Means of Translating Stylistic Devices

I. Means of Translating a Metaphor

A metaphor is often associated with personification of flora, fauna and the world of objects surrounding us.

Thus, in English, the names of insects, birds and animals are often referred to with the help of the pronoun “he” or
“she” and not “it”, as it should be.

It should be mentioned that emotional and attitudinal values associated with plants and animals varies a lot in
different languages.

In English very often the metaphoric base of such names as Ant, Frog, Caterpillar, Tortoise, Fish, Dragon-Fly is
the pronoun “he”.

In Romanian Broasca, Furnica, Omida, Broasca Testoasa, Libelulă use the pronoun “she”.

In Russian Черепаха, Рыба, Лягушка, Гусеница, Стрекоза use the pronoun “she”, while Муравей uses the
pronoun “he”.

These differences in gender references may pose a difficulty in translation.

English: “horse” - is associated with a noble, healthy, honest person.

Romanian: “cal” este asociat cu un “sclav” care munceşte din greu, “La Paștele cailor” ~ “niciodată”; ”Cal de bătaie”
– ”1. persoană hărțuită; 2. problemă mai veche care revine pe primul plan”

Russian: “лошадь/конь” is associated with a “неуклюжий”, “сильный”, “некрасивый”, “грубый”,

“здоровенный”, while “кобыла” is referred to as “большая, сильная, некрасивая, неуклюжая женщина” –
породистая лошадь.

Means of translating a metaphor could be the following:

1) Word-for-word translation;

Play with someone's feelings – A se juca cu sentimentele cuiva

2) Extension of some elements;

He thought of her as of a horse from his stable. – Ea îi amintea un caluţ zvelt, nobil, de rasă din grajdurile sale.

3) By means of another stylistic device

I was wax in her hands. – Eram ca o bucată de plastilină

în mîinile ei.

4) Omitting several elements;

On the opposite bank an emerald ribbon of fields and foliage bordered the river. - Противоположный берег реки
окаймляла изумрудная зелень полей и деревьев.

5) Ignoring the global metaphor.

I’d do anything you asked me. “Except let me fly away.” – Aş face orice mi-ai cere. „Doar dă-mi drumul”

6) Change of image;

Black sheep - Белая ворона, чёрная овца

 Black deeds – fapte murdare;

7) Structural changes;

We open more doors. Get the mortgage that’s right for you. – Banca noastră vă oferă o gamă mai largă de
oportunităţi privind ipotecile.

8) Cultural substitutes,

ex.: Kingdom of Light – Împărăţia Luminii, Мир света.

II. Means of Translating an Epithet

An epithet (from Greek epithetos, "attributed, added”) is a descriptive word or phrase accompanying or occurring
in place of the name of a person or thing, which has become a fixed formula.

It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and
biological nomenclature.

Epitetul este figura de stil constând în determinarea unui substantiv sau verb printr-un adjectiv, adverb etc., menit
să exprime acele însuşiri ale obiectului care înfăţişează imaginea lui aşa cum se reflectă în simţirea şi fantezia
scriitorului.

1. Very often the epithet “black” used metaphorically could be translated word-for -word.

Ex.: Black days – zile negre, на чёрный день;

2. When the metaphorical functions do not coincide, then a change of image is used.

Ex.: Black deeds – fapte murdare; Black sheep - Белая ворона, чёрная овца

In English “a fair maiden” means “fată frumoasă” “красна девица”, “a fine fellow” would be “un băiat minunat”,
“замечательный парень”.

3. Notice the following structural changes in translation:

Ex.: A dream of a dress – o rochie ca în vis; не платье, а мечта;

A beast of a car – nu-i o maşină, ci o fiară; машина-зверь;

A barrel of a man – nu e un om, ci un butoi; бочкоподобный толстяк;

An angel of a girl – fata aceasta e un înger adevărat; эта девушка - настоящий ангел.

4. Cultural substitutes can happen with metaphors of an antique, religious or folclore origin, when in SL and TL
are used different means with the similar metaphoric function.

Ex.: The Confusion of Babilon – Parcă e Turnul Babel, вавилонское столпотворение;

A silky skin – атласная / бархатная кожа

III. Means of Translating a Metonymy

Metonymy – (from the Greek: metōnymía, "a change of name") is a figure of speech used in rhetoric in which a
thing or concept is not called by its own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that
thing or concept.

Metonymy can involve the use of the same word, in which case it is a kind of polysemy, in which a single word has
multiple related meanings (sememes), i.e. a large semantic field.
 Metonymy may be instructively contrasted with metaphor. Both figures involve the substitution of one term for
another. In metaphor, this substitution is based on similarity, while in metonymy, the substitution is based on
contiguity.

Metaphor example: That man is a pig (using pig instead of unhygienic person).

An unhygienic person is like a pig, but there is no contiguity between the two.

Metonymy example: The White House supports the bill (using The White House instead of the President).

The President is not like The White House, but there is contiguity between them.

1. With the help of a substantivised epithet

Ex.: The red was happy.

– Roşcatul era fericit. - Рыжий был в восторге.

2. Word-for word translation

Ex.: The Crown - Coroana;

3. Synecdoche (sinecdoca, синекдоха) – denoting a part of something that is used to refer to the whole thing

Ex.: These wheels will drive you anywhere – acest automobil te va duce oriunde. Эта машина отвезёт вас куда
угодно.

4. Periphrasis - the substitution of a descriptive word or phrase for a proper name.

Ex.: to buy some Kellogg’s – a cumpăra fulgi de porumb; купить кукурузные хлопья.