Translation of Idioms by Choosing Near Equivalents

The meaning of a considerable number of phrase idioms and sentence idioms originating in both languages from a common source may sometimes have, unlike absolute equivalents, one or even most of their components different, than in the target language. Hence, the quality of their images is not identical either, though not necessarily their picturesqueness and expressiveness (if any): baker's/printer's dozen чортова дюжина; the devil is not so black as he is painted не такий дідько/чорт страшний, як його малюють; a lot of water had flown/run under the bridge багато води спливло відтоді; love is the mother of love любов породжує любов; too much knowledge makes the head bald від великих знань голова лисіє; in broad daylight серед білого дня; as short as a dog's tail короткий, як осінній день; as pale as paper блідий мов стіна, measure twice, cut once сім раз одміряй, один раз одріж.

The slight divergences in the near equivalents as compared with the source language idioms can manifest themselves also in some other aspects, as for example:

a) in the structure of the target language variant (cf. to make a long story short сказати коротко);

b) in the omission (or adding) of a componental part in the target language (cf. a lot of water had run under the bridge since then багато води спливло відтоді);

c) in the substitution of a feature (or image) of the source lan­guage phraseological/idiomatic expression for some other (more fit­ting or traditionally expected) in the target language: as pale as paper блідий мов стіна; to know smth. as one knows his ten fingers знати як свої п'ять пальців; everything is good in its season все добре в свій час (cf. добра ложка до обіду);

d) in the generalization of the features of the source language idiomatic expression: one's own flesh and bone рідна кровинка;

e) in the concretization of some features of the original: a voice in the wilderness mac волаючого в пустелі; you can not catch an old bird with chaff старого горобця на полові не впіймаєш; to follow like St. Anthony's рід ходити (за кимось) як тінь/переслідувати когось.

Similar componental substitutions, both semantic and struc­tural, can be observed in regular standardized collocations and in com­parative proverbs or saying as: to do harm завдати шкоди; to do one's duty виконувати свій обов'язок; to throw/shed light проливати світло; (as) busy as a bee працьовитий, мов бджола; (as) slippery as an eel слизький як в'юн; as cool as a cucumber незворушний, абсолютно спокійний; golden opportunity чудова можливість, toshed crocodile's tears плакати крокодилячими слізьми.

Therefore, faithful translation may be achieved by different meth­ods. Moreover, it must be evident now that «translating by means of loans» may refer to any method of rendering phraseologisms/idioms which are or may become regular loans in the target language.

In other words, translation of idiomatic expressions «by means of loans» does not always fully justify the essence of the term as such.