Германские языки | Филологический аспект №09 (89) Сентябрь 2022

УДК 81

Дата публикации 30.09.2022

Русские эмотивные лексемы, репрезентирующие концепт «страх» и их английские переводческие соответствия

Анфиногенова Анна Ивановна
кандидат филологических наук, доцент, доцент, Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет, annaanfi@rambler.ru

Аннотация: Данная статья посвящена анализу основных английских переводческих соответствий (ПС) русских ЭЛ, репрезентирующих концепт СТРАХ, и употребляющихся в различных пьесах А.П.Чехова. Все английские ПС были подразделены на три группы: 1) ПС с сохраненным частеречным (и синтаксическим) статусом, 2) ПС с измененным частеречным (и синтаксическим) и 3) английские ПС, представляющие собой словосочетания, свободные и устойчивые обороты и высказывания с эмотивной семантикой. В группу русских лексем (РЛ), актуализирующих концепт СТРАХ, входят лексемы СТРАХ, СТРАШНО, СТРУСИТЬ, БОЯТЬСЯ, ИСПУГ. Изучение английских средств перевода, соответствующих русским эмотивным лексемам, будет способствовать развитию навыков как русско-английского, так и англо-русского перевода.
Ключевые слова: языковая картина мира, эмотивные лексемы, переводческие соответствия.

English translation correspondences of Russian emotive lexemes representing the concept ‘strakh/fear’

Anfinogenova Anna I.
PhD in Philology, docent, associate professor, Saint-Petersburg State University

Abstract: The article is devoted to the lexico-semantic analysis of the English emotive lexemes which are the translation equivalents of the Russian emotive concept ‘strach/fear’ used in the plays by A.P. Chekhov. Analysis of the emotive concepts as the most important components of the linguistic picture of the world both English and Russian enables to determine some common and distinguishing features of English and Russian mentalities. The Russian emotive lexemes expressing the concept 'strach/fear' are represented by different parts of speech (nouns, verbs, participles, adverbs) and some set expressions. Identification of syntactic types of Russian-English translation equivalents and their analysis will be of both theoretical and practical value to students (undergraduates/postgraduates).
Keywords: Linguistic picture of the world, emotional lexemes, concept “starch/fear”, translation correspondence.

Правильная ссылка на статью
Анфиногенова А.И. English translation correspondences of Russian emotive lexemes representing the concept ‘strakh/fear’ // Филологический аспект: международный научно-практический журнал. 2022. № 09 (89). Режим доступа: https://scipress.ru/philology/articles/russkie-emotivnye-leksemy-reprezentiruyushhie-kontsept-strakh-i-ikh-anglijskie-perevodcheskie-sootvetstviya.html (Дата обращения: 30.09.2022 г.)

In both domestic and foreign linguistics, the study of semantics and pragmatics of Russian and English emotive lexemes (ELs), i.e. lexemes expressing different emotions and feelings of a person, has been of particular interest in recent years. In this regard, one can, for example, point to the works of Y. D. Apresyan, A. Vezbitskaya and V. I. Shakhovsky. This article is devoted to the analysis of the main English translation correspondences (TCs) of Russian ELs used in Chekhov's plays ‘Ivanov’, ‘The Seagull’, ‘Uncle Vanya’, ‘Three Sisters’ and ‘The Cherry Orchard’ and representing the concept STRAKH /1/. The importance of the lexical representation of the concepts STRAKH/FEAR is demonstrated in particular by the collective monograph "Semiotics of Fear", published in the series "Mechanisms of Culture" at the publishing house Sorbonne. Russian Institute" in 2005.

In order to describe the semantics of English lexemes actualizing the FEAR concept, in our previous works we suggested using four criteria: 1) the number of Russian ELs and constructions recorded in the original text and corresponding to each emotive concept; 2) the number of word uses of each of the Russian ELs; 3) the number of English translation correspondences (TC) to each Russian EL of the original text and 4) the number of word uses of each English TC.

All English TC can be subdivided into three groups of TC: 1) TC with preserved part-of-speech (and/or syntactic) status (including, for example, cases of correspondence between English and Russian adjectives/definitions, English and Russian verbs/predicates, etc.). 2) TC with changed part-of-speech (and/or syntactic) status (for example, cases of correspondence between Russian nouns and English verbs or, conversely, cases of correspondence between Russian verbs and English nouns), and 3) English TC, which are word combinations, free and fixed expressions and utterances with emotive semantics. In terms of productivity, five types of TCs are distinguished:

1) a singular TC (STC) is the rarest subtype of TC; in these cases, some Russian EL corresponds to a single English TC in all translations;

2) a dominant TC (DTC) - one English TC, the total number of uses of which is equal to or exceeds 50% of all uses of all TC in the Russian EL;

3) the main TC (MTC) - one or a group of TC, the total number of word uses of which reaches 20-30% of the total word uses of all TC;

4) equivalent TC (ETC) - a group of English TC, not included in the list of main and peripheral TC and consisting of several English ELs, equally productive, and their total proportion of uses is in the range of 5-20% of all instances of translation of the Russian EL;

5) peripheral TC (PTC) - a group of English TC, represented by single instances of word usage.

The group of Russian lexemes (RL) actualizing the concept STRAKH includes the lexemes STRAKH, STRASHNOY, STRUSIT, ISPUG, ISPUGANNO and some others (more than 100 uses of 13 RLs). The only TC noted for this concept is indicated once: the Russian lexeme ISPUGANNAIA (1 occurrence) corresponds to the participle ‘frightened’ in all translations. The dominant TC group is represented, for example, by the combinations ‘be afraid of’ (160 word uses out of 215 for all 14 TCs) for the lexeme BOIATSIA (39 uses), and ‘be/get frightened’ (28 word uses out of a total of 40 uses with 10 TCs) for the lexeme ISPUGANTSIA/NAPUGATSIA (7 uses). The main TC can be illustrated by the translation series ‘alarmed’ (25) – ‘frightened’ (13) – ‘terrified’ (7) out of a total of 59 occurrences of the 13 TC of the lexeme ISPUGANNO (11 uses). Peripheral TC are represented, in particular, by the lexemes ‘startled’ (3), ‘dismayed’ (1),’ horrified’ (1), ‘nervously’ (1), ‘shocked’ (1) and ‘worried’ (1), which are TCs of the same Russian lexeme ISPUGANNO. Equivalent TC: can be illustrated by the verbal TC of the Russian lexeme BOIATSIA: ‘to fea’r (20 uses);  ‘to be frightened’ (14;) ‘to be scared’ (6);  ‘to frighten’ (4) out of a total of 215 uses of all 14 TCs of this RL.

1. The Russian lexemes STRACH, STRASHNYI, STRASHNO.

There are five occurrences of the lexeme STRAKH, which corresponds to seven English TCs, recorded 27 times in the translated texts. In this case almost only English TC words with preserved syntactic status are presented: DTC in fear/with fear (15 uses), ETC – horror (4), awe (4) (reverent fear), ETC – anxiety (2), alarm (1), as well as one  construction ‘to seem noble’, acting as the TC of the phrase "fear in awe", e.g: [(Ivanov) ... dusha drozhit ot strakha pered zavtrashnim dnem [... душа дрожит от страха перед завтрашним днем ] (Ivanov, p. 261)]  my soul trembles in fear of tomorrow (AD, p. 75); my soul trembles with fear at the thought of tomorrow (EF, p. 88; PC, p. 53); and my spirit quails in fear of the morrow (RH, p. 42); my whole soul trembles at the thought of each new day (AT3).

There are three instances of the use of the lexeme STRASHNYI, which corresponds to ten English TCs, recorded 16 times in the translated texts. In this case, practically only English TCs with preserved syntactic status (attributive) are presented: terrible (4 uses), frightening (1), scary (1), dreadful (1), awful (2), disconcerting (1), terrifying (1), threatening (1), as well as two TCs with changed syntactic status (verbal): to terrify in the statement It terrified me (3 cases) and to scare in the statement it scared stiff (1), for example: [(Masha Solenomu) …uzhasno strashnyi chelovek [... ужасно страшный человек] (Three Sisters, p. 539)] - ... you impossibly dreadful man (AD, p. 241); you are a disconcerting person (EF, p. 255); . you awfully terrible man (KC, p. 98; RH, p. 176); You're being terribly scary (PC, p. 208); you very awful man (AT1, p. 5); [(Tusenbach Irine)   V moei zhizni net nichego takogo strashnogo, chto moglo by ispugat menia  [В моей жизни нет ничего такого страшного, что могло бы испугать меня] (Three Sisters, p. 593) There is nothing in my life so terrible as to frighten me (AD, p. 304; PC, p. 271); Not that there's anything to be afraid of in my life, nothing threatening (EF, p. 321); There's nothing in my life that frightens me (KC, p. 150); Not that there's anything alarming or particularly frightening in my life (RH, p. 230); There is nothing in my life so awful as to be able to frighten me (AT1, p. 52).

 There are 17 occurrences of the lexeme STRASHNO, which corresponds to 20 English TC, recorded 88 times in the translated texts. TC with preserved syntactic status are presented by seven lexemes, which are used 28 times and include the following main, equivalent and peripheral variants: MTC terrible (10 word uses), scared (7), ETC – awful (4), fearful (4), PTS dreadful (1), frightfully (1), horrified (1). The TC with a changed part-of-speech status (verbal or nominative) include ten variants that were used 46 times and are represented by the following units: a) verbal MTC to be afraid / feel afraid (19 uses), to be frightened (13), ETC to be terrified (5), to frighten (4), PTC to terrify (1), to tremble (1), b) nominative TC   in terror (1), with fright (1), for fear of (1). The TCs with fixed expressions include the following variants: It's frightening (8 uses), It's terrifying (5), dread death (1), e.g: [(Ivanov to Sasha) Mne stanovitsia strashno: {za kogo vy tut zamuzh poidete?} [ Мне становится страшно: (за кого вы тут замуж пойдете?)]  (Ivanov, p. 246)] I am horrified (AD, p. 59); I feel quite afraid (EF, p. 72); I'm afraid (PC, p. 36); ... it frightens me (RH, p. 29); I am terrified for you (AT3).

2. The Russian lexemes ISPUG, ISPUGATSIA, NAPUGATSIA, ISPUGAT, NAPUGAT, ISPUGANNAIA, ISPUGANNO.

There are two cases of the lexeme ISPUG, which corresponds to ten English TC, recorded 12 times in the translated texts. In this case there are five English TCs with preserved (nominal) part-of-speech status: in fright /with fright (3 uses), in terror /with terror (2), in alarm (1) and five English TCs with changed (adverbial) status: frightened (2 uses), terrified (1), horrified (1), shocked (1), aghast (1). Examples: [Serebryakov (vbegaet, poshatyvais ot ispuga) [Серебряков (вбегает, пошатываясь от испуга (Uncle Vanya, p. 521)] - [runs in, staggering with fright] (AD, p. 218; KC, p. 226); [runs in, staggering in terror] (EF, p. 232); [running in, stumbling in fright] (PC, p. 188); [runs in, staggering and terrified] (RH, p. 157); [comes in reeling with terror] (AT2, p. 41); [Olga (frightened) (Three Sisters, p. 600)] - [shocked] (AD, p. 311); [frightened] (EF, p. 328; AT1, p. 58); [horrified] (KC, p. 157); [in alarm] (PC, p. 279); [aghast] (RH, p. 236).

There are seven cases of the finite usage of the Russian lexemes ISPUGATSIA/NAPUGATSIA, which correspond to ten English TCs, recorded 40 times in the translated texts. Six English TCs with the preserved part-of-speech (verbal) status are recorded: the DTC   to be/get frightened (28 uses), the PTC   frighten (3), be/get scared (2), get alarmed (1) and four fixed constructions have a fright (3), get a fright (1), take fright (1), got cold feet (1). Examples: [(Voynitsky) ...ona ispugalas by groma [... она испугалась бы грома] (Uncle Vanya, p. 499)] - the thunder would have frightened her (AD, p. 192); she would have been frightened by the thunder (EF, p. 206; AT2, p. 18); she would be frightened by the thunder (KC, p. 201; PC, p. 163); she'd be scared of the thunder (RH, p. 135); [(Olga) the Vershinins, bednye napugalis [(Ольга) Вершинины, бедные, напугались (Three Sisters, p. 571)] - The poor Vershinins had a  fright (AD, p. 279; EF, p. 294; RH, p. 208); The poor Vershinins were frightened to death (KC, p. 129); The Vershinins got a fright, poor things (PC, p. 244); The poor Vershinins are so frightened (AT1, p. 33).

There is also a single case of the use of the participle form of the lexemes in question (ISPUGAVSHIS). In this case, only English TSs with preserved syntactic status are presented: DTC alarmed (5) with five word uses and PTS frightened (1), e.g., [Olga (ispugavshis (испугавшись) (Three Sisters, 580)]: [alarmed] (AD, p. 289; EF, p. 305; KC, p. 138; PC, p. 254; AT1, p. 41); [frightened] (RH, p. 217). There are nine occurrences of the causative Russian lexemes PUGAT/ISPUGAT/NAPUGAT/POPUGAT, which correspond to the ten English TC, recorded 51 times in the translated texts. At the same time, the TC with the preserved part-of-speech status includes four variants: DTC   frighten (29 uses), PTC - scare (8), startle (1), be afraid of (1), which in total are used 39 times. The TC with a changed part-of-speech status include three lexemes, which are used six times and are represented by the following variants: alarming (3 word uses), frightening (2), terrifying (1), for example: [(Arcadina) Kak on menia napugal! Как он меня напугал! (Seagull, p. 458)] How he frightened me! (AD, p. 142; KC, p. 70; PC, p. 116); How he scared me! (EF, p. 157); He gave me a dreadful fright (MF, p. 33); How he did scare me (RH, p. 95); [(Lyubov Andreyevna) [They're good only in fairy tales,] but they're scary like that (The Cherry Orchard, p. 634) [They're good only in fairy tales,] otherwise they're frightening (AD, p. 347; PC, p. 313); ... otherwise they're just terrifying (EF, p. 365); ... but in real life they are rather alarming (KC, p. 186; RH, p. 267).

The TCs included in fixed constructions are represented by the following three variants: give a fright (4 uses), give a scare (1), give a shock (1), e.g: [(Vershinin) Zhena moia seichas vzdumala popugat menia [Жена моя сейчас вздумала попугать меня]) (AD, p. 277; EF, p. 292; AT1, p. 31); My wife decided to give me a fright just now (KC, p. 128; PC, p. 242); My wife has just decided to give me a little scare (RH, p. 206).

There are 11 occurrences of the Russian lexeme ISPUGANNO (in the remarks only), which corresponds to 13 English TCs, recorded 59 times in the translated texts. In this case, ten English TCs with preserved part-of-speech status (adverbial) are presented: MTC alarmed (25), frightened (13), terrified (7), PTC startled (3), alarmedly (2), dismayed (1), horrified (1), nervously (1), shocked (1), worried (1), two TC with changed part-of-speech status used once each (in awe (1 word usage), in alarm (2 word usage)) and one construction with an air of alarm (1 use), for example: [Zinaida Savishna ( ispuganno )(испуганно)) (Ivanov, p. 244)] [in awe] (AD, p. 57); [alarmed] (EF, p. 69); [alarmedly] (PC, p. 33); [terrified] (RH, p. 28); [startled] (AT3); [Arcadine (frightened) (Seagull, p. 458)] - [alarmed] (AD, p. 142; EF, p. 156); [frightened] (KC, p. 69; MF, p. 33); [in a frightened voice] (PC, p. 116); [terrified] (RH, p. 95).

3. The TC of the lexeme BOIATSIA

There are 39 cases of finish-application of this RL, which correspond to 14 English TCs recorded 215 times in the translated texts. The TC with preserved syntactic status includes 11 predicates, which are used 212 times and include the following variants: DTC   to be afraid (160 uses), ETC  to be frightened (14), to fear (20), PTC - to be scared (6), to frighten (e. g. He frightens me) (4), be worried (3), tremble (lest) (1), dread (1), be anxious (1), scare (e.g. They scare me) (1), loathe (1). There are also two cases of the use of two noun clauses with a changed part-of-speech status (for fear of / in fear of), as well as a TC, which is a fixed statement Don't worry (1 case of use), e.g: [(Medvedenko to Masha about Sorin) Boitsia odinochestva [Боится одиночества ](Seagull, p. 465)] - He's afraid of being alone (AD, p. 151; EF, p. 165; KC, p. 77; RH, p. 102); He dreads being left alone (MF, p. 41); He's frightened of being alone (PC, p. 124); [(Natasha) I'm afraid (Three Sisters, p. 553)] I'm afraid (AD, p. 258; AT1, p. 17); I'm so anxious about him (EF, p. 272); I'm so frightened (KC, p. 112); I'm scared (PC, p. 223); I'm so worried (RH, p. 190).

4. TCs of other ELs, actualising the concept STRAKH

There is only one case of the word form STRUSIV, which corresponds to three English TC with preserved syntactic status: cowed (3), taking fright (1) and intimidated (1): [Epichodov (struisiv) (струсив)] (The Cherry Orchard, p. 647)] [intimidated] (AD, p. 363); [cowed] (EF, p. 381; KC, p. 199; RH, p. 280); [taking fright] (PC, p. 328).

There are four occurrences of the lexeme UZHAS, to which ten English TCs correspond, recorded 22 times in the translated texts. The TC with preserved part-of-speech status includes three lexemes, which are used nine times and include the following variants: MTC – awe (5 word uses corresponding to the phrase "holy horror"), PTC terror (2), horror (2), e.g: [(Voynitsky to Astrov) ... i do sich por on vnushaet ei sviashchennyi uzhas  [и до сих пор он внушает ей священный ужас] (Uncle Vanya, p. 486)] he still inspires her with reverent awe (AD, p. 178; EF, p. 192; PC, p. 149; RH, p. 123; AT2, p. 5); [my mother] still worships the ground he treads on (KC, p. 187).

The TC with changed part-of-speech status include seven lexemes, used 13 times and represented by the following variants: MTC horrified (6 uses), PTC appalled (2), anxious (1), terribly (1), terrified (1), aghast (1), worship (1 use), for example: [(Vershinin  (… u devochek na litsakh trevoga,uzhas, molba  [,,,и у девочек на лицах тревога, ужас, мольба]) (Three Sisters, p. 576)]  ... and the children's faces full of alarm, terror, entreaty ... (AD, p. 285; PC, p. 251); ... and in the kiddies' faces I saw a frightened, anxious, appealing look (EF, p. 301); ... and on my daughters' faces there was alarm, horror, entreaty (KC, p. 135); They looked frightened out of their wits, terribly pathetic (RH, p. 213); ... and the girls' faces are so agitated, terrified, beseeching (AT1, p. 38).

Thus, it can be noted that translators more often (approximately 3.5 times) prefer to preserve the part-of-speech status when transferring emotive lexemes from Russian into English. The use of stable expressions and phraseological units in transferring various emotional states of a person is negligible.

The study of English means of translation corresponding to Russian emotive lexemes will contribute to the development of both Russian-English and English-Russian translation skills. By investigating the subtle semantic differences of words, scholars explain the difference not only in languages, but also in the mentalities of their native speakers. After all, not only in Russian, but also in all other world languages there are their own linguospecific, untranslatable words. Their semantic shades are difficult for foreigners to understand, but they serve as a key to understanding cultures.


Список литературы

Material Sources
Чехов А. П. Собрание сочинений в 12 томах. Том 9 (Пьесы). М.: Государственное изд-во художественной литературы, 1963. 711 с.
Abbreviations
AD - Chekhov’s major plays. New York. 1964 (Translated by Ann Dunnigan)
EF - Anton Chekhov. Plays. Penguin Books. 1959 (Translated and with an Introduction by Elisaveta Fen)
MF - Anton Chekhov. The Sea Gull. Dover Publications, Inc. New York. 1999 (Translated by Marian Fell)
KC - Anton Chekhov. Selected Works in Two Volumes. Volume Two. Plays. Moscow. 1973 (Translated from the Russian by Kathleen Cook)
PC - Anton Chekhov. Plays. Penguin Books. 2002 (Translated with Notes by Peter Carson)
RH - Anton Chekhov. Five Plays. Oxford World’s Classics. 1965 (Translated and with an Introduction by Ronald Hingley)
AT1 - Anton Chekhov. The Three Sisters. Dover Publications, Inc., New York. 1993. Editor of the Volume: Philip Smith.
AT2 - Anton Chekhov. Uncle Vanya. Dover Publications, Inc., New York. 1998. Editor of the Volume: Kathy Casey.
AT3 - Ivanoff [Электронный ресурс] URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1755
Literature
Апресян В.Ю. Механизмы образования и взаимодействия сложных значений в языке Автореф. дисс. …д.филол.н. М., 2015. 43 с.
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Wierzbicka, A. Semantics, Culture, and Cognition. Universal Human Concepts in Culture-Specific Configurations. New York-Oxford. Oxford University Press. 1992.
Dictionaries
Анфиногенова А. И. Русско-английский словарь эмотивных лексем (на материале пьес А.П. Чехова). СПб.: СПбГУ, 2008. 138 с.
Апресян Ю.Д., Ботякова В.В., Латышева Т.Э., Мосягина М.А., Полик И.В., Ракитина В.И., Розенман А.И., Сретенская Е.Е. Англо-русский синонимический словарь. М., 1979.
Новый объяснительный словарь синонимов русского языка. Выпуск 1. М., 1999.

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