MODALITY IN TRANSLATION FROM ENGLISH INTO ROMANIAN

MODALITY IN TRANSLATION FROM ENGLISH INTO ROMANIAN


Anca Florina LIPAN

“Dunărea de Jos” University of Galaţi,

lipanancaflorina@gmail.com

Abstract

Modality is a large chapter of the English grammar which has at its disposal a variety of lexical and grammatical means to express different modal meanings. All levels of language may serve as playground for modality; they all bear some modality mark in a way or another. Therefore, it can be expressed phonologically, grammatically, lexically semantically, pragmatically and stylistically. In translation it has never been easy to find the best ways to express modality in the same way in two different language systems. This is because modality implies attitudes and feelings, which means that certain sensitivity is involved, and two different languages cannot have the same linguistic means to render such a delicate aspect in the same way. However, attempts and studies have been made and solutions have been found. That is why translation specialists mention notions such as equivalence or correspondence in translation. Whereas the SL has at its disposal certain lexical verbs, modal verbs or modal expressions to express a certain modal concept, the TL may not have the exact same means of expression. It is therefore, the translator‟s task to find those appropriate linguistic means that could create in the TT the same emotions as in the ST. In order to do that, he/she needs to take into consideration all text constituents and characteristics.

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