Some practice in translation

Rendering of Names of Months, Seasons and Days of the Week: The names of the seasons, months and days of the week come very close to Proper Names. They are rendered by their Russian counterparts: spring – весна, Monday – понедельник, March – март, etc.
Rendering of Numerals: This group of words comes very close to terms. Their Russian counterparts are naturally used in translation: ten – десять, hundred – сто, thousand – тысяча.
Rendering of Scientific and Technical Terms: Terms are generally associated with a definite branch of science or technology. They tend to be mono-semantic in the given branch of science or technology and therefore easily call forth the required concept. They are translated by corresponding Russian terms: calorie – калория, equator – экватор, poly-semantic – многозначный, etc. but it should be borne in mind, that one and the same term may have different meanings in different branches of science and technology, e.g.: line – 1) контейнер, поточная линия; 2) трубопровод, etc. thus a term may sometimes be poly-semantic, e.g.: power (phys.) – сила, мощность, энергия; power (math.) – степень.
There is a special group of words of terminological nature: names of animals, birds, plants, natural elements, e.g.: tiger – тигр; cat – кошка; swallow – ласточка; lily-of-the-valley – ландыш; drought – засуха; rain – дождь; lightning – молния, etc.
The names of the rare or little known animals or plants are as a rule mono-semantic and have full equivalents: coyote – койот; armadillo – броненосец; porcupine – дикобраз; baobab – баобаб.
Rendering the Names of Streets: The names of streets are transcribed: Bayswater Road – Бейсуотер роуд.
The names of streets in historical novels which sometimes happen to be token names are translated, e.g.
the “Economist” publishing office is in Threadneedle street – редакция журнала «Экономист» находится на Треднидл стрит but “tailors lived in Threadneedle street” – портные жили на улице Иголка с Ниткой.
Rendering of Names of Hotels: Names of hotels are usually transcribed, e.g. Hotel Carlton – отель Карлтон. Names of old inns are as a rule translated, e.g.: The Red Lion – гостиница Красный Лев.
Rendering of Names of Sports and Games: These are also usually transcribed, e.g.: football – футбол, hockey – хоккей.
Rendering of the Names of Periodicals: The Times – газета Таймс. It should be noted that for Pragmatic reasons such words as газета, журнал, and еженедельник are added respectively. The United States News and World Report – американский еженедельник «Юнайтед Стейтс Ньюс энд Уорлд Рипорт».
Rendering of Names of Institutions and Organizations: These classes of Proper Names are usually transcribed, e.g.: General Motors – Дженерал Моторс, British Airways – Бритиш Эруейс.
But certainly there are exceptions to this rule: The Common Market – Общий Рынок; The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – федеральное бюро расследований (ФБР). These are accepted translated Equivalents.
Translation of Poly-semantic Words
Poly-semantic Words and the Context
A poly-semantic word, as has been shown, is a word having several meanings or lexical-semantic variants. These lexical-semantic variants possess both lexical features and grammatical features which are closely interwoven. These different meanings or lexical-semantic variants of poly-semantic words are revealed in the context. By the term “Context” is understood the minimum stretch of speech determining each individual meaning of a word.
The Context individualizes the meaning of the word, brings it out, and reveals the intended lexical-semantic variant. It is in this sense that we say that the meaning of a poly-semantic word is determined by the context. The term Context comprises both the narrow or micro context and the wide or macro context.
The Narrow Context implies sentence or even a word combination, e.g.: bright star – яркая звезда; bright wine – прозрачное вино; bright day – светлый день; bright reply – блестящий ответ; a bright boy – способный, смышленый мальчик.
The following examples illustrate the importance of the Context in translation.
The construction of the UNO was no simple or easy task.
This explains the peculiar construction of the Security Council.
In the first sentence the word “construction” has the meaning of “act of devising and forming” (Webster III), in the second sentence the meaning is “structure”.
These different Contexts bring out different lexical-semantic variants of the word “construction” which are reflected in the Russian translation.
Создание ООН было не простой и не легкой задачей.
Это объясняет своеобразную структуру Совета Безопасности.
The importance of the Context for translation is obvious. The Micro Context implies not only lexical but also syntactical ambient elements, e.g.:
The elm stood before the house – перед домом стоял вяз;
He stood a whisky and soda – он угостил меня виски с содовой водой.
(The Context or the situation not only reveals the intended meaning of a poly-semantic word but also its concrete or abstract, its direct or transferred meaning)
A dictator relies upon his army and police force. – direct meaning
Диктатор опирается на свою армию и полицию.
The whole army of words – вся масса слов – transferred meaning.
An army of insects – туча насекомых – transferred meaning
He was crippled in the Vietnam war.
Он был искалечен на войне во Вьетнаме.
The criminal forces of reaction and anti-détente aim at crippling international cooperation.
Цель преступной поджигательной политики реакционеров и противников разрядки – подорвать международное сотрудничество.