation semantically and stylistically equivalent.

The desire for giving prominence to some element of the utterance, often accounts for the use of the passive form in English. As the word order is Subject-Predicate-Object and as stylistic inversion is relatively infrequent because of its expressive value, the Passive is naturally used. The tendency is particularly marked in newspaper style.

Fears are expressed that the North Sea could be fished out of herring.

Висловлюються остороги, що з Північного моря можуть виловити весь оселедець.

Verbals – the Infinitive and the Participles. Though these categories also exist in Ukrainian there are considerable difficulties in their forms and their use: the English Infinitive has Perfect and Continuous forms which are absent in the Ukrainianlanguage, whereas these verbals in the Ukrainianlanguage have perfective and imperfective aspects, non-existent in English. There are infinitive and participle complexes in Englishwhich have no counterparts in Ukrainian.

The Infinitive.Nominative with the infinitive (the infinitive as a secondary predicate).

Oil consumption has increased by 4 per cent and the increase is expected to go up to 5 per cent.

Споживання нафти зросло на 4 відсотки і очікується, що воно сягне 5 відсотків.

The infinitive complex is rendered by two clauses.

The Infinitive complex with the preposition “for”.

That was an odd thing for him to do. (G.Grene).

Дивно, що він так вчинив.

The infinitive complex is translated by a subordinate clause.

The Infinitive used as attribute

Supporters of outright independence for Puerto Rico fared poorly in the election – but remained a force to contend with.

Прибічники негайного надання незалежності Пуерто Ріко зібрали незначну кількість голосів на виборах, але вони все ж являють собою силу, з якою треба буде рахуватися.

Here too, the infinitive is translated by a subordinate attributive clause comprising the infinitive itself.

The Infinitive of subsequent action

Throughout 1937 term after team after team attacked the Eiger, only to be driven back. (Trevanian).

Протягом всього 1937 року одна група альпіністів за іншою намагалися здійснити підйом на вершину Єгер, і кожного разу вони були змушені відступати.

The Infinitive is rendered in this case by a coordinate clause.