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ԵՐԵՎԱՆ 2021
 YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF EUROPEAN LANGUAGES AND COMMUNICATION
Department of English for Cross-Cultural Communication
LINGUISTICS AND CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
(ENGLISH)

HARUTYUNYAN DIANA

GRADUATION PAPER

ON THE TRANSLATABILITY OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS IN

―CHILDE HAROLD‘S PILGRIMAGE‖ BY G. G. BYRON

For Bachelor‘s Degree in Linguistics

(Linguistics and Cross-Cultural Communication-English)

YEREVAN 2021
Ուսանող՝
ստորագրություն

Հարությունյան Դիանա
ազգանուն, անուն

Ղեկավար՝

ստորագրություն

բ.գ.թ., դոցենտ Մարինե Յաղուբյան

գիտ.աստիճան, կոչում, ազգանուն, անուն

«Թույլատրել պաշտպանության»

Ամբիոնի վարիչ՝ X

բ.գ.դ., պրոֆեսոր, Շուշանիկ Պարոնյան

« 07» մայիսի2020 թ
Դարձվածաբանական միավորների թարգմանելիության խնդիրները Բայրոնի
<<Չայլդ Հարոլդի ուխտագնացությունը>> ստեղծագործության մեջ
О переводимости фразеологических единиц Байрона в<< Паломнике Чайлд- Гарольд>>
On the Translatability of Phraseological Units in ―Childe Harold‘s Pilgrimage‖ by G. G.
Byron

The main goal of this paper is to study the phraseological units including information
about its main characteristics and unique features, consider phraseological units and their
contextual usage in the process of formation of Byron‘s individual style. The topicality of the
research question is determined by the necessity of the comprehensive study of
phraseological units that are used in the English-language literature. Moreover, phraseology
in the works of Byron, one of the most prominent representatives of English literature, is
studied fragmentarily, and there aren‘t any fundamental comparative works on this topic in
the field of linguostylistics and translation studies. The translation of almost any work of
Byron is synonymous to overcoming some difficulties, because the prose of this writer is
renowned for its vivid imagery. When creating it the writer resorted to various means of
expression, including phraseological units. Byron‘s literary language is undoubtedly unique.
A number of literary critics are keen on exploring the ambiguity of the translation strategies.

4
 CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………....6

CHAPTER ONE

LINGUISTIC INTERPRETATION OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS…………………………..8

CHAPTER TWO

CULTURAL ASPECTS OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS…………………………….....…….13

CHAPTER THREE

PROBLEMS OF TRANSLATING PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS……………………………....18

CHAPTER FOUR

PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS IN BYRON‘S ―CHILDE HAROLD‘S PILGRIMAGE‖ AND

THEIR ARMENIAN EQUIVALENTS…...……………………………………………………..21

CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………..…….…..31

BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………..….………..33

5
 INTRODUCTION

Phraseological units or idioms are the combinations of words which are fixed. In
phraseological units words are not put independently and construct ready-made utterances
where neither words nor their order can be changed. Those are inseparable word groups
with fixed lexical meaning and grammatical structure. The meaning of the phraseological
unit as a whole may differ from the independent meanings of its components. Phraseological
units do not merely emerge, but are the result of historical background and culture of the
language.
The subject matter of the present research is ―On Translatability of Phraseological
Units in Byron‘s ―Childe Harold‘s Pilgrimage‘‘‖.
The object of the research is to express the semantic, structural, linguistic, stylistic as
well as cultural peculiarities of phraseological units.
The aim of the research is to reveal the main difficulties that can arise during the
translation of phraseological units specifically in Lord Byron‘s ―Childe Harold‘s Pilgrimage‘‘.
To achieve the aim of the research, the following objectives have been set forth:
 To carry out a study of phraseological units from the point of view of their
stylistic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
 To carry out the analysis and classification of phraseological units based on
various authors and sources.
 To clarify the role and function of phraseological units in communicating the
message of the source language.
 To describe general difficulties that can occur while translating phraseological
units into target language.
 To investigate ways of overcoming the difficulties connected with the
translatability of the phraseological units.
The research provides more detailed observation of questions concerning peculiarities
of phraseological units, a thorough investigation in characteristic features of phraseological
units in the process of translation. An attempt was made to reveal the role of cultural and
historical background on the meaning of the phraseological unit.
The novelty of the research is that phraseological units have been analyzed according
to their semantic and other meanings for many times, but in this paper they acquire artistic
approach being analyzed in Byron‘s ―Childe Harold‘s Pilgrimage‘‘.
The theoretical value of the paper is determined by the fact that the obtained results
can throw a new light on the problems of adequate delivery of meaning and translatability of
phraseological units from source into target language.
The practical significance of the research is that the materials and conclusions drawn
from the investigation can be used for better understanding the importance of adequate and
competent translation of phraseological units, especially in the fiction, where the idea of the
author is of vital importance.
We have examined the works of famous linguists such as Vinogradov, Amosova,
Kunin, Smirnitsky, Arnold, etc. and applied contextual, comparative, situational, descriptive
methods.
The material for the analysis was taken from Lord Byron‘s ―Childe Harold‘s Pilgrimage‖.
The paper consists of Introduction, four Chapters, Conclusion and Bibliography.
Introduction gives overall information about the survey of the work and its subject
matter.
Chapter One reviews the theoretical background of the research; giving a general idea
about phraseological units, their origin and classification.
Chapter Two presents the cultural aspects of phraseological units, which are formed
based on cultural background, traditions, national sayings, as well as, prejudices and believes.
Chapter Three indicates the problems of translating phraseological units and presents the
ability of finding a proper equivalent in target language.
Chapter Four is more specific and provides a detailed analysis of translatability of
phraseological units in Byron‘s ―Childe Harold‘s Pilgrimage‘‘.
Conclusion presents the main findings and sums up the results of the research.
Bibliography is the list of sources used during the process of the research.

7
 CHAPTER ONE

LINGUISTIC INTERPRETATION OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS

Phraseology is a branch of linguistics which studies different types of set expressions,

which like words name various objects and phenomena. Phraseological Unit (also called
idiom), a word group with a fixed lexical composition and grammatical structure; its
meaning, which is familiar to native speakers of the given language, is generally figurative
and cannot be derived from the meanings of the phraseological unit‘s component parts. The
meanings of phraseological units are the result of the given language‘s historical
development. They exist in the language as ready-made units

A Phraseological unit (PU) can be defined as a non-motivated word-group that

cannot be freely made up in speech, but is reproduced as a ready-made unit. It is a group of
words whose meaning cannot be deduced by examining the meaning of the constituent
lexemes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phraseology ).

A dark horse is actually not a horse but a person about whom no one knows anything
definite. A bull in a china shop: the idiom describes a clumsy person. A white elephant – it
is a waste of money because it is completely useless. The green-eyed monster is jealousy, the
image being drawn from Othello. To let the cat out of the bag : to let some secret become
known. To bark up the wrong tree means ‗to follow a false scent; to look for somebody or
something in a wrong place; to expect from somebody what he is unlikely to do‘. The idiom
is not infrequently used in detective stories: The police are barking up the wrong tree as
usual, i.e. they suspect somebody who has nothing to do with the crime. The author of the
―Book of English Idioms‖ Collins write: ―In standard spoken and written English today
idioms is an established and essential element that, used with care, ornaments and enriches
the language.‖ Used with care is an important warning because speech overloaded with
idioms loses its freshness and originality. Idioms, after all, are ready-made speech units, and
their continual repetition sometimes wears them out: they lose their colors and become trite
clichés. Nothing is entirely ‗free‘ in speech as its linear relationships are governed, restricted

8
and regulated, on the one hand, by requirements of logic and common sense and, on the
other, by the rules of grammar and combinability. A black-eyed girl but not of a black-eyed
table. The child was glad is quite correct, but a glad child is wrong.

Free-word groups vs phraseological units. The border-line between free or variable

word-groups and phraseological units is not clearly defined. The free word-groups are only
relatively free as collocability of their member-words is fundamentally delimited by their
lexical and syntactic valency. Phraseological units are comparatively stable and semantically
inseparable. See eye to eye – միանշանակ համամիտ լինել (այլ ոչ թե «տեսնել դեմ առ
դեմ»), Stew in one‘s own juice – տառապել սեփական հիմարության պատճառով (այլ ոչ
թե «եփվել սեփական հյութի մեջ») (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phraseology ) .

In free word-groups each of its constituents preserves its denotational meaning. In the
case of phraseological units however the denotational meaning belongs to the word-group as
a single semantically inseparable unit. For example, compare a free word-group a white
elephant (սպիտակ փիղ) and a phraseological unit white elephant (ավելորդ իր, որից
չգիտես՝ ինչպես ազատվել).

Distinctive features of free-word groups and phraseological units. Free word-groups are but
relatively free: they may possess some of the features characteristic of phraseological units.
On the other hand, phraseological units are heterogeneous. Alongside absolutely
unchangeable phraseological units, there are expressions that allow some degree of
substitution. Phraseology is concerned with all types of set expressions including those that
stand for certain sentences.

The meanings of phraseological units are the result of the historical development of
the given language. There are three classification principles of phraseological units. As to the
definite program of functioning of phraseological units‘ this is predetermined by their
essence itself as A. V. Kunin puts it. The most popular is the synchronic (semantic)
classification of phraseological units by V. V. Vinogradov. Vinogradov developed some
points and gave a strong impetus to a purely lexicological treatment of the material. It means

9
that phraseological units were defined as lexical complexes with specific semantic features
and classified accordingly.
This classification is based upon the motivation of the unit, that is the relationship
between the meaning of the whole and the meanings of its component parts. According to
Vinogradov‘s classification all phraseological units are divided into phraseological fusions,
phraseological unities and phraseological combinations. Phraseological fusionis a
semantically indivisible phraseological unit the meaning of which is never influenced by the
meanings of its components. It means that phraseological fusions represent the highest stage
of blending together. The meaning of components is completely absorbed by the meaning of
the whole. For example:
Once in a blue moon –very seldom; to cry for the moon –to demand unreal; under
the rose –quietly.
Phraseological unity is a semantically indivisible phraseological unit the whole
meaning of which is motivated by the meanings of its components. In general, phraseological
unities are the phrases where the meaning of the whole unity is not the sum of the meanings
of its components but is based upon them and may be understood from the components. For
example: To come to one‘s sense –to change one‘s mind; to fall into a rage –to get angry.
Phraseological combination (collocation) is a construction or an expression in which every
word has absolutely clear independent meaning while one of the components has a bound
meaning. It means that phraseological combinations contain one component used in its
direct meaning while the other is used figuratively. For example: To make an attempt –to try;
to make haste –to hurry; to offer an apology –to beg pardon. Prof. A. I. Smirnitsky worked
out structural classification of phraseological units, which is the second classification. He
compares phraseological units with words and according to his classification one-top units
are pointed out, which are compared with derived words because derived words have only
one root morpheme. Two-top units are also pointed out, which are compared with
compound words because in compound words we usually have two root morphemes. Among
one-top units three structural types are pointed out:
a) units of the type ―to give up‖; such as to back up –to support; to drop out –to miss,
to omit.

10
 b) units of the type ―to be tired‖; such as to be surprised at, to be akin to.
c) prepositional-nominal phraseological units; such as on the doorstep -quite near;
on the nose –exactly.
Among two-top units following structural types are pointed out:
a) attributive-nominal; such as a month of Sundays; a millstone round one‘s neck.
b) verb-nominal phraseological units; such as to read between the lines; to sweep
under the carpet.
c) Phraseological repetitions, such as Now or never; part and parcel. The third
classification was suggested by I. V. Arnold and according to this Phraseological units
can be classified as parts of speech.

There are several types of phraseological units, as follows. In phraseological

concretions the literal and figurative meanings are totally unrelated, as in tochit‘ liasy (―to
whittle a piece of linden wood‖; figuratively, ―to chatter‖) or sobaku s‖est‘ (―to know inside
out‖; literally, ―to eat a dog‖). Other phraseological units have a meaning that is derived from
the meaning of the component parts, as in plyt‘ po techeniiu (―to flow with the current‖).
Phraseological collocations include a word or words with a meaning that is both literal and
figurative, as in glubokaia tishina (―profound silence‖). Another type of phraseological unit is
the idiomatic expression, a word group whose structure and meaning are fixed.

Other classifications of phraseological units acccording to type exist as well. They

include classifications based on the restrictions in the selection of variable structural
elements, those based on the fixed or variable composition of the word components, and
those based on the degree to which the phraseological unit‘s structure and components are
fixed. The aggregate of phraseological units differing in terms of meaning and structure
constitutes a language‘s stock of idioms. Phraseology (from Greek phrasis, "way of speaking"
and logia, "study of") is a scholarly approach to language which developed in the twentieth
century. From the late 1960s on it established itself in German linguistics but was also
sporadically approached in English linguistics. The earliest English adaptations of
phraseology are by Weinreich (1969) within the approach of transformational grammar,
Arnold (1973) and Lipka (1992). In Great Britain as well as other Western European

11
countries, phraseology has steadily been developed over the last twenty years. The activities
of the European Society of Phraseology (EUROPHRAS) and the European Association for
Lexicography (EURALEX) with their regular conventions and publications attest to the
prolific European interest in phraseology. European scholarship in phraseology is more
active than in North America. Bibliographies of recent studies on English and general
phraseology are included in Welte and specially collected in Cowie & Howarth whose
bibliography is reproduced and continued on the internet and provides a rich source of the
most recent publications in the field.

Summing up the above mentioned, we can understand that phraseological units

absorb values of the ages in which it lives. The problem of understanding the meaning of a
phraseological unit is linked with a possibility of increasing our knowledge about the world
diachronically. The authors underline the importance of phraseological studies as it
demonstrates the interrelation between the language and the society. The role of
phraseological units as specific structures in forming vocabulary and linguacultural
competence of students is very significant because they encapsulate a national, country‘s
cultural outlook.

12
 CHAPTER TWO

CULTURAL ASPECTS OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS

We live in a period of globalization, so the importance of knowledge of foreign

languages is increasing every day. As a result, research on the problems of communication
between cultures and peoples is becoming more and more intensive. Thus, language, being
an important means of concentrating information about the world, at the same time acts as
the most important sign of a particular people. It is in language that the mentality of the
people, their psychology, customs and mores are most clearly expressed. It is a means of
creating national literature, the main repository of information about a particular people.

The national mentality is manifested in the reflection of the peculiarities of life,

customs, history and culture, mainly phraseological units. One of the features of proverbs is
to give people an assessment of the objective phenomena of reality, thereby expressing the
worldview. In the phraseological units is expressed the peculiar mindset, a way of judgment,
the feature views; they manifest the life and life, spirit and temper, manners and customs,
beliefs and superstitions. In traditionally oriented linguistics, such problems and tasks are
constantly being posed and formed that can no longer be solved by means and methods that
are ingrained in science, but require the use of syncretic logical-linguistic, psycholinguistic,
and sociolinguistic methods for studying the linguistics of a text. In our opinion,
linguoculturology as a special area of analysis is brought to life by such a statement of the
question.

Problems of translating phraseological units from English into Armenian, taking into
account their linguistic and cultural characteristics, is considered to be one of the most
difficult types of translation transformations. The object of translation is not a language
system as an abstraction, but a specific speech work in another language (the original text),
on the basis of which another speech work in another language (the translation text) is
created. The purpose of the translation is to acquaint the reader (or listener)who does not
know the original language as closely as possible with this text (or the content of oral
speech). To translate means to express correctly and fully by means of one language what has

13
already been expressed by means of another language. Achieving translation equivalence
(translation adequacy), despite the differences in the formal and semantic systems of the two
languages, requires the translator to first of all be able to make numerous and high-quality
inter language transformations -so-called translation transformations-so that the translation
text conveys all the information contained in the source text as fully as possible, while
strictly observing the norms of the translating language. A.V. Koonin gives the following
definition of phraseological units: "a Phraseological unit is a stable combination of words
with a completely or partially reinterpreted meaning" (Koonin 1996:5). V. N. Komissarov
tells about three correspondence types with figurative phraseological units of the originals
(Kobiakova 2017:4).

1. Phraseological equivalents. In this case, a similar idiom that corresponds to all the
parameters of the original idiomatic expression is meant. However, there are two factors to
be considered: phraseological equivalents are relatively few and when the same idiom is
borrowed by two languages, its meaning may be changed in one of them, and these idioms
may be ―false friends of the translator‖ –similar in form but different in content‖(Komissarov
2004: 172).

2. Phraseological analogies. This is an idiom with the same figurative meaning as the
original, although based on a different form. Here the author also notes some limitations.
Firstly, it is necessary to ascertain that emotional and stylistic meanings of the idiom are
kept. Secondly, this method of translation is not suitable when the idiom that is to be
translated has an explicit pronounced national character (Komissarov 2004: 174).

3. The calque of the foreign language figurative unit. The author believes that the
calque allows keeping the original imagery and makes it possible to overcome the difficulties
that arise when the image in original is made to create an extended metaphor (Komissarov
2004: 174).

Some idioms are translated with the help of partial (relative) equivalence. According
to E. F. Arsentyeva, such idiomatic expressions are characterized by the minor differences in
terms of phraseological expression of the identical semantics that can have a componential or

14
morphological character (Arsentyeva 1989:100). The classification of phraseological units
also contains the necessary theoretical knowledge for the translator, with which we can
identify the phraseological units in the text, then analyze it and, based on the analysis, give
the most accurate translation in this context. The most legitimate approach is to consider
phraseological units in three aspects: semantic, structural-grammatical, and component.
Taking into account the marked levels, the following types are distinguished:

1) phraseological equivalents (full and partial) -phraseological units with

identical semantics, structural and grammatical organization and with identical
component composition;
Red book –կարմիր գիրք;
Black list –սև ցուցակ;
First think, then speak –Նախ մատծիր, նոր խոսիր;
Step by step –Քայլ առ քայլ.
2) Phraseological analogs (full and partial) -phraseological units that
express the same or similar meaning, but are characterized by a complete difference
in the approximate similarity of the internal form;
3) non-equivalent phraseological units-phraseological units that do not
have correspondences in the phraseological system of another language.

Since phraseology stands out for its functions in language and speech, it requires a
special approach in the translation process. The main difficulty is that no dictionary can
provide for all the false uses of phraseology in the context. Phraseological units, similar in
internal form in different languages, are not always identical in meaning as a result of
their reinterpretation, so you can not rely on the similarity of the figurative basis. But
when an expression still retains its connection with the sphere in which it was born, the
translator has to look for such a phraseological units in the Armenian language.

Techniques for translating phraseological units vary from complete replacement of

imagery to complete preservation of the image in translation. And yet, what is common
and characteristic of all is the preservation of imagery in translation. But at the same

15
 time, the standard and traditional in the original must be transferred to the standard and
traditional in the translation. When translating, it is important to observe the stylistic
uniformity of the original text. Along with the absence of a corresponding phraseological
units in the Armenian language, it may seem that an Armenian phraseological units that
has the same semantic content does not correspond to English. Of course, ideally, you
should strive for full equivalence of the means used, but in practice, you often have to
sacrifice functional and stylistic correspondence to preserve expressiveness. It is very
important that phraseological substitutions in translation convey the national flavor of
the original language. The original, which is full of phraseological phrases, must retain its
phraseological richness and quality.

In accordance with the scheme of V. G. Gakand Yu. I. Lvin, there are three types
of equivalence: formal, semantic and situational (Gak.1970:59). In formal equivalence,
common values in two languages are expressed in similar language forms. In fact, all
three categories of equivalence are the result of various translation operations: in the first
case, we were talking about the simplest of these operations -substitution, i.e. substitution
of signs of the translation language instead of signs of the source language, and in the
second and third-about operations of a more complex type-translation transformations.

One of the requirements that has long been put forward by the theory and practice of
translation is the requirement of equivalence of texts —one and the final. Equivalence is
provided by transformation, provided that the latter are semantically or pragmatically
motivated. Freedom in translation is allowed only when necessary.

The study of the types and methods of translation transformations occupies one of
the Central places in the translation process. By translation transformation, we mean a
departure from the use of isomorphic means available in both languages. Translation
transformations can be caused by various factors. The term "transformation" is used in
translation studies in a figurative sense. In fact, we are talking about the relationship
between the original and final language expressions, about the replacement of one form
of expression with another in the process of translation, a replacement that we

16
figuratively call transformation. In formal equivalence, common values in two languages
are expressed in similar language forms. In fact, all three categories of equivalence are the
result of various translation operations: in the first case, we were talking about the
simplest of these operations -substitution, i.e. substitution of signs of the translation
language instead of signs of the source language, and in the second and third-about
operations of a more complex type-translation transformations.

Without knowledge and deep understanding of this process in both languages, the
translator will increasingly face the fact of untranslatability. Moreover, there may be
errors. Thus, the decomposition of phraseological units poses a number of problems for
the translator, which can be solved by comparative study of languages in the field of
speech functioning.

In conclusion, the task of the translator is to understand the meaning of the source
text and express the same meaning (more precisely, the system of values) by means of a
different language. In this case, an interlanguage transformation occurs, i.e., the
replacement of one sign system with another, which leads to inevitable semantic losses.
The translator must keep them to a minimum, i.e. ensure a greater degree of equivalence
between the source text and the translation text, which is impossible without performing
various translation transformations.

17
 CHAPTER THREE

PROBLEMS OF TRANSLATING PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS

Translation of phraseological units is topical for the contemporary translatology

nowadays. According to many outstanding specialists, phraseological units are lexical
combinations, the meaning of which is detined by the whole expression. The most
distinctive feature of phraseological unit is its emotional expressiveness and conciseness of
thought expression. Fairly often, phraseological units are functioning in the newspaper style.
It should be noted that phraseological units are very often transformed into "stock phrases".

Defining phraseological units in the text and the ability to find an equivalent to it
during the translation process is the most important stage for the translator. In order to
translate a phraseological unit, the translator should use phraseological dictionaries and
context plays an important role during the translation process. In conclusion it should be
noted that phraseological units reflect culture and a national mentality of a definite nation.
Due to this reason, translation of phraseological units is one of the topical issues for the
contemporary translatology. Phraseological units are an integral part of any language or
culture and knowing these units and appropriate interpretation of them is an evidence of
appropriate translation of the whole expression or a work of art.

Many famous and outstanding translatologists consider that phraseological units are
―translator‘s false friends‖, which represent some phraseological units of the source text and
these phraseological units in whole or in part coincide with the units of the target text and
the analysed phraseological units can create false associations during the translation process
due to the reason of their similarity with free collocations. Phraseological units – ―translator‘s
false friends‖ - have a definite meaning and this meaning can definitely or particularly differ
from the meaning of a phraseological unit in the target text. According to a famous
translatologist V. N. Komissarov, some phraseological units can belong to the ―translator‘s
false friends‖ due to the fact that analysed phraseological units have a similar form which
makes it difficult to choose an adequate equivalent in the other language (Komissarov and
Koralova, 1999).

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 With regard to many linguists, phraseological units are word combinations, the
meaning of which is defined according to the whole expression but not according to their
components or language parts. With relation to notional component binding, phraseological
units should be divided into figurative and non- figurative. Non-figurative phraseological
units are called as phraseological collocations. Analysing these phraseological units, we
mention that their language components express their meaning, but these units collocate
with definite words and the translator can not change them: <<որոշում ընդունել>>-―to
make a decision‖.
Consequently, there is a need in the analysis of some ways of non-figurative
phraseological units‘ translation, elaborated by a famous translatologist V.S. Slepovich:

1. Translation of phraseological units can be processed on the basis of existing English

collocation: <<ռիսկի դիմել>>- ―to take a chance‖, <<հանգստանալ>>-―to have a
rest‖, <<նեղանալ>>-―to take offence‖, <<ննջել>>-―to take a nap‖.

2. With the help of equivalents (definite and indefinite) : <<մի բանի վերջը դնել>>-
―to put an end to something‖, <<կարդալ տողատակերով>>-―to read between the lines‖,
<<հաշվի առնել>>-―to take into accaunt‖, <<հատուկ ուշադրություն դարձնել>>-―to make
a point‖, <<շտապ ենթադրություններ անել>>-―to jump at conclusions‖, <<վերելքներ և
վայրէջքներ>>-―ups-and-downs‖ (Slepovich 2005).

3. Accepted ways of translating phraseological units

It should be pointed out that translation correspondences in the target language are used for
the translation of idioms:
1) Translation with the help of absolute equivalents:
<<կոկորդիլոսի արցունքներ թափել>>-―to shed crocodile tears‖, <<առյուծի բաժին>>-
―lion‘s share‖ , <<կրակի հետ խաղալ>>-―to play with fire‖ (Kuzmin, 2006);
2) Translation with the help of relative equivalents is processed in the case when there
are some differences in the meaning of expressions in the source and target languages:
<<սկսել զրոյից>>-―to start business from scratch‖, (Gurevich and Dozorets 2006);

19
 3) Translation with the help of phraseological analogues is topical when the translator
translates proverbs and vivid expressions:
<<երկաթը տաք-տաք են ծեծում>>-―make hay while the sun shines‖ (Slepovich
2005).
There are some citations that are functioning in the Armenian language they can be
either phraseological units or proverbs. There are some examples of citations and a detailed
analysis of their translation: <<մնալ կոտրած տաշտակի առաջ>>-―to lose on the round-
abouts‖.

According to S.S. Kuzmin, phraseological synonyms are approximately meaningful

but imaginary different phraseological units. There are some examples and analyses of the
Armenian synonyms: <<մեկ ակնթարթում>> and the enumeration of the English
synonyms: - ―in the twinkling of an eye‖, ‖in the nick of time‖, ‖in the turn of a hand‖, ‖in
less than no time‖, ‖in a flash‖, ―in a trice‖, ‖at the drop of a hat‖, ―at the moment‘s notice‖
(Kuzmin 2007).
Analysing the abovementioned phraseological synonyms, it should be noted that all of
these phraseological units have different connotations. It should be noted that the translator
has a good opportunity for the choice of a corresponding equivalen t from the analysed
group of synon yms. As a rule, tran slation of phraseological units is a difficult stage for the
translator and due to this fact authors of their masterpieces try to explain the meanings of
phraseological units in the context.
While translating opuses in the English language, translators take into account or rely
on the context in many cases (Kuzmin 2007).
In addition to this, there are some ways of phraseological unit‘s translation, elaborates
by a famous Russian translatologist S.S. Kuzmin:

1. translation with the help of a monoequivalent, i.e. translator chooses the English
phraseological unit that image and meaning coincide with the image and meaning of
the Armenian phraseological unit, for example:
<<զենքերը վայր դնել>>-―to lay down one‘s arms‖, <<աղվեսի պես խորամանկ>>-―as
cunning as a fox‖ (Muller 2002);

20
 2) Translation with the help of a relative equivalent ( or ―analogue‖) with the help of
the English phraseological unit that image does not coincide with the image of the Armenian
phraseological unit but presentive and logical meanings coincide. For example, the Armenian
expression <<ինչ-որ մեկին մատների վրա խաղացնել>> , that means <<խաբել >> , is
rather hard to translate into the English language because the following expressions are
existing in the English language: ―to twist somebody around one‘s (little) finger‖, ―to take
somebody for a ride‖, ―to pull somebody‘s leg‖. In order to translate this expression and
choose the adequate analogue, the translator analyses the context of the source text because
these expressions are different in the meanings in the English language;

There are some cases when the Armenian phraseological unit has several meanings and a
corresponding phraseological unit should be chosen by the translator. Therefore, the
translator can interpret the meaning of a phraseological unit from the context and choose the
best equivalent, for example: <<կատաղությունից շանթեր արձակել>> can have three
meanings: <<լինել խիստ զայրացած>> - ―be beside oneself with rage‖, ―to be in a diabolical
rage ‖, ―to go up into the air‖, ―to fly off the handle‖, <<բղավել սպառնալիքներ կամ
անեծքներ>> - ―to jump down in somebody‘s throat‖ , ―be ranting and raving‖, ―be raging
and fuming‖ , <<գործողություն, որն իրականացնելն անիմաստ է>>- ―to go off the deep
end‖ (Kuzmin 2006);

There are some examples from the English language: an expression ―a skeleton in a
cupboard (in the closet)‖ should be translated in the following way: <<ընտանեկան
գաղտնիք>>, <<օտար մարդկանցից թաքցվող տհաճություն>>, because the literal
translation of this expression is <<կմախք՝ պահարանի մեջ>> and it cannot be interpreted
by the Armenian readers (Kuzmin 2007).

Paying a special attention to the translation of phraseological units, it should be

explained that translation paraphrasing can be used due to the fact that translator
paraphrases proverbs and non-literal perception of its image is expressed. Therefore,
translator can use the image (calques) as a building material and ―with bricks‖ form from it a
translation of a proverb, in other words , translator can paraphrase the English proverb for

21
the purpose of adequate interpretation and translation, for example, adequate presentive and
logical meaning, translation vividness and non-literal perception of the new image of
paraphrased English phraseological unit by the recipient. There is an example of a
phraseological unit translation with the help of translation paraphrasing: <<ձուկը գլխից է
փտած լինում>> - ― a fish rots from the head‖ (Kuzmin, 2007).

There is a need in the analysis of the following method of phraseological units`

translation blue print, loan translation or, in other words, this is a literal transmission of
image that is included into the phraseological unit of the source language. However, this way
of translation might be used in the case if there can be an expression which image is clearly
interpreted in the target language. Therefore, there is an example of the following
expression: ―love me, love my dog‖ can be translated with the help of the Armenian calque
<<սիրում ես ինձ՝ սիրիր և իմ շանը>>. This is a good example of a loan translation into the
Armenian language (Chitalina, 1995).

It is expedient to note that it would be easier for the translator to have a deal with the
Armenian phraseological units that has many equivalents in the English language: <<լինել
սոցիալապես անապահով>> - ―to make both ends meet‖, ―to live from hand to mouth‖, ―to
keep the wolf from the door‖. Phraseological unit <<լինել սոցիալապես անապահով>>
has synonyms <<ծայրը ծայրին հասցնել >> and antonym <<շվայտ կյանքով ապրել>> -
―live on the fat of the land‖ or ―live in style‖ (Kuzmin, 2007). However, it is a primary target
for the translator to choose the best equivalent due to the fact that he/she should reflect the
author`s style in the target text.

Drawing the conclusion to the abovementioned information, it should be noted that

translation of phraseological units is the most important and rather difficult task for the
translator. The reason is that translators should pay their attention to the coincidence of
presentive and logical meanings of phraseological units in the source and target languages
during the translation processes and types of contexts in which they are functioning.

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 CHAPTER FOUR

PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS IN BYRON‘S ―CHILDE HAROLD‘S PILGRIMAGE‖

AND THEIR ARMENIAN EQUIVALENTS

Lord Byron was one of the most talented poets of 1800s, after publishing the poem
―Childe Harold‘s Pilgrimage‘‘ he expended his fame and reputation, taking more credit in the
eyes of society. With this poem he was reborn and transferred to a new era of fame and
glory, as the author remarked ―I woke up one morning and found myself famous‖.
The poem consists of four cantos or sections and was written Byron's voyage to Portugal
and other European countries. It contains autobiographical elements and reflects some parts
of author's experience and thoughts.
―Childe‖ was the medieval name for a squire who was going to make his vow of
knighthood. The poem was initially titled ―Childe Burun's Pilgrimage‖ inspired by Byron's
name. The illustrations and characteristics of the hero represented him exactly like his
creator. With this poem Byron created a romantic character, archetype of handsome,
contradictory, irresistible and melancholic hero.
The author used a great deal of phraseological units in this poem, mainly taken from
Bible and Greek mythology. In this chapter we are going to compare translated idioms with
the original ―Byronic‘‘ phraseological units. It is obvious that both in native and target
languages there are idioms which can be traced back to their origins and are identifiable, but
there are ones the sources of which are hard to identify. In some cases, even free word
combinations of the original text were transmitted into Armenian with the help of splendid
Armenian idioms. It is obvious that phraseological units can be formed on the basis of
metaphor, metonymy, litotes, hyperbole and simile, and Byron used all this devices in his
poem, but metonymic and metaphoric phraseological units were in use more frequently.
In the first canto Byron gives some essential information about Childe Harold. The
author talks about a young man from Albion island, who spent his days in a riot, he was
shameless and clumsy and wasted his life on earthly joys. Regardless living a careless life,
Childe was from a noble family, which had a glorious name before. Childe did not know that
―One blast might chill him into misery‘‘ but one day among many women he loved one ―and

23
that loved one, alas, could never be his‘‘. He felt the misery and loneliness as never before, he
―sore sick a heart‘‘ and decided to leave his father‘s hall and travel. He tried not to give
himself into temptation of women, but sought a cure in nature and many countries he
traveled to. He was in Portugal and Spain. At that time British had certain preconceptions
about Portugal, providing their assistance and acceptance to Spain and Spanish culture, but
Byron describes Portugal as vivid and glorious land opposing its beauty to its poverty and
misery.
A sister whom he loved, but saw her not
Before his weary pilgrimage begun:
If friends he had, he bade adieu to none. (Canto I- X)
In this example Byron used the phraseological unit ―To bid adieu‖ which means to say
goodbye to someone. ―Adieu‘‘ is a French word which possesses the meaning of good-bye.
What Byron wanted to express in this part is that Childe left without saying goodbye to
anyone. Armenian author H. Sevan translated this part as:
Ու փախավ թաքուն հայրենի տնից.
Բաժանման պահին վիշտն հոգում պահած,
Քրոջն հարազատ չտեսավ նորից: (Նվագ I- X)
In Armenian variant of translation the part of biding adieu was skipped by the translator,
there is no exact translation for this part. On the other hand the translator was able to
convey the idea and the mood of the part in general.
Here is another example of phraseological unit taken from ―Childe Harold's Pilgrimage‖:
And the marvel men should quit their easy chair,
The toilsome way, and long, long league to trace. (Canto I- XXX)
The phraseological unit ―to quit an easy chair‖ means to leave the comfortable place and
start acting. In this part the author wants to say that people have to leave their comfortable
homes, their comport zones and start doing something, go out fell the sweetness of air.
Գամված աթոռին, չեն կարող զգալ
Ճամփորդի հրճվանքն հովիտներն ի վեր: (Նվագ I- XXX)

24
 In Armenian variant Sevan used phraseological unit «Գամված աթոռին». In this case the
style of transmitting the same idea differs, as the author says that the ones who stick to the
chair, to one place will not have the chance to see the beauty of the world.
The next phraseological unit is a perfect example of an idiom derived from the Bible.
Pleasure's palled victim! Life-abhorring gloom (Canto I- LXXXIII)
Wrote on his faded brow curst Cain's unresting doom.
The phrase ―Curse of Cain‖ was derived from Bible. As we know Cain was cursed for
killing his brother. The Armenian equivalent of this phrase is «Կայենի անեծք» which is also
derived from the Bible and reflect the original notion:
Դրոշմեց Կայենի անեծքն անսահման. (Նվագ I- LXXXIII)
Another example of phraseological unit written by Byron in the first canto is:
It is settled, ceaseless gloom
The fabled Hebrew wanderer bore. (Canto I- LXXXIV)
―Hebrew wanderer‘‘ is another example of phrase derived from the Bible. It refers to
Abraham who was ―the Hebrew‖ and was told by the God to leave his father's house and
seek for settlement in the land of Canaan. The translation of the idiom is as follows:
Ախ, տանում եմ ես այն վիշտն անդադար,
Որ թափառական հրեան է կրում: (Նվագ I- LXXXIV)
The phraseological unit ―Hebrew wanderer‘‘ was translated into Armenian literally as
«թափառական հրեա» and successfully conveys Byron‘s idea.
The second canto reflects Childe‘s travels to Greece and Albania. In first stanzas the
author talks about Greek goddess Athena referring to her as ―blue-eyed maid of heaven‖ and
―goddess of wisdom‖. Byron mentions the ancient history of Athens, its culture and people.
He mourns the loss of Socrates calling him ―wisest son‖ and mentions glorious Greek heroes.
In second canto Byron also describes his voyage to Calypso‘s Island and to Florence,
mentions someone he loved, but whom he could never be with. During his voyage to. In last
stanzas Harold is back to Greece pondering over Greek history and its independence from
Turkey. In the last sentences of the canto Byron mourns his friend John Edleston‘s death and
mentions the curse of getting older; the longer you live, the more people you lose:
Peace waits us on the shores of Acheron:

25
 There no forced banquet claims the sated guest,
But silence spreads the couch of ever welcome rest. (Canto II- VII)
This passage includes metaphoric idiom ―ever welcome rest‖, where the ―rest‖ has the
meaning ―to die‖. In this part Byron talks about Socrates and describes his ever welcome rest
in the shores of Acheron. In Armenian the meaning was transferred adequately with the
help of sentence «Մահն է սպասում` նոր մահիճ բացած»:
Արի, աշխարհն այս ուրախ վայելենք,
Կանչում է, նայի՛ր, Աքերոնն անդարձ,
Մահն է սպասում` նոր մահիճ բացած. (Նվագ II- VII)
Another example of phraseological unit used in the second canto is:
A flashing pang! Of which the weary breast
Would still, albeit in vain, the heavy heart divest. (Canto II- XXIV)
In this part the idiom ―heavy heart‖ was used, which means a feeling of unhappiness,
sadness:
Ցավն է այրում քեզ. Ա~խ, կուրծքդ վտիտ
Կուզեր ազատվել քո սրտից անխինդ: (Նվագ II- VII)
The Armenian variant was translated rather adequately as the ―heavy heart‖ has the
meaning of being sad. The author reflected the meaning with the help of the word
combination «անխինդ սիրտ».
Nor solely dare encounter hostile rage
Or tear their name defiled from slavery‘s mournful page. (Canto II- LXXV)
The metaphoric idiom used in this part ―mournful page‘‘ means sorrowful, gloomy part of
the history:
Որ ստրկության շղթան անիծված
Հավերժ թոթափեն մեջքներից ծալված: (Նվագ II- LXXV)
In the Armenian variant of translation of this passage the phrase «ստրկության շղթա»
was used, which means the chain of slavery while in the original text the author talks about
the historical page, the period of slavery. In this passage there is also used the phrase
«թոթափեն մեջքներից», which does not exist in original text, but is written to create an
appropriate atmosphere.

26
 When riseth Lacedeamon's hardihood,
When Thebes Epaminodas rears again,
When Athens‘ children are with hearts endued. (Canto II- LXXXIV)
In this part, ―children with endued hearts‖ means children with brave, courageous,
daring nature. In this part the author talks about restoring the power and might Greece used
to have once. And Byron says that only when children will be born with brave hearts, they
will be able to restore the glory of Greece:
Երբ Էպամինոնդն արշավի կրկին,
Եվ Սպարտացիք քնից արթնանան,
Երբ սիրտ շնորհվի նորից Աթնքին: (Նվագ II- LXXXIV)
In Armenian version there was used the idiom «սիրտ շնորել» (սիրտ տալ) which
means ―to give courage, strength‖. Hence, the translation was made adequately and expresses
the idea given by the original text.
The third canto starts with addressing to Byron‘s daughter Ada, whom he refers to as
―daughter of my house and soul‘‘. He was parted from her blue eyes and left for Albion,
hoping to see her again. This canto differs from the previous two as it was written several
years later and reflects the author‘s isolated and sorrowful period of life. Regardless his
hardships and the absence of his beloved daughter, Byron is filled with the love towards the
nature and tries to convey its beauty with the help of the words, he fills himself with the
harmony of the nature. In this canto Byron mentions the admiration toward Napoleon‘s
courage, but not tyranny. He tells about Waterloo battle and his journey to Alps, where he
gospels wonders of the nature, referring to it as superior to men.
An example of a phraseological unit used in third canto is:
The waters heave around me; and on high
The winds lift up their voices: I depart. (Canto III- I )
The phraseological unit used in this part is ―to lift up the voice‘‘ which means to cry out
loudly. It was translated with the help of Armenian equivalent «Ոռնում են չորս դիս»,
which means to scream out and transfers the same meaning as the original text:
Հույսով, ոչ այսպես` հավիտյան անդարձ.
Ոռնում են չորս դիս ջրերը վայրագ: (Նվագ III- I)

27
Another example of phraseological unit used in third canto is:
Something too much of this: but now 'tis past,
And the spell closes with the silent seal. (Canto III-VIII)

The idiom ―silent seal‖ used in this part can be referred to as an individual and authorial
phraseological unit which was created by Byron. These kind of phraseological units enrich
both the language of the original text and the target language. Using in this context, Byron
put into the word combination an individual meaning which was translated into Armenian
as follows:
Կորավ անցյալի հմայքը վսեմ,
Ավա~ղ, դրոշմված լռությամբ դաժան: (Նվագ III-VIII)
The Armenian variant is «դրոշմված լռությամբ» which bares the same meaning as the
original idiom and transmits the idea of something that is covered with silence.
Stop! For thy tread is on empire‘s dust! (Canto III-IX)
In this part the word ―tread‖ was used in a sense of step, foot and in case of the phrase
empire‘s dust, the word ―dust‖ was used as soil, land. The phraseological unit itself wants to
transfer the idea that the traveler is coming to a land which belongs to an empire. With this
line the author tries to warn the traveler that he is going to empire‘s property, putting its
foot on its land, and the form of transmitting the message gives as the idea that there might
be a danger in those lands:
Կա՛նգ առ, ո~վ ճամփորդ,
Դու կայսրության հողն ես ոտք դնում: (Նվագ III-IX)
The Armenian variant of translation was done by the help of phraseological unit «ոտք
դնել» which means to come to a place and transfer the message Byron wanted to convey.
Another example of phraseological units used in this canto is:
Nor column trophied for triumphal show?
Non, but the moral‘s truth tells simpler so. (Canto III-XVII)
The idiom ―moral truth‘‘ used by Byron in this canto means the inner conception of the
truth. There is no objective moral truth, as the thing or utterance that is true for one can be

28
pseudo for another. The moral truth is subjective for each one of us, it is our own perception
of the world around us. The part was translated into Armenian accordingly:
Եվ սյունն հաղթության, բայց դաշտն արնահեղ
Մերկ ճշմարտության ուժերով անհաղթ
Կապրի հավիտյան: (Նվագ III-XVII)

The idiom «մերկ ճշմարտություն» used in Armenian translation, means unconcealed

truth and expresses a little different color of meaning than the original text. Nevertheless,
the translator managed to convey the general idea.
In the fourth canto Byron portrays Childe‘s journey to Italy, talks about Venice, Arqua,
Ferrara, Florence and Rome. Byron turns to Florence with anger, accusing it in being
ungrateful for not burying there Boccaccio and Dante. During most of the canto the author
concentrates our attention to Rome and its history, mentioning its dictators from ancient
times up to recent period of past. The canto comes to its end with an ocean and once again
reference to the nature, as an image of freedom. By the end of the canto Byron encourages us
not to succumb to eliminating force of power, but visiting great places, to try to understand
them. The pilgrimage of Harold is over and Byron tries to encourage us and himself to leave
the pain behind and to look forward with the lessons received during the journey.
I saw from out the wave her structures rise
As from the stroke of the enchanter‘s wand. (Canto IV-I)
The idiom used in this part ―the stroke of the enchanter‘s wand‖ is a metaphoric
phraseological unit. What the author tries to convey is that whatever he saw was so beautiful
that he thought it was made by a magician:
Կարծես դյութական գավազանով մի
Ելնում են ծովից շենքերն անկաշկանդ: (Նվագ IV-I)
In the Armenian variant it was translated as «դյութական գավազան» which can be
literally translated as a magic wand. The idea is that the buildings seemed to be built with
the help of magic wand, with the help of something unreal. Hence, the Armenian translation
adequately conveys the meaning of the original text.
An universal deluge, which appears

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 Without an ark of wretched man's abode,
And ebbs but to reflow! - Renew thy rainbow, God! (Canto IV- XCII)
The phraseological unit ―universal deluge‖ was used by the author to express the idea of
the Biblical flood, the flood that covered all the earth and only people from the Ark could
save themselves and asked God to show the rainbow as a sign that there was a dry land
where they could survive:
Եվ արցունք հեղեց…չկա փրկության
Տապանը, ավա~ղ, ոչ մի հաշտություն,
Աստվա՛ծ, ցույց տուր քո ծիածանն իսկույն: (Նվագ IV- XCII)
The Armenian variant was translated as «արցունք հեղեց» which means ―to overwhelm,
to fill with tears‘‘. Although the Armenian variant does not glint the exact meaning of this
part, but in this context it successfully expresses the meaning of flood.
And thou, who never yet of human wrong
Left the unbalanced scale, great Nemesis! (Canto IV- XCIII)
The phraseological unit ―unbalances scale‘‘ means something that is unequal or unjust. In
Armenian version of translation the phraseological unit «Կշռել հանցանքներ» was used.
This means ―to measure people‘s sins‘‘. It does not completely correspond to the meaning of
the original text, but as a part of the context it reflects the idea:
Ով մեծ Նեմեսիս, դու չմոռացար
Կշռել մարդկային հանցանքներն անծիր: (Նվագ IV- XCIII)
To sum up, we can say that Byron used a vast amount of phraseological units in his poem.
There are phraseological units, the origins of which are hard to identify, but Armenian
translators managed to translate most of them and to transfer the original meaning and
message of the text. In some cases, even free word combinations of the original text were
transmitted into Armenian with the help of splendid Armenian idioms.

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 CONCLUSION

This paper was devoted to revealing the possible difficulties that can occur while
translating phraseological units specifically in Byron‘s ―Childe Harold‘s Pilgrimage‘‘.
Phraseological units are considered to be one of the linguistic means which make the speech
unique and sophisticated. It must be noted that phraseological units are language and
culture-based specific structures which need more attention and caution while translating
from source language into target. These inseparable word combinations with fixed meaning
require a deep knowledge not only of the structure or grammar of the language, but also its
cultural, linguistic and historical background. In order to convey the meaning precisely one
must, by all means, take these factors into account. Phraseological units often represent and
reflect life, customs, traditions and habits of a particular language. Hence, in order to
transmit the idea of the original utterance adequately, the translator must be able to identify
the cultural differences and to overcome certain language and culture-based distinctions
between source and target language.
Therefore, in this paper we tried to illustrate how complicated and troublesome is the
process of finding appropriate equivalent of phraseological units in the target language. This
is why the translator must be aware of all the techniques and approaches for transmitting the
idea of phraseological units as close to the original as possible.
In the fourth chapter of the paper, which is the analysis of phraseological units in
―Childe Harold‘s Pilgrimage‘‘, we come across to a great deal of idioms used by Byron to
make the work more exquisite and colorful. It is well known that while translating a literary
work the translator must preserve the main idea of the utterance, hence, we investigated not
only the original text but also its Armenian translation and came across to a series of
problems connected with the translatability of phraseological units. Hence, we come to the
conclusion that in order to translate phraseological units adequately and to convey their
meanings properly, the translator must possess deep information in the fields of history and
traditions of a particular language and be able to find an equivalent which will correspond to
the meaning of the original utterance.

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 One of the peculiarities of phraseological units found in ―Childe Harold‘s Pilgrimage‘‘
is that some of them did not have Armenian equivalents which enforced the translator to
find the appropriate approach of translation which would suit the context best. Many
phraseological units occurred in the work were history-based and long lost in contemporary
world. In order to overcome this kind of difficulty and to make a proper translation, the
author had to dig in the history and find the historical and cultural meaning that was hidden
behind the phraseological unit. As we know the source of phraseological units is also vital for
a proper translation. The main sources of idioms in Byron‘s work are Bible and Old Greek
mythology.
Revealing the peculiarities of translating phraseological units, we came to the
conclusion that several difficulties can arise during the translation process:
 Finding the Armenian equivalent of the phraseological unit, which completely
coincides in meaning.
 Choosing the most appropriate variant of translation, when the Armenian equivalent
of original phraseological unit does not exist.
 Conveying the idea of phraseological unit in target language as precisely as possible.
 Realizing the translation taking into account cultural, linguistic and historical
peculiarities of both languages.
 Translating so called ―Byronic‘‘ phraseological units (phraseological units created by
Byron himself).
 Being able to find Armenian equivalents of Biblical phraseological units or idioms
derived from Greek.
To sum up, we can say that phraseological units are considered to be one of the
linguistic means, which make the speech specific and sophisticated. The process of finding
appropriate equivalent of phraseological units in the target language is complicated and
troublesome, that is why, the translator must know all the techniques and approaches for
transmitting the idea of phraseological units as close to the original as possible.

32
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