Abstracts
Abstract
This article compares phraseological tendencies in translated vs. non-translated English through functionally classified 3-word sequences. The study builds on previous research that compared 3-grams in fiction texts originally written in English with fiction texts translated from Norwegian. The current investigation adds English translations from two additional languages – German and Swedish – with the aim of establishing to what extent the tendencies noted for English translations from Norwegian extend to English translations from other languages. Thus the study contributes to the discussion of translation universals and translation as a third code. At the level of 3-gram functions, it has been uncovered that English originals and translations share similar functional characteristics in eight of the fourteen categories identified. Of the remaining six, four show statistically significant differences between originals and translations, regardless of source language. Based on a more qualitative study of four specific 3-grams from two of these categories, it is concluded, in line with the previous studies, that the most likely explanations are source language(s) shining through and the (potentially universal) tendency for translators to use a smaller and more fixed set of expressions in their translations.
Keywords:
- phraseology,
- recurrent word-combinations,
- functional classification,
- translated vs. non-translated English,
- different source languages,
- fiction
Résumé
Cet article compare les tendances phraséologiques dans les textes anglais traduits et non traduits en utilisant des séquences de trois mots classés selon leur fonctionnement. L’étude s’appuie sur des études antérieures qui comparent des trigrammes dans des textes anglais originaux de fiction avec des textes de fiction traduits du norvégien. À l’enquête actuelle s’ajoutent des textes anglais traduits de deux langues supplémentaires – l’allemand et le suédois – dans le but d’établir dans quelle mesure les tendances constatées dans les textes anglais traduits du norvégien sont comparables aux tendances observées dans des textes traduits d’autres langues. Ainsi, l’étude contribue à la discussion des universaux de la traduction et de la traduction comme troisième code. Sur le plan des fonctions de trigrammes, on a découvert que les originaux et les traductions anglaises partagent des caractéristiques fonctionnelles similaires dans huit des quatorze catégories identifiées. Sur les six autres, quatre montrent des différences statistiquement significatives entre les originaux et les traductions, quelle que soit la langue source. Une étude plus qualitative de quatre trigrammes spécifiques de deux de ces catégories conclut, comme c’est le cas pour les études précédentes, que ceci probablement s’explique par le fait que des éléments de la langue source transparaissent dans la traduction, et que les traducteurs ont une tendance (potentiellement universelle) à utiliser un ensemble relativement limité et fixe d’expressions dans leurs traductions.
Mots-clés :
- phraséologie,
- combinaisons de mots récurrentes,
- classification fonctionnelle,
- anglais traduit vs non traduit,
- différentes langues sources,
- fiction
Resumen
Este artículo compara las tendencias fraseológicas en inglés traducido frente a inglés no traducido a partir de secuencias de 3 palabras clasificadas funcionalmente. El estudio se basa en investigaciones previas que comparan trigramas en textos de ficción escritos originalmente en inglés con textos de ficción traducidos al inglés del noruego. La investigación actual agrega traducciones al inglés de dos idiomas adicionales, alemán y sueco, con el objetivo de establecer en qué medida las tendencias observadas para las traducciones al inglés del noruego se extienden a las traducciones al inglés de otros idiomas. Este estudio contribuye así a la discusión de los universales de la traducción y la traducción como un tercer código. A nivel de funciones de trigramas, se ha descubierto que los originales y las traducciones en inglés comparten características funcionales similares en ocho de las catorce categorías identificadas. De las seis restantes, cuatro muestran diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los originales y las traducciones, independientemente del idioma de origen. Basado en un estudio más cualitativo de los cuatro trigramas específicos de dos de estas categorías, se concluye, en línea con los estudios previos, que las explicaciones más probables son el idioma o idiomas de origen que se hacen visibles y la tendencia (potencialmente universal) de los traductores a utilizar un conjunto de expresiones más pequeño y más fijo en sus traducciones.
Palabras clave:
- fraseología,
- combinaciones de palabras recurrentes,
- clasificación funcional,
- inglés traducido frente a no traducido,
- diferentes idiomas de origen,
- ficción
Appendices
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