Note:
Before we go into the issue of voids, we first have to examine the three
elements that make up "meaning" and the relation between them.



Some linguistic terms
symbol (ןמיס): The word(s) or the grammatical form used to convey an
object, idea, or action.
referent (ןמוסמ): The object, idea or action itself – the contents behind the symbol.
concept (הסיפת) : The feeling or value judgement associated with a word
in a given language or culture.
Example:
The word "school" is the symbol.
The place / institution itself is the referent of the word.
The way we perceive school is the concept.

Some linguistic background Voids are a contrastive feature – of one language vis-a-vis another: we speak of a void when the TL lacks a word, a concept, a grammatical structure, an association, or any other aspect conveyed in the SL. There are 3 types of voids, and there is always a connection between them. We identify the focus of the void - the aspect which is the most dominant. 1. Referential voids: The referent exists in the culture of one of the languages only. e.g. Ivy League universities, sorority, mop, scone, communion. 2. Symbolic voids (lexical, grammatical, morphological): The referent exists in the TL but the 'symbol' does not. a) lexical voids: e.g. turnstile; snack; soggy; sleepless; fraternal twins. b) grammatical voids: e.g. tense aspect (will have forgotten; has been living). c) morphology (affixation): e.g. credibility; unforgettable; unlearn. 3. Conceptual voids: The concept(s) associated with a given symbol do not overlap entirely in the languages or cultures. This 'hidden' aspect does not always appear in the dictionary. A conceptual component is inherent in every void. e.g. pioneer: the word- 'ץולח' has a different socio-historical aspect from the word 'pioneer' as used in the United States. British 'public schools' are elitist, upper-class. They are similar, but socially not exactly equivalent to םייטרפ רפס יתב. Saturday - doesn't reflect the social, cultural, and religious aspect of תבש. The English 'Sabbath', with its religious connotation, is infrequently used for the day of rest, which is Sunday. Voids may be a consequence of differences in gridding - 'holes' within the semantic field which are not covered in one of the languages, e.g. 'barrister' and 'solicitor' are both translated as 'ןיד ךרוע'. British English makes a distinction which Hebrew does not make - finer gridding. Thus, 'barrister' and 'solicitor' are also voids - i.e. neither has an exact Hebrew equivalent. Similarly, English has a finer tense gridding, so that the Perfect and Progressive aspects are voids in Hebrew.

2) The words below are voids. They are taken from exercise 1.
a) Next to each word write whether the void is referential, symbolic or
conceptual, according to where the focus of the void lies.

1) tea-time
2) country-side
3) hadn't checked
4) home-based
5) commuters
6) Ivy League universities
7) the turn of the century
8) a rarity

b) In Hebrew or English, try to add examples of your own to each type.

referential:


symbolic:


conceptual:



Note
In the translation of voids, the solution in the TL is not necessarily
difficult. The translator can resort to the following strategies:
1) Explaining the semantic content of the void.
2) Using a word in the TL which has similar meaning.
3) Compensating for the lacking semantic element by lexical means.
4) Using a footnote to provide the explanation (in extreme cases).

3) Go back to your translation of the sentences in exercise 1, and write down which
of these strategies you used for each void, and possible solutions you considered.

ITEM	STRATEGY NO.	POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
1. tea-time
2. country-side
3. hadn't checked
4. home-based
5. commuters
6. Ivy League universities
7. the turn of the century
8. a rarity

4) Read the invitation below. On the space below, copy any problems
of gridding/voids you find.





5) Read the passage below. It describes the party the invitation to
which you read in exercise 4. Then do the exercises following.

The Party
Joe and Anna were ready to leave for the Museum at 7.30 p.m. Anna had
spent ages trying to decide what to wear. After having tried on at least
half a dozen gowns, she finally decided on an ankle-length black velvet
skirt and a frilly white satin blouse trimmed with lace. She wore very
little jewellery. Her hair was swept up high and done up in a bun. A little
black pillbox hat completed the outfit. Her accessories were few, but
expensive: a leather belt with a golden buckle, and a matching handbag.
Joe was wearing tails, which made him feel rather awkward. Among their
guests, most of whom were native-born Israelis, they would certainly look
rather outlandish. There was indeed a moment of discomfort when they
made their appearance in the doorway, but when the pianist struck up
the first chords of the "Wedding March", everyone gave them a hearty
clap and the atmosphere became more relaxed.

a) Copy 6-8 voids. Define the type of void. Suggest solutions for translation.

VOID	TYPE OF VOID	SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

b) On the space below, copy any problems of gridding you find.



c) Translate the passage. Edit and improve your translation.

To sum up In this unit, you have been introduced to the problem of voids in all its complexity. You have learned to distinguish between referential voids, symbolic voids - lexical, grammatical, morphological - and conceptual voids. Selecting the most appropriate solution for a void, with minimal loss of content, is perhaps one of the greatest challenges the translator faces.