MOSTOVI 1/1992/XXVII 7
sw^eoaev/coo gh/a\oooso
Alan McConnell Duff
Beyond the Dictionary
a survey of some recurrent problems in Slovene-English translation
Česar ni v slovarju
pregled nekaterih najpogostejših vprašanj pri slovensko-angleškem
prevajanju
Članek obravnava specifične težave s katerimi se slovenski strokovni prevajalci danes srečujejo
pri svojem delu. Avtor se je osredotočil na tisto vrsto prevajalskih problemov, ki se ne dajo rešiti s
pomočjo slovarja ali strokovnjaka, ki se spozna samo na določeno področje, ne pa tudi na jezik,
nasvete prevajalcem pa je podkrepil z avtentičnimi primeri iz svoje prevajalske prakse. Članek je
razdeljen na tri poglavja. Prvo govori o prevajalskih težavah na besedni ravni. Avtor obravnava
slovenske besede, kot so "predstavljati," "namreč," "edinstven," "oziroma," 'V okviru," ki se največkrat
ne morejo dobesedno prevajati v angleščino. Drugo poglavje obravnava stavčno strukturo ali
skladnjo. Avtor ugotavlja, da se skladnja slovenskega stavka ne ujema s skladnjo angleškega, to pa
je vzrok za netočnosti v prevodu. Prevajalcu daje nasvete, kam v prevedenem angleškem stavku
postaviti glagol, kako pravilno poudariti angleški stavkek in kako učinkovito uporabiti vrinjeni stavek.
Tretje poglavje je posvečeno pomenu in obravnava vprašanja gostobesednosti, nejasnosti, dvoum¬
nosti in nepopolnosti prevoda.
INTRODUCTION
The aim of this paper is to gather together,
and synthesize, some of the experience I have
gained over several years of vvorking with trans-
lators in Slovenia.
The examples quoted are dravvn mainly from
material used at various translation seminars
and courses, mainly those organized by the
Ekonomska fakulteta, DZTPS, and Krka. Ali ex-
amples are authentic and ali (but for one) are
dravvn from Slovene sources. For reasons of
confidentiality these sources are not named;
and, in order to keep the text as short as pos-
sible, the Slovene original is only occasionally
guoted.
As I hope the title may suggest, this paper
deals mainly with questions vvhich cannot be
resolved directly by Consulting the dictionary or
reference vvorks. Although the matters we will be
discussing cannot easily be pinned down under
a single heading, since there will always be
overlap betvveen the areas (e.g. punctuation,
word order, meaning), I have nevertheless tried
to give coherence to the material by arranging it
under three main headings: VVords, Structure,
Meaning. Each section begins with some brief
general remarks follovved by specific illustra-
tions.
In the examples, heavy type is used to indi-
cate vvhere the problems lie, and in most cases
a possible Revvording is offered.
8 MOSTOV11/1992/XXVII
This rewording is intended as a suggestion, not
as a definitive solution.
I am aware that, in this short space, I could do
no more than touch upon the questions that "lie
beyondthe dictionary“. I hope, however, that the
examples given may serve as a useful “check-
list" tor transiators.
Fina!ly, i should like to add that my purpose in
vvriting this paper was to be constructive rather
than critical. Only lack of space has prevented
me from discussing some of the many ex-
amples of good - indeed, excellent - translation I
have come across in my work. This, I hope, may
be the theme of a future paper.
I. VVORDS
General
To begin with, I should like to touch upon
some of the words and expressions which are
overused, or incorrectly used, in Slovene-
English translation. 1 These are vvords which, be-
cause they so frequently occur in SL texts, are
often automatically translated by the nearest
dictionary equivalent: namreč/namely,
edinstven/unique, hkrati/simultaneously, at the
same time, predstavlja/represents, etc.
What I have in mind here are not vvords vvhich
are sometimesdifficulttotranslate (e.g. nosilec,
podoba), but rather vvords vvhich are deceptive-
ly easy to translate and vvhich, for this very
reason, may distort the sentence (in
English),e.g.
• Our spa is a unique one for its medical and
tourist offer is based on four natural resour-
ces.
• The nevv collection of Elan skis is made by
high technology production principles due
to vvhich the requests and needs of con-
sumers can better be satisfied.
Although vve have no difficulty in under-
standing these sentences, a more natural
vvording in English might be:
• Our spa, vvith its four natural resources, of-
fers/provides an exceptional combination of
medical and tourist facilities.
• The nevv, high-technology Elan skis are
guaranteed to satisfy the requirements of
even the most demanding customers.
This leads us, then, to a general question:
vvhat are the main strategies for dealing vvith SL
influence at the lexical level?
I suggest that they are:
i Revvording/re-thinking
ii Substitution
iii Omission
To illustrate this, let me take three typical ex-
amples of the (mis)use of a particular vvord:
namely.
i The advantages of omeprazole over
ramitidine vvere particularly evident in
patients vvho vvere concomitantly treated
vvith non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents.
This therapy had namely no effect on the
efficacy of omeprazole, but it significant!y
reduced the efficacy of ranitidine.
ii The chiidren shovved significant clinical
improvement, namely a full vvinter season
passed vvithout any serious problems.
iii The documents expected by Dr. K vvill
be duly sent, namely in accordance vvith
the requirements of points 2-4 of your letter.
In thefirst example, revvording is needed, e.g.
While this therapy had no adverse effect on the
efficacy of omeprazole, it did significantly
reduce the effect of ranitidine. In the second,
namely could be replaced by the simple con-
nective - and. In the third example, namely can
simply be omitted.
Here, a general point may be made, vvhich is
this: dictionary equivalents for specific vvords
can be misleading because they do not always
indicate the frequency of use of the vvord in the
respective languages. In this čase, the English
usage is more restrictive than the Slovene;
namely (in English) is used almost exclusively
to specify particular details, as here:
We believe the key elements on vvhich our
UK success is built - namely, lovv expenses,
high quality staff, and innovative products
- can be exported.
(The Equitable Life Assurance Society)
Let us take, briefly, one more set of examples
in vvhich the same strategies might be used.
Here, the focal vvord is represent(s):
MOSTOV11/1992/XXVII 9
i In the domestic trade, more than 50
per cent of actual sales represent wood
and building materials, and the rest building
and engineering Services.
Revvording: In the domestic trade, more
than 50 per cent of actual sales derive
from wood and building materials, and the
remainder from building and engineering
Services.
ii The TDC (Time-Date Clock) represents
a microprocessor-designed time system for
displaying of time and date.
Revvording: The TDC is a microprocessor-
designed system for time and date display.
iii Very good results with Danazol were
obtained, particularly in the treatment of
endometriosis and of other diseases, such
as gynecomastia, vvhere it represents the
only possible medication.
Revvording: ... and of other diseases, such
as gynecomastia, for vvhich it is the only
possible medication.
Some further examples
One area in vvhich SL influence on choice of
vvords is particularly evident is that of letter vvrit-
ing. If the tone of the translation is not quite right
(too formal, too informal, too vague, etc.) it is
often because vvords or expressions vvhich are
quite acceptable in Siovene have been
rendered into English on a one-to-one basis.
For instance: s tem pismom/by this letter,
Lepo Vas prosim(o)/We kindly ask you, Kot
Vam je znan/As you knovv, etc. Belovv are some
typical examples:
• By this letter I vvould like to confirm part of
the discussions we had in Biochemie on 20
November.
Revvording: I am vvriting to confirm/recapitu-
late part of the discussions vve had at
Biochemie ...
• I ask you kindly to contact the Ministry for
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia for
further arrangement of your visit.
Revvording: For further arrangements,
please contact/you are requested to contact
the Ministry ...
(Note: the word kindly, in English, is not
quite as "kind" as it looks! It tends to sound
very formal, even rather cold.)
• We kindly ask you to let us knovv, if there is a
possibility of buying from you cleaning
products... in bulk.
Revvording: Could you please let us knovv
if vve vvill be able to buy from you ...
• Please understand this letter as the begin-
ning of our cooperation.
Revvording: We trust/hope that this letter
may mark the beginning of our cooperation.
It must, hovvever, be added that certain stand¬
ard expressions in formal vvriting can - and even
should - be translated by the closest English
equivalent, e.g. Čast mi je, da Vas lahko ob¬
vestim/l have the honour of informing you that,
..., To priložnost bi želel izkoristiti tudi za
povabilo, da v primernem času obiščete
Republiko Slovenijo./I should also like to take
this opportunity of inviting you to visit the
Republic of Slovenia at your earliest con-
venience. Even in formal language, hovvever,
some flexibility must be maintained. An expres-
sion such as Prepričan sem, for instance, is
probably not best translated by a dictionary
equivalent such as "I am convinced that...", e.g.
• Prepričan sem, da se bo po vzpostavitvi
diplomatskih odnosov med ... in Republiko
Slovenijo sodelovanje med državama še
okrepilo.
Here, several openings are possible in
English: I am persuaded that/l firmly believe
that/or, more simply - and this vvould be my
preference - "I feel sure that the establishment of
full diplomatic relations betvveen ... and the
Republic of Slovenia vvill lead to the further
strengthening of relations betvveen our two
states“(or, the further strengthening of mutual
relations).
There is space here to mention only in pass-
ing certain other expressions vvhich frequently
recur in translation, and vvhich might be
avoided, altered or omitted. For instance:
• This article deals vvith the process of political
modernization in the trame of Slovenia
during the last decade.
Revvording: omit the trame of...
10 MOSTOVI 1/1992/XXVII
• In the second part of the eighties, the old
liberals of the seventies started to revitalize
their ideas. Parallel to this, the old liberals
initiated the co-opting of the new, younger
generation of politicians.
Rewording: At the same time, they began
co-opting ...
• Our research work is oriented to the theory
and application of modern methods of Com¬
puter control as well as to modeliing and
simulation of dynamic processes. Sig-
nificant stress is given also to the develop-
ment of a... computer-aided programme.
Revvording: oriented tovvards; Importance
is also being given to ...
• The contracting parties agree to intensify
progressively and continuously mutual
cooperation concurrently with extending it
also to other similar products.
Revvording: and to extend this cooperation
to ...
Note: In translation, it is often preferable
to repeat a noun - cooperation - than to
use a vaguer referential word such as it
or this.)
• The Laboratory is involved also in colour
Vision and texture analysis. Some work is
dedicated also to areas related to Computer
Vision.
Revvording: The Laboratory is also involved
in colour Vision and texture analysis, and
in areas related to Computer Vision.
• A step forvvard is also the highly condensed
core substance beneath the feet. It
diminishes persistency along the longitudinal
axis, due to vvhich the skis behave well also
in extreme conditions. A novelty are also the
profiled laminates.
Revvording: A further step forvvard is the
highly condensed core substance beneath
the feet, vvhich diminishes persistency along
the longitudinal axis. As a result, the skis
behave well even in extreme conditions.
Yet another novelty is the profiled laminate.
As I hope may be seen from these few ex-
amples, it is possible to detect in Slovene-
English translation certain patterns ih vvord
usage vvhich clearly derive directly from the SL,
and vvhich - because they are often repeated,
and may thefore seem correct - tend to pass un-
noticed.
II. STRUCTURE
General
Here we shall be mainly concerned with
vvord order, and with allied questions such as:
punctuation, sentence linkers (vendarle, torej,
čeprav etc.), and mixed structures or mis-con-
structions.
Let us now, briefly, survey the terrain.
Word order is crucial to a proper under-
standing of the text. It is, in a sense, the "back-
bone" of the translation. The problem is that the
backbone of the Slovene sentence may not
match that of the English sentence, and vice
versa. Thus an accurate translation my stili be
hard to understand, on account of the complex
vvord order. As here:
• In the area of dynamics, the povver system
medium and long term stability in the frame of
dynamic security assessment and voitage is
studied.
A sentence such as this vvould be much easier
to understand if the main points were clarified by
a change of vvord order, e.g.:
• In the area of dynamics, studies are being
made on the medium- and long-term stability
of the povver system in the assessment of
dynamic security and voitage.
VVhat we have here, I think, is an example of the
often-encountered conflict betvveen Slovene
and English syntax: technical expressions (per-
haps even quotations?) in English, such as "the
povver system medium and long term stability",
are occasionally introduced into a sentence in
vvhich they do not quite fit.
Another common error in vvord order is that of
misplaced reference or association, as in these
tvvo medical examples:
• In patients vvith impaired renal function, the
quinolones pertain to advantageous drugs
for treatment of infections due to their lovv
toxicity.
MOSTOV11/1992/XXVII 11
Revvording: ... the quinolones, due to their
low toxicity, pertain to advantageous drugs.
• In patients with high blood pressure the
therapy with diuretics should be
withdrawn for at least 2-3 days prior to treat-
ment with ENAP, if possible, otherwise the
risk of hypotension is increased.
Rewording: ... the therapy with diuretics
should, if possible, be withdrawn ...
Punctuation could be described as "the
good manners" of vvriting, an act of courtesy
tovvards the reader. Its importance should not
be underestimated. A small comma, for in¬
stance, can make a great difference. Compare:
"The use of vvashing povvders vvhich contain
bleach should be avoided", and "The use of
vvashing povvders, vvhich contain bleach, should
be avoided." Or: "I said nothing vvhich I regret"
and "I said nothing, vvhich I regret".
In translation from Slovene, one of the com-
monest punctuation errors is the misuse of the
comma (in English) follovving the SL usage: ver¬
jamemo, da ... upam, da, etc. For instance:
• We hope, you vvill be interested in such
cooperation.
• We believe, that there is an appropriate
demand for such products on our market.
A further, more complex error involves the
vvrong combination of punctuation marks, thus
disrupting the structure of the sentence:
• In the lovver urinary tract bacterial infections
vve vvill continue to use only the uroantiseptic
quinolones - except in pregnancy, in addition
to... trimethoprim sulfonamides.
Revvording: In the treatment of bacterial
infections of the lovver urinary tract vve vvill
- except in pregnancy - continue to use
only the uroantiseptic quinolones, in addi¬
tion to trimethoprim sulfonamides.
The advantage of the double dash - par-
ticularly in technical vvriting - is that it allovvs for
incidental information to be included vvithout
disrupting the main flovv of the sentence.
Although much more could be said on this
subject2 , I shall restrict myself to just one
general remark. In texts vvhich contain complex
groups of vvords, the translator should assist the
reader by using punctuation to make the sense
clear. Here are tvvo examples:
• In collaboration with other research groups a
general purpose block oriented graphical in-
teractive package was developed.
Reformulation: In collaboration vvith other
research groups, a general purpose block-
oriented graphical interactive package vvas
developed.
• In experimental studies for the measurement
of phagocytosis and intracellular activity
PMNL and alveolar macrophages of rodents
vvere used.
Reformulation: a comma is needed after
activity.
Structure If vve disregard straightforvvard er¬
rors of language (e.g. misuse of tenses), then
the most common structural defects in transla¬
tion vvould seem to be:
i Mixed structures
ii Incomplete structures
iii SL-influenced structures
iv Structures resulting in mis-placed em-
phasis
Let us consider four characteristic examples.
i Mixed structures
• Various institutions are taking advantage
of the photometric equipment of the
Laboratory for testing, controlling, and
comparisons of different instruments
engaged in measurements of lighting sys-
tems.
Revvording: Various institutions are
taking advantage (of the facilities) of the
Laboratory for the testing, control and
comparison of the various instruments
used in the measurement of lighting
systems. (Or: ... for testing, controlling
and comparing the various instruments
...)
Note: Many native speakers make the
same error, i.e. that of mixing verbal or
gerundive forms (testing) vvith nouns
(comparison). We can also detect SL
influence in the (unnecessary) use of
the plural: comparisons, measurements.
12 MOSTOV11/1992/XXVII
ii Incomplete structures
• The results of this study suggest that
enalapril has at least an equal and
probably better antihypertensive effect
than propranolol ... Our findings with the
systemic quinolones convince us that they
are as effective or even more effective
than the currently available oral an-
tibiotics.
Rewording: ... enalapril has an antihyper-
tensive effect which is at least equal to
- and probably better than - that of
propranalol. ... convince us that they are
as effective as - or even more effective
than - the currently available oral an-
tibiotics.
Note: This is a further example of the
usefulness of the double dash for inter-
jections.
iii SL-influenced structures
• (Otoški biser je grad iz 13. stoletja, ki leži
na majhnem otoku sredi Krke in čigar
okolica je tako čudovita, da prevzame še
tako zahtevnega obiskovalca. Popeljali se
boste lahko s čolnom po reki krki, ki nudi
tudi ostale pogoje za rekreacijo:...)
The pearl of Otočec is the Castle on a
Krka islet dating back from the 13th
century with its wonderful surroundings
overcoming even the very fastidious
visitor. You wi!l be able to ride in a
boat on the Krka river offering also
other facilities for recreation: ...
Rewording: ... with its vvonderful sur¬
roundings, which would impress even
the most exigent/demanding visitor.
There are also many facilities for recrea¬
tion, including: boat-rides on the river
Krka, ...
Note: The translator has, in fact, tried
to avoid the influence of the SL text,
but this has led to confusion of structures
in the English ("surroundings overcoming
... Krka river offering").
iv Mis-placed emphasis
• We make packaging that envelops,
protects and attracts the eye.
Revvording: We make packaging that
not only protects the product, but also
— attracts the eye.
Note: Although the language of adven-
tising is, in a sense, “special", this ex-
ample reminds us of an important point:
if there are several verbs and nouns in
the same sentence, make sure that the
relations betvveen them are clear.
To conclude this section, special mention
should be made of a problem familiar to most
translators: vvhere to plače the verb? (or, where
should the verb be placed?). This question is
particularly relevant to the translation of scien-
tific and academic articles. Consider, for in¬
stance, this typical translation:
• Planned are research and application of
neural netvvorks on the field of sensors ... Be-
side this, study of mutual interferences be¬
tvveen nonionizing radiations and biologic
systems... is conducted.
Revvording: Future plans include research
and application of ... In addition, studies
are being conducted on/into mutual inter¬
ferences ...
Note: In this respect, i.e. linking a list of
items to the main verb, Slovene is perhaps
more flexible than English. As the example
above shovvs, the English verb (or participle)
- vvhether in first or in final position - is
often "unhappy". We cannot begin a sen¬
tence (though I often wish we could!) with
expressions such as: planned are, studied
are, demonstrated are ... Thus, some form
of inversion or re-wording is required, e.g.
future plans include, the research invol-
ves studies on, the main points
demonstrated are: ... etc.
Conversely, if the verb (is conducted)
comes right at the end of the sentence, it
usually comes too late, and must be shifted
to an earlier position.
One final word of advice to translators: when-
everyou incorporate into yourwork expressions
MOSTOVI 1/1992/XXVII 13
or formulations dravvn from journals published
in English, make sure that they fit properly into
the structure of your own text.
III MEANING
"Oh yes, he means what he says, but
does he say vvhathe means?"
(comment on a British poiitician)
If we set aside the fact that the SL text may be
defective - as translators (often justifiably) might
claim - it vvould seem that most confusion over
meaning is due rather to faulty structure than to
misunderstanding of the sense.
For convenience, we shall consider typical er-
rors under three general headings:
i Structural defects
ii Overtranslation/Undertranslation
iii Ambiguity
i Structural defects
These range from minor points of language -
e,g. omission of the article, faulty word order or
punctuation - to complex questions, such as the
sequence of thought. Two examples:
• (Inthis paper) few design examples illustrat-
ing the capabilities of an expert design CAD
tool are shovvn.
Revvording: This paper also includes a few
/ some design examples illustrating ...
The missing article (few/a few) makes a
great difference to the meaning!
• Teotard’s more equalized therapeutic plasma
levels correlated with less side effects
gives it an advantage over aminophylline
sustained release tablets.
Revvording: The chief advantage of Teotard
over aminophylline sustained-release tablets
is that it ensures/achieves/maintains more
equalized plasma levels with fewer corre¬
lated side-effects.
Note:
a) Linguistica!ly, the original translation is
not incorrect. The meaning, however, does
not come through clearly on first reading
(possibly because of SL influence on the
word order?). In English, as a general rule,
the main point of the sentence - the ad¬
vantage of Teotard over aminophylline - is
signalled as early as possible; then follovv
the details.
b) In technical literature, there is an in-
creasing tendency to omit the hyphen in
compounds, even though this may lead to
temporary confusion (e.g. sustained release
tablets). The translator is clearly correct in
following established practice; but in cases
of doubt I vvould suggest - keep the hyphen.
• (The efficiency of this law depends on the
successfulness of changes in other fields.)
These will to a much higher degree than the
law itself reveal how much trust foreign Capi¬
tal as well as the domestic one can plače in
us.
Revvording: Far more than the lavv itself,
these changes vvill reveal how much trust
can be placed in us by foreign and domestic
investors.
As a general vvord of advice, I suggest: if you
are dealing vvith a sentence vvhich looks
avvkvvard or seems unclear, try reading it aloud
- in both languages. This vvill usually help you to
pinpoint the defect.
ii Overtranslation/undertranslation
Meaning can be blurred by having too many
vvords, or too fevv, in the sentence. Of these tvvo
defects the former, I think, is the more common.
In overtranslation, one can usually detect
povverful source language influence. Tvvo typi-
cal examples, in vvhich most of the vvords in dark
type are unnecessary:
• In the imports of wood, on one hand, and
exports of pulp and paper products, on the
other, a number of paper manufacturers in
Slovenia take part, for instance the paper-
mill Količevo.
Revvording: Several paper manufacturers
in Slovenia, such as the paper-mill at
Količevo, are importers of vvood and ex-
porters of pulp and paper products. (Or:
... are engaged in the import of vvood and
the export of pulp ...)
14 MOSTOV11/1992/XXVII
• As trade fairs and exhibitions have been for
many years an integral part of investments
made in the market, we can say that such a
planned policy has brought rich returns so
far. With well planned performances we
have achieved important business results,
accompanied by nevv experience acquired
by every new manifestation, which con-
stantly contributed to improve our reputa-
tion.
This passage is so wordy and repetitive that it
defeats its own purpose, which should be: to
stress the vvisdom of the company’s investment
policy and to highlight its recent achievements.
If one glances only at the vvords not underlined,
one can begin to discern the main points, which
could concisely expressed as:
Rewording: Trade fairs and exhibitions have
long been vital to our (carefully) planned
policy of market investment. This policy
has brought rich returns: improved business
results, valuable new experience, greater
success at trade fairs, and an enhanced
International reputation.
One of the difficulties for the translator is that
(s)he is usually obliged to stick "faithfully" to the
wording of the SL text. Hence the heaviness of
so much translation. One final example, vvithout
comment, should suffice:
• Slovenia’s favourable traffic position in the
heart of Europe, and the well-known
hospitality as vvell as the sense for or-
ganization of Slovenes add to the develop-
ment of ali kinds of tourism: summer and
vvinter vacations, rurai holidays, tours and ex-
cursions, hiking, fishing, hunting, mountain
climbing, health tourism ... and others.
And so on!
Undertranslation is, perhaps, less easy to
detect. This may be because it is harder to
supply the missing vvords than to remove the
superfiuous ones. In many cases, the changes
needed are slight: a "small" word - such as
vvhich, this, these, hovvever, and - vvill often be
enough to fill the gap. In longer sentences,
repetition of a noun verb, or preposition may be
necessary for clarity, for instance:
• The entire exhibition and sales areas cover
about 50,000 sq.m., while storage areas
more than 120,000 sq.m.
Here, it vvould be advisable either to repeat
the verb cover, or to use a synonym, e.g. ...
while storage areas extend over an area of...
One of the commonest features of under¬
translation is the use of compound expressions
e.g.:
• The laboratories are involved in the develop-
ment of a system for human faces Iden¬
tification, based on anthropological
parameters.
Here the longer construction - for the iden-
tification of human faces - might be easierto un-
derstand.
The danger of omitting too many vvords is
vvell illustrated by the follovving example (SL
German):
• A large group of authors accepts the analogy
explicitly or suggests more or less c!early in
the formulations they choose agreement
with this position.
Here, the omission of tvvo vital vvords - vvhich
and that - has made the sentence almost im-
possible to understand.
Revvording: Many authors accept the anal-
ogy, or have suggested more or less clearly
in the fomulations (vvhich) they have chosen
that they are in agreement vvith this position.
This leads us, then, to the final point:
iii Ambiguity
Ambiguity may be intentional, as in the "com-
pliments” vvhich actors invent vvhen asked to
comment on a fe!low-actor’s performance, e.g.
"My dear, you’ve done it again!", or "You
shovved us a side of Hamlet we’ve never seen
before". Or unintentional, as in these comments
heard on the BBC:
• She has tvvo children and a nevv car every
year.
MOSTOV11/1992/XXVII 15
• Greenpeace would like to see environmental
health officers more involved in the pollution
of rivers.
• The public will get more for their money - but
they will have to pay more for it!
• A hole has appeared in the road. Fife police
are looking into it.
• Scotland Yard admitted that the police drew
their guns, but declined to say vvhether the
man had been held at gun-point.
In translation, ambiguity often results from
too close an adherence to the SL vvording, as
here:
• The present overview of the research work at
the Faculty of — is organized as the presen-
tation of the majority of the laboratories.
Here, the distracting word is organized.
Rewording: This survey is intended to be
an overvievv of the research work conducted
in most of the laboratories of the Faculty.
In legal documents, the risk of ambiguity is ever-
present:
• The AGENT agrees not to represent other
companies except those a!ready repre-
sented with competitive products or to
render, in any form, any sen/ices to such
companies vvithout previously obtaining writ-
ten permission.
Revvording: The AGENT agrees not to
promote competitive products on behalf of
any companies other than those already
represented ...
Note: Confusion is created by the double
use of represent, hence the need for re-
vvording (re-thinking).
• The AGENT agrees to promote to its greatest
extent the Licensed Product in the Territory
at its own expense.
Revvording: The AGENT undertakes to
promote at its own expense, and to the
greatest possible extent, the Licensed
Product vvithin the territory.
In medicine, too, unintentional ambiguities may
occur, e.g.:
• As already mentioned, calcium is excreted
with feces, urine and svveat. Besides the cal¬
cium, which is not absorbed from food, the
calcium from the šaliva, bile, pancreatic and
intestinal juice are found in the feces.
The most probable meaning is:
Revvording: In addition to the calcium
(vvhich is) not absorbed from food, the
faeces also contain calcium from the šaliva,
bile, etc. ...
This example further illustrates the usefulness of
shifting the verb, in English, from a final to a mid-
way position, thus allovving the sentence to con-
clude with the items listed.
Finally, to end on a more light-hearted note, two
examples of unintentional ambiguity vvhich
recently caught my eye:
• The natural landscape has been protected by
law, so as not to upset the natural harmony.
You will get a warm and hospitable vvelcome
at the tourist farms here.
Tourist farming - a new industry?
• The risk of crystalluria exists in patients who
do not drink enough, especially in elderly
patients.
Well, let's have another glass of wine, then. Na
zdravje!
ACKNOVVLEDGEMENTS
I should like to thank most sincerely the or-
ganizers of the various translators semirjars I
have held. In particular, Prof. Neli Česen
(Ekonomska fakulteta), Anton Omerza (DZTPS),
and Melita Bevc (Pedagoška fakulteta,
Maribor). I am also extremely grateful to the
many translators who have vvorked with me and
who have provided invaluable material.
NOTES:
1 For a thorough treatment of Slovene-English false
friends, see Marjan Golobič, Mostovi 1988, poseb¬
na številka
2 For more on punctuation, see Alan Duff, The Third
Language Pergamon, 1981.