Subject IRGlperin [1977- 249] gives the following definition of the functionl style- ldquo; FS is ptterned vriety of literry text chrcterised by the greter or lesser typifiction of its const
Работа добавлена на сайт samzan.net:
UNIT 4
STYLYSTIC ANALYSIS OF NON-FICTIONAL TEXTS IN THE PROCESS OF TRANSLATION: TEXTS OF OFFICIAL AND BUSINESS DOCUMENTS
Main points:
4.1. The general notion of a functional style
4.2. Major functional styles and sub-styles in English
4.3. The style of official and business documents: specific lexical and grammatical features
4.4. Sample texts for illustration and analysis
**********************************************************************
4.1. The general notion of a functional style
There exist many definitions of a functional style of language (FS) given by various writers on the subject. I.R.Galperin [1977: 249] gives the following definition of the functional style:
“A FS is a patterned variety of literary text characterised by the greater or lesser typification of its constituents, supra-phrasal units (SPU), in which the choice and arrangement of independent and interwoven language media are calculated to secure the purport of the communication”.
For practical reasons we will reword this definition as follows:
“A functional style (FS) of language is a system of language means which serves a definite aim of communication”.
It is also assumed by I.R.Galperin [see: ibid.] that each FS is a relatively stable system at the given stage of development of the literary language, but it changes from one historical period to another. I.R.Galperin refers the notion of a functional style only to the literary standard of language while other authors [see Арнольд 1981: 245; Брандес, Провоторов 2003: 92-97; Кожина 1977: 157] also list the colloquial style among the functional styles of language. Whatever the academic argument may be, we will not discuss the colloquial style of language here, because professional translators and interpreters seldom have to translate “colloquial discourse” (which is no doubt a very interesting and important subject of a separate research) but mostly deal with written or oral literary discourse.
4.2. Major functional styles and sub-styles in English
So we assume that functional styles appear mainly in the literary standard of language. What we will call here “functional styles” of language is also called in the Western-European linguistics “registers” or “genres” of language [Toolan 1991: 202-204]. Most scholars of linguistics distinguish between the following styles (and sub-styles) of language:
- The language of official documents with the following sub-styles: the language of legal documents (both international and national); the language of business documents; the language of military documents;
- The language of scientific and technical prose;
- The publicistic style of language1 which may be subdivided into the language of the mass-media with the following sub-styles: the language of newspapers, magazines, radio and television (brief news items; headlines, editorials, journalistic articles, essays; radio and TV commentaries, talk-shows, journalistic radio and TV programmes; advertisements and announcements); the language of public and political speeches; the language of the informational technologies, such as Internet;
- The language of belles-letters with the following sub-styles: the language of poetry; the language of emotive prose; the language of the drama.
In this book we will consider main properties of texts belonging to the above-mentioned styles focusing on the features that are relevant for translators’ activity and bearing in mind similarities and differences observed between the texts of these styles.
4.3. The style of official and business documents: specific lexical and grammatical features
The style (the language) of official documents has the following sub-styles:
- The language of legal documents: texts of the documents of the national law (constitutions, laws, statutes, decrees, orders, rules and regulations) and international law (treaties, agreements, pacts, charters, declarations, exchanges of notes, etc.);
- The language of business documents (contracts, letters, memos, etc.);
- The language of military documents (military statutes, rules, regulations and orders, excluding technical manuals and documentation which belong to the scientific and technical style).
The aim of communication in the official style of language is to bind the addressee (the reader) to a certain kind of behaviour. Therefore, according to our terminology, these texts are artefacts with high degree of authority and binding force. They are intended to change behaviour of people and, therefore, to change the reality. The label of performatives (i.e. texts that “work” in the real world or rather “change reality”) may also be applied to these texts [see: Аспекты 1982; Максимов 1984; Остин 1986; Austin 1962; 1979; Maksimov 1992].
Communication by means of official documents may occur:
- between two or more states or governments (international treaties, agreements, charters, conventions, pacts, declarations, exchanges of notes, etc.);
- between the state and its citizens (constitutions, statutes, laws, decrees, acts, resolutions, orders, rules and regulations, etc.);
- between two or more legal or physical entities such as companies, agencies, institutions, or individuals (business contracts, letters, memos);
- between a person who has authority and subordinates (orders, regulations, instructions, directives, etc.).
Official documents, being binding texts, have a high degree of authority and responsibility encoded in them. This is achieved by direct reference to the authors of the document and its addressee, to the time and place of compiling the document, by the use of “binding” words (performative verbs and nouns) such as advise, agree, undertake, guarantee, shall, will, bind, promise, ask, reiterate, recognize, respect, request, recommend; agreement, resolution, decision, order, etc. The binding nature of official documents is also ensured by the extensive use of modal verbs, such as should, would, may, need, must, have to, be to, etc. The binding nature of international legal documents, for example, is so high that their translations are not viewed as official versions of these texts and require the legal procedure of authentication, when the parties to an agreement mutually agree to consider texts in different languages to be originals. This is explained by the fact that in the process of translation the text is transformed through the “ego” of a translator and thus loses its binding force. Therefore a special clause reading that parties consider both texts (e.g. in English and Ukrainian) to be “equally authoritative” (or “authentic”) is introduced in the closing remarks to each international legal instrument (treaty, agreement, convention, etc.) while “translations” (into the third language, e.g. into French) are regarded as unofficial and may be used only for reference [Евинтов 1981]. Preambles to international legal documents play a very important role as they usually contain the “performative” formula “have agreed” or “agree as follows”, which makes the rest of the text binding for the parties to perform what they have agreed upon.
Texts of official documents are also characterised by:
- conventionality of expression : specific composition: division into structural parts (preamble, central clauses, opening addresses, closing sentences, signatures, seals, indications of dates, names of addressees, etc.);
- set expressions and highly literary formal words, e.g., I beg to inform you; on behalf of; Dear Sir; The High Contracting Parties hereby agree as follows; hereby; hereto; herein; hereinafter; above-mentioned; the undersigned, etc.;
- terms which have to do with the subject-field of the document and which must be unambiguous, e.g., tax exemption; immovable property; designated airline; air services; stop for non-traffic purposes; territorial waters, etc.;
- the encoded character of language: the use of symbols, abbreviations and acronyms, e.g., MP (Member of Parliament); IMF (International Monetary Fund); UN (United Nations); VAT (value-added tax); PLC (public limited company); Gvt (government); USS (United States ship); $ (dollar); atk (attack); A/T (anti-tank), etc.;
- absence of any emotions, stylistic devices and expressive means;
- complicated syntax: combining several pronouncements into one sentence which usually begins with a new paragraph; the use of the participial and infinitive constructions, long compound and complex sentences;
- reference to the present or future which is expressed by the preference to use the Present Indefinite, the Present Perfect and the Future Indefinite tense-forms.
4.4. Sample texts for illustration and analysis
Text 1
Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ukraine on co-operation in the fields of education, science and culture
The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ukraine, (hereinafter referred to as “the Contracting Parties”);
Desiring to strengthen and develop the friendly relations between the two countries and their peoples;
Being convinced that exchanges and co-operation in the fields of education, science and culture as well as in other fields contribute to a better mutual knowledge and understanding between the British and Ukrainian peoples;
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
The Contracting Parties shall encourage the development of relations between the two countries in the field of education by:
- encouraging and facilitating direct co-operation, contacts and exchanges between people, institutions and organisations concerned with education in the two countries;
- encouraging and facilitating the study of and instruction in the languages and literature of the other country;
- encouraging and facilitating co-operation and exchanges in teaching methods and materials, curriculum development and examinations;
- providing scholarships and bursaries and promoting other means to facilitate study and research.
Article 2
The Contracting Parties shall encourage and facilitate the development of exchanges and research on problems of mutual interest in the fields of science and technology, including direct co-operation between scientific and research institutions in the two countries.
Article 3
The Contracting Parties shall encourage and facilitate direct contacts in the fields of literature, the visual arts, the performing arts, film, television and radio, architecture, museums and galleries, libraries and archives and in other cultural areas.
Article 4
Each Contracting Party shall encourage the establishment in its territory of cultural and information centres of the other Contracting Party to organise and carry out activities in pursuit of the purposes of this Agreement, and shall grant every facility within the limits of its legislation and capabilities to assist such centres. The expression “cultural and information centres” shall include schools, language teaching institutions, libraries, resource centres and other institutions dedicated to the purposes of the present Agreement.
Article 5
The Contracting Parties shall encourage co-operation between press and publishing organisations in the two countries.
Article 6
The Contracting Parties shall facilitate the exchange of information about measures to protect the national heritage.
Article 7
The contracting Parties hall encourage co-operation between the authorities of their respective countries in order to ensure the mutual protection of copyright.
Article 8
The Contracting Parties shall encourage contacts between young people and direct co-operation between youth organisations of the two countries.
Article 9
The Contracting Parties shall encourage the development of tourism between the two countries.
Article 10
The Contracting Parties shall encourage co-operation between sporting organisations and participation in sporting events in each other’s countries.
Article 11
The Contracting Parties shall facilitate in appropriate ways attendance at seminars, festivals, competitions, exhibitions, conferences, symposia and meetings in fields covered by this Agreement and held in either country.
Article 12
The Contracting Parties shall encourage direct co-operation and exchanges between non-governmental organisations in all fields covered by this Agreement.
Article 13
All activities covered by this Agreement shall comply with the laws and regulations in force in the State of the Contracting Party in which they take place.
Article 14
The British Council shall act as principal agent of the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the implementation of this Agreement.
Article 15
Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall, whenever necessary or at the request of either Party, meet as a Mixed Commission to review developments relating to this agreement.
Article 16
- This Agreement shall enter into force on the day of signature.
- This Agreement shall remain in force for a period of five years and thereafter shall remain in force until the expiry of six months from the date on which either Contracting Party shall have given written notice of termination to the other through the diplomatic channel.
In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto by their respective Governments, have signed this Agreement.
Done in duplicate at London this 10th day of February 1993 in the English and Ukrainian languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
For the Government of the United Kingdom For the Government
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: of Ukraine:
Emily Blatch A.M.Zlenko
UN Treaty Series, Vol. 1728
Text 2
REGULATIONS TO BE OBSERVED BY ALL STUDENTS
1. All University courses are full-time, unless a different requirement is specifically laid down in the Regulations governing a particular course. It is expected that, in the vacations, all students will undertake academic studies or obtain approved professional experience. No occasional paid work during the vacations shall be allowed to conflict with this academic duty (...).
3. Every full-time student is required to keep the three University terms every year in full. Any student who wishes to be absent from the University for any term must first obtain the permission of the Head of the School or Department or, where appropriate, the appropriate officer of the University concerned.
Regulations of the University of Birmingham, England
Text 3
Health conditions of migrants and refugees in Europe
Opinion
Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee
Rapporteur: M. Francisco Arnau, Spain, Socialist Group
(Council of Europe Doc. 8878, 16 October 2000)
I. Conclusions of the committee
- The committee fully supports the proposals put forward by the rapporteur of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography and particularly draws the attention of the member states to the need to develop national policies that address more specifically the health needs of migrants, refugees and other displaced persons.
- The Council of Europe should indeed facilitate this process and develop guidelines in consultation with the relevant governmental and non-governmental organisations (draft recommendation, paragraph 9 ii).
- Furthermore, migrant workers should enjoy equal opportunities and treatment in respect of employment and social security, in accordance with the relevant international instruments.
- Finally, the committee points to the “Solidarity Card” recently introduced in Valencia (Spain), which enables illegal migrants living in that region to receive the same medical care as other citizens, as one possible way of guaranteeing this fundamental human right.
1 Some authors [see Galperin 1977] list the publicistic and the newspaper styles separately. However others [see Кожина 1977] believe that the newspaper style (or rather the style of the mass-media of today) should be regarded within the publicistic style of language. Here we support here the second approach.
2. ЮСАЖИНОВ 27 июня 2000 года Согласовано Руководитель Департамента госсанэпиднадзора Минздрава Росси
3. модульному типу. Обязательно должна присутствовать как минимум одна подпрограмма либо микрокоманда.html
4. Контрольная работа- Качество жизни в условиях информатизации общества- справедливость, доступность, границы
5. Уфимский колледж статистики информатики и вычислительной техники МЕТОДИЧ
6. статтях балансу на визначену дату використовують вертикальний і горизонтальний аналіз див
7. Статья- Жильё после развода
8. окружающая человека среда обусловленная в данный момент совокупностью факторов физических химических би
9. по теме- Что мы знаем о марше
10. Линия отреза Утверждена пос
11. Профилактика приобретенной глухоты и тугоухости- меры личной профилактики; уход за ребенком; нормально
12. 6 Введение
13. Мозырский машиностроительный завод
14. Права и обязанности журналиста
15. 2014 Пара Дисципліна Викладач Корп
16. 0610964. А.В. Брушлинский
17. Курсовая работа - Повышение эффективности рекламной деятельности коммерческого предприятия
18. криминологов членов Совета по Законодательству при Президенте РФ
19. Методика построения профиля деловых качеств
20. петрологи изучают условия при которых образуются породы