THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF NATURE METAPHORS AS THE CORE COMPONENTS OF THE NATURE CONCEPT IN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF TARAS PROKHASKO, KOSTIANTYN MOSKALETS, MARIA MATIOS

Abstract

Backdround: Metaphors serve to frame a work of art, imparting it with a distinctive hue and integrating the figurative elements into a unified whole. Consequently, the interpretation of metaphorical expressions assumes a pivotal role in the analysis of a concept's conceptual features.

Methods: The linguistic, literary, and translation comparative analysis methods are employed. The theory of conceptual metaphor is applied.  

Results: The article studies the fire, water, earth and air metaphors and their representation in the English translations of Taras Prokhasko, Kostiantyn Moskalets and Maria Matios. The English translations are masterfully done by Olha Rudakevych, Uilleam Blacker, Mark Andryczyk and Yaryna Yakubyak, Paulo Onyfruk, Yuri Tkacz. We single out the nucleus NATURE concept, because the works of Taras Prokhasko, Kostiantyn Moskalets and Maria Matios brim over with natural elements and natural phenomena. Moreover, the NATURE concept runs skin-deep and is an archetype which is intrinsic in human consciousness. The NATURE concept has a multi-branched component structure that encompasses conceptual features and finds its way into translation.

When translating the concept NATURE, where the fire element is abundant and bright, translators mostly reflect metaphors by means of remetaphorization, i.e. by selecting a metaphorical equivalent in the target language, descriptive translation, sometimes with the loss of the metaphor's semantic content. The conceptual feature "water" is reflected through the prism of a metaphor in translation by the technique of remetaphorization, the use of addition and descriptive translation. A frequently used technique in the transmission of metaphors denoting the conceptual feature of "earth" is the technique of remetaphorization, and metaphors related to the conceptual feature of "air" are mostly also reproduced by the technique of remetaphorization and descriptive translation.

 Conclusion: In the light of translation studies, the concept is a guide to another culture which allows you to delineate the unique features and some distinctive points of the author’s original text and thereby accustom them to the reader’s everyday routine. Through the concept study and that of the conceptual world picture, the translator channels his/her thoughts, reasoning, and cultural markers to his/her own language which is a foundation for intercultural communication and a building block for the extra-linguistic factors of translation studies. With that in mind, we analyze the methods used to translate the novels, its influence on the reader and pinpoint how the fire, water, earth and air metaphors are conspicuous in the text.