Some peculiarities of translation of English and Russian proverbs and sayings with the images of domestic and wild animals



There are literally thousands of sayings in English. Most sayings are effective thanks to their shortness and directness. They use simple, vivid language, often based on everyday domestic situations, making them easy to understand and remember.

The term saying conveys the idea of any expression of wisdom or truth, usually handed down by earlier generations. The origin of a saying is, in most cases, unknown. Many English sayings have come from other languages, and vice versa.

Proverbs like sayings surround us every day.

A saying is a short, clever expression that usually contains advice or expresses some obvious truth. Many traditional sayings are still in general use today. Most of the sayings are well known in English, though some of them come from other languages.

Proverbis a brief, simple and popular saying, or a phrase that gives advice and effectively embodies a commonplace truth based on practical experience or common sense. A proverb may have an allegorical message behind its odd appearance. The reason of popularity is due to its usage in spoken language as well as in the folk literature.

What is the difference between Saying and Proverb?

 A saying is something that has been said, and there are many different types of sayings such as adage, maxim, aphorisms, proverbs, etc.

 Out of all the sayings, it is the proverbs that are believed to be the most popular around the world.

 Sayings are pithy statements that express a universal value.

 Proverb is mostly common sense wisdom while saying can be broader to contain maxim and adage too.

 So, all proverbs are basically sayings, but not all sayings are proverbs.

 Main difference between proverb and saying is that proverb expresses common thinking, and saying expresses only thinking of partial character.

Sayings may be classified under a number of different terms, of which proverb is probably the best known. Other types of saying are adage, maxim, motto, epigram, aphorism and another.

Some dufinitions:

 Mantra

Amantrais a motivating chant, like the “I think I can, I think I can” you repeat over and over to yourself on the last stretch of every marathon you run.

Amantrais usually any repeated word or phrase, but it can also refer more specifically to a word repeated in meditation.Mantra comes from a Sanskrit word meaning a “sacred message or text, charm, spell.

 Maxim

A literary device, maxim is a simple and memorable line, quote or rule for taking action and leading a good life. Simply put, it is a thought with moralistic values that intends to motivate individuals. Maxim is, in fact, a type of saying, or a brief statement of a great thought about life. “He who hesitates is lost.” It helps characterizing characters.

Writers, politicians, philosophers, artists, sportsmen and individuals use such sentences in their respective fields that they become maxims. These maxims bring a pinch of wit, making statements more appealing to the audience.

 Motto

Amottois a slogan or favorite saying, like «When life hands you lemons, make lemonade».It is a favorite saying of a sect or political group.

 Function ofMotto

A motto is something you might see on a t-shirt or bumper sticker — a short sentence or phrase that has meaning for that person. Some mottoes have to do with politics, religion, or another belief. Sometimes people write their motto on a large banner or sign. President John F. Kennedy's motto was “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Mottoes are similar to proverbs, slogans.

Proverbs play very important roles in different types of literary works. The most important function of proverbs is to teach and educate the audience. They often contain an expert advice with a role for educating the readers on what they may face if they would do something. Hence, proverbs play a didactic role, as they play a universal role in teaching wisdom and sagacity to the common people. Since proverbs are usually metaphorical and indirect; therefore, they allow writers to express their message in a less harsh way.

Think of a proverb as a little tidbit of wisdom that just about everyone — no matter where they are from — can offer. There is a proverb for just about every circumstance, and proverbs can be applied to any situation.

English and American proverbs are almost second nature when delivered. The origins are quite often little known, yet the expressions are popular. Ethnic proverbs, on the other hand, may be a little deeper to digest, and require non-natives of the proverb’s country of origin, to think about the meaning in order to better understand how it applies to their lives.

FORM OR PATTERN OF PROVERB	EXAMPLES
1. Opposite parallel The same statement or instruction is given twice, but in opposite ways.	Hatred stirs up trouble; love overlooks the wrongs that others do.
2. Similar parallel The same statement or instruction is given twice in similar ways. The same idea is restated in different words. Sometimes, the second line makes the point more strongly than the first line did.	God's people avoid evil ways, and they protect themselves by watching where they go.
3. Single statement Some proverbs are a single statement describing some truth. These are often short, bold statements or simple warnings.	Even fools seem smart when they are quiet.
4. Statement with an explanation The first line is a concrete image which is then explained by the second line.	An angry ruler is like a roaring lion— make either one angry, and you are dead.
5. Comparison Some proverbs use striking images that compare one thing or person to another. These are called “metaphors.”	A beautiful woman who acts foolishly is like a gold ring on the snout of a pig. A ruler who mistreats the poor is like a roaring lion or a bear hunting for food.
6. Descriptive list Usually three or four answers that follow a statement based on an unspoken question.	There are three or four things I cannot understand: How eagles fly so high or snakes crawl on rocks, how ships sail the ocean or people fall in love.
7. “If…then” statement and “or else” instruction The second part explains the consequences of doing or not doing something. The “or-else” is usually implied but not stated.	It's better to take hold of a mad dog by the ears than to take part in someone else's argument.

I have compared the same proverbs and sayings in 3 languages. The meaning or interpretation shown for each saying is believed to be the generally accepted interpretation of the saying, though for some sayings the interpretation may be more subjective than for others.

As you can see the key words are different. To my mind it depends on every country, ways of life, habits, traditions and customs.

English	German	Russian
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.	Dach Ein Spatz in der Hand ist besser, als eine Taube auf dem Dach.	Лучше синица в руках, чем журавль в небе.
A cat in gloves catches no mice.	Ohne Fleiß kein Preis	Без труда не вытащишь и рыбки из пруда.
Among the blind the one-eyed man is king.	Unter den Blinden ist ein Einäugiger König	На безрыбье и рак рыба.
Dogs that put up many hares kill none	Gut Ding braucht Weile.	За двумя зайцами погонишься, ни одного не поймаешь.
Don't count your chickens before they are hatched	Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben	Цыплят по осени считают.
To kill two birds with one stone	Zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen	Убить двух зайцев одним ударом
Тo stare like a stuck pig	Wie ein Schwein vor dem Uhrwerk stehen	Глядеть как баран на новые ворота.
Love is blind	Liebe macht blind	Любовь зла — полюбишь и козла.
A dog that barks,doesn't bite	Böse Kühe haben krumme Hörner.	Бодливой корове бог рог не даёт
Оneswallow doesn't make a summer	Eine Schwalbe macht noch keinen Sommer	Одна ласточка весны не делает.

I have analysed about 100 proverbs and sayings.

Fig. 1. The frequency of usage the images of pets and other animals in English proverbs and sayings

As you can see the most popular Russian proverbs are the proverbs with the images of a fish. And the least Russian proverbs are the proverbs with the images of a wolf.

I always thought that translating English proverbs into Russian language is a very difficult work, but I was wrong. It is not very difficult. Everything depends on interpreter’ s knowledge of the text, not only proverbs and sayings, but any other texts must be carefully looked through, if it is a written text. If it is oral speech, an interpreter has to be very attentive and carefully listen to the speech. There are many cases, when a proverb does not have clear meaning. That is why an interpreter has to know the peculiarities of the language he translates into. If he does, there would not be any problems to find the proverb with the same meaning.

There is no language without proverbs and sayings. It is the large part of every language, and it is a very interesting work to translate them, because in every language proverbs and sayings have different lexical and grammatical peculiarities.

References:

1. Сборник английских пословиц и поговорок (English Proverbs and Saying); Кусковская С. Ф.; 'Вышэйшая школа', Минск; 1987. — 253с.
2. Сборник английских загадок, пословиц, поговорок; Измаилов В. Ф.; Феникс; 2007 г.- 93с.
3. 500 English Proverbs and Sayings; Высшая школа; 1966 г.- 32с.
4. Русскиепословицыи поговоркии иханглийскиеаналоги / English Proverbs and Sayings and Their Russian Equivalents; МатинаИнессаЕвгеньевна; КАРО; 2009 г. — 160с.
5. Readandspeak. Читай и говори на английском. Выпуск 13; В. В. Вахматов; Ордена Трудового Красного Знамени Военное издательство Министерства обороны СССР; 1978 г. — 176с.