Translation- unit 9

Unit 9a
Metaphor 1

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1) Translate the sentences below.

1 a) Without dykes, parts of Holland would be flooded.

   b) The market is flooded with fake Levi's jeans.

2 a) Gourmet cooks never use frozen vegetables.

   b) The project was frozen for lack of funds.

3 a) One third of the world is always on a diet, while two thirds are starving.

   b) I'm starving. What's for dinner?

4 a) A helmet protects the head against injuries.

   b) He is the head of an international company.

5 a) Many orange groves have been turned into cotton fields.

   b) The theory is fine, but will it work in the field?

Some linguistic terms
literal meaning(תילולימ תועמשמ): basic, primary meaning (וטושפכ)
metaphorical meaning: an additional meaning having a connection
with the literal meaning.
The connection is based on a similarity between the two referents.

Some linguistic background 1 - metaphor
Many words can be used both literally and metaphorically.
These two meanings of the word can co-exist: In its original,
literal meaning it designates one referent; in its other,
metaphorical meaning it designates another referent. There
is always a similarity between the two referents - they always
share a common component of meaning.

Example 1: In its literal meaning, the word 'flooded' (sentence 1a)
has three components of meaning:
1. covered with
2. very much
3. water
In its metaphorical meaning, (sentence 1b) it means:
1.very much
2. all over
In the metaphorical meaning of a word, we include at least
one element of the literal meaning. Here the common element
is 'very much'.

Example 2: In its literal meaning, the word 'frozen' (sentence 2a)
has three components of meaning:
1. below freezing point
2. without movement (of molecules)
3. covered by ice
In its metaphorical meaning, (sentence 2b) it means:
1. without forward movement
2. no development
The component which the literal and the metaphorical meaning
have in common is without movement.

2) Find all the components of meaning - 2 or more - in the literal meaning of
the words below (from the a-sentences) and circle the component(s) which
have been transferred to the metaphorical meaning (in the b-sentences).

3. starving	1.	2.	3.
4. head	1.	2.	3.
5. field	1.	2.	3.

Some linguistic background 2 - metaphor
In translating metaphors, there are 3 possibilities:

1. An equivalent metaphor - having the same meaning and taken
from the same semantic field - in the TL (e.g. dry wine - שבי ןיי;
at the head of the table - ןחלושה שארב).

2. A metaphor with the same meaning, but coming from a different
semantic field (e.g. to kill a joke - החידב סורהל, to be grilled -
תבלוצ הריקח רובעל).

3. A paraphrase - conveying the meaning of the metaphor in other words.
The metaphor gets lost in the translation, to the frustration of the
translator (e.g. to voice an opinion - העד עיבהל; feel blue ךדכודמ תויהל).

3) Translate the following sentences. Wherever possible, use metaphors, either
from the same field or from another field. Where impossible, paraphrase.

1. The opposition won a landslide victory.

2. It's a whole different ballgame.

3. They are identical twins but one is a real astronaut, and the
other is down to earth.

4. He occasionally drops in to air his feelings.

5. She's a real bookworm.

6. To bring up three children is quite a handful.

4) Read the following passage.

a) Write all the metaphors on the lines below.

b) Translate the passage. Try to find equivalent metaphors or metaphors
from a different semantic field. Where this is not possible, paraphrase.

Guts
Once Melissa Gringham was a teacher in a tough elementary school in
downtown Chicago. "The work taxed all my faculties," she recalls with a
bitter smile. "The kids were taught subjects which were of no interest
to them, and you can be sure I received no fat pay check at the end of
the month. I often felt down because my life was shallow and empty."
Melissa quit her job and moved to the country where she does odd jobs
to make ends meet. Despite her simple life she radiates happiness.
"You've got to have guts, but I could never stomach routine," she says
with her dry humour. "I love my new life."

5) Write 2 item analyses for metaphors from the passage. Use the outline below.

Outline for item analysis of metaphor.

1. *(Copy)*	'Bitter'
2. (Define)	Metaphor: a word which _____________________
3.(Explain)	The literal meaning of 'bitter' has the elements _________________________ The metaphorical meaning has the elements _________________________ The common element(s) is/are _________________________
4.(Compare)	There are 3 ways of translating metaphor _________________________ In this case, _________________________
5. *(Examine)*	Possible translations are _________________________ (Discuss the different possiblities in view of the demands of accuracy and appropriacy).
6. *(Translate)*	I translated the word 'bitter' as _________________________ because _________________________.

Item :

To sum up
Metaphor is all around us.
It is a dominant, vivid and creative element of every language.
A metaphor shares one or more components of meaning with
the literal meaning of the word. The translator, in his endeavour
to retain the flavour of the SL, must be acquainted with the
various techniques of conveying this metaphorical element into
the TL.

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