Geser. The Вuryat heroic epic

The lack ofВ the full coincidence between the two languages and cultures made it hard toВ give an exact and accurate translation ofВ all the passages ofВ the epic.

InВ the Buryat language the nouns are too often substituted for byВ the pronouns. One can note aВ reverse order ofВ the words inВ Buryat inВ contrast toВ English. Most peculiar are the paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations, phonoaesthetical words as well as the hyponymic relations, the frequent use ofВ the various kinds ofВ the particles, etc. However there are some similar features that are lacking inВ the other languages.

Here one could mention the grammar expression ofВ completeness (Perfect) or incompleteness (Non-Perfect or Progressive) ofВ the action which are typical ofВ the two languages: Buryat and English.

The Buryat language is noted for byВ the following features: the omission ofВ the main parts ofВ the sentence: the subject, the predicate and the object that are quite explicit and it is easy toВ restore them. One can note aВ reverse order ofВ the words inВ Buryat inВ contrast toВ English.

Most peculiar are the paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations, the phonoaesthetical words as well as the hyponymic relations, the frequent use of the various kinds of the particles, etc. Let us dwell on some of the methods used when translating the Buryat heroic epic “Geser” to the English language.

1. Lexical transformations

1.1. Transliteration

Transliteration is most often used, for example, when reproducing the proper names.

Малзан Гурмэн – Malzan Gurmen

Дашин Шөөхөр – Dashin Shokhor

Зарлиг Саган – Zarlig Sagan

Санхан Гоохон – Sankhan Gookhon

1.2. Loan translation

Бээжиин (мγр 3563) – печь (строка 3566) – stove (line 3564)

Yйлэнсүй (мγр 3705) – улица (строка 3705) – street (line 3705)

Мэшээг (мγр 3503) – мешков (строка 3504) – sack (line 3506)

2.

The semantic transformations

2.1. Concretization and generalization

Орой дээрэм харыто (мγр 447) – Сверху меня опекайте (cтрока 447) – From heavens take care of me (line 448). Орой дээрэм (from above) might be translated as “from the heavens” using the semantical concretization that shows that the actions are undertaken as if by the will of the heavenly divinities.