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Secțiunea II/ Sek ion II/ Session II
Ling is ica și didac ica limbii engleze/ Sp achwissenscha
und Didak ik de englischen Sp ache/ Linguis ics and English language eaching
CZU 811.111`373.72
INTERPRETING IDIOMS ACROSS CULTURES:
TRANSLATORS’ CHALLENGES AND INTERCULTURAL PERSPECTIVES
Micaela ȚAULEAN, PhD, Associa e P o esso ,
Alecu Russo Bal i S a e Uni e si y
micael[email p o ec ed]d
h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0003-0622-3654
Abs ac : This a icle del es in o he challenges and sub le ies o ansla ing idioms wi hin
a ious cul u al con ex s, highligh ing he essen ial ole o ansla o s in b idging linguis ic and
cul u al di ides. Idioma ic exp essions, which a e deeply embedded in he cul u al aspec s o
languages, p esen signi ican hu dles o ansla o s who mus skill ully na iga e he complex
ela ionships be ween language, meaning, and cul u al e e ences. I also s esses he need o
inno a i e s a egies o ackle he inhe en challenges o idioma ic ansla ion. O e all, his
esea ch enhances ou app ecia ion o he i al unc ion ansla o s se e in p omo ing in e -
cul u al communica ion and os e ing global connec ions.
Keywo ds: cul u al compe ence, idioma ic exp essions, eaching English as a o eign lan-
guage, in e cul u al communica ion, s a egies and me hodologies, ansla ion p ocess.
INTRODUCTION
The English language is ega ded as an essen ial componen o educa ion. Despi e he
comp ehensi eness o English language ins uc ion, i is impo an o emembe ha eaching
English encompasses mo e han jus language acquisi ion; i also in ol es unde s anding
exp essions. This includes lea ning how people use igu a i e language o con ey speci ic
meanings in con e sa ion. Such igu a i e language is o en ound in idioms. Idioms a e o en
said o e lec he cul u e o a language. Like many cul u ally-speci ic language elemen s,
idioms p esen signi ican challenges o lea ne s (P od omou, T an, Vasilje ic), o he ex en
ha some eache s choose o a oid hem in he class oom al oge he . P od omou (2003) des-
c ibes an "idioma ic pa adox", whe e na i e speake s equen ly use idioms in spoken lan-
guage, ye e en ad anced lea ne s ind hem di icul and elusi e. None heless, nume ous
schola s ad oca e o eaching idioms in EFL class ooms. Celce-Mu cia (2008) sugges s a
communica i e compe ence model, whe e one aspec ( igu a i e compe ence) in ol es he
abili y o use idioms. Addi ionally, he CEFR (Council o Eu ope 2012) includes idioma ic
exp essions in i s p o iciency le el desc ip ions. This unde sco es he impo ance o incu po-
a ing idioms in o academic syllabi.
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Cul u e and idioms
An idiom is a ph ase ha canno be in e p e ed li e ally. E en i a pe son unde s ands he
meaning o each indi idual wo d and comp ehends he g amma , he o e all meaning o he
idiom may emain unclea . Mas e y o English idioms no only in ol es unde s anding hei
meanings bu also being able o use hem app op ia ely, he eby in eg a ing in o he English
speech communi y. This is a compelling eason why many s uden s a e keen on lea ning
idioms. Some idioms a e so commonly used ha hey become clichés—o e used exp essions
in spoken language ha a e o en a oided in w i ing o p e en appea ing uno iginal. Clichés
and p o e bs, ano he ype o idioma ic usage, main ain a ixed o m, such as "Cu iosi y killed
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he ca " (no " he dog") and "Too many cooks spoil he b o h" (no " he meal"). Howe e ,
o he idioms allow o a ia ions, like " o look (o eel) like dea h wa med o e ," o can
accommoda e modi ie s, as in "I was (beau i ul) music o my ea s.
Resea ch on English idioms began in 1925 wi h he publica ion o "Wo ds and Idioms" by
L.P. Smi h. T adi ionally, idioms can be ansla ed in a ious ways, wi h each idiom ha ing a
speci ic me hod o ansla ion. Howe e , i is o en unclea which idioms should be ansla ed
using which me hod. Upon e iewing essays on idiom ansla ion, we ound ha hese essays
ypically ollow a simila s uc u e: hey i s discuss di e en cul u al in luences on idiom
ansla ion and hen p opose a ious ansla ion me hods. The main ansla ion me hods in-
clude li e al ansla ion and ee ansla ion, bu hey do no speci y which me hod should be
used in which con ex . This lack o cla i y is a common issue in idiom ansla ion esea ch bo h
domes ically and in e na ionally. The alue o cul u e ep esen s he signi ican and posi i e
impo ance ha some hing holds in he spi i ual li e o a speci ic indi idual, social g oup, o
socie y. This impo ance is mani es ed h ough a ious ca ie s and exp essed h ough sym-
bols and sys ems o signs wi hin ha cul u e. Cul u e and idioms a e in ica ely connec ed.
Cul u e se es as he ounda ion o idioms, while idioms e ec i ely e lec a na ion’s cul u e.
This in e dependence highligh s he signi ican ole cul u e plays in he c ea ion and unde -
s anding o idioms. Fo example, he idiom "Pando a's box" (Cu ia Pando ei/ Ящик Пан-
доры) o igina es om G eek my hology. Unde s anding such idioms equi es knowledge o
he cul u al s o ies and my hs hey a e based on. When one lea ns he my h behind "Pando a's
box," i no only cla i ies he idiom's meaning bu also p o ides deepe insigh in o G eek
cul u e. Thus, idioms a e a powe ul means o exp essing and unde s anding cul u al he i age.
"Cul u al de aul " e e s o backg ound knowledge o p io unde s anding ha au ho s
assume hei eade s possess. This phenomenon is pa icula ly common wi h idioms, making
hem challenging o eade s un amilia wi h he a ge language. Idioms a e concise exp es-
sions ha ca y deep cul u al meanings no explici ly explained o eade s. Fo ins ance, he
idiom "mee one’s Wa e loo"
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(a i în ins, a i eșua /быть разгромленным, потерпеть
поражение) can be pe plexing o eade s encoun e ing i o he i s ime, as i o igina ed
om a speci ic his o ical e en
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. Unde s anding such idioms equi es knowledge o he s o y
o con ex hey e e ence. Wi hou his backg ound, many eade s may ind idioms con using
and s uggle o g asp hei in ended meaning. Mo eo e , cul u al di e ences be ween na ions
lead o a ia ions in cul u al de ails, highligh ing concep s ha exis in one cul u e bu no
necessa ily in ano he . This di e si y unde sco es he complexi ies o idioma ic exp essions
ac oss di e en cul u al con ex s.
De ini ions
The e is no schola ly consensus on he de ini ion o idioms. In con empo a y esea ch,
he e m "idioms" (o "ph aseological uni s") appea s o co e a b oad spec um o mul i-wo d
uni s, anging om lexical colloca ions like p eposi ional e bs (e.g., " o look a some hing") o
examples o me apho ical language (e.g., "apple o my eye" – Lumina ochilo mei; Зеница ока/
Яблоко от яблони). Due o he complexi y o idioms, nume ous de ini ions exis ega ding
wha quali ies as an idiom. Some de ini ions ocus on he o m, while o he s emphasize he
meaning. Schola ly de ini ions o idioms ha ocus on meaning desc ibe hem as mul i-wo d
exp essions ha a e "no he sum o hei pa s" (Moon, 1998), o as "a g oup o wo ds ha
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h ps://www.dic iona y.com/b owse/mee -ones-wa e loo
39
Su e a majo de ea , as in Ou eam's done well his season bu is abou o mee i s Wa e loo.
This e m alludes o Napoleon's de ea a Wa e loo, Belgium, in 1815, ma king he end o his mili a y
domina ion o Eu ope. I was being ans e ed o o he kinds o de ea by he mid-1800s.
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occu in a mo e o less ixed ph ase whose o e all meaning canno be p edic ed by analyzing he
meaning o i s cons i uen pa s" (Simpson, Mendis, 2003). P od omou (2005) sugges s a clas-
si ica ion o idioms ha conside s bo h hei o m and meaning, iden i ying ou dis inc ypes:
a) Fo mulae: This ca ego y includes p eposi ional ph ases (e.g., "a home") and ans-
pa en bi-/ inomials (e.g., "bed and b eak as "), whose meanings can be deduced by com-
bining he meanings o hei indi idual pa s. This app oach di e s signi ican ly om hose
ha conside idioms as indi isible wholes.
b) Colloca ions: These can be ei he open (e.g., "sun ise") o es ic ed (e.g., "spu
someone's memo y").
c) Ph asal Ve bs: These a e combina ions like " o u n a ound" meaning " o adically
change one’s mind."
d) Cul u al Idioms: This sub ype encompasses a a ie y o ph aseological exp essions,
including “colo ul binomials” (e.g., "chalk and cheese") o “ inomials” (e.g., "lock, s ock,
and ba el"), me apho s and igu a i e exp essions (e.g., " o igh i e wi h i e"), similes (e.g.,
"[ o ge on] like a house on i e"), p o e bs and sayings (e.g., "an apple a day keeps he doc o
away"), li e a y allusions (e.g., quo es om Shakespea e), and o he simila mul i-wo d uni s
like nu se y hymes o pop-song ly ics.
While all ou ypes exhibi wha P od omou e ms as 'idioma ici y', hey a y signi i-
can ly in e ms o “syn ac ic lexibili y, colloca ional ixedness, and seman ic opaci y”. Types
A-C a e classi ied as o mulaic, cha ac e ized by equen usage, ela i ely anspa en mea-
nings, and ixed o ms. In con as , Type D consis s o idioma ic ph aseological exp essions,
which a e less commonly used, o en opaque in meaning, and can display c ea i e a ia ions
in o m. Idioma ic exp essions a e pe asi e in English. C ys al (1995) a gues ha idioms
appea ac oss a ious gen es and egis e s, including media such as jou nalism and ad e i-
sing, poli ical discou se, spoken language, and e e yday con e sa ions. E en academic w i-
ing inco po a es idioms. Howe e , Biebe e al. (1999), d awing on co pus da a, su p isingly
ind ha in o mal idioms a e mo e equen ly employed in ic ion, pa icula ly by au ho s who
emula e o al communica ion, a he han in au hen ic spoken discou se. The s ylis ic impac
o idioms in oduces a le el o in o mali y o he ex , adding a " i id colo o an o he wise
se ious discussion" (Biebe e al.,1999).
TRANSLATING IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS
• Seman ic ansla ion, also known as li e al o wo d- o -wo d ansla ion, aims o
con ey he meaning o he sou ce language exac ly, adhe ing closely o he s uc u es and
seman ics o he sou ce language. I emphasizes p ese ing bo h he o m and meaning o he
o iginal ex . This me hod is pa icula ly use ul o ansla ing combina ion idioms, whe e he
meaning can be unde s ood by analyzing he li e al meanings o he indi idual wo ds. Despi e
signi ican cul u al di e ences be ween English and Romanian/ Russian, he e a e sha ed e-
cogni ions and emo ions ha can acili a e mu ual unde s anding o ce ain concep s. The e-
o e, seman ic ansla ion is o en sui able o ansla ing combina ion idioms, as i can e ec -
i ely con ey he in ended meaning ac oss languages while main aining ideli y o he o iginal
exp ession: i like a glo e – a se po i i la ix, a-i eni mănușa, se po i esc ca o mănușă, se
po i eș e ca o mănușă/ подходит как перчатка, сидит как перчатка, прекрасно подходить
(об одежде); pu you hinking cap on – a-și pune min ea la con ibuție, pune-ți șapca
(cușma) de gândi e pe cap/ наденьте шапочку для размышлений, шевелить мозгами.
1. Equi alen T ansla ion e e s o a ansla ion app oach whe e he ansla o s i es
o con ey he meaning and in en o he sou ce ex accu a ely while adap ing i app op ia ely
o i he linguis ic, cul u al, and con ex ual no ms o he a ge language. Acco ding o
Saussu e, language is a bi a y, meaning ha he e is no inhe en connec ion be ween he
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sounds o symbols used in language and he meanings hey ep esen . As a esul , di e en
languages o en ha e di e en exp essions o he same hing o concep . Despi e hese a ia-
ions in exp ession, hese di e se linguis ic o ms ul ima ely signi y simila ideas o concep s.
Idioma ic
exp ession
Meaning
Romanian
ansla ion
Russian
ansla ion
Example(s)
wea he pan s
be he domi-
nan pa ne
in a ela ion-
ship
A i șe / boss
Быть началь-
ником/хозяи-
ном
You mus o e e emind he ha
you wea he pan s in he amily.
T ebuie în o deauna sa îi amin eș i ca
u eș i șe ul în casă.
Ты должен вечно напоминать ей,
что в семье ты хозяин.
3. Communica i e ansla ion, also known as ee ansla ion, is an app oach o ansla-
ion ha p io i izes e ec i e communica ion and eade unde s anding o e s ic adhe ence
o he o m o s uc u e o he sou ce ex . I aims o p oduce a ansla ion ha no only con eys
he meaning and con en o he o iginal ex bu also ensu es ha i is na u al, luen , and cul-
u ally app op ia e in he a ge language con ex . Fo idioms, which o en lack di ec equi-
alen s in he a ge cul u e, communica i e ansla ion p o es o be a bene icial s a egy. I
allows ansla o s o con ey he conno a ions and meanings o o eign idioms in a way ha
esona es wi h he cul u al unde s anding o he a ge language eade s. By adap ing idioms o
i he cul u al con ex o he a ge language, communica i e ansla ion enables eade s o com-
p ehend he in ended cul u al nuances wi hou con usion o misin e p e a ion. This app oach
e ec i ely manages cul u al di e ences and ensu es smoo h communica ion ac oss languages.
Idioma ic
exp ession
Meaning
Romanian
ansla ion
Russian
ansla ion
Example(s)
pu a sock
in i
s op alking, a ude
(impoli e) way o elling
someone o s op alking
o be quie (s op making
a lo o noise).
a ăcea
Прекратить
разговаривать
The eache asked he s uden s
poli ely o be quie se e al imes
and when hey didn' , she inally
yelled, "pu a sock in i " and
hey shu up.
P o eso ul le-a ce u ele ilo po-
li icos să acă de mai mul e o i și
când nu au ăcu -o, în cele din
u mă a s iga , " aceți din gu ă"
și au ăcu .
Учительница несколько раз
вежливо попросила учеников
замолчать, а когда они не за-
молчали, крикнула: "Закрой-
те рты", и они замолчали.
ha ick
he sco ing o h ee
goals in one game (as o
hockey o socce ) by a
single playe ;
a se ies o h ee ic o-
ies, successes, o ela-
ed accomplishmen s
iplu
трижды
Goal! Fowle makes i a ha
ick!
Gol! Fowle eușeș e o iplă!
Гоол! Фолер забил три раза!
The ansla ion p ocess hinges on unde s anding he sou ce cul u e embedded wi hin
sou ce idioms, which may include his o ical e en s, geog aphical se ings, eligions, adi-
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ions, and mo e. Wi h his unde s anding, he a ge eade and a ge cul u e mus be ca e ully
conside ed. By doing so, cul u al de aul is e ec i ely elimina ed o a ge eade s, making
i much easie o hem o g asp such idioms.
TEACHING IDIOMS IN THE EFL CLASSROOM
• To e ec i ely each English idioms, a solid unde s anding o idioms and app op ia e
eaching me hodologies is c ucial. We sugges he ollowing exe cises ha can help im-
p o e s uden s' knowledge in his a ea:
• Ma ching Exe cises: P o ide lis s o idioms and hei meanings in English, and ha e
s uden s ma ch each idiom wi h i s co ec de ini ion o explana ion.
• Con ex ual Exe cises: P esen idioms in sen ences o sho passages, and ask s uden s
o in e he meaning based on con ex . Discuss he igu a i e meaning o he idioms
a e wa d.
• Role-playing and Scena ios: C ea e ole-playing ac i i ies whe e s uden s use idioms
in speci ic si ua ions. This helps hem unde s and he app op ia e con ex o each idiom.
• C ea i e W i ing: Assign asks whe e s uden s inco po a e idioms in o hei w i ing. En-
cou age hem o c ea e s o ies, dialogues, o essays ha e ec i ely use idioma ic exp essions.
• Discussion and Re lec ion: Engage s uden s in discussions abou he cul u al o igins
and implica ions o idioms. Encou age hem o e lec on how idioma ic exp essions
e lec cul u al alues and belie s.
• Idiom Games: In oduce games like cha ades o Pic iona y whe e s uden s ac ou o
d aw idioma ic exp essions, p omp ing o he s o guess he idiom being depic ed.
• C oss-cul u al Compa isons: Compa e English idioms wi h equi alen s o simila
exp essions in Romanian o Russian, o o he languages spoken by he s uden s. Discuss
simila i ies and di e ences in hei usage and cul u al con ex .
TYPES OF TASKS:
1. T ansla e idioma ic exp essions and ph aseological uni s om English in o
Romanian/ Russian, inco po a ing cul u al-speci ic elemen s such as geog aphical names,
his o ical and cul u al e ms, colo s, animal names, plan names, and adi ional clo hing.
Clo hing Idioms: an s in you pan s, a he d op o a ha , buckle down, bu n a hole in
my pocke , ge he boo , ha e a ca d up you slee e, o he cu , pu you sel in my shoes, ide
my coa ails, wea you hea on you slee e.
2. Read a s o y o an un o una e wedding e en . Wha do you hink Ga y said a he
end? How do hink he s o y inished? Think o ano he end o he s o y
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.
When Ga y was asked o deli e a bes man speech a John and Lucy’s wedding, he was
e i ied. I happened igh a e M . Smi h’s oas , and a ha momen , Ga y ealized he had
comple ely o go en abou his small ask ha a bes man is supposed o ul ill – and o make
ma e s wo se, he was comple ely inep a public speaking. Ob iously, he had no o he choice bu
o 1) speak o he cu . He s ood up and s a ed his speech 2) a he d op o a ha . His hough s
wen unning io , bu a oice in his head kep on saying “Man, 3) keep you shi on!”…
3. Wo k wi h a pa ne o in a small g oup. Do he ollowing ac i i ies.
1. The idioms in his uni all use clo hes. Do you know any o he English idioms ha use
clo hes?
2. A e he e clo hes idioms in you na i e language? A e any idioms like he ones in English?
3. Would you like o be in he shoes o a s u ed shi who was ied o his o he mo he 's
ap on s ings? Say why no .
4. Desc ibe a si ua ion whe e you wouldn' like o be in someone else's shoes.
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h ps://www.ka a zynasochacka.pl/

88
TYPICAL MISTAKES IN CULTURAL TRANSLATION IN IDIOM TRANSLA-
TION
In he p ocess o cul u al ansla ion, e o s o en occu , p e en ing na i e speake s o
he language om adequa ely pe cei ing a wo k o ic ion. As i has al eady been men ioned,
ansla ion can be ega ded as a p ocess ha has wo hypos ases: 1) ep oduc ion (wi h a
unc ionally di e en ia ed deg ee o necessa y comple eness) o he con en o IT; 2)
( unc ionnally condi ioned) adap a ion o his con en and o ms o i s exp ession o new
linguo-e hnic condi ions o pe cep ion. This in e p e a ion o ansla ion makes i possible o
explain all e o s in ansla ions by wo main easons: de ec s in he ansla ion o he o iginal
con en and de ec s in he adap a ion o he con en and o m o he LL ex o he communi-
ca i e compe ence o he ansla ion add essees. I we de ine a ansla ion e o as a ailu e o
adhe e o he implied ins uc ions o he ansla ion b ie and as an inadequa e solu ion o a
ansla ion challenge, hen ansla ion e o s can be ca ego ized in o ou main ypes:
a. P agma ic ansla ion e o s a ise om inadequa e solu ions o p agma ic ansla ion
p oblems, such as a lack o conside a ion o he in ended ecipien s' pe spec i es.
b. Cul u al ansla ion e o s occu due o inadequa e decisions ega ding he ep oduc ion
o adap a ion o cul u e-speci ic con en ions.
c. Linguis ic ansla ion e o s s em om inadequa e ansla ions ocusing on language
s uc u es.
d. Tex -speci ic ansla ion e o s a e ela ed o speci ic ansla ion issues wi hin a ex and
can ypically be e alua ed om a unc ional o p agma ic s andpoin .
CONCLUSIONS
As widely ecognized, people om di e en cul u es o en sha e unde s anding o ce ain
concep s wo ldwide. This mu ual ecogni ion is also e iden in he in e p e a ion o idioms,
pa icula ly wi h combina ion idioms. Combina ion idioms a e hose whe e each wo d e ains
i s indi idual meaning, allowing hem o be comp ehended li e ally. The e o e, seman ic
ansla ion p o es o be a highly e ec i e s a egy o ansla ing such idioms. When
ansla ing ph aseological and usion idioms, di e en app oaches mus be selec ed based on
hei cha ac e is ics. Equi alen ansla ion is app op ia e o idioms ha ha e di ec
coun e pa s in he a ge cul u e. Howe e , o idioms ha ca y ich cul u al con ex s, such
as s o ies and his o ical e en s ha may no be amilia o eade s, as well as o he idioms,
communica i e ansla ion is ypically employed o ensu e cla i y and cul u al ele ance.
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