Lecture № 3: Equivalence

1. Translation Equivalence

Equivalence is the reproduction of a SL text by TL means. It is a degree of similarity between

source and target texts, measured on a certain level. The source and target texts can be identical
pragmatically, semantically and structurally.
Every text should be equivalent to the source text pragmatically, which means that the both
texts should have one and the same communicative function.

Semantic identity means describing the same situation using the same lexical meaning units and
similar grammatical meaning of elements.

Structural similarity presupposes the closest possible formal correspondence between the
source text and the target text.

2. Types of Equivalence
Equivalence implies variability and therefore several types of equivalence can be distinguished.

First Type – Formal Equivalence. Ex: Children go to school every morning.

The content, the structure of the sentence and the semantic components are similar. Each element
of the SL text has a corresponding one in the TL text.

Second Type – Partial Correspondence Equivalence.

Pragmatic Equivalence

First of all, the translation must retain the same communicative function as the source text. R.
Jacobs enumerated the following speech functions:

• informative function, i.e. conveying information.

•emotive function, i.e. expressing the speaker’s emotions.

• conative function, i.e. expressing one’s will.

• phatic function, i.e. making communicative contact.

• metalingual function, i.e. describing language features.

• Poetic function, i.e. aesthetic impact.

Semantic Paraphrase

Dealing with the transformation of meaning implies a semantic paraphrase of the source
language utterance. For example:

1.Some words of the source language sentence are paraphrased in translation

2.Or the target sentence can express the idea in more detail than the source language language
sentence.
 The source and target sentences have the same aim, they describe the same situations, and their
meanings are approximately identical, while their grammar structures are different
The second is Transformational Equivalence
This equivalence presupposes retention of the utterance function, the description of the same
situation, the same meaning of the source and target sentences, and a very close (but
variable) grammatical meaning.

Third Type – Situational or Factual Equivalence.

Situational equivalence is observed when the same phenomenon is described in a different

way because it is seen from a different angle, e.g. The police cleared the streets. (Полиция
разогнала демонстрацию.)

3.Levels of Equivalence
Equivalence may occur at different linguistic levels: phonetic, word building, morphological,
at word level, at phrase level, at sentence level and finally at text level.
1. Phonetic level of Equivalence

This level of equivalence is not common and is of primary importance only in poetic
translation.

2. Word-building Level of Equivalence e.g.: irresponsible – безответственный;

unpredictable – непредсказуемый;

3. Morphological Level of Equivalence

e.g.: The report’s proposals were handed to a political committee. (Предложения доклада
были переданы политическому комитету.)

4 . Equivalence at Word Level

e.g.: She clasped her hands round her handbag. (Agatha Christie).

Она крепко сжала в руках свою сумочку.

5.Equivalence of Phrase Level

Equivalence at phrase level is of two kinds: a SL word corresponds to a TL phrase

a SL phrase corresponds to a TL word .

6.Equivalence at Sentence Level. It occurs: a) in phraseology – two is company, three is

none – третий лишний;

b) in orders and regulations – keep off the grass – по газону не ходить.

7.Equivalence at Text Level . It is usual in the translation of poetry .

A strict observance of equivalence at all levels ensures a similar reaction on the part of the S and
T language receptors and can be achieved by means of functional substitutions.