LEXICAL TRANSFORMATION – THEORY

SECTION 2 (CLIP 2)
1.1. MULTIPLE CHOICE
Read the following questions and choose the correct choice for each of them. Write your answers
in the box below.
You may need to watch Clip 1 from 00:20 to 04:15 one more time for a better completion of this
exercise.

1. Lexical transformation is mostly ______ .

A. Meaning-based
B. Grammar-based
C. Structure-based
D. Syntax-based
2. Using the opposite of the original meaning to translate it, keeping the original idea is called
______.
A. Simile
B. Concretization
C. Generalization
D. Antonymic translation
3. In the translation practice, translators make use of the ______ technique to deal with
polysemantic words such as stuff, thing, do, get, have, etc?
A. Generalization
B. Concretization
C. Antonymic translation
D. Analogy
4. Which is a misbelief about lexical transformation?
A. Using a dictionary to find equivalents may not be useful enough.
B. Translating the just meaning of the original lexical unit may be the only solution.
C. There is always a completely similar equivalent in the target language.
D. It is important to select a lexical translation option that is intelligible and natural for target
readers.
5. Which one is not a category of lexical transformation?
A. Metaphor
B. Analogy
C. Antonymic translation
D. Transposition

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 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

1.2. TRUE – FALSE

Read the following statements and decide whether they are True or False. Write T or F in the
blanks beside the numbers.
You may need to watch Clip 1 from 04:30 to 07:00 one more time for a better completion of this
exercise.

_____ 1. Similie and Analogy have the same concept and practice.
_____ 2. Simile is recognizable by the comparison markers ‘as…as…’ or ‘like’.
_____ 3. We can easily find an equivalent in the target language culture to the simile in the
source text.
_____ 4. Simie is a fundamental figure of speech used in poetry and also common in news
writing.
_____ 5. Applying generalization and concretization in translation may require addition and
omission that belong to grammatical transformation.

1.3. MATCHING
Read the phrases in Column 1 carefully and match them with their transformations in Column 2.
Write your answers in the blanks beside the numbers.
You may need to watch Clip 1 from 07:00 to 10:20 one more time for a better completion of this
exercise.

_____ 1. Can be seen as the opposite technique of concretization. A. Generalization

_____ 2. Can be seen as a way of relating and comparing two B. Concretization
entities.
C. Simile
_____ 3. Involving the replacement of words and phrases with their
D.Antonymic translation
opposite-meaning words.
_____ 4. Transforming abstract nouns and vague verbs in the
source text into more concrete and specific equivalents.
_____ 5. Is quite often mistaken for metaphor.

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