Criteria for evaluating the quality of translation

One of the Central concepts of translation theory is the concept of "translation

equivalence", which refers to the relative generality of the translation and the
original in the absence of their identity. There is a difference between the
theoretical possible equivalence, which is determined by the ratio of structures and
rules of functioning of the two languages, and the optimal one - the closeness
achieved in a particular act of translation. In both cases, the equivalence is not a
fixed value: the degree of proximity of the translation and the original may be
different, and the equivalence of the translation is established at different levels. In
other words, there are different types of equivalence that differ in the degree of
proximity of the two texts.
Currently we distinguish two main criteria for evaluating the quality of translation
- Adequacy and Equivalence. Now, one of the most common evaluation terms used
in relation to translation is adequacy. Thus, the quality of translation consists of
two components: adequacy, which means reproducing the function of the original
message in the translation, and equivalence, which assumes the maximum
linguistic proximity of the original texts and the translation. The quality of the
translation is assessed by comparing the translation with the original.
Both categories (equivalence and adequacy) are evaluative and normative. But if
the equivalence is focused on the results of the translation, on the
correspondence of the text created as a result of the interlanguage
communication to certain parameters of the original, the adequacy is associated
with the conditions of the flow of the interlanguage communicative act, with its
determinants and filters, with the choice of the translation strategy
corresponding to the communicative situation.
V.N. Komissarov distinguishes between the following levels (types) of
equivalence, understood as different degrees of semantic similarity between
translation and originals.
1) Equivalence at the level of the goal of communication (minimal equivalence).
The equivalence of translations of the first type is to preserve only that part of the
contents of the original that is the purpose of communication:
The relationship between originals and translations of this type is characterized
by:
- mismatch of the lexical composition;
- lack of structural and grammatical proximity;
- lack of semantic affinity;
- lack of similarity at the situation level;
- match the purpose of the statement
That’s pretty thing to say!
Постыдился бы!
The purpose of communication here is to express the emotions of the speaker,
who is outraged by the previous statement of the interlocutor. The translation
used one of the stereotypical phrases used to express indignation in the Russian
language. At the same time, the linguistic means that make up it do not
correspond to the units of the original and even the situation itself is described
differently: the original gives an assessment of what the person said, and the
translation gives recommendations regarding the behavior of the person who said
this.
2) Proximity to the situation.
He answered the telephone.
Он снял трубку.
In this case, the common part of the contents of the original and translation not
only conveys the same purpose of communication, but also reflects the same
extra-language situation. Here, the incompatible linguistic means of the original
and the translation actually describe the same act, indicate the same reality —
снять трубку is to “answer” to the call.
The relationship between originals and translations of this type is characterized
by:
- mismatch of the lexical composition;
- lack of structural and grammatical proximity;
-lack of semantic affinity
- the generality of the described situation is preserved
  -the purpose of the statement remains

Within the second type of equivalence, several special cases of describing a

situation in a translation can be noted. First of all, there are situations that are
always described in the same way. Especially often this occurs in standard speech
formulas, warning labels, generally accepted wishes, etc. It is necessary to
indicate in which direction the door opens in Russian with the inscription “К себе”
or “От себя” (Eng. “Push-Pull”). Theoretically, you can warn differently about a
freshly painted object, but in Russian they will necessarily write “Осторожно,
окрашено”, and in English“ Wet paint ”.
To note also the existence of situational gaps, such situations that are described
in one language, and in another, as it were, do not exist and are not mentioned in
speech.
3) Semantic equivalence.
The relationship between originals and translations of this type is characterized
by:
- mismatch of the lexical composition;
-lack of structural grammatical proximity
 - the way to describe the situation is preserved (semantic obsession)
 - the generality of the described situation is preserved
-  the purpose of the statement remains

Scrubbing makes me bad-tempered.

От мытья полов у меня характер портится
Comparing the translation with the original, we see that it uses the same signs of
the situation and preserves the relationship between them. In fact, in the original
“Scrubbing” expresses the reason, and the Russian equivalent of the word “мытье
полов” performs the same function. For this reason, the person becomes "bad-
tempered", which is expressed in translation by the same concepts, although by
other parts of speech (deteriorate, become bad character).

Representativeness of the text.

It is necessary to identify the features of the translation, which should ensure its
representativeness, i. e. to save that part of the original communication that is
important, and therefore, any translator should strive to reproduce these traits. It
is from such positions that his work should be evaluated. At the same time, it is
necessary to distinguish both the conditions that determine toe
representativeness of any translation regardless of its functional-stylistic
affiliation, and those that determine the representativeness of translations made
in various functional styles.
If the first type of representativeness of the translation outlines the range of
requirements (their absolute minimum) that must be presented to any translated
text, then the second is a longer list and reflects the features of the functional
style to which the original refers and, accordingly, the translation. So, the
requirements for the translation of the operating instructions for any device,
which should ensure the representativeness of the original by this translation, will
be fewer than those presented for the translation of the poem. The minimum list
of translation requirements (at the text level, i. e. from the point of view of
translation of the full text of the original) can be a list of four items.
Firstly, the translation should correctly reflect the actual side of the original, i. e.
correctly transmit the plan of its content and the information contained in it.
Secondly, the translation should correctly reflect the goal of creating the original,
i. e. convey to the foreign recipient its pragmatic component.
Thirdly, the translation should reproduce the tone and at least the most
important stylistic features of the original, i. e. the text of the translation must
accurately indicate that the original belongs to one or another functional style.
Finally, fourthly, the translation must accurately convey to the the author's
attitude to the subject stated in the translated text. This requirement excludes
the intervention of the translator in the in-text evaluation of content plan.

BUSINESS LETTERS PECULARIRTIES

Translation:

Gebrüder Bauer Spedition

Mainzerstrasse, 201-7
D-5000 Köln ln 1

Уважаемые Господа,

Накладная 671342 158

Вышеупомянутая партия была доставлена в наше помещение по указанному

адресу 6 сентября, она состояла из восьми ящиков с записями и кассетами,
три из которых были сильно повреждены.

Мы связались с нашими поставщиками, и они сообщили нам, что когда товар

был сдан на ваш склад, он был в идеальном состоянии. Поэтому мы
предполагаем, что повреждение произошло, когда груз находился на вашем
попечении.

Коробки были помечены как хрупкие и не поддающиеся нагреву, но из-за

характера повреждений товара (диски искорежены, кассетные коробки
расколоты) груз, по-видимому, был грубо обработан и оставлен рядом с
нагревателем.

Мы оцениваем потери по стоимости счета-фактуры как F 6,720, и поскольку

товар был отправлен "на риск перевозчика", мы требуем компенсации этой
суммы.
Вы найдете приложенную копию накладной и счета-фактуры, и мы подберем
лисиц для вашего осмотра.

Искренне Ваш,

П. Жерар

Type of the letter: Complaint to the carrier.

Peculiarities of complaint-letters:

The complaint contains claims against the party who violated the obligations
assumed under the agreement, and claims for damages. It can be presented in
relation to the quality or quantity of goods, delivery dates, etc.

The complaint must specify:

- grounds for making claims;

- evidence of damage that occurred;

- the specific requirements of parties bringing the claim.

The complaint is submitted in writing, with all necessary documents attached.

The response to the complaint States that: the information is accepted for
consideration; it is considered in full, in part, or rejected; payment has been made.

Emphases transfer.
Emotional coloring and expressiveness of texts is created by various
means. Emphatic models can be divided into:
1) lexical, using certain lexical means, that is, words and phrases, to
give the expression an emotional coloring;
2) grammatical, using for this purpose grammatical means;
3) lexical and grammatical, that is, simultaneously using lexical and
grammatical means.

The main lexical emphatic constructions of the English language are

represented by the following means:
 1. Emphase using the preface It, which is most often transmitted to the
Russian phrase Exactly / Nobody (Nothing) other (e) + object.
However, It and the relative pronoun or conjunction are not translated:
2. The same emphatic model is often used with the verb in negative
form in combination with the not till / until conjunction, which, despite
the negative form, has a positive meaning and is usually translated into
Russian using reinforcing adverbs Only after ... / Only when ...
3. Another common lexical model for expressing emphase is individual
word formation. In English, an individual word-formed noun is not a
violation of a language norm. When translated into Russian, it is most
often smoothed out in accordance with the norms and Uzbek language
of the Russian language.
4. Double negation sentences are also emphatic. When they are
transferred to Russian, the technique of antonymic translation is used,
that is, a negative statement in the original language becomes affirmative
in the translated language.
5. Of particular difficulty for translation are sentences in which negation
no is combined with an adjective or adverb to a comparative degree. In
order to transfer emphase in this case, it is most often necessary to
rearrange the sentence, refuse a comparative degree and resort to lexical
compensation by adding amplifying words or emotionally colored
words.
The most common grammatical means of expressing emphase is
inversion.
1. A classic example of a grammatical emphatic model using inversion
is the Past Perfect causal subordinate clause, namely: Hardly had ...
when ...; No sooner had ... then ...
In this case, the emotionality of the utterance is conveyed in a lexical
way, i.e., by the introduction of words with an amplifying meaning: As
soon as ... immediately ...
2. Duplication of the linking verb do / did before the semantic verb,
which is translated by using such adverbs as “really, certainly,
unconditionally”.
Inversion can also become a lexical and grammatical means of
expressing emphase, when one or several elements of a statement are
highlighted using inversion. When translating emphatic sentences with
inversion into Russian, you can use either lexical means (amplifying
words) or syntactic (changing the structure of the sentence) depending
on the context.
So there are lexical, grammatical, lexico - grammatical ways of
expressing emphase;
The most common grammatical and lexical - grammatical means of
expressing emphase is inversion.

1. Some people can hear sounds as high as 20,000 cycles – Некоторые люди
могут слышать звуки до 20,000 циклов.
2. In the chemical reaction the temperature of gases may be as high as 35000
Centigrade - В химической реакции температура газов может достигать 35000
градусов по Цельсию.
3. The possibility of discharge large amounts of energy was demonstrated as early
as in 1919 by Rutherford - Возможность разряда большого количества энергии
была продемонстрирована еще в 1919 году Резерфордом.
4. It is the programme that ensures the execution of all operations assigned to the
computer - Это программа, которая обеспечивает выполнение всех операций,
назначенных компьютеру.
5. It is the programmer who is the connecting link between the computer and the
problem it has to solve - Именно программист является связующим звеном
между компьютером и проблемой, которую он должен решить.
6. It was not until the 20th century that electronic computers were constructed and
put into operation - Только в 20 веке электронные компьютеры были
сконструированы и введены в эксплуатацию.
7. If only a few of the insulator's molecules do release one electron each, the
insulator at once completely breaks down and becomes a conductor - Если только
несколько молекул изолятора высвобождают по одному электрону каждый,
изолятор сразу полностью разрушается и становится проводником.
8. Emission or evaporation of electrons does take place at lower temperatures -
Эмиссия или испарение электронов происходит при более низких
температурах.

1. Discussed in this chapter are some of the general characteristics inherent to

semiconductors. - В этой главе обсуждаются некоторые общие
характеристики, присущие полупроводникам.
2. Included in this section is a description of a typical airborne liquid oxygen
system. - В этот раздел включено описание типичной бортовой системы
жидкого кислорода.
3. Described in this book are all the rockets space-probing craft including sputniks.
- В этой книге описаны все ракеты космического зондирования, включая
спутники.
4. Associated with each electron is a wave, which is propagated in the direction of
the electron motion. - С каждым электроном связана волна, которая
распространяется в направлении движения электрона.
5. Were it necessary to increase the speed of this particular engine could be
achieved by using a special device. - Если бы было необходимо увеличить
скорость вращения этого конкретного двигателя, этого можно было бы
добиться с помощью специального устройства.
6. Had the oil supply stopped for a moment, serious damage might have resulted. -
Если бы подача масла на мгновение прекратилась, это могло привести к
серьезным повреждениям.
7. Were the air within the cylinder motionless, only a small proportion of the fuel
would find enough oxygen. - Если бы воздух внутри цилиндра был
неподвижен, только небольшая часть топлива нашла бы достаточно
кислорода.
8. The development stage would have taken less time, had the scientists used new
methods - Стадия разработки заняла бы меньше времени, если бы ученые
использовали новые методы

Emphatic constructions in English.

 The word "emphase" is of Greek origin and translates as "expressiveness." Under
this concept, the means of various levels of the language are used, which are used
to give speech expressiveness and brightness. Without emphase, speech would
be dry, empty, unemotional, more like a robot’s speech. Knowing the laws and
rules of emphatic sentences in English is useful not only to professional
translators, but also to any people who study the language and want to reveal
and understand all its possibilities. 
Usually emphase appears at the following levels of the English language:
-phonetic: level of sounds and intonation;
-Grammatical: includes non-standard grammatical constructions that emphasize
or reinforce those moments of speech to which the speaker wants to draw
attention;
- lexical: expressiveness of speech is given with the help of words that have a
characteristic emotional coloring;
- lexico-grammatical.
At the phonetic level, emphase is most often transmitted through intonation,
interjections, and so on. If the speaker wants to focus on any part of his
statement, then semantic stress is used for this.
But more obvious examples of emphase lie in grammar and vocabulary.

Inversion as an emphase.
 The most frequent and striking emphatic construct in English is inversion. In
English, there is a fixed word order, unlike Russian. The subject usually follows the
predicate, followed by the minor members of the sentence. But in emphatic
constructions, the phenomenon of inversion can be observed.
The term literally means "rearrangement." In other words, some members of the
proposal may leave their places and occupy others, usually unusual for them.
Look at an example of inversion from Romeo and Juliet, Act 4, Scene 5, page 78.
“Never was seen so black a day as this:" – “Чернее дня на свете не бывало!”

An inverse sentence is one that is basically switched around so that the verb
comes before the noun, the predicate comes before the subject. So rather than
"She hardly ever visits," an inverse sentence would be "Hardly ever does she
visit."

Adding do / does / did

 The auxiliary verbs do / does / did are also a frequent case of emphatic
constructions in the English language. In this capacity, they themselves are not
translated into Russian, but tell the translator that there is an emphase in front of
him. Therefore, in the translation you can use words such as "really", "truth",
"really" and others.
Example from “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll, page 31.
“Oh! do let me help you to undo it” – “О! позволь мне помочь тебе все
исправить”

The construction of it is / was ... who / that

From book “The Moon and Sixpence” by W. Somerset Maugham, page 126.
“It was Captain Nichols who persuaded him that he would be more comfortable
in Tahiti”. – “Именно капитан Николс убедил его, что на Таити ему будет
гораздо удобнее”.

Constructions with the word "what"

 A similar emphatic construct can be used with the word "what" at the beginning
of a sentence. It is translated using clarifying constructions in Russian.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J K Rowling, page 186.
"What we need, said Hermione briskly, as Thursday afternoon's double Potions
lesson loomed nearer, 'is a diversion. Then one of us can sneak into Snape's
office and take what we need. – “Что нам нужно, - оживленно сказала
Гермиона, когда в четверг ближе к вечеру замаячил двойной урок
зельеварения, - так это отвлечься. Тогда один из нас сможет
пробраться в кабинет Снейпа и взять то, что нам нужно.”

Construction All that / the only ...

Example from “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll, page 161.

“Though it was all what she wanted”

It's it's high time / about time / past time / just the time construct
These constructs can also be used in English. They translate as "time", "it's time",
"it was time for a long time."
Example from “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll, page 38.
“It’s high time you were all in bed” - “Самое время вам всем лечь спать”
 Construction with the + ever question mark an interesting and common case
of emphases is to add the ever particle to the question words who, what, why,
how, when, and so on. It is usually translated with the help of particles “no” and
“no”.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J K Rowling, page 167.
 “Oh, yeah… Whoever it was, was expelled”, said Malfoy”. - "О, да... кто бы
это ни был, он был исключен", - сказал Малфой”.