Infinitive and gerund constructions, their translation into Russian.

The challenges in translating the English infinitive are due to its specific forms, functions and structures.

Unlike Russian, the English language possesses a number of forms of the same verb: the Simple infinitive, the Continuous infinitive, the Perfect infinitive, the Perfect Continuous infinitive. The first two forms indicate actions simultaneous with that of the main predicate: Ярада, чтовижувас. – I am glad to see you. Ярада, чточитаюэтукнигу. – I am glad to be reading the book, or the future actions: Ярада, чтопойдутуда. – I am glad to go there. The Perfect and Perfect Continuous infinitives denote actions prior to that of the predicate: Ярада, чтоувиделавас. - I am glad to have seen you. Ярада, чточиталаэтукнигу. – I am glad to have been reading the book. On the other hand, the difference between the Simple and Perfect and Continuous / Perfect Continuous forms of the infinitive lies in expressing either a fact (incomplete or completed) or a process, respectively:

рад, чтоделаю (каждыйдень) – glad to do (every day)

рад, чтоделаюсейчас – glad to be doing

рад, чтобудуделать – glad to do

рад сделать (что сделаю) – glad to do

рад, чтосделал – glad to have done

рад, чтоделал – glad to have been doing.

The function of some adverbial infinitives presents difficulties in translation. For example, the English infinitive can be used to denote a subsequent event or a parallel action, which is often confused with the infinitive of purpose: Iron combines with oxygen to form rust. – Железосоединяетсяскислородомиобразуетржавчину.

To summarize, the ways of translating English infinitives are as follows:

-by the infinitive: To err is human. – Человекусвойственноошибаться.

-by the noun: The best way to make children good is to make them happy. – Лучшийспособвоспитанияхорошихдетей – этосделатьихсчастливыми.

- by the participle: The problem to be considered in Chapter 2 is concerned with the article. – Вопрос, рассматриваемыйвглаве 2, касаетсяартикля.

- by the clause: Вопрос, который будет рассмотрен в главе 2, касается артикля.

- by homogeneous, that is, parallel, verbs: He went to Australia to fall sick there. – ОнпоехалвАвстралиюитамзаболел.

The actual meaning of the infinitive can be determined by the context only.

The gerund is not a regular equivalent of the Russian adverbial participle (деепричастие). It is closer to the verbal noun than to the adverbial participle.

The gerund can be translated by the following means:

- the noun: A woman’s idea of keeping a secret is refusing to tell who told it. – Представление женщины о том, как надо хранить секрет, - это отказ сообщить, кто ей его рассказал.

- the infinitive: There’s nothing more tragic in life than the utter impossibility of changing what you have done. – Нетничеготрагичнеевжизни, чемабсолютнаяневозможностьизменитьто, чтотысделал.

- the adverbial participle: Learn to swim by swimming. – Учисьплавать, плавая.

- the clause: I am always ready to learn, but I do not always like being taught. (Churchill) – Я всегда готов учиться, но мне не всегда нравиться, когда меня учат. The gerundial construction is always translated by the clause: He was amused at my becoming so impatient with him. – Онудивилсятому, чтоясталтакнетерпеливсним.He stayed there without our knowing it. – Он остался там, а мы даже не знали об этом.

When translating from Russian into English, it is necessary to pay attention to the careful selection of either the single gerund or the gerundial construction. While in the Russian sentence the subject is named twice, the English sentence does not take the same subject before the gerund. Cf.: Я настаиваю на том, чтобы мне позвонили. – I insist on being phoned. The gerundial construction in English is used only in case of two different subjects in the sentence: I remember his asking the question. – Помню, каконзадалэтотвопрос.

Some practical grammars of English do not distinguish the –ing participle and the gerund. However, in translation the difference can be essential, since the gerund and the participle have different functions and, therefore, convey different meanings. For instance, Flying planes can be dangerous can be translated as Летатьнасамолетахопасно, if flying is used here as a gerund. The sentence could also be translated Летающиесамолетыопасны, the word flying being treated as a participle.