The problem of translating and classifying idioms and set expressions with the component "Law"

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Phraseology is a relatively young linguistic discipline. That's why many issues concerning this branch of knowledge remain still unsolved. Currently, the term “phraseologism” is interpreted in different ways; there is even no clear understanding the criteria of its definition.

Depending on the criteria considered as determinative, or categorical, the phraseological units can either narrow to idioms (phraseological fusions and unities according to Vinogradov's classification) or expand to collocations, proverbs, sayings, popular quotations, and cliches [4].

In our research, we made an attempt to particularize translating phraseological units and set expressions with the component law and classify them.

In the course of the research we analyzed more than five hundred English phraseological units and syntactically indecomposable phrases with the component law from a perspective of their classifying and translating and came to the conclusion that the largest group is presented by the collocations: to respect the law (уважать закон), to rush a law (протащить закон), to be above the law (быть выше закона), to introduce a law (вводить закон), to invoke the law (обратиться к закону), to execute a law (исполнять закон), to follow the law (соблюдать закон), to hide from the law (скрываться от закона), to act within the law (действовать в рамках закона), the law provides for (закон предусматривает), loop-hole in the law (лазейка в законе), and so on [7].

According to some linguists (A.N. Baranov), collocations are low-idiomatic phraseologisms with the structure of a free word combination in which the key component is used in its direct meaning [1].

Other authors (N.Y. Kivernik and some others) believe that collocations are syntagmatic unities because they keep the features of the semantic separability of the components with the combinatory rules determining their use in common [3].

In general, the phenomenon of the semantic-grammatical interconditionality underlies the most definitions of the collocation [2].

In any case, collocations form a vast lexical stratum and it is impossible to do without mastering them when studying a foreign language because it is obvious that not each lexical unit from the synonymic series can be used with the key component of the collocation.

For example, only two units from the synonymic series to bring (вводить) - to impose (вводить) - to institute (вводить) - to introduce (вводить) can collocate with the word law. They are to institute a law and to introduce a law (вводить закон) [6].

We tried to classify the idioms and set expressions with the component law using different criteria of the classification.

Depending on the type of translation, the following groups of the idioms and set expressions can be marked out:

a) with the word-for-word translation (the letter of the law - буква закона, the spirit of the law - дух закона,

the law of the jungle - закон джунглей, Lynch law - закон (суд) Линча);

b) with the translation close to the text, but not word-for-word (to submit oneself to the law - предавать себя в руки закона, to overstep the law - выходить за рамки законности, to be in accordance with the law - отвечать нормам права); collocation linguistic phraseologism

c) with the descriptive translation (shield law - закон об охране конфиденциальности, conflict-of-interest law - правило служебной этики, right-to-know law - закон, обязывающий правительственные органы отчитываться перед населением о своей деятельности (США), sunshine law - закон по контролю над капиталовложениями);

d) English word combinations that do not have the component law (закон) in their Russian equivalents (to go to (the) law - подать в суд, law enforcement - деятельность правоохранительных органов, law office - адвокатская контора, law books - юридическая литература, law practice - адвокатская практика);

e) English idioms that do not have any legal terms in their Russian equivalents at all (to give (the) law to smb. - навязать кому-либо свою волю) [7].

According to the number of the equivalents, we marked out the following groups:

а) one English idiom has one Russian equivalent (the letter of the law - буква закона, the spirit of the law - дух закона);

b) one Russian phraseological unit has two or more English interchangeable equivalents (сухой закон - 1) dry law, 2) Prohibition; по закону - 1) in law, 2) by law, 3) under the law; иметь проблемы с законом - 1) to be in trouble with the law, 2) to get into difficulty with the law);

c) one English phraseological unit has two or more Russian interchangeable equivalents (blue law - 1)

пуританский закон, 2) "голубой закон");

d) one English set expression has some Russian equivalents with different meanings (law enforcement - 1) правовое принуждение, 2) правоприменение, 3) обеспечение правопорядка, 4) деятельность правоохранительных органов,

5) правоохранительные органы);

e) one Russian phraseological unit has an English equivalent with two different meanings with one of them not concerning jurisprudence at all (to go dry - 1) вводить сухой закон, 2) (о коровах) переставать давать молоко);

f) one Russian phraseological unit has two English equivalents with one of them being substandard (закон подлости - 1) Murphy's law, 2) sod's law (vulgar slang);

g) one Russian idiom has different English equivalents in different contexts (расправиться без суда и следствия - to take the law into one's own hands, держать кого-л. под стражей без суда и следствия - to detain somebody without trial, казнь без суда и следствия - extrajudicial killing) [Ibidem].

On morphosyntactic parameters, we marked out the following phraseological units:

а) substantive units (minions of law - блюстители порядка, force of law - сила закона);

b) procedural units (to be in trouble with the law - вступить в конфликт с законом, to emerge as law - обретать силу закона, to overstep the law - выходить за рамки законности);

c) adjective units (higher law - высший закон, blue law - пуританский закон, dry law - сухой закон);

d) prepositional and case forms (according to the law - в соответствии с законом, outside the law - вне закона, in law - по закону) [Ibidem].

In our opinion, Latin legal catch-phrases whit the component law should be mentioned separately.

Latin legal popular expressions, or catch-phrases, are long established universal principles of law well known not only to lawyers, but also to the majority of ordinary people.

As a matter of fact, many legal definitions and concepts are Latin terms. Although the term law itself came from Old Norse, many English legal terms and set expressions concerning law came from Latin, namely from Roman jurisprudence.

Knowing Latin legal phrases can be useful to both people in the legal profession and anyone who is interested in developing his or her speech habits.

The following Latin legal catch-phrases are quite popular and used very often not only in the official discourse but in both spoken English and spoken Russian:

• Dura lex, sed lex. - The law is harsh, but it is (still) the law. - Закон суров, но он закон.

• Ignorantia legis non excusat. - Ignorance of the law is no excuse. - Незнание закона не освобождает от наказания.

• Optima est legum interpres consuetudo. - The best interpreter of laws is custom. - Наилучший толкователь законов - практика.

• De minimis non curat lex. - The law does not bother with the smallest things. - Закон не занимается малозначительным.

• Leges humanae nascuntur, vivunt, et moriuntur. - Laws of man are born, live and die. - Человеческие законы рождаются, живут и умирают.

• Leges sine moribus vanae. - Laws without morals [are] vain. - Что пользы в напрасных законах там, где нет нравственности. (From Horace's Odes: the official motto of the University of Pennsylvania) [5].

We cannot help mentioning English proverbs with the component law in our research though the proverbs like catch-phrases are not considered as phraseological units by many linguists. But they undoubtedly belong to the set expressions, which make our language more picturesque and vivid:

• There is no telling what a fool will do. (Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.) - Дуракам закон не писан.

• Every law has a loophole. (One law for the rich, one for the poor.) - Закон что дышло: куда повернёшь, туда и вышло [8].

Thus we marked out some classifications of the phraseological units and set expressions with the component law using different criteria (structure, semantics, compliance with Russian, etc.). We believe that the most important is that one based on the type of translation because a competent translating idioms and set expressions causes certain difficulties and it is often simply impossible to translate them correctly without familiarity with all the details and peculiarities of using these lexical groups.

References

1. Баранов А.Н. Основы фразеологии (краткий курс): учеб. пособие. Изд-е 2-е, стереотип. М.: Флинта, 2014. 312 с.

2. Иорданская Л.Н., Мельчук И.А. Смысл и сочетаемость в словаре. М.: Языки славянских культур, 2007. 672 с.

3. Киверник Н.Ю. Русские и английские коллокации как синтагматические единства.

4. Фесенко О.П. Еще раз о фразеологизме [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://www.filologia.su/o-frazeologizme (дата обращения: 13.03.16).

5. Duhaime's Dictionary of Latin Law Maxims & Terms [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://www.duhaime.org/LegalDictionary/ Category/LatinLawTermsDictionary.aspx (дата обращения: 21.02.16).

6. English-Russian Dictionary of English Idioms [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://slovar-vocab.com/english-russian/vocabidioms.html (дата обращения: 21.02.16).

7. Oxford Collocations English Dictionary [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://slovar-vocab.com/english/oxford-collocationsdictionary/law-6331305.html (дата обращения: 21.02.16).

8. Proverbs and Sayings [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://researchmaniacs.com/English/ProverbsAndSayings.html (дата обращения: 21.02.16).

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