Abstract
The present paper addresses the problem of syntactic transfer in Polish-English non-literary translations performed by inexperienced translators. It is argued that many grammatical errors and stylistic inadequacies result from the translator’s failure to recognize that the two languages exhibit different stylistic preferences. Polish syntax is more reliant on nominal style, which is marked by a high proportion of nouns (notably nominalizations) that sometimes form elaborate noun phrases. English (except for very formal registers) to a larger extent than Polish tends to favor verbal style, in which actions are more frequently depicted by verbs and verbal modifiers. This hypothesis is supported by quantitative and qualitative data from both languages. The latter part of the paper shows that syntactic and stylistic problems in Polish-English translation can be overcome by denominalization – a translation procedure which consists in transforming noun phrases containing abstract nouns into clauses. Its application enhances target text clarity, contributing thus to the production of plain and natural-sounding prose.
Acknowledgment
I wish to thank Dr. Milena Hadryan from the Institute of Linguistics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań for helpful bibliographical suggestions and comments on plain language use. Naturally, I alone am responsible for any errors or shortcomings in this paper.
References
Baratta, M. A. (2010): “Nominalization development across an undergraduate academic degree program.” Journal of Pragmatics 42(4). 1017–1036.10.1016/j.pragma.2009.08.007Search in Google Scholar
Biber, D. 2003. “Compressed noun phrase structures in newspaper discourse.” Aitchison, J. and D. Lewis (eds.): New Media Language. London: Routledge. 169–181.Search in Google Scholar
Biber, D. and S. Conrad (2009): Register, Genre, and Style. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511814358Search in Google Scholar
Biber, D., S. Johansson, G. Leech, S. Conrad and E. Finegan (1999): The Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English. London: Longman.Search in Google Scholar
Broda, B., M. Maziarz, T. Piekot and A. Radziszewski (2010): “Trudność tekstów o funduszach europejskich w świetle miar statystycznych.” Miodek, J. and W. Wysoczański (eds.): Rozprawy Komisji Językowej XXXVII. Wrocław: Wrocławskie Towarzystwo Naukowe. 23–40.Search in Google Scholar
Chovanec, J. (2003): “The uses of the present tense in headlines.” Theory and Practice in English Studies 1. 83–92.Search in Google Scholar
Delisle, J., H. Lee-Jahnke and M. Cormier (1999): Terminologie de la Traduction. Translation Terminology. Terminología de la Traducción. Terminologie der Übersetzung. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing.10.1075/fit.1Search in Google Scholar
Delisle, J., H. Lee-Jahnke and M. Cormier (2006): Terminologia tłumaczenia = Terminologie de la traduction (translated and adapted by T. Tomaszkiewicz). Poznań: Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM.Search in Google Scholar
Dzierżanowska, H. (1990): Przekład tekstów nieliterackich: na przykładzie języka angielskiego. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe.Search in Google Scholar
Firbas, J. (1971): “On the concept of communicative dynamism in the theory of functional sentence perspective.“ SMFPUB A 19. 135–144.Search in Google Scholar
Hadryan, M. (2012): Demokratyzacja języka urzędowego. Współczesne tendencje polityki językowej w Szwecji i w Polsce (unpublished PhD dissertation). Poznań.Search in Google Scholar
Halliday, M. (1994): An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Edward Arnold.Search in Google Scholar
Halliday, M. and J. R. Martin (1993): Writing Science: literacy and discursive power. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.Search in Google Scholar
Hejwowski, K. (2004): Translation: a cognitive-communicative approach. Olecko: Wydawnictwo Wszechnicy Mazurskiej.Search in Google Scholar
Hendricks, W. O. (1976): Grammars of Style and Styles of Grammar. Amsterdam: North-Holland.Search in Google Scholar
Huddleston, R. and G. K. Pullum (2002): The Cambridge grammar of the English language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/9781316423530Search in Google Scholar
Jadacka, H. (2006): Poradnik językowy dla prawników. Warszawa: Semper.Search in Google Scholar
Jędrzejko, E. (1993): Nominalizacje w systemie i w tekstach współczesnej polszczyzny. Katowice: Uniwersytet Śląski.Search in Google Scholar
Kamińska-Szmaj, I. (1990): Różnice leksykalne między stylami funkcjonalnymi polszczyzny pisanej. Analiza statystyczna na materiale słownika frekwencyjnego. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego.Search in Google Scholar
Korzeniowska, A. and P. Kuhiwczak (2005): Successful Polish-English translation: tricks of the trade. Warszawa: PWN.Search in Google Scholar
Lewandowski, M. (2013): The Language of Football: an English-Polish Contrastive Study. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM.Search in Google Scholar
Lock, G. (1996): Functional English grammar: an introduction for second language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Search in Google Scholar
Mikolič Južnič, T. (2010): “Translation of Italian nominalizations into Slovene: a corpus-based study.” Rivista internazionale di tecnica della traduzione – International Journal of Translation 12. 145–158.Search in Google Scholar
Newmark, J. (1988): A textbook of translation. New York: Prentice Hall.Search in Google Scholar
Pisarek, W. (1966): “Recepty na zrozumiałość wypowiedzi.” Zeszyty Prasoznawcze 2–3. 38–53.Search in Google Scholar
Pisarek, W. (1972): Frekwencja wyrazów w prasie: wiadomości – komentarze – reportaże. Kraków: Ośrodek Badań Prasoznawczych.Search in Google Scholar
Quirk, R., S. Greenbaum, G. Leech and J. Svartvik (1985): A comprehensive grammar of the English language. London/New York: Longman.Search in Google Scholar
Rachwałowa, M. (1986): Słownictwo tekstów naukowych. Wrocław: Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich.Search in Google Scholar
Radovanović, M. (2001): “On nominal and verbal style: cultures or languages in contact?” International Journal of the Sociology of Language 151. 41–48.Search in Google Scholar
Ruszkowski, M. (2004): “Wskaźnik nominalności jako element stylistycznej charakterystyki tekstu.” Stylistyka 13. 341–348.Search in Google Scholar
Side, R. and G. Wellman (2002): Grammar and Vocabulary for Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency. Harlow: Longman.Search in Google Scholar
Ślawska, M. (2008): “Tytuł jako najmniejszy gatunek prasowy.” Rocznik Prasoznawczy 2. 118–126.Search in Google Scholar
Toury, G. (1995): Descriptive Translation Studies and Beyond. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing.10.1075/btl.4Search in Google Scholar
Urbańczyk, S. and M. Kucała (eds.) (1999): Encyklopedia języka polskiego. Wrocław: Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich.Search in Google Scholar
Wells, R. (1960): “Nominal and Verbal Style.” Sebeok, T. (ed.): Style in Language. New York/London: MIT Press. 213–220.Search in Google Scholar
Zgółkowa, H. (1983): “Ilościowa charakterystyka polszczyzny mówionej.” Studia Polonistyczne 10. 163–175.Search in Google Scholar
© 2015 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/München/Boston
