1. Translation IT>EN (UK) Lesson 3 Idioms and fixed expressions
© Alan Taylor 2013

2. Idioms and Fixed Expressions (1)
Fixed expressions and idioms are collocations which are at the very extreme end of collocations…… The following three examples give examples of collocations which progress from being fairly free to very specific.
The collocates “delivery” and “letter” can be combined in various ways: e.g. “deliver a letter”, “the delivery of a letter”; “the letter was delivered”;” having delivered a letter”…. etc. Deliver or delivery has a very transparent meaning in all the various collocations.
In the example “dry cow”, the root of the words “dry” and “cow” are still comprehendible but the collocation takes on another meaning, that of something that gives no results. These types of collocations are known as “fixed expressions”
“to bury the hatchet” meaning “to settle any disagreement or put them aside is difficult to understand form the single words. These types of collocations are known as “idioms”.

3. Idioms and Fixed Expressions (2)
Fixed Expressions, as the name suggests, allows little or no variation in form and, in the case of idioms, often carry meanings which cannot be deduced from their individual components. An idiom such as “the long and the short of it” allows no variation under normal circumstances, unless the speaker/writer is trying to make a joke or attempt a play on words. Normally you cannot do the following with idioms:
Action
Example
Change the order of the words
the short and the long of it
Delete a word:
spill beans
Add a word
the very long and short if it
Replace a word
the tall and the short of it, bury a hatchet
Change the grammatical structure
the music was faced
Find the Italian equivalent of the above idiom

4. Fixed Expressions and Proverbs
Fixed expressions, such as “having said that”, “as a matter of fact”, “all the best” or proverbs such as “practice what you preach”, waste not want not” allow little variation in forms. The main difference between these and idioms is that fixed expressions (and to a lesser degree), proverbs usually have a fairly transparent meaning. Contrarily, idioms such as “to pull a fast one” or “fit the bill” are rather difficult to understand from the single words. Translate the above fixed expressions and idioms into Italian.

5. Recognising idioms
The first difficulty that the translator faces is that they have to recognise that they are dealing with an idiom. They are various types of idiom, some easier than the other to recognise. Those easy to recognise are the ones that violate truth conditions such as “a storm in a teacup”, “its raining cats and dogs”, “throw caution to the wind”, “jump down someone’s throat”, “food for thought”. Other easily recognisable idioms are those which do not follow normal grammatical forms, e.g. “trip the light fantastic”, “blow someone to kingdom come”, “the powers that be”, “the world and his friend”. Others that start with like (simile-like structures) also tend to suggest that they should not be interpreted literally: e.g. “like water of a duck’s back”, “like a bat out of hell”. Translate the above fixed expressions and idioms into Italian.

6. Interpreting Idioms (1)
Sometimes idioms will be explained in a food monolingual dictionary. If not, the best solution is to consult a native speaker of the language. Try and paraphrase in Italian the following 3 idiomatic expressions. This can only be done, I believe, by a full and frank “airing of the issues, I urge you all to “speak your minds” and not to “pull any punches”. Trying to interpret idioms can be dangerous for two reasons: Sometimes they seem to give a literal interpretation, e.g. “to go out with someone” or to “take someone for a ride”…. Sometimes the idiom in the source language may have a seemingly similar counterpart in the target language….. e.g. “has the cat got your tongue” may be confused with the French idiom donner sa langue au chat” (literally, to give up)… or “to pull one’s leg” in English which again in French may be confused with “tirer la jambe” meaning “to drag ones legs”……

7. Interpreting Idioms (2)
This is an extract from a highly idiomatic passage of Citizen Band Radio. I’d just done my stint as rubber duck, see and pulled off the grandma lane into the pitstop to drain the radiator. Try and interpret what the writer/speaker is saying. Sometimes we have to identify if we are dealing with an idiom or simply a normal collocation: e.g. It was freezing outside he said he had cold feet. He didn’t like the deal and started to get cold feet. Sometimes there is no equivalent in the TL: e.g. “Merry Christmas”, “say when” or “taking coal to Newcastle”

8. Strategies for Translating Idioms
The way on which an idiom can be translated in a foreign language depends on many factors, It is not only a question if whether an idiom with a similar meaning is available in the TL. Other factors include, for example, the significance of the specific lexical items which constitute the idiom and whether thy are manipulated elsewhere in the source text. The appropriateness of register the TL idiom, etc.
Thus there are many strategies which can be adopted to translate idioms:
Use an idiom of similar meaning and form in the TL
Use an idiom of similar meaning but different form in the TL
borrow the SL idiom
Translate by paraphrasing
Translate by omitting the play on idiom
Translate by omitting the idiom completely
These various strategies will be discussed during the practical part of the module.

9. Exercises (1)
Make a list of the common English idioms with which you are familiar and which have close counterparts in Italian. Comment on any differences in meaning, form or context of use between the English and Italian idioms.
Make a list of come common English expressions or idioms that you feel would be difficult to translate into your target language, for example, because they relate to specific English habits or social occasions Try to paraphrase each twice, briefly to be inserted into the text and more detailed, to be included as a footnote to the text.
Try translating the following advert jingle which was used to promote a Wanderlust Guide to Jordan.
Mud, glorious Mud! As every schoolchild worth their salt knows, the Dead Sea is the briniest lake on earth. But its waters and mud also offer unique spa experiences, as Gail Simmons experiences.