S.S 3.2 (Idioms and fixed expressions)

Question 1

Collocations vs Idioms and fixed expression

Answer 1

Collocations are the tendency of certain words to co-occur regularly in a given language. They are fairly flexible patterns of language and allow several variations in form.

Idioms and fixed expressions are frozen patterns of language which allow little to no variation in form.

Question 2

Idioms

Answer 2

Often carry meaning which cannot be deduced from their individual components.

Question 3

Idioms allow no variation in form

Answer 3

Cannot change the order of the words.
Cannot delete a word.
Cannot add a word.
Cannot replace a word with another word.
Cannot change its grammatical structure.

Question 4

Fixed expressions

Answer 4

Behave a lot like idioms, but allow little to no variation in form.
Has a fairly transparent meaning, but has somewhat more than the sum meanings of its words.
Expressions has to be taken as one unit to establish meaning.

Question 5

Fixed expressions evokes in the mind of the reader because

Answer 5

A range of association connected with typical contexts in which the expression is used.

Question 6

2 Main problems in translating idioms and fixed expressions

Answer 6

The ability to recognise and interpret an idiom correctly.

Difficult in rendering the variour aspect of meaning that an idiom/fixed expression conveys into the TL.

Question 7

The interpretation of idioms

Answer 7

Violate truth conditions.
Ill-formed because they do not follow the grammatical rules of the language.
Expressions which start with ‘like’, tend to suggest that they should not be interpreted literally.
Some are misleading, they seem transparent because they offer a reasonable literal interpretation. Their idiomatic meaning are not necessarily signaled in the text.
Idiom in the SL may have a very close counterpart in the TL which looks similar, but has totally or partially different meaning.

Question 8

The difficulties in translating idioms

Answer 8

They may have no equivalent in the TL.
May have a similar counterpart in the TL, but its context of use may be different.
Idiom may be used in the ST both its literal and idiomatic senses at the same time.
The contexts and their frequency of use may be different in the SL and TL.

Question 9

The translating of idioms

Answer 9

An idiom with a similar meaning in the TL.
The significance of the specific lexical items which constitute the idiom (Are they manipulated elsewhere in the ST, verbally or visually).
The (in)appropriateness of using idiomatic language in a given register in the TL.
The (non-)acceptability of using any of the strategies will depend on the context in which a given idiom is translated.

Question 10

6 Translation strategies for idioms

Answer 10

Using an idiom of similar meaning and form.
Similar meaning but dissimilar form.
Borrowing the SL idiom.
Paraphrase.
Omission of a play on idiom.
Omission of entire idiom.