Section 4 Comparison of the English gerund and its equivalents in Russian

 

I’ve analyzed the gerund in Russian translations of the book by C.S. Lewis “The Silver Chair” (19), and “The Lion, the Which and the Wardrobe” (20).

I’ve found the translation of these books by Shaposhnikova and Ostrovskaya. These books are under the edition of N.Trauberg (19; 20). One can see that the authors of the translation used a free technique of translation without paying any attention to the grammar and Russian equivalents. At first I’d like to consider the translation of the gerund, which is rendered by other Russian parts of speech (21; 22). There are:

Without speaking – молчание,

for looking while – победил,

for not liking – не любит,

she couldn’t help thinking – ей казалось.

Let nothing turn your mind from following the sights! – Не забывай о знаках!

like being in an airplane – напоминал самолет.

The sound of waves breaking on the store was growing louder – Звуки прибоя становились громче.

telling – узнать,

No one suggested doing anything. – Никто не говорил, что делать дальше.

she began groping with their feet – стояла изо всех сил,

buzzing – шепчут.

It’s worse than coming back and finding him dead. – Лучше бы мне знать, что он умер.

opening – отверстие,

saying – послышалось,

trying – учить,

without delivery – не успела,

knowing – запоминание,

looking - отправились,

talking of going to a party – речь шла о гостях,

on saying – заметил,

after changing – другим,

resting on – положил,

sleeping – лечь,

stop beating – не остановилась,

talking of archers – о стрелах,

for being able to shoot – научился стрелять,

walking – поехали,

there is no denying – спору нет,

there was no mistaking – были уверены,

saying – спросил,

without thinking –припомнить,

for not knowing – не помнить,

without knocking - не удариться,

climbing down – по ступеням,

began making tour – стали бежать

he had to keep on pretending-с трудом удержался

looking at-вытаращила глаза

without meaning-не трогать

talking again-вспоминать

vanishing-замечать

feeling-хватать

of finding-выходить

stepping out-оказываться

trying on sound-словно

by jeering-смеяться

getting-брать

of getting-попадать

going-перелетела

of being smooth-не ровняй

bringing-стукать

for keeping-позволять

there was nothing stirring-кругом ни движения

wondering-задал вопрос

before leaving-убежал

thinking-хотелось

bringing-в руках

hearing-разбирать

saying-молчали

on using-тереть

(19, 4 – 121; 20, 5 – 20; 22, 4 – 65; 21, 4 – 35).

One can see a big difference between the gerund and Russian equivalents. The thing is that the translator cannot find a direct way to render what C.S.Lewis meant by these gerunds. The translator should see the meaning of words between lines. There is no gerund in Russian and, maybe, it was case for the translator to say like that. But if the translator followed the grammar, the awkward translation would be.

The gerunds, which the translator couldn’t translate:

 

barging,

telling,

at believing,

dancing,

trying,

of getting,

from gong,

learning,

hearing,

struggling,

vibrating,

without warning,

seeing,

being,

wondering,

talking in,

from drinking,

being carried,

before going on,

from bringing,

of finding,

ringing,

for making,

shifting,

at finding,

of catching,

panting,

mistaking,

purling,

boo-hoeing,

for keeping,

on remembering,

etching,

for shopping,

of coming,

on getting,

of sitting,

beginning,

on standing,

coming in,

eagling,

waiting,

groping

being

talking

leading

looking out

seeing

being

wondering

talking in

from drinking

being carried

before going on

from bringing

of finding

ringing

pushing

of feeling

wondering

blinking in

feeling

sobbing

jumping out

tapping

putting

pulling

nesting

forgetting

groping

driving

hanging down

flying up

champing

blowing

holding out

shining

of trying

looking at

rising

looking round

for getting

talking about

turning to

talking off

beginning to

minding

trailing round

stamping

pretending

stamping

stooping

about having

without noticing

including

holding

fishing

for caring

looking for

on thinking

of going

about being

keeping

crossing

saying

bounding back

of scrambling

puffing

panting

feeling

looking

running

trying

eating

drinking

passing

on doing

(19, 4 – 121; 20, 4 –77).

 

 

The translator has ignored these gerunds because she couldn’t reproduce Lewis’ idea and analogues of the English gerund in Russian.

The gerund as Infinitive

Sucking up – подлизываться,

believing – поверить,

interrupting – перебивать,

teaching – учиться,

getting away – убегать,

roaring – рычать,

snoring – фыркать,

getting – добираться,

going away – отходить,

getting to bed – ложиться спать,

ducking – начинать,

waiting – ждать,

gliding away – уползать,

sleeping – спать,

finding – находить,

meeting – встречать,

looking – смотреть,

of having a hot bath – принимать ванну,

repeating – повторять,

reaching – добираться,

getting – налаживать,

opening – открывать,

telling – говорить,

escaping – убегать,

asking – спрашивать,

running – бежать,

slitting – скользить.

do stop grumbling-перестань ворчать

talking-беседовать

of eating-есть

trickling-беседовать

jumping up-вскакивать

do not go on talking like that-перестань так говорить

handing-отдавать

of lulling-усыплять

turning very white-побелеть

beginning-приниматься

without speaking-не говорить ни слова

of crunching-скрипеть

panting for-переводить дыхание

on asking-спрашивать

bathing-купаться

fishing-ловить рыбу

climbing-лазить

lying-валяться

hiding-прятаться

on teasing-подразнивать

hanging up-висеть

on eating- кушать

coming-приходить

standing-стоять

nagging-дразнить

encouraging-поддерживать

before coming out-вы лазить

telling-рассказывать

trying-пробовать

jeering-дразнить

fumbling-нащупывать

sticking-колоть

putting-одеваться

changing-переводить

walking-шагать

harboring-прилегать

fraternizing-брататься

for going back-возвращаться

standing-стоять

on boiling-кипеть

of getting-попадать

knocking-трястись

doing things-действовать

in looking for-искать

of saving-спасаться

talking of-заговорить

telling-рассказывать

knocking-трястись

bundling-одевать

fussing-волноваться

talking-болтать

moving-ходить

helping-помогать

from seeing-видеть

about closing-закрываться

leading-подниматься