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Translating Idiomatic Expression in English Fairy Tales A researcher into the field of translation theory and criticism should

take into consideration the multiple aspects of translation. Investigating theories corresponding to the meanings of the word translation, Elena Croitoru mentions R. Bells three possible theories based on translation as both product and process, only as product and only as process and adds a fourth theory, the interpretive theory of translation which she defines as: [...] a theory of translating and translation, which besides the integrated study of both, would lay equal stress on the interpretive process of any stretch of language involving linguistics, psycholinguistics, semantics, pragmatics, the cultural context, communicative competence with a translation-oriented text analysis. (1996: 16). Out of the five types of translated texts mentioned by Peter France (2000: 89), childrens literature is undoubtedly a resourceful domain of research. In his anthology of childrens literature, Walter Barnes (2004) focuses upon the importance of fairy tales. The same happens in the case of Nancy Anderson (2006) who includes fairy tales in the category of traditional literature for children. One of the interesting issues to be discussed when translating English fairy tales into Romanian is that of idiomatic expressions. The frequent use of English idioms and phrases represents a vital According to matter for any professional translator. Websters Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, an

idiom is defined as a construction or expression of one language whose parts correspond to elements in another language but whose total structure or meaning is not matched in the same way in the second language. (1996: 707) The English language is rich in idioms or combinations of words with a meaning that cannot be inferred from their separate parts.

The term idiom generally implies that the essential features of the linguistic units under consideration are stability of the lexical components and lack of motivation. Unlike components of free-word groups which may vary according to the needs of communication, member-words of phraseological units or idioms are always reproduced as single unchangeable collocations.

There are some debatable points concerning idioms. Dollerup brings these issues into discussion when he affirms: [...] notably literal translation of idiomatic expressions is one of the most quoted types of error in translated texts. (2006: 36) In addition, borderline cases between

idiomatic and non- idiomatic word-groups are so numerous and confusing that the final decision seems to depend largely on ones perception of the language. The criterion of context is very important since free word-groups make up variable contexts, whereas the essential feature of idioms is a non-variable or fixed context. Idioms could be recognized by the impossibility of attaching

meaning to the members of the group taken in isolation. They are semantically and grammatically inseparable units. They may comprise unusual combinations of words which, when understood in their literal meaning, are normally uncollocable. A free word-group is transformed into an idiom when it acquires semantic inseparability and becomes synchronically non-motivated.

Sometimes, extra-linguistic factors may account for the loss of motivation, too. Nowadays, scholars claim that idioms still preserve much of their initial metaphor-like characteristics: Idiomatic speech is amply used owing to its suggestiveness, colourfulness and the creative associations it brings to mind. (Sorea 2006: 48) According to Perry Nodelman (1992), one of the main characteristics of childrens literature is the fact that it tends to be repetitious. English fairy tales display a large number of idioms with the following structure: as ... (an adjective) as ... (a noun). For example, the idiom as bold as brass is used in three different fairy tales: Jack the Giant Killer (Steel 1994: 88), Jack and the Beanstalk (1994: 145) and Molly Whuppie and the Double-Faced Giant (1994:336). The meaning of this idiom is very confident and not showing enough respect. (Longman 2001: 135) Hulban provides a few possible translations of the English idiom into Romanian: neobrzat la culme, agresiv, provocator, neruinat, insolent. (2007: 90) This is a case of non-equivalence between the source-text and the target text, in the sense that the translator has to use a target-language word to render a source-language longer structure or, at least, he has to resort to an entirely different target-language structure. The closest variant is neobrzat la culme, a structure consisting of an absolute superlative which preserves the meaning of the initial English idiom.

Another idiom with the same structure is as still as a mouse, which occurs in two English fairy tales, The Golden Ball (Steel 1994: 112) and The Black Bull of Norroway (Steel 1994: 159). The context can easily disambiguate its meaning: Presently he heard steps coming upstairs, so he hid behind the door, and was as still as a mouse (Steel 1994: 112) or Well! she sat as still as a mouse, moving neither hand nor foot, nor even her eyes... (Steel 1994: 159) Simply translated by means of an absolute superlative (foarte tcut), the idiom misses expressiveness. The solution lies in the phrase: to be as still as a mousewith the much more expressive pmntul. translations: (Nicolescu a 2003: tcea 195) mlc/molcom/chitic/ca chiticul/ca petele/ca

A colourful idiom that can be found in the English fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk is the idiom as plentiful as blackberries: Good morning, replied Jack, wondering how the queer, little, old man happened to know his name; though, to be sure, Jacks were as plentiful as blackberries. (Steel 1994: 138) The Romanian equivalents of this idiom are: din belug; puzderie; cu carul; ca frunza i iarba. (Nicolescu 2003: 187)

Probably the second and the last of the series acquire those expressive meanings that could resemble the English ones.

In the same fairy tale, there is another idiom bearing a symmetrical pattern and appearing in a clarifying context: [...] I bet you know how many beans make five? Two in each hand and one in my mouth, answered Jack readily. He really was sharp as a needle. (Steel 1994: 138) The idiom sharp as a needle has both a literal and a metaphorical meaning, therefore two translations are possible: 1. ascuit/tios ca briciul. 2. ascuit/ager la minte; ptrunztor; F detept foc. (Nicolescu 2003: 212) Due to the rather ironical tone to which the narrator resorts when describing Jacks cleverness, the expressive absolute superlative detept foc is evidently the best choice to translate the idiom from English into Romanian. Translation Studies: Retrospective and Prospective Views ; Editors: Elena Croitoru and Floriana Popescu, page 41

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