Basic features of English translation of Buryat epic of Geser

E.O. Khundaeva

BASIC FEATURES OF ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF BURYAT EPIC OF GESER

Some intricate probems of the Buryat-English translation are considered, particularly the translation of paired words, repetitions, causatives. Onomatopoeical words, i. e. the use of imitative and naturally suggestive words for rhetoric effect are also given attention to as well as phonaesthetic words. Paradigmatic and syntagmatic interrelationship is under review. The method for system analysis and classification has been discussed.

One of the published variants of the Buryat epic of Geser, namely «Abai Geser qubuun» written down from rhapsode Manshud Imegenov by Tsyben Zhamtsarano has been recently translated to the English language. There are lexical, grammar and stylistic differences in the two languages, therefore various translating methods have been used to achieve adequacy. Different kinds of changes and substitutions were made use of such as morphological, syntactical, semantical, stylistic and mixed ones.Additions, omissions, change of order of words were made when translating. There are different kinds of translation but this might be taken as adequate translation for an attempt was made at preserving all the peculiarities and the originality of the work. It is far from being a poetical translation. It is rather an interlinear one. Though it might be not quite to the point to take it as word-for-word translation for it was certainly hard to keep close to the original. This seems to be quite natural due to the lack of similarity between Buryat and English. Owing to this fact still more specific transformations were used, namely lexical ones involving transliteration, loan translation or calque; lexical-semantic changes involving concretization, generalization, modulation; grammar transformations, namely syntactical likening or in other words literal or word-for-word translation, breaking sentences in two or more, uniting sentences in one, grammatical changes of the forms of words, parts of speech; mixed types of lexical and grammar transformations, in particular, antonymic translation, explication or descriptive translation, compensation, etc. Translating transformations are the means of translation which can be used when there is no full correspondence or when equivalents are not quite adequate contextually. No matter how different the two languages might be in syntax, style and vocabulary, still there are many ways of transmitting the essence and the meaning. Various kinds of transformations have been used at a time, they have been combined in many cases. In order to apply translating techniques correctly one should have a good command of the original and translating languages and which is still more important one should be well aware of cultural differences and be able to overcome difficulties in this respect and provide commentaries needed.

Used most frequently were grammar transformations which involved the change of structure, use of syntactical constructions inherent in English but lacking in Buryat like infinitive, participle and ge-rundial constructions. Mentioned here might also be replacing a word with a sentence or adequate translating of peculiar Buryat suffixes and endings by use of corresponding words. Frequent also are text-connecting elements, elements of secondary nomination, inversion, nominalization, adjectivization. Quite specific was the translation of structures exhibiting paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations. No less sophisticated was the work with hyperonyms and hyponyms as well as the phenomenon of converseness or relational