Recategorization
• Recategorization = translation strategy which
consists in changing the grammatical category of
the element keeping at the same time the
equivalence of meaning.
• Keep refrigerated = Conservare al fresco,
conservare in frigorifero.
• From = mittente.
When is recategorization used?
• The syntactic structures of the source language may
differ from the syntactic structures of the target
language. Recategorization becomes advisable or
mandatory when the structures of the two languages
either are different or have different levels of frequency.
The application of this strategy results in a modulation of
the text. Among other results, this modulation can
produce nominalization or denominalization.
• Nominalization = verb or adjective in the ST → noun in
the TT.
• I’d rather exercise than eat too much = Preferisco
l’esercizio al troppo cibo
• Denominalization = noun in the ST →
verb in the TT:
For patrons only = riservato ai clienti
Recategorization implies a change in
grammatical category. A more general
change is brought about by transposition,
where other elements may be changed.
Recategorization may be internal (within a
given language), or may be a result of the
passage from SL to TL.
• Non credo che verrò
• Credo che non verrò
•
•
•
•
Non penso che sia vero
Penso che non sia vero
Direi che è falso
Secondo me è falso
Recategorization in translation
•
•
•
•
No smoking → ……………….
No waiting → ……………….
No parking → ……………….
No entry → ……………….
Requests
(oral/written)
Requests are a typical example of different
attitudes in the formulation:
• Shut the door, please
• Keep the window shut, please
• Will you please shut the window
Of course, different formulas can be used in the
SL too, what we have to take into account is
their original formulation and our approach in
translation. How do we behave when
translating?
Denominalization
• As time goes by
Colloquial: Man mano che il tempo passa
But in case of denominalization:
• Con il passare del tempo.
Notice the function of the infinitive: con il passare
and analyze the effect it produces.
• At the end of the day
Colloquial: Alla fine del giorno/della giornata
But in case of denominalization:
• Sul finire del giorno.
Here too, analyze the effect produced by the use of the
infinitive. Is it a verb? What impression does this form
convey?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Recategorization:
adjective+noun → noun+ suffix
use of suffixation (English→Italian)
A nasty word
A nasty look
A nasty temper
A light wind
A tiny box
A big man
Recategorization and sentence
structure
• Though their life was modest they believed
in eating well
• Nonostante vivessero modestamente
amavano tener buona tavola
• There was no sign of Gabriel and his wife
• Gabriel glanced at her
• Ancora non si erano visti né Gabriel né la
moglie
Recategorization and sentence
structure
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gabriel glanced at her
Gabriel le gettò un’occhiata
Listening to the skirts that swept
Intento al fruscio delle vesti
It had gone off in splendid style
Era sempre riuscito splendidamente
Recategorization and sentence
structure
• For an Arab owned her
• Ne era proprietario un arabo
• As the buttons of his overcoat slipped with a
squeaking noise through the snow-stiffened
frieze, a cold fragrant air from out-of-doors
escaped from the crevices and folds.
• Via via che i bottoni uscivano scricchiolando fuor
dal tessuto, la fragranza fredda e pungente
dell’aria esterna sfuggiva dalle pieghe e dalle
aperture del mantello.
snow
stiffened
irrigidito
Morbida
fredda
e
soffice
frieze
(tessuto di
lana morbido
e soffice)
Adjective and adverb
• Nervous, the man opened the parcel
Nervous = adverb
↓
• Nervously, the man opened the parcel
• Nervous= nervously = nervoso =
nervosamente (?)
Recategorizing adverbs in
translation
•
•
•
•
Aunt Kate frowned severely =
Gabriel laughed nervously =
She said, almost testily =
It had gone off in splendid style =
Recategorization of adverbs
• Aunt Kate frowned severely = Zia Kate
aggrottava le sopracciglia severa
• Gabriel laughed nervously = Gabriel rise
nervoso
• She said, almost testily = Disse in tono
un po’ brusco
• It had gone off in splendid style = Era
sempre riuscito splendidamente
Sentence structure
• sentence structure = order in which the elements
appear. This order is common but by no means fixed. It
is a principle of sentence organization that what is
contextually familiar comes early (relatively early) while
the part which has to be emphasized or which conveys
the greatest information is given the prominence of end
focus.
• The normal string is SVO (subject-verb-object)
• The emphatic string stresses other elements of the
sentence.
• Both strings may be used, in English and in Italian.
• Translators in the European Parliament
must meet the highest standards of
accuracy in their work and ensure
consistency with a very large corpus of
documents.
• The highest standards of accuracy must
be ensured (by translators) when working
for the European Parliament.
• Consistency must be ensured when
working with a very large corpus of
documents.
• All documents are checked and proofread by
translators before delivery.
• Translators check and proofread all documents
before delivery.
• The European Council has decided to relaunch
the Lisbon Strategy through a partnership for
growth and jobs.
• The Lisbon Strategy has been relaunched by the
European Council through a partnership for
growth and jobs.
• It is through a partnership for growth and jobs
that the European council has decided to
relaunch the Lisbon Strategy.
English vs Italian
• Use of subject pronoun in Italian
• Use of subject pronoun in English
– I’ll think about it
Ci penso io
Ci penserò
- She said she would come
Ha detto che sarebbe venuta
- I can’t tell him
Non posso dirglielo/Non glielo posso dire
Sentence structure
• Agreement of verb with subject. Different
rules in English and in Italian
– Notional concord (agreement of verb with
subject according to the idea of number rather
than actual presence of grammatical marker
for that idea)
• The government have passed four bills
Italian:
……..
Sentence structure
Proximity principle in concord
(agreement of the verb with noun or
pronoun closely preceding it,
sometimes in preference to agreement
with headword of subject)
• No one except his closest friends
agree with him
• Either my wife or I am going
Italian:
Sentence structure
Attributive adjectives premodify
nouns in English.
And what about Italian?
Le vecchie tubature hanno ceduto
Le tubature vecchie hanno ceduto
Un’esperienza unica (A unique/An
exceptional experience)
Un’unica esperienza (Only one
experience)
Sentence structure
Attributive adjectives premodify
nouns in English.
But what about Italian?
Le vecchie tubature hanno ceduto
Le tubature vecchie hanno ceduto
Un’esperienza unica (A unique/An
exceptional experience)
Un’unica esperienza (Only one
experience)