Fairy tales, along with their film and video adaptations, have become a massive

industry today. They produce writings that are rich in linguistic figures that are filled with
value-forming associative meaning. As such, they constitute a topic of linguistic study in
which comparative studies across languages such as Russian, French, German, and English
have been conducted, but there is no structured data-base for Bulgarian emotional language
and its projections into English. Although children's language has long been studied, there
has been little research into the comparative worth of such crucial characteristics of fairy tale
language as diminutives.

It is worthwhile to investigate folktale language because it symbolizes the oral

tradition in storytelling and reflects people's national, cultural, social, and linguistic
distinctions. The study of distinctions in the language of writings intended to young
audiences is expected to provide hints for further understanding the nature of human
culture, therefore contributing to its general modeling.

Also, because fairy tales are the first literature (oral and written) that children are
exposed to in their lives, it is worthwhile to investigate folktale language. Fairy tales, as a
result, give the earliest model of conduct, attitude, and relationships.

Folklore has remained viable in all genres of literature, both in terms of contribution
to general knowledge and intellectual, social, and moral growth, as well as universal appeal
to the emotions. Many masterpieces of modern literature, theatre, and other creative forms
are based on these stories. There is a growing trend among translators to be concerned with
fairy tales. Their work has unquestionably helped Vietnamese readers in general, and
youngsters in particular, understand more about English literature.

Many translation procedures have been used in order to get great results. Readers of
translational fairy tales can understand either a portion or the complete story. However,
typical traits indicating cultural and social factors have not been translated effectively in
such translational versions to some extent. Now let’s analyze Armenian folk tales translated
into English and see what translation techniques are used.

Թագավորի այգում Անմահական խնձորի մի ծառ կար:

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 An Apple-Tree of Immortality grew in his garden and what a garden it was! Trees and
flowers from all over the world.

When structural and conceptual features of the source language may be transferred to
the target language direct translation techniques are used.

As we can see, the passage is translated with the help of calque. The phrase
Անմահական խնձորի մի ծառ was translated into English literally word-for-word. Also we
have word order change. Besides that the translator also added some extra information about
the king’s garden which doesn’t exist in Source language.

Այ հեր, էս տարի թող ես պահեմ խնձորի ծառը, գուցե կարենամ էդ խնձորի

գողին բռնեմ

Let me guard the Apple-Tree this year and when I lay my hands on the man who has
been stealing our apples I'll tear him to pieces.

Here we have again word order change. It's worth also mentioning that in this
passage oblique translation techniques are udes. When the structural or conceptual
components of the source language cannot be directly translated without affecting meaning
or disrupting the grammatical and stylistic characteristics of the destination language,
oblique translation techniques are utilized.

Here we have modulation. Modulation consists of using a phrase that is different in

the source and target languages to convey the same idea. Այ հեր which if literaly translated
will be ''oh father'' doesn't translated into English but the translated passage conveys the
same meaning.

Հենց էն էր առավոտը որ լուսանար պիտի քաղեր, տաներ տար հորը,

լուսադեմին քունը տանում է: Էն կողմից մի դև գալիս է շուլալվում ծառին, խնձորներն
ուտում, գնում: Տղան աչքը բաց է անում մտիկ անում ծառին, տեսնում է ծառը
դատարկ:

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 On the last night, when the apples were ripe and he intended to pick them the next
morning, his eyes grew heavy with sleep. By midnight he was fast asleep and when he woke
in the morning he saw that not a single apple was left on the Tree, it was stripped bare again.

In this passage adaptation is used. When something distinctive to one language

culture is presented in a completely different form that is familiar or suitable to another
language culture, this is referred to as adaptation. It is a change in the cultural context.

Մյուս տարի փոքր տղան է ոգևորվում, խնդրում հորը, որ թույլ տա իրեն

խնձորները հսկել:

-Այ որդի,-ասում է թագավորը,-քո եղբայրներն ի՞նչ արեցին, որ դու ինչ անես:

Then the king's youngest son said: ''O Father, it's now my turn to guard the Apple-
Tree.''

''O my son, how can you expect to catch the thief when your older brothers tried and
failed.

In this passage again we have modulation, although the translated passage isn't the
same, but it conveys the same meaning.

Աղբրի գլխին մի բարձր ծառ է լինում։ Էս ծառը որ տեսնում է՝ իրեն—իրեն միտք է

անում․

— Հիմի որ ես մարդի գնամ ու մի որդի ունենամ, անունն էլ դնենք Կիկոս։ Կիկոսը

գա էս ծառին բարձրանա ու վեր ընկնի, քարովը դիպչի մեռնի․․․

— Վա՜յ, Կիկոս ջան, վա՜յ․․․

Տեղնուտեղը ծառի տակին նստում է, սկսում է սուգ անել։

Գընացի մարդի,

Ունեցա որդի,

Գըդակը պոպոզ,

Անունը Կիկոս․

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 Վեր ելավ ծառին,

Ցած ընկավ քարին․․․

Վա՜յ, Կիկոս ջան,

Վա՜յ, որդի ջան․․․

The spring was at the bottom of a glen, shaded by a large tree. The girl filled her
pitcher, then looked up at the tree, looked down with horror at the rock under it, and
sighed:

''I'll marry some day and have a son and christen him Kikos. I'll make a nice lambskin
cap for my boy, and one day he will come to this spring and climb this tree and fall down on
this rock and be killed. Oh, woe is me, darling Kikos, how could I be your mother and not
cry?''

In the following passage we have adaptation. The Armenian culture is expressed in

English in different way which is familiar to their culture.

Մերն սպասում է, սպասում, տեսնում է չեկավ, միջնեկ աղջկանն է ղրկում։ Ասում է․

— Գնա՛ մի տես, քույրդ ընչի ուշացավ։
''The devil take her, where is your sister? I have to knead the dough to bake bread,''
the mother said to her middle daughter, and sent her to the spring to see what happened.

As we can see, the source and target languages are completely different. So we can
surely say that again the translator used adaptation.

Տերտերն էլ, կատակի համար, մի փալասի կտորի վրա գրում է.

Անհաղթ հերոս Քաջըն Նազար,

Որ մին զարկի՝ ջարդի հազար։

Նազարս էս փալասի կտորը մի փետի ծերի ամրացնում է, մի ժանգոտած թրի կտոր

կապում մեջքը, իրենց հարևանի իշին նստում ու գյուղից հեռանում։

The priest wrote as a joke:

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Mighty Dezhiko as all warriors know

Can slay seven souls by a single blow

Dezhiko pasted the paper between the horns of the cow and took to the road again.

First of all, the name of the hero Nazar was translated as Dezhniko, since the English culture
isn't familiar with this name. in this passage the translator used compensation technique. In
general terms compensation can be used when something cannot be translated, and the
meaning that is lost is expressed somewhere else in the translated text. The translation was
done keeping the cultural aspects of the Target language. Secondly, in the source language
there was a donkey, and in the target language it was translated as “cow”.
Քույրը մեծ էր, ոնց որ լիներ
Կըհամբերեր արևին,
Բայց ախպերը փոքրիկ էր դեռ,
Չէր դիմանում ծարավին:
The girl was old enough not to complain, but the little boy cried for water.
As we can see from the above mentioned passage, the source language and target language
have both similarities and differences.
The phrase “Կըհամբերեր արևին” was translated into English as “not to complain”. The
translator again used modulation.
Գընում են, գընում, տեսնում են ճամփին
Կովի ոտնատեղ՝ մեջը լիքը ջուր:
«Քուրի՛կ ջան, քուրիկ, ես շատ եմ ծարավ,
Ի՜նչ կըլի թողնես խըմեմ մի պուճուր»:

— Չէ՛, ախպեր ջան, չէ՛, դու կով կըդառնաս,

Կովի կճղակի տեղից մի՛ խըմի.
Մի քիչ էլ կացի… քիչ էլ որ կենաս,
Առաջներըս պաղ աղբյուր կա հիմի:
He saw water in a cow’s hoof print, and said: “Sister, may I drink this water? I am dying of
thirst.
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“No, no, don’t you dare drink that water, you will turn into a calf! Be patient for a little
longer and we are sure to come to a spring and then you can drink all you want.”
In this passage the translator added some extra information which doesn’t exist in source
language. For example in the source language there’s not any information how thirsty they
were and the brother doesn’t tell that he is dying of thirst. Then in the translation the
translator turned the phrase “cow” into a “calf”.
«Բայց չէ որ, Մանուշ, քու եղբայրն է նա,
Ո՞նց ես նըրա միսն ուզում դու հիմա…»
— Ի՞նչ անեմ, ինձնից նա ազիզ հո չի՞.
Ես որ մեռնում եմ, թող նա էլ կորչի…
“But you told me the lamb is your brother! Do you want me to butcher your own brother?”
“What can I do my king? One’s own life is even more precious than a brother’s life. I hope
my life means more to you than a lamb’s.”

Here it’s worth mentioning that we have an idiom “ինձնից նա ազիզ հո չի” which
means that someone worths his life more that anyone else’s. So, we can say that the
translator used Reformulation or Equivalence. This translation technique is used to express
something in a completely different way, for example when translating idioms or advertising
slogans. The process is creative, but not always easy.

Thus, to conclude, it should be said that the translation of fairy tales is not an easy
process. The translator must analyze and study both source and target cultures in order to
translate correctly and closely.

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