STRUCTURAL-SEMANTIC FEATURES OF ENGLISH PHRASEOLOGISMS TO DENOTE HUMAN FEATURES AND THEIR TRANSLATION

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of the translation of English phraseologisms to denote the main features of man: his abilities, character and emotional state in both English and Ukrainian. Their differences and similarities at the lexical-semantic level are analyzed, the components around which phraseologisms are focused and determine their semantic content and structure are considered. It was found that the semantic and pragmatic identity of the units under study do not always correlate with the lexical and syntactic ones in English and Ukrainian, judging from the models of their formation. Component analysis revealed which images are most often associated with a person’s character, emotional state and abilities. The investigation showed that the main ways of translating phraseological units to denote human traits include translation using a phraseological equivalent, borrowed by both languages from another, or existing in the language of translation; phraseological analogue, which has the same meaning, but which is based on a different image, mostly neutral in terms of national identity; loan translation, which consists in copying the English image and formation a new phraseological unit; descriptive, which dominates among all methods of translation due to the peculiarities of the worldview and preferences of both nations. It is established that the main sources phraseological units’ formation are borrowings as a result of certain historical events, vernacular as a reflection of native speakers’ customs and traditions, their employment in a particular field and the Bible. Phraseological units are part of folklore, a reflection of beliefs, traditions and customs, the spirit of the people, their mentality, and therefore their study can lead us to understanding of the national consciousness, help realise nation’s way of thinking, as each nation has a special manner of expression.