Министерство Образования и Науки Украины
Таврический Экологический Институт
Факультет иностранной филологии
Кафедра______________________
Специальность 7.030502-«Язык и литература»
Тема: Equivalents of gerund are in Russian translation
Исполнитель: студентка 5 курса
Старцева Марина Александровна
Научный руководитель:
доцент Цвет Л.Я.
Симферополь, 2003
Contents
Introduction
Section I. General characteristics of the gerund
1.1 The double nature of the gerund
1.2 The tense distinctions of the gerund
1.3 The voice distinctions of the gerund
1.4 Predicative constructions with the gerund
Section II The use of the gerund
2.1 The use of the gerund
2.2 The function of the gerund in the sentence
Section III. The gerund and the other verbals
3.1 The gerund and the infinitive
3.2 The gerund and the participle
3.3 The gerund and the verbal noun
Section IV. Comparison of the English gerund and its equivalents in Russian
The conclusion
List of literature
INTRODUCTION
The aim of my paper is the analysis of the translation and the opportunity to transmit the meaning of the gerund in Russian. I have set this aim because of a superficial translation the reader cannot see what is written between the lines. The translator doesn’t always know grammar and grammar are left behind the limits of the translation.
When one compares an original text with the translation, one can see that some difficult places are omitted or changed. For example, if the noun expresses the subject, the translator can translate this noun with an adverb, because of it sounds better than if it were translated without an adverb (6, 31).
The theme of the course paper is analysis of Russian equivalents of the gerund. The main problem of this paper is to show how one can translate gerund in all situations, how to render a gerund by other means of the language, how gerundial constructions are used. In a complex clause one can omit the translation of a gerund because of it’s difficult to express the idea in the Russian language.
There aren’t any gerunds in the Russian language. There is only a verbal noun. The English gerund cannot be translated as a verbal noun. I’ll try to show this difficulty of translation in Russian.
I’ve chosen this theme, because rendering gerund in Russian is ambiguous and difficult for a student. I want to do my own contribution in the analysis of this problem.
My course paper consists of the introduction, the two chapters and the conclusion.
Section I. General characteristics of the gerund
Origin and Development. The gerund was originally a verbal noun in –ing (until about 1250 also with the form –ung).thus it differed from the present participle in meaning, which was originally an adjective and until about the fourteenth century had a different ending, namely, ende (or inde, ynde, ande), so that the two suffixes were farther apart in form and meaning than they are today. They have both in course of time acquired more verbal force, but the gerund is still a noun and the present participle is still an adjective. [22-101]
. In the combination possessive + gerund, as in I do not like his coming here so often-мнененравится, чтоончастоприходитсюда. The oblique case may be substituted for the possessive, so that the gerund becomes a present participle: I do not like him coming here so often. The difference — if any — appears to be that in the former construction the logical emphasis is on the possessive, in the latter on the verb. But there seems also to be a tendency to give up the latter construction altogether, as if it were a mere variation of I do not like him possessives: “in honors of its being Christmas day I …”-вчестьРождествая … “when metal came into use, men were able to make their knives much longer, without their being afraid of their breaking”-споявлениемметаллапоявиласьвозможностьизготовлятьболеедлинныеножи, небоясь, чтоониполомаются. In the last sentence they could be omitted but not changed into them.
So also the genitive in who told you of your wife's being there? May be made into the common case— of your wife being there. In such constructions as I cannot accept the notion of school-life affecting the poet-янемогупринятьпонятиеошкольнойжизни, котораявлияетнапоэта, to this extent the common case is preferred to the genitive(24-92).
"Ing" is used here as a comprehensive technical term for those English forms which from a syntactical point of view must be considered as two different things, a gerund and a participle ("first participle", generally called "present participle"). [23-129]
In order to understand the definition “gerund” we should know all its meanings and word-combinations.
The gerund developed from the verbal noun, which in course of time became verbalized, preserving at the same time its nominal character.
The gerund is formed by adding the inflection -ing to the stem of the verb and coincides in form with Participle I (15 – 170).
1.1 The double nature of the gerund
As a natural result of its origin and development the gerund has nominal and verbal properties. The nominal characteristics of the gerund are as follows:
1. The gerund can perform the function of the subject, an object and a predicative.
Theysaysmokingleadstomeditation. – К медитации они посоветовали использовать дымящий свинец.*
I like making people happy. – Ялюблюосчастливливатьлюдей.
He went away without saying a word. – Онушелнесказавнислова (1 – 222).
2. The gerund can be preceded by a proposition.
I’m very, very tired of rowing – Яочень, оченьусталагрести.
He’s fond of skating. – Онувлекаетсяконьками.
You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs. – Тынеможешьсделатьомлетбезяиц.
I’m tired f hearing about that. – Яусталаэтослушать (5 – 137).
3. Like a noun the gerund can be modified by a noun in the Possessive Case or by a possessive pronoun.
“I wonder at Jolyon’s allowing this cugagement”, he said to aunt Ann. – «Меняудивляет, чтоДжолиoндопустилэтупомолвку», сказалонтетушкеЭнн.
Isthereanyobjectiontomyseeingher? – Кто-нибудь возражает против того, чтобы я повидался с ней? (7 – 259).
The verbal characteristics of the gerund are the same as those of the participle:
1) The gerund of transitive verbs can take a direct object.
I had now made a good progress in understanding and speaking their language. – Сейчасясделалхорошеепродвижениевпониманиииговоренииихязыка.
2) The gerund can be modified by an adverb.
She burst out crying bitterly. – Онагорькорасплакалась.
3) The gerund has tense distinctions; the gerund of transitive verbs has also voice distinctions. The forms of the gerund in modern English are as follows (2 – 624).
| Active | Passive | |
| Indefinite | writing | being written |
| Perfect | having written | having been written |
There is no gerund in the Russian language and the English gerund is rendered in Russian in different ways:
a) by a noun.
Dancing had not begun yet. – Танцыещененачались (10 – 232).
b) by an infinitive.
He had tea with Cipriano before leaving. – Передтем, какуйти, онавыпилачайс Kиприано.
It is no good hiding our heads under our wings. – Бесполезнопрятатьголовуподкрыло. * (Here and there the translation is mine)
c) by деепричастие.
And without waiting for her answer he turned and left us. – Инедожидаясьее, онповернулсяивышел.
On seeing Bella he stopped, beckoned her to him, and drew her arm through his. – УвидевБеллу, оностановился, подозвалеексебеивзялподруку (16 – 19).
d) by a subordinate clause.
He regretted now having come. – Теперьонсожалел, чтопришел.
It should be observed that though the active forms of the gerund may be rendered in different ways, the passive forms are nearly always rendered by a clause.
As she contemplated the wide windows and imposing signs, she became conscious of being gazed upon. – Когдаонарассматривалаширокиевитриныивнушительныевывески, онапочувствовала, чтонанеесмотрят.
After having been informed of the conference in my lady’s room,… he immediately decided on waiting to hear the news from Frizinghall. – Послетогокакемусообщилиосовещаниивкомнатемиледи,… онсразурешилподождать, чтобыузнатьновостиизФризингхолла (15, 171).
1.2The tense distinctions of the gerund
The tense destinations of the gerund, like those of the participle, are not absolute but relative.
The Indefinite Gerund Active and Passive denotes an action simultaneous with the action expressed by the finite verb it may refer to the present, past, or future.
He can swim for any number of hours without tiring. - Онможетплытьмногочасовподряд, неуставая.
She walked on without turning her head. – Онашла, неповорачиваяголовы.
Gwendolen will not rest without having the world at her feet. – Гвендоленнеуспокоится, покавесьмирнебудетуееног.
No one could pass in or out without being seen. – Никтонемогнивойтитак, чтобыегоневидели (12 – 105).
However, a prior action is not always expressed by a perfect Gerund; in some cases we find an Indefinite Gerund. This occurs after the verbs to remember, to excuse, to forgive, to thank and after the prepositions on (upon), after and without.
Idon’trememberhearingthelegendbefore. – Я не помню, что бы я раньше слышала о легенде.
Thank you for restraining me just now. – Благодарютебя, чтосдержалменясейчас.
On leaving the house we directed our steps to the nearest shade. – Покинувдом, мыосматривалиськближайшейтени.
After walking about ten yards, he found the hat among the leaves. – Пройдяоколодесятиярдов, онобнаружилшляпусредилистьев.
She passes through and disappears in the village without noticing the young lady. – Онапроходитмимоиисчезаетвдеревненезамечаяюнуюледи (14 – 210).
The Perfect Gerund may also be used after the above mentioned verbs and prepositions.
He did not remember having been in that room. – Оннепомнил, чтобыкогда-нибудьбылвэтойкомнате.
After having denied herself to everybody, Miss Rachel, to our astonishment, walked into the midst of us of her own accord. – ПослетогокакмиссРэчелотказаласьвидетькогобытонибыло, онакнашемуудивлению, вышлакнампосвоемусобственномужеланию.
They parted at Cohen’s door without having spoken to each other again. – ОнирассталисьудверидомаКоэна, несказавдругдругунислова (15, 173).
1.3The voice distinctions of the gerund
The gerund of transitive verbs has special forms for the active and the passive voice.
He liked neither reading aloud nor being read aloud to. – Оннелюбилничитатьвслух, нислушатьчтение.
It’s to observed that after the verbs to want, to need, to deserve, to require and the adjective worth the gerund is used in the active form, though it is passive in meaning.
“The slums want attending to, no doubt”, he said. – «Безсомнениятрущобаминадозаняться», – сказалон.
He realized that his room needed painting. – Онпонял, чтоегокомнатунадопокрасить.
The child deserves praising. – Ребенокзаслуживаеттого, чтобыегопохвалили.
They were not worth saving. – Ихнестоилоспасать (4 – 66).
1.4 Predicative constructions with the gerund
Like all the verbals the gerund can form predicative constructions, i.e. constructions in which the verbal element expressed by the gerund is in predicate relation to the nominal element expressed by a noun or pronoun.
Like a verb, a gerund may have a subject, but, like earlier verbal nouns, its subject is in the genitive, here, however, only the old subjective genitive in -s, or instead of the genitive the person implied in a possessive adjective, my, his, etc., which were originally genitives of the personal pronouns and are still often used as such ; 'I am provoked at John's talking so rudely' (or 'at his talking so rudely').-Япротивтого,чтобыДжонтаксомнойгруборазговаривал. Many common substantive limiting adjectives, as this, these, those, any, several, all, two, three, etc., have no s-genitive. Here, of course, as the genitive is impossible, we have to use the accusative: 'Was it thou who didst tell the boy this foolishness of these being our arms?-Быллиэтоименноты, ктосказалмальчикуэтуглупость, чтоонвнашихруках'. 'Some families may possibly have moved away on account of the repeated failure of crops, but I do not know of any having done so.-Некоторыесемьивозможноуехалибыиз-запостоянныхнеурожаев, нояникогонезнаю, ктобытакпоступил. ' There are also nouns that have no genitive form. Here we must have recourse to the accusative: 'I am not surprised at young or old falling in love with her.' There is no hope of good coming from it.' 'There is no expectation of the French withdrawing their demands.'-Большенетсилждать, когдаФранцияпредоставитсвоитребования (22-102).
I don’t like your going off without any money. – Мнененравится, чтовыуходитебезденег.
Here the gerund going off is in predicate relation to the pronoun your, which denotes the doer of the action expressed by the gerund (14, 173).
The nominal element of the construction can be expressed in different ways.
1) If it denotes a living being it may be expressed:
a) by a noun in the genitive case or by a possessive pronoun.
His further consideration of the point was prevented by Richard’s coming back to us in an excited state. – Егодальнейшиеразмышлениябылипрерванытем, чтовернулсяРичардвчрезвычайновозбужденномсостоянии.
Doyoumindmysmoking? – Вы ничего не имеете против того, чтобы я курил?
b) by a noun in the common case.
I have a distinct recollection of Lady Chiltern always getting the good conduct prize! – Яотличнопомню, чтоледиГильтернвсегдаполучаланаградызапримерноеповедение.
NOTE. – Thus in modern English there are two parallel constructions or the type: Fancy David’s courting Emily! and Fancy David courting Emily! These two constrictions may be used in differently, but sometimes there is a slight difference in meaning in the first example the action (the verbal element of the construction) is emphasized, whereas in the second the does of the action (the nominal element of the construction) is emphasized (9, 89).
Occasionally examples are found where the nominal element of the construction is expressed by a pronoun is the objective case.