International Ala-Too University

Humanity and Social Science Faculty

Simultaneous Interpreting Department

Done by student Miraida Amangeldieva

Defining relations within state propositions from "The Last Leaf" by O.

Henry

Abstract

O. Henry, was an American writer. His short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm
characterization and clever twist endings.All the stories have deep sense and have a lot of
humorous affects at the same time. For this work I choose one of his stories "The last leaf" ;
this story is about two young ladies, Jonsy and Sue, who were fond of art and lived together
in a studio. Johnsy had fallen ill and was dying of pneumonia. She watched the leaves fall
from a vine outside the window of her room, and decided that when the last leaf would
drop, she would die too.I will analyse this story and find out relations within state
propositions.

Keywords: state proposition, state relations,comment, topic

Introduction

State propositions don't have an EVENT concept central to the proposition. They consist of
THINGS and ATTRIBUTIVES which are related the one to the other by state relations. A State
Proposition has two main parts; the topic and the comment. The topic is the CONCEPT being
talked about, and the comment consists of the THING or ATTRIBUTE being used to describe
or identify the topic plus the state relation.

Examples:

Car location garage - The car is in the garage

Table substance wood - That table is made of wood

Book description small - The book is small

A State proposition consists of two main parts and the relation between them. These two
are the topic and the comment. The topic is the THING or ATTRIBUTE being talked about.
The comment is what is being said about the topic.
Analysis part

Topic Relation Comment English form Source

language
(State role) Propositions

In a little district
west of
district description little A little district Washington
Square the
streets have run
crazy and
broken
strips naming places The small strips
themselves into
called "places."
small strips
called "places."

November ambience cold November is In cold

cold November an
unseen
stranger, whom
The illness called the doctors
illness naming Pneumonia called
Pneumonia
Pneumonia,
stalked about
the colony,
touching one
here and there
with his icy
fingers.

time time morning At the morning One morning

the busy doctor
invited Sue into
grey classification colour A doctor with the hallway
grey eyebrow with a shaggy,
grey eyebrow.

picture depiction Bay of Naples To paint the "She - she

picture of the wanted to paint
Bay of Naples the Bay of
Naples some
day." said Sue.
Behrman social role painter Behrman is a Old Behrman
painter was a painter
who lived on
the ground
floor beneath
them.

red classification colour He has red eyes Old Behrman,

with his red
eyes plainly
streaming,
shouted his
contempt and
derision for
such idiotic
imaginings.

Conclusion

In conclusion I want to add that it was really difficult to find out the propositions In the text.
Translator should know how to translate such difficult and long sentences because In some
languages better to explain with short and simple propositions.This unit helps us how to
simplify difficult sentences into short understandable proposotions.

References

Book Mildred L. Larson Meaning based Translation

http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/LasLea.shtml#1

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.collinsdictionary.com/amp/english/proposition

https://www.englishgrammar.org/relatio/

https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-last-leaf/summary-and-analysis

http://sittingbee.com/the-last-leaf-o-henry/