Componential analysis-based assessment of contextually appropriate equivalent words in the Romanian translations of EU legislation

Abstract

IntroductionIs the first translation choice that comes our mind the most appropriate one in rendering the meaning intended by the ST producer? We believe that in most cases a second thought is desirable. With reference this issue, componential analysis as translation procedure can play a useful part in the translation process in order find the best context-appropriate TL equivalent words which hardly come up at the first try.Generally speaking, componential analysis is seen as a means of analyzing words in terms of their semantic components referred as minimal distinctive by Leech (1974: 96).Pym (2010: 11) situates componential analysis among theories of equivalence and explains that it has the aim list all the functions and values associated with a source-text item, and then see how many of them are found in the target side equivalent.Nida (1975: 111) considers that it is impossible compare all the meanings of a series of words in a single componential analysis, thus we should restrict the analysis the particular meanings of the words which occur within the same general semantic domain. To make it clear, the linguist gives the example of restricting the meanings of run, walk, hop, skip and crawl activity of a person involved in physical movement through space. He also suggests that it is essential distinguish between three types of components when applying componential analysis a set of related meanings. These components are: common components (common all the meaning in the set), diagnostic components (essential distinguish between the meanings) and supplementary components (additional features important for an extensive of a meaning) (ibid.: 112).Componential analysis in translation is discussed by Newmark (1988: 114), who explains that, as translation procedure, CA means to compare an SL word with a TL word which has a similar meaning, but is not an obvious one-to-one equivalent, by demonstrating first their common and then their differing sense components. The meaning of the SL word is specific, so the translator must add one or two TL sense components the TL word find a closer approximation of meaning. This translation procedure has the aim to achieve t he greatest possible accuracy, being more precise and limiting than paraphrase or definition (ibid.: 117).Newmark (1988: 117-123) reviews seven uses of CA in translation: (1) dealing with words that indicate a lexical gap in the TL; (2) translating cultural words difficult understand by the TL readers; (3) differentiating SL synonyms in context; (4) distinguishing the meanings of SL cultural sets or series; (5) analyzing conceptual terms; (6) translating neologisms; (7) dealing with words that are considered symbols of untranslatability and cultural consciousness.Bilingual Corpus-based StudyAlthough componential analysis as translation procedure is mainly approached in case of the translation of words that are specific different cultures (Eesa 2006; Shivaei, & Dastjerdi 2011), it can also be useful for the translation of words that are not culture-bound. Moreover, componential analysis can be the basis of an assessment as regards the choice that has been made for a particular TL equivalent word, by means of identifying which sense components might have led this translation solution, even though it is not always the result of a componential analysis carried out by the translator, but merely an intuitive and/or experience-based choice.The present discussion can also be regarded as a model for a starting point in teaching componential analysis as translation procedure, based on relevant examples. The first step is identifying the ST word and its TT equivalent word which might be the result of a componential analysis, followed by the step of pointing out the sense components of the respective ST and TT words and the final step of determining the reasons which might have triggered the choice for that particular TL equivalent word. …