Chapter 1 lexicology as a part of linguistics: types and approaches

CHAPTER 4
EXAMPLES AND THEIR TRANSLATION INTO ARMENIAN
The research paper's major argument on the use of phraseological units in "The Moon and Sixpence" is discussed in this chapter. Let's review the definition of phraseological units once again before discussing the unities utilized in the novel. Accordingly, phraseology is the study of fixed expressions, such as idioms, phrasal verbs, and other kinds of multi-word lexical units, in which the component parts of the expression take on a meaning that is more specific than or otherwise unpredictable from the sum of their meanings when used independently. This was discussed in the theoretical section of linguistics. Let's now talk about the phrasal verbs and their Armenian equivalents that were employed in the translation. Here are the examples from the story:
“It is due to no accident that when one of the most important works, The Woman of Samaria” was sold at Christie’s shortly after the discussion which followed the publication of Mr. Strickland’s biography, it fetched 7235 less than it had done nine months before when it was bought by the distinguished collector whose sudden death had brought it once more under the hammer”. (The Moon and Sixpence, p. 12)
The phrase "bring under the hammer" is used in the sentence above to signify "to be auctioned as used in a metaphorical sense," according to the idioms dictionary. We see a pattern of complete motivation in this particular case once more since the whole bring and hammer have nothing to do with the meaning of the auction when viewed independently. Now let us see what happens to the phrase in the Armenian version:
«Եվ պատահական չէ, որ Սամարուհին՝ Սթրիքլենդի ամենանշանավոր գործերից մեկը, միստր Սթրիքլենդի գրքի հրատարակությունից առաջացած բանավեճից հետո գնահատվեց 235 ֆունտով պակաս , քան իննը ամիս առաջ, երբ այն գնեց մի հանրահայտ կոլեցիոներ, որի հանկարծահաս մահից հետո նկարը նորից աճուրդի հանվեց»: (p. 7)
Again, in this example, the Armenian counterpart fails to keep the phrase's metaphorical meaning since the word combination has been translated to have the same meaning as the original phrase. Once again, the Armenian translation has lost its metaphorical quality, which demotivates the reader. Let's continue and see what happens to the remaining idioms now.
“Perhaps Charles Strickland’s power originally would scarcely have sufficed to turn the scale if the remarkable mythopoeic faculty of mankind had not brushed aside with impatience a story which disappointed all its craving for the extraordinary”. (The Moon and Sixpence, p. 12)
Turn the scales and brushed aside with are two expressions found in this excerpt. Let's first examine their metaphorical meanings before contrasting them with the Armenian equivalent. Turning the scales is to decide in favor of one side or group or to determine the outcome, according to the Cambridge Dictionary of Idioms. According to the definition of the second term, it means to toss someone or something aside, get rid of someone or something, neglect, or discard someone or something. In the first example, the motivation is fully there, but in the second, it is only partially present due to the preceding word aside, which more or less clarifies the meaning of the entire sentence. Now let's look at the translations into Armenian:
«Շատ հնարավոր է, որ Սթրիքլենդի արվեստը այնքան ուժ ու ինքնատիպություն չուներ, որպեսզի ուշքի գար նման հարվածից հետո, եթե առասպելների սիրահար մարդկությունը հիասթափությամբ չմերժեր այդ պատմությունը, որը հուսախաբ էր 26 անում արտակարգի նկատմամբ ունեցած մարդկանց կրքոտ հակումը»: (p. 7).
The excerpt demonstrates how effectively the Armenian phrase "ուշքի գալ" expresses the metaphorical meaning of the original form and how it does so in the provided sample. We have a one-to-one relationship with the original instance in terms of motivation level, which means that the translated version also has a complete motivation. Regarding the second sentence, the translator employed negative to clearly emphasize the passage's figurative nature, yet the word's metaphorical connotation is lost because (չ) is a simple verb in Armenian. Despite the use of negativity, the translation has not given us any inspiration or figurativeness.
“Heaven knows what pains the author has been at, what bitter experiences he has endured and what heartache suffered, to give some chance reader a few hours’ relaxation or to while away the tedium of a journey”. (The Moon and Sixpence, p. 16)
The phrase “Heaven knows”, which the idiomatic dictionary describes as follows, appears in the pattern seen above. Something so enigmatic that no living being can understand is something that only God understands. Although the entire sentence uses metaphors, it lacks motivation since each portion of the word clearly conveys the concept and meaning covered by the metaphor. Let's think about the Armenian extract now:
«Միայն Աստծուն է հայտնի, թե ինչպիսի տառապանքներ է կրել հեղինակը, ինչպիսի դառը փորձություն է ապրել, սրտի ինչպիսի ցավեր է տարել, և այդ բոլորը միայն նրա համար, որ նրա գիրքը պատահական ընթերցողին մի քանի ժամ հաճույք պատճառի, կամ օգնի նրան ցրելու ճանապարհի ձանձրութը»: (p. 10)
In Armenian version we have the phrase Աստծուն է հայտնի, which is, like the English version, of metaphorical use but has null motivation as the parts clearly express the whole idea of the phrase.
“I cannot stomach the heartiness with which they slap me on the back or the emotion with which they hurl themselves on my bosom; their passion seems to me a little anaemic and their dreams a trifle dull”. (The Moon and Sixpence, p. 13)
The phrase “I cannot stomach”, which is defined as “I cannot stand”, “I cannot tolerate”, or anything that is intolerable, is given to us by the pattern above. As we can see, this is a case of partial motivation since the word stomach has nothing to do with the meaning "something unbearable," but the hidden meaning of the phrase can still be understood because the word "cannot" is also a part of the phrase, which enables comprehension of the phrase as seen in the fragment. Let's continue and see what occurs in the Armenian translation now:
«Տանել չեմ կարող ոչ նրանց սրտառուչությունը, որով նրանք թեթևակի խփում են թիկունքիս, ոչ էլ այն հուզմունքը, որով նետվում են կրծքիս: Նրանց կիրքը մի փոքր դաժան է թվում ինձ, երազանքները՝ տաղտկալի»: (p.13)
As we can see, the term "տանել չեմ կարող" has at least two meanings in the Armenian form. One of them is the actual direct meaning, which implies not being able to carry anything (physically), and the second one, which is metaphorical, corresponds exactly to the English phrase "I cannot stomach." I am unable to stand and cannot tolerate.
The Armenian phrase is employed with its second figurative meaning in the pattern extracted above, preserving the degree of motivation. However, unlike the English idiom, we deal with a complete motivation in the Armenian phrase because of the compound verb utilized.