TRANSLATION PRACTICUM

ENGLISH AND BULGARIAN

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 VOLUME 1

FIRST AND SECOND YEAR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH PHILOLOGY

Compiled and developed by

Sashko Pavlov
Milena Katsarova
Veselina Koinakova
Zlatka Chervenkova
Ognyan Obretenov

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PREFATORY NOTE

It may come as a surprise for some to learn that translation

is not a simple job. Saying this is actually a gross
understatement – translation is perhaps the most difficult job
of all, not even within the power of mighty computers to
master. It seems at first glance that there is nothing to it but
once you delve into it, you are faced with a Herculean task.
Indeed, only a Hercules of a translator, metaphorically, can
be a match to this most complex and hard activity. Yet, lose
no faith, it is still possible to achieve some mastery in
translation – with the assistance of this book. The aim of the
present Translation Practicum is to provide students with a
number of selected texts to work on and learn the skills of
translating. It is designed to be used by First and Second
year students of English Philology in their seminars in
translation. The text are structured in sections and units to
allow students to gain a close insight into the intricate
mechanisms of translation.

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 INTRODUCTION
PART I

Two basic ways of looking at translation in the present volume

Simplistically put, translation involves the act of interpreting and/or transforming and/or
communicating a text, especially from one language into another. For the purposes of
translation we think of a text as any given stretch of speech or writing that we assume makes
a coherent whole. Along such lines, a minimal text may consist of a single word followed by
silence, i.e. ‘Go!’ The text to be translated is called source text (ST) and we refer to the text
which is a translation of the source text as target text (TT). The language in which the ST is
articulated (written or spoken) is source language (SL), while the language of the TT is
target language (TL).
Our work in the present volume, which is geared towards classroom and independent use
in the practical translation classes of your studies, involves two basic ways of looking at
translation, i.e. translation as a process and translation as a product. The selection of texts
for translation hereafter is often accompanied by questions and prompts which aim at
outlining a range of different approaches to the task of translating a text. Some are suggestive
of overall considerations of translation strategy, i.e. they create an awareness of a set of
strategic decisions a translator faces after an initial reading of the ST but before starting
detailed translation of it. These strategic decisions within your ‘game plan’ as translators
involve reasoned decisions to questions, such as ‘What is the purpose of this ST?’, ‘What is
the effect this text has on me or might have on a more general level?’, ‘What are the salient
linguistic features of this ST?’ etc. We call them reasoned decisions because the decisions a
translator makes are reasoned within linguistic, sociolinguistic, culture studies, etc. frames.
Further steps involve, as illustrated in the next section of the introduction in view of English
and Bulgarian, decisions of detail. Decisions of detail refer to reasoned decisions concerned
with the specific problems of syntax, vocabulary, grammar, etc. encountered in translating
particular expressions. These sometimes necessitate revisions of initial strategic decisions.
Additionally, viewing translation as a process, while working in practical translation
classes, we will be taking part in two distinct but interrelated processes – those of ST
interpretation and TT formulation. In the exercises that follow, you will be often prompted
to paraphrase, explicate or provide a succinct gist translation, activities which fall into the
process of ST interpretation that precedes or happens alongside TT formulation.
A somewhat different way of thinking about translation involves regarding translation as
a product. This entails, for example, considering the target text (TT) in the target language
(TL) and its relation to the source text (ST) in the source language (SL). The questions we ask
when viewing translation as a product emphasize comparison between the source text and
the target text and look into the ‘dynamic equivalence’1 between them. These questions can
be phrased as follows, ‘To what extent does the TT correspond to the ST?’ ‘How close is the
TT to the ST?’ ‘Does the TT communicate similarly (or differently) to the ST?’ ‘What are the
instances of translation loss (or gain)?’ etc. Let us consider one example to clarify further this
approach.
Our ST in the SL runs as follows, ‘It would not be insincere to say that she was both
pretty and clever’. There is a range of target texts in the TL which are translations of this ST,
such as:
(1) Не би било неискрено да кажа, че тя беше едновременно красива и умна.

1
Nida, Eugene. Toward a science of translation (1964)

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 (2) Не бих излъгал ако кажа, че тя беше и умна и красива.
(3) Честно да си кажа, тя бе и умна и красива.
(4) С ръка на сърцето ще кажа – хем умница, хем красавица.
(5) Наистина, Господ й дал ум и красота.
Which of these TTs is closest, in your view, to the ST? Why? Which communicates
similarly to the ST? How can you tell? What is the nature of translation loss (and gain) that
you can detect? These are all questions that stem from regarding translation as a product,
while the five sentences given as examples of possible target texts can be arranged on a scale
of proximity between the source language and the target language, like the one below2:

SL bias TL bias

In his terms, we speak of five basic categories of relations between source texts and target
texts – (1) literal, (2) faithful, (3) balanced, (4) idiomatizing and (5) free. The examples
above are positioned accordingly from left to right. According to this classification, literal
translation follows very closely the source text (including word order) in the source language
but respects the target language grammar. Idiomatizing translation, for instance, makes use
of target language idioms or familiar rhythmic patterns to give it an easy read, even if it
means sacrificing nuances of meaning and tone. In translation practice classes we will be
aiming mostly at faithful to balanced translations.
As you go along, working with the present volume and your tutors in the translation
practicum further issues will emerge, issues which you will be addressing theoretically and
discussing in more depth in your Theories of Translation course or, additionally, if you
choose to pursue an MA in the field of Translation Studies and a career as translator.

The role of practical translation classes within BA English Studies

The translation practicum runs throughout your entire course of study in the BA degree in
English Studies and occupies a significant space not only in terms of academic periods
allocated to it (about a hundred each academic year) but also as a key component in assessing
your language competence and progress in the BA degree.
While translation is certainly a viable professional path for graduates from English
degrees to pursue, for the time being and as intended in the present volume we will be
considering its educational aspects and complex role within your overall study programme.
For one, practicing translation is a way in which as students of English you are developing
your language competence in terms of enriching and activating your vocabulary and grammar,
i.e. linguistic skills; also, in terms of developing reading and writing skills. Secondly, the
practice of translation is a site of application of knowledge and competences gained from your
courses in Linguistics (morphology, syntax, stylistics, lexicology, sociolinguistics, etc.). As
such, it gives you a ‘learn-by-doing’ access into theoretical issues, concepts and debates,
while also presenting you with an opportunity to ‘test’ their applicability. Thirdly, being
engaged in the process of translating fiction, you will be able to gain further insights into a
number of issues addressed in your Literature studies courses – from enhancing your
awareness of audiences and readers together with specific socio-historical contexts to
developing your abilities for cloze reading. On the other hand, the tasks for translating fiction
will rely heavily on your literary competence of writers, their works and their contexts,
literary methods and schools, your ‘cultural awareness’ in both English and Bulgarian, etc.
Finally, besides fostering analytical and critical thinking the practice of translation stimulates

2
Newmark, Peter. Approaches to Translation. (Pergamon Press, Oxford and New York, 1981) p. 39

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a range of transferable skills, which do not necessarily remain solely within the career path of
a translator. While working with the present volume, you will be involved in identifying
problems and problem-solving, decision-making, reasoning and persuasion, identifying
sources, editing, developing evaluation strategies, to mention only few.

INTRODUCTION
PART II

English into Bulgarian and Bulgarian into English: some comparative and contrastive
observations

As we have suggested already, for the purposes of translation practice in your studies the
translation should, ideally, achieve maximum equivalence with the source text in all aspects
of meaning on all language levels. However, there are many cases where there is an obvious
clash between what is said/written and what is meant. Such is the case with idiomatic
expressions, where ‘by heart’ is not translated, but rather replaced with the target language
equivalent. Such replacements are so common, that they commonly pass under the name
‘translation’. For example, the fleshy part of the leg, the calf, is ‘translated’ into Bulgarian as
прасец. Other cases involve pragmatic issues, where what is said and what is meant may
differ, sometimes drastically. But since these issues are common for most languages, they are
readily understood in the translation.
Difficulties arise when the source and target languages do not share some features.
On the lexical level there are words like ‘tabby’ in English or ‘замезвам’ in Bulgarian,
which are not conceptualized in the other language culture. In such cases the translation either
neutralizes or describes if the meaning is important for the given context. English lacks the
rich system of diminutive suffixes Bulgarian has, so these should be compensated lexically,
e.g. – кутия – кутийка – кутийчица - box, little box, wee little box
On the grammatical level there are many such cases: English has Present simple, Present
continuous and Present perfect, which may all translate into one Bulgarian form – I work as a
teacher; I am working; I have worked here for 10 years – работя.
The constructions with ‘continuous + always, forever, etc’, which carries the additional
meaning of irritation or disapproval, and the “emphatic ‘it’ inversion” also lack Bulgarian
equivalents. The additional meaning or emphasis should be compensated lexically, e.g.
He is always complaining – той вечно се оплаква/мрънка; It was on that day that she… -
именно в този ден тя... Another construction, ‘to have something done’ is translated
impersonally, e.g. I had my car repaired – Поправиха ми колата.
On the stylistic level considerations should be given to the general style and register of the
source text – whether colloquial or formal, neutral, literary or bookish, and their overlapping,
the presence or absence of professional jargon, etc., in order to choose the most appropriate
translation equivalent.
On the pragmatic level there are cases when the best equivalent is found by comparing
functions. For example, the English ‘Call me John.’ represents an invitation to less formal
communication, which in Bulgarian corresponds to „хайде да си говорим на ‘ти’”
The contextual level (both the immediate and the larger context) should serve as guidance and
corrective in the choice of the best translation equivalent. ‘Room at the Top’, a book title, in
view of the book context, is not translated as ‘мансарда’, but rather ‘Място на върха’ or
‘Път към висшето общество'.
Proper names are not generally translated, but rather ‘borrowed’. In cases where the
proper name carries additional information, important for the character’s identification, or a
humorous connotation, attempts should be made at a proper translation.

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 In Bulgarian translation terminology texts for translation are categorized as either
‘literary’ or ‘technical’, literary involving fiction, poetry and drama (and, lately, journalistic
prose), and technical – the rest.
In literary translation attention should be paid to the form as well as the meaning – that is,
if the author chose to repeat ‘big black’ three times, we should not assume the writer did not
know words like ‘huge, enormous, etc’ and should preserve the repetition.
While ‘technical’ or ‘non-literary’ translation is limited in form by the format itself –
summary, brief, presentation, article, project proposal, textbook, manual, etc., the translator is
freer with the form of expression, can use longer or shorter sentences, invert sentence
structure, change whole parts, as long as the subject-matter is preserved and truthfully
rendered. Thus, a translated ‘technical’ text may sound much better than the original (because
the translator is a linguist, and writers of ‘technical’ texts are quite often not).
Without aiming at being exhaustive, the above examples outline some of the issues you
will be facing in your translation practicum with regard to English and Bulgarian.

Getting started

In view of the Practicum in English-Bulgarian and Bulgarian-English translation, the

texts selected in this volume follow a range of frames, highlighting a variety of approaches to
the practice of translation. For starters, however, we would like to suggest a four-step
procedure and an illustration of its application to two texts.

Frame of reference (based on Newmark 1981)

This will show a procedure for dealing with translation problems.
Step 1: Problem identification. This is a very important step as many translation errors result
from failure to identify a problem.
Step 2: Problem analysis. Here we think of what causes the problem and eventual ways of
overcoming it.
Step 3: Finding solutions. Here we find as many solutions to the problem as we can.
Step 4: Choosing the best-fitting solution. Here considerations of style, register, formality
levels, context, culture, etc. play an important role.

English - Bulgarian translation sample

A. Read the following passage at least twice.

Round Clifton Hampden, itself a wonderfully pretty village, old- fashioned, peaceful, and
dainty with flowers, the river scenery is rich and beautiful. If you stay the night on land at
Clifton, you cannot do better than put up at the "Barley Mow." It is, without exception, I
should say, the quaintest, most old-world inn up the river. It stands on the right of the bridge,
quite away from the village. Its low-pitched gables and thatched roof and latticed windows
give it quite a story-book appearance, while inside it is even still more once-upon-a-timeyfied.
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
I. Frame of reference
Sample:
Step 1: Identify the problems in the first sentence. The literal translation would preserve
the author’s style but some of the lexical items present a problem. Check the rules for
borrowing words with the sound ‘ae’ like ‘Hampden’. Think of suitable translations of
‘wonderfully pretty’, ‘village’, ‘peaceful’, ‘dainty with flowers’, ‘river scenery’, ‘rich’.

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 Step 2: Problem analysis. Apart from the impossibility to translate ‘wonderfully’ as an
intensifier to ‘pretty’ and the necessity to transpose it to ‘wonderful’, there is a rich variety of
meanings for the selected problematic items, out of which it is difficult, sometimes impossible
to choose.
Step 3: Finding solutions. Hampden. If you can’s find rules, check how similar words
have been transliterated or phonetically transposed (the preferred alternative lately). (hint: run
a Google search for Саутхемптън and Саугхамптън).

B. Vocabulary build-up.
(The Bulgarian equivalents have been taken from the SA Dictionary)

1. wonderfully pretty = wonderful pretty

1. a) wonderful 1. чудесен, забележителен, удивителен, възхитителен, учудващ, изненадващ
2. разг. много / необикновено добър, великолепен
1. b) pretty 1. хубав (ичък), приятен, привлекателен
2. village 1. село
3. peaceful мирен, спокоен, тих
4. dainty 1. изтънчен, изискан, изящен, фин, нежен
5. scenery 1. декори
2. пейзаж, природа
6. rich 3. богат, хубав, скъп, разкошен, пищен, великолепен, със сложна украса (with от)
4. богат, обилен, тлъст, мазен, тучен, хранителен, силно подправен, пикантен, много сладък

Step 4: Choosing the best-fitting solution.

Около Клифтън Хаемпдън, самото то (optional or not? Consider the English sentence.
Is it possible without ‘itself’? If so, the writer chose to use it for some purpose. Omitting it
would neutralise that part of the sentence) прекрасно/чудесно хубавко /китно / приятно/
прелестно село/селце (село has a slightly negative connotation in Bulgarian),
старомодно/старинно, спокойно/тихо, и накипрено (not one of the dictionary alternatives
изтънчен, изискан, изящен, фин, нежен fits with village with flowers) с цветя, природата
по реката/местността край реката е пищна и красива.

• Which variants would you choose? Why?

C. Continue with sentence 2 in a similar manner.

If you stay the night on land at Clifton, you cannot do better than put up at the "Barley
Mow."
D. Focus: (pointing out eventual problems) A literal translation of the phrases ‘stay the
night’ and ‘cannot do better than put up’ would be unsatisfactory. Should we proceed with the
name of the inn as with Clifton, or translate it. Would Барли Моу speak anything to the
Bulgarian reader?
Possible variants for translation: Ако останете/решите да пренощувате/преспите (на
суша) в Клифтън, най добре (ще бъде) да отседнете в Ечемичения Хамбар.
E. Continue to the end of the passage. How many problems did you detect? Was
there a sentence without translation problems? Which one/ones?
F. A possible translation could be:
Около Клифтън Хемпдън, самото то прелестно китно селце, старинно, спокойно, и
накипрено с цветя, местността край реката е пищна и красива. Ако решите да
пренощувате на суша в Клифтън, най добре да отседнете в „Ечемичения Хамбар". Той
се намира вдясно от моста, доста встрани от селото. Това е, бих казал, без изключение

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най-очарователната, най-старовремска странноприемница нагоре по реката. Нейните
ниско-скосени фронтони и сламен покрив и прозорци с решетки и придават вид на току
излязла от книга с приказки, а пък вътре е още по-имало-едно-времешна.
It stands on the right of the bridge, quite away from the village.

G. Compare your choices with the above, then with the copyright translator’s ones:
Около Клифтън Хампден, едно чудно хубаво селце – старинно, тихо и потънало в
цветя, подстъпите към реката са разкошни и красиви. Ако речете да пренощувате на
земя в Клифтън, най добре ще сторите да се настаните в „Барли Мау”. Бих казал, че
това е безспорно най-чудатото, най-старомодното ханче по цялата река. То се намира
вдясно от моста, доста надалеко от селото. Неговият заострен покрив, целият покрит
със слама и с ниско спускащи се стрехи, както и решетъчните му прозорци, го правят
да прилича на ханче от някоя детска приказка, а отвътре обстановката е дори още по-
едновремешна. (1980)

Bulgarian – English translation sample

A. Read the text at least twice before proceeding.

Учебен текст
Във всеки урок има един или два учебни текста. С кратка и увлекателна история са
представени основните изрази, които ще научите и упражните в съответния урок.
Следходните упражнения се развиват в контекста на учебния текст, затова Ви
препоръчваме да започнете с него.
Учебните текстове са онагледени с анимация или илюстрации. Те се реализират в
няколко стъпки и включват различни опции.
Лесно ще разберете кога сте достигнали до такъв тип упражнение при появата на
следния екран:

I. Frame of reference
Sample:
Step 1: Identify the problem in the first sentence. The literal translation ‘In every lesson
there are one or two learning texts’ would seem highly irregular in English for syntactic
reasons.
Step 2: Problem analysis. English syntax is stricter than the Bulgarian one. Regular word
order is Subject-Verb-Object + Adverbials of manner, place, time, in that sequence. The
adverbial of time may occasionally be shifted to the beginning of the sentence, but for the
other two this position is restricted for special cases with additional emphasis.
Step 3: Finding solutions. 1. Begin with the normal for such sentences ‘There’, followed
by the form of ‘be’ required for the first of the words following, in this case, ‘one’ and the
adverbials in the end. For semantic reasons, ‘is’ is unacceptable, so what you get is ‘There are
one or two learning texts in every lesson. 2. Paraphrase ‘Във всеки урок има’ to ‘Всеки
урок съдържа’ and translate accordingly.
Step 4: Choosing the best-fitting solution. Which of the sentences would you choose?
Why?

B. Continue with the second sentence in a similar manner. Continue to the end of the
passage. How many problems did you detect? Was there a sentence without translation
problems? Which one/ones?
C. Compare your choices with the copyright translator’s ones:

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 1. Learning text
Every lesson contains one or two learning texts. They present the basic expressions you
will learn and exercise in the relevant lesson within a brief and interesting story. The
following exercises are developed on the context of the learning text, so we recommend you
to start with it.
The learning texts are illustrated with animation and pictures. They are realised in several
steps and include various options.
You will easily understand you have reached such a type of exercise when you are faced
with the following screen:

• What are the differences and similarities between your versions and the one provided?
What accounts for them?

Milena Katsarska
Sashko Pavlov

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 FIRST YEAR: TRANSLATING FROM BULGRIAN TO ENGLISH

SECTION ONE: FICTION

UNIT 1

Димитър Кирков
Любов в Ада

Да вземем само пристигането на Дионисий в дома на Антонови. Понякога се

случваше Юлика да го посрещне и на входната врата, но по-често го изчакваше в хола
на горния етаж. Познаваше го по звъненето. Даже миг преди да трепне езичето на
камбанката, трепваше нейното сърце и я тласкаше да се спусне по стълбището, ала тя
овладяваше порива си и тая минута, докато Дионисий сваляше долу шинела си и
продумваше нещо неясно на Живка, докато дървените стъпала проскърцваха седем
пъти, защото той ги прекрачваше през едно, тая обикновена минута Юлика успяваше да
разтегне до предела й и в миниатюрната частичка време да вмести време достатъчно, за
да се роди отново в душата й целият свят. През тая минута Юлика се изтръгваше от
лепкавата материя на своето сутрешно очакване, гласовете възвръщаха звучността си и
движенията- своята определеност, въздухът се избистряше и животът зашумяваше,
както в своето праначало.
Обикновено в началото той биваше леко скован и не можеше да забележи тънката
бледнина под ружа по страните на Юлика. Тя го чакаше права, опряна на гърба на
фотьойла, а младежът приближаваше напористо и обгръщаше ръката й със своите
студени и малко влажни от мъглата длани. Със сладостно усилие Юлика задържаше
ответната ласка, която напираше да избухне, и само погалваше бузата му или плъзгаше
пръсти по неговото рамо, сякаш досега бе размисляла за друго и гостът я изненадваше с
нетърпението си.

Exercises

I. Focus:

A. The running verb form in the text – ше / in the particular case/ suggests a habitual,
repetitive activity in the past. We can express such an activity in English by:
• Past simple
• Used to do
• Would do
Consider carefully all the forms and choose among the above markers.
Note that both would do and used to do can be substituted by past
simple, whereas they themselves are not always interchangeable. What
is the difference in usage between them? Justify your choice on the
grounds of your analysis.
B. Find out lexical markers in the text that intensify the habituality of the activity?
C. Pay attention to the phrase- сякаш досега бе размисляла за друго. What is the nature
of the activity expressed by it?

II. Vocabulary build-up. Choose from the list of the English words those that best fit the
context. Don’t forget the stylistic register.

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 • овладяваше: master, command, overcome, come over, get control of, pull oneself
together, regain one’s composure
• материя: matter, substance, stuff, subject, reality
• порив: impulse, passion, urge, wish, drive, blast, gust

III. Focus on напористо. Think carefully about its meaning and the options for translating it.
Have in mind that you often need a paraphrase that will help you to make your choice.

IV. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is an excerpt taken from the
same book.

Фразата, която изрече на пътечката, той бе обмислял дълго и грижливо. Премятал

беше думите насам-натам, подменял ги беше, шлифовал бе изречението от всички
страни, на глас си го бе казвал, за да го чуе как звучи, докато му се стори, че го е
докарал като стихотворение- и ритъм си имаше това изречение, и римата добре му
легна накрая. Както всеки дебютант в поезията, Гогица харесваше своето съчинение,
любуваше му се и гореше от нетърпение да го разпространи сред народа. Той имаше
още два-три по-мръснички варианта, но именно заради широката публика избра тоя,
неутралния, според него, за да го подхванат стари и млади, учени и прости, без да се
гнусят да изговарят отделните думички, а да насочат внимание към съдържанието на
крилатата фраза. С добрия вкус, с общото благоприличие се беше съобразявал Гогица
и не му беше лесно да се сдържи и да не пусне в обращение творението си, ала още
повече му се искаше да провери сам неговото въздействие, и то тъкмо върху онзи на
когото беше посветено. Иначе две-трети от удоволствието му отиваше на кино, с
доглеждане. А Гогица не обичаше да доглежда спектаклите, които сам
съчиняваше, на премиерите им предпочиташе да присъства лично, па макар
понякога да съществуваха рискове. Той отдавна дебнеше Дионисий за подобна
среща насаме, обмислил беше нейните актове, които съвпаднаха общо взето, с
предвижданията му, с изключение, естествено, на финала. Въпреки неприятната си
страна тоя финал обещаваше добро бъдеще на фразичката сред хората и Гогица
бързаше сега да я подшушне тук-таме.

V. Focus:

A. Consider the verb phrases expressing completed activities, preceding a past point of
orientation in the first paragraph. Which verb phrase do we use in English in such
context?
B. Pay attention to пътечката, фразичката. With few exceptions English lacks diminutive
markers. How do we translate such words in English?
C. Study carefully the words, phrases and sentences in bold . Should you stick to literal
translation or do you need paraphrasing to clear up the meaning. Be aware that a whole
paragraph actually depends on your choice.

VI. Vocabulary build-up. Choose from the list of the English words those that best fit the
context. Don’t forget the stylistic register.
• фраза: phrase, saying, line, verse, words
• шлифовам: grind, polish, smooth
• мръсен: dirty, filthy, foul, beastly, impure, mean, obscene,

12
 UNIT 2

Павел Вежинов
Нощем с белите коне

Десетина дни академикът не излезе никъде, дори не прекрачи прага на дома си. Не
работеше нищо, не мислеше нищо. Но не се чувстваше и нещастен. Като че ли го бе
обхванало някакво пълно безразличие, по-лошо и от апатията, в която винаги има
някаква скрита драма. Не, нямаше драма, нямаше нищо. Просто бе загубил всякакъв
интерес към живота.
През тия тихи и съвсем безлични дни като че ли и времето беше негов съюзник. Той
не си спомняше друг такъв студен и дъжделив юни. Приличаше повече на късна есен,
ниско над града се влачеха огромни и тежки облаци, бръснеше студен дъжд. В кабинета
му бе винаги здрачно и малко хладно, дъждът миеше обилно стъклата и през тях светът
му изглеждаше някак размазан и нереален. Най-странното бе, че телефонът упорито
мълчеше, никой не се обаждаше. И така, както се бе затворил в кабинета с тия,
обливани от дъжда стъкла, имаше чувството че ще се понесе бавно, като загубена
лодка, в мъгливия океан на времето и ще изчезне там завинаги.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
През цялото това време го посети само Сашо, неговият племенник. Той му донесе
възванието, както беше обещал. Академикът го прочете два пъти. Но лицето му бе все
така безразлично, изразът му не подсказваше нищо.
– Много добре! – каза той внезапно. – тая материя просто ти допада. Винаги съм
смятал, че от тебе може да излезе чудесен политик.

Exercises

I. Focus:

A. The type of the text is:

• a chronologically developed paragraph?
• a description?
B. The verb inflexion – ше in Bulgarian can render either repetitive or incompleted activities
in the past. Compare the sentences with –ше forms in the first and second paragraph.
What is your choice of a tense form: past simple or past continuous? Justify your choice.
C. Consider the forms: бе загубил всякакъв интерес към живота, както беше обещал
What is their relation to the past point of orientation? What is your choice in English?
D. Choose between:
• I have always thought
• I have always been thinking
in the last sentence.
E. Pay attention to the sentences containing като че ли. Besides using as if you can also use
either personal or impersonal construction.
e.g. It seemed that the weather requires subject and verb.
The weather seemed requires a to-infinitive form.
What is the difference between the 2 sentences as regards their structure? What form of
the to-infinitive best fits the context?

13
II. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is an excerpt taken from the same
book.

III. Pay attention to the phrase in bold. There is no direct translation into English of such
verbs expressing processes related to colours. What is your choice?

IV. What is the nature of the activity in: духна, повдигна, попритиснаха? How do we
translate them in English?

Беше едва краят на ноември, а вън валеше сняг, толкова едър и мокър, че се
налепваше като каша по витринното стъкло. В ресторанта бе много светло, по празните
маси блестяха излъсканите метални пепелници. Скупчени на една от крайните маси,
келнерите нещо тихо, но оживено си говореха. Навярно одумваха някого, своя
управител може би, защото от време на време се обръщаха и поглеждаха недоверчиво
към Сашо. И напразно се тревожеха, той изобщо не ги забелязваше. Облегнат с лакти
на пустата маса, младежът с досада поглеждаше навън. В мътната светлина на лампите
минаваха улисани хора, повечето с шлифери, но имаше по сака и без шапки, с вдигнати
яки и ръце в джобовете. До обед денят бе направо топъл, дори прашен, от няколко дни
улиците воняха нетърпимо на бензин. След това небето започна постепенно да
посинява, без да прииждат облаци, сякаш само се боядисваше. Стана още по-задушно.
Но към два часа, тъкмо когато Сашо минаваше по “ Раковски”, внезапно и остро духна
вятър, едно старче се затича подир шапката си, под невъзмутимия профил на Вазов от
барелефа на своя музей. Момичетата попритиснаха късите си полички, тия, които бяха
с панталони се чувстваха по-удобно. Сашо повдигна изненадано нос към небето-
безнадеждна и безрадостна сивота, макар че в сърцето му чуруликаше някакво канарче,
малко пресипнало, но все пак канарче. Днеска за него беше хубав ден, искаше му се
всички хора да се усмихват.

Павел Вежинов
В един есенен ден по шосето

Излязох навън с душа, натежала от болнични миризми и тревоги. Над дефилето

наистина се бяха надвесили черни буреносни облаци, но тогава не им обърнах
внимание. Къси, нервни вихрушки танцуваха по циментовия двор и заливаха с
прахоляци колата ми. Тъкмо потеглих, и закапаха първите капки - едри и силни като
летящи куршуми. Едва тогава ми мина през ума, че гумите ми са съвсем изтъркани. Не
се тревожех особено - така отпаднал и угнетен се чувствувах след тежкия разговор.
Изтеглих колата на заден ход и бавно запъплих по стръмнината.
Бурята ме завари още в първите километри. Беше позакъсняла септемврийска
буря, но пълна с грохот и трясъци. Върху предното стъкло се заизливаха такива
потоци вода, че се принудих да спра. Отбих внимателно колата на червеникавия банкет
и угасих мотора. Дъждът все тъй плющеше, трясъците следваха един след друг.
Познавах тия бури в кънтящото искърско дефиле, някога ги обичах. И все пак бях
направил добре, че спрях. По асфалта течеше като река черна искряща вода, която от
време на време блясваше с мъртвото отражение на мълниите. Оттатък асфалта, без
никаква преграда, идваше червената, дъхаща на изпарения пропаст. От мястото си не
виждах нейното дъно, но бях сигурен, че там колата ми не би изглеждала по-голяма от
детска играчка.

Exercises

14
I. Vocabulary build-up: 1. Look at the sample search done for дефилето. Which will your
final choice be for this specific instance? Why? Conduct similar searches for the words
marked in bold. Look for equivalents. Check the meanings in an English-English dictionary.
Look up any other words you don’t know or such that may be a problem in translation.

дефилето Българо-английски речник: defile, gorge.

gorge - 1. a narrow cleft with steep, rocky walls, esp. one through which a
stream runs. 2. a small canyon. 3. a gluttonous meal. 4. something that is
swallowed; contents of the stomach. 5. an obstructing mass: an ice
gorge. 6. the seam formed at the point where the lapel meets the collar
of a jacket or coat.
Consider also defile - any narrow passage, esp. between mountains;.canyon - a
deep valley with steep sides, often with a stream flowing through it. Also check
ravine, gulch, arroyo

II. Focus: consider the expressions in their context

First sentence – ‘soul’ in English is considered as part of the body. Parts of the body in
English do not normally take articles, but rather the possessive determiners my, your, his,
etc.; ‘with’ is normally used for something outside you, which you usually carry or take
along, or, similarly, a person or animal. Consider whether to use it in this case; for the proper
translation of тревоги, consider the paraphrase тревожех се за приятеля си.
Second sentence – word order in the first part, begin with черни буреносни облаци; to
preserve се бяха надвесили, consider ‘had been hanging/were hanging (виснеха,
надвисваха, висяха)’ or ‘had gathered’; for наистина, consider ‘really’ or ‘indeed’, placed in
the proper position; over, or above; check stormy; which is more suitable for тогава – ‘then’,
or ‘at that/the time’; consider whether to use negative verb + any or positive verb + no for не
им обърнах внимание.
Third sentence – short or brief for Къси; along or across for по; cement, cemented or
concrete; in English the word order of заливаха с прахоляци колата is unacceptable -
rephrase
Fourth sentence – I was just starting or I had just started; which link is more collocative
in English – and or when; what is the correct word order for закапаха първите капки; drops
or raindrops; as or like for като
Fifth sentence – only then + emphatic inversion; cross my mind/occur to me; worn out or
threadbare

Continue in a similar way with the rest of the passage. Pay attention to the word order in the
sentences beginning: Върху предното стъкло…, По асфалта течеше…, Оттатък
асфалта (try preserving that one. Why?); pay attention to че спрях – should you use a ‘that’
clause or an infinitive, if an infinitive, which one – to stop or to have stopped

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is the continuation, conducting
your own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far. Pay
attention to the sentences marked (w.o.) = word order.

Отворих страничното стъкло и се поотместих от кормилото, за да не ме пръска

дъждът. После запалих цигара и се облегнах назад. Чувствувах се много гадно в тоя
момент, мисълта за смъртта не ме напускаше. Той се беше примирил с нея и това беше

15
най-страшното. Никак не разбирах какво значи това - да се примириш със смъртта, -
нито пък можех да го усетя. Дрехите ми все още издаваха противната миризма на
санаториума, чувствувах, че ми се гади. А какво би станало, ако тръгнех внезапно
направо към пропастта? Всеки би нарекъл това безумие. А тогава защо да не е безумие
всичко, което вършим в своето съществуване (w.o.)? Ето това е може би, което има в
душата си моят приятел. Рамената ми леко потрепераха и аз побързах да затворя
стъклото.
Най-после бурята като че ли попремина. Все още валеше - слаб дъжд, носен от
вятъра, мътен и сив. Отново запалих мотора. Там някъде далече на запад в гъстата маса
на облаците навярно се беше отворило малко прозорче (w.o.), защото асфалтът
порозовя. Потеглих бавно по стръмнината, след това постепенно усилих хода. В тоя
момент съвсем бях забравил моите гуми, които така приятно свистяха по наводнения
асфалт. Розовината още повече се усили, червеникави изглеждаха дори ниските
брезови горички, които растяха по планинския склон (w.o.).

IV. There are five verbs in the above passage, beginning with the prefix ‘по’. Think of
correctly rendering the meaning in each of the cases. Consider rendering навярно се беше
отворило with a ‘must’ construction.

V. If you have followed the instructions closely and attentively, your translation of the first
paragraph should more or less look like this:

I went out, my soul heavy with hospital smells and worries. Black storm clouds had
indeed gathered over the gorge but at the time I paid them no attention. Brief, nervous
whirlwinds were dancing along the cemented yard, pouring dust over my car/swirling my car
in dust. I had just started, when the first raindrops started falling – large and forceful/powerful
like flying bullets. Only then did it cross my mind that my tyres were threadbare. I wasn’t
particularly worried, though – so drained and low(-spirited) did I feel after the depressing
conversation. I pulled the car out in reverse and slowly crawled up the (steep) slope.

V. Compare and comment on the differences.

UNIT 3

Светослав Минков
Маймунска младост

Експресът хвърчи в тъмната нощ, пищи тревожно край пероните на малки

запустели гари с пламтящи часовници, сетне неговият писък секва изведнъж и в
безмълвието на нощта се разнася отново само глухият тътен на колелата, които гърмят
по безкрайните релси.
Сега по леглата на спалните вагони спят десетки уморени пътници. Ето, тоя пътник
в кафявата пижама, който хърка с ужасна сила и сам пуфти като някакъв малък жив

16
локомотив, няма нищо общо нито с действителния свят, нито с царството на сънищата.
Той е потънал в някакво мъртво междупланетно пространство, чужд на всякакви
съновидения, далеч от минутите и часовете. Над зиналата му уста са провиснали два
посивели мустака, сухото му жълто лице е набраздено с бръчки. Така, заспал дълбоко, с
черната нощна шапчица, върху чието дъно светят сребърни цветя, той прилича на един
от ония антиквари, които разнасят из Европа зъби от праисторически животни и монети
от времето на Калигула.
Релсите шумят като буен поток след дъжд – след нощта идва ден, след деня идва
нощ. Голяма гара с широк стъклен покрив. Един по един пътниците напущат влака,
сетне целият експрес опустява, вагоните му се разкъсват и локомотивът побягва сам
нанякъде.

Exercises

I. Focus:

A. The text is a sample of popular narrative style representing past activities. It can be
translated in Bulgarian either with the neutral past simple or by present simple that
provides colour and vividness. Consider carefully the options and make your choice.
B. Pay attention to the phrases in bold. The comparison requires a grammatical construction
beginning either with as or like. What is the difference in the syntactic pattern and what is
your choice? Can you use both and what changes you should make?

II. Vocabulary build-up. Choose from the list of the English words those that best fit the
context.
• запустял – desolate, deserted, wild, abandoned, derelict
• пламтящ – glowing, blazing, burning, in flames
• писък – cry, shout, shriek, scream, wail, whistle
• глух – deaf, hollow, dull, indistinct
• тътен – rumble, roll, thunder, roar
• гърмя – shoot, fire, thunder, blare, boom
• буен – sweeping, violent, turbulent
• разкъсвам – tear, break, rip up

III. Consult your dictionaries and exercise I and translate the following fixed phrases in
English.

• Глух
глухо недоволство; глух шепот; глух глас; глухо селце; глуха доба; глуха линия
• Буен
буен огън; буйна река; буен вятър; буен смях; буйни къдрици; буйно дете; буен кон;
буйна кръв; буйна растителност
• Разкъсвам
разкъсвам на парчета; разкъсвам на парцали; разкъсвам сърцето на; слънцето разкъса
облаците; страна разкъсвана от гражданска война; облаците се разкъсаха; разкъсвам се
от работа/ тичане

IV. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is a continuation to the one
above. Don’t forget the running tense and your choice.

17
 Минават седмици. Една слънчева сутрин човекът в кафявата пижама седи на
терасата на Вороновата клиника в онова райско кътче на френската Ривиера, където
небето е съвсем синьо и въздухът е напоен с уханието на милиони карамфили. Той
почива в бял тръстиков шезлонг, загърнат цял в одеяла, протяга от време на време ръка
към малката масичка, дига високата стъклена чаша и смуква през тънката сламка
няколко глътки ситронада. Сетне въздъхва с някакво ликуващо задоволство и сивите му
очи се заглеждат мечтателно в далечината на широката градина. А градината трепти в
пламъци: портокаловите и мандаринови дървета са отрупани с плодове, от които тече
червено злато под лъчите на вечното слънце.
Колко неузнаваем е станал пътникът, който хъркаше неотдавна в едно от купетата
на експреса! Лицето му е свежо и румено, катраненочерните му мустаци имат някаква
далечна родствена връзка с мустаците на Вилхелм II. Никой не би му дал повече от
двадесет и четири години, а всъщност неговото кръщелно свидетелство носи годината
на Френско-пруската война.
Ти, читателю, навярно се досещаш, че тоя човек не е никой друг освен нашия
познайник от старата гостна стая – същият, който седеше на едно от канапетата и
гледаше ореховия корниз над прозореца. Сега той лежи в тръстиковия шезлонг и
неговата фаустовска мечта е вече сбъдната. Гърдите му дишат леко, по жилите му
блика буйна юношеска кръв, всички клетки на тялото му цъфтят в щастливото
преображение на една втора младост. Къде изчезнаха болките в кръста, астмата и
пясъкът в злъчката. Чудовището на старостта е победено и отровното му жило е
откъснато. И то не с тайнствените заклинания на черната магия, а с блестящото
хирургическо ножче на гениалния доктор Воронов, който присади върху увехналата
плът на своя пациент една чудотворна ендокринна жлеза от младо шимпанзе.

Маймунска младост
Светослав Минков

V. Vocabulary build-up. Choose from the list of the English words those that best fit the
context
• минавам – pass, elapse, slip away
• ухание – odour, aroma, fragrance, perfume, scent
• протягам – stretch, extend, reach out
• ликувам – rejoice, exult, triumph
• трептя – vibrate, flicker, twinkle, waver, shake
• стар- old, outdated, former, familiar
• цъфтя – bloom, blossom, flower, flourish

VI. Consult your dictionaries and exercise I and translate the following fixed phrases in
English.
• минавам
минавам границите; минавам гратис; минавам между капките; минавам незабелязано;
минавам през ума; минавам с 100 лева; мина ми котка път; не ми минават такива
номера; няма да мине
• протягам
протягам врат; протягам ръка за милостиня
• отрупан
отрупан с работа; отрупан с дългове; отрупан с почести; отрупан с грижи; отрупан с
книги; отрупан с плод
• стар

18
връщам се към старите си навици; доброто старо време; от старата школа

UNIT 4

Елин Пелин
От Отец Сисой (Под манастирската лоза)

С ваше позволение ще скрия името на манастира, където прекарах едно блажено

лято, гостенин на добрия игумен отец Сисой. Всеки ден от ония дълги, лениви и
спокойни манастирски дни ние двама обядвахме заедно вън под сянката на
гъстолистната лоза - великолепно украшение на тая света обител. Тя разстилаше над
нас благословените си вейки, както ливанските кедри се разстилаха над главата на
Аврама, и ни правеше прохладна сянка. Нашите обеди бяха самостойни, чудесни
съчинения на самого отца Сисоя, в които той примесваше покрай благовонните
планински билки много от сладостта на своята мъдрост. Виното, към което скромният
игумен имаше особена слабост, той предварително изстудяваше в чешмата, която
пееше сладостно под сянката на три стари печални върби сред двора. На малката
дървена масичка под лозата ние прекарвахме до вечерта в тихи и прояснени от
вдъхновение разговори за бога, за света, за суетата на живота и загадката на смъртта.
Бурното и дълго минало на отец Сисой бе му принесло много житейска опитност, а
черковните книги и библията, над които прекарваше усамотените си часове, бяха
прояснили душата му със света мъдрост.

Exercises

I. Read the text carefully. What impression does it leave? What is the overall tone? The
answers will help you in your choices of vocabulary and grammar.

II. Vocabulary build-up: 1. Look at the sample search done for спокойни. Check the
meanings in an English-English dictionary. Which will your final choice be for this specific
instance? Why? Conduct similar searches for the words marked in bold, as well as for any
words that provide a difficulty.

спокойни Българо-английски речник: calm, tranquil; (тих) quiet, still

See also: Syn. 1. PEACEFUL, PLACID, SERENE, TRANQUIL refer to what is
characterized by lack of strife or agitation. PEACEFUL today is rarely applied to
persons; it refers to situations, scenes, and activities free of disturbances or,
occasionally, of warfare: a peaceful life. PLACID, SERENE, TRANQUIL are
used mainly of persons; when used of things (usually elements of nature) there is a
touch of personification. PLACID suggests an unruffled calm that verges on
complacency: a placid disposition; a placid stream. SERENE is a somewhat nobler
word; when used of persons it suggests dignity, composure, and graciousness: a
serene old man; when applied to nature there is a suggestion of mellowness: the

19
 serene landscapes of autumn. TRANQUIL implies a command of emotions, often
because of strong faith, which keeps one unagitated even in the midst of
excitement or danger.

III. Focus:

A. На малката дървена масичка под лозата is an adverbial for place, whose position in the
sentence is very rarely initial. Rearrange the sentence according to English syntax
requirementsл
B. In English, ‘of’ is rarely used for humans, the ‘s being the preferred form. Pay attention to
that when translating. There is, however, an instance in the text where preserving the ‘s
could present a problem. Identify this instance. Explain the reasons. Provide a solution.
C. Check the spellings of Аврам (biblical character), ливански. Decide on the spelling for
Сисой.

IV. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is the continuation, conducting
your own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far.

Книгите са като хората – казваше той, - когато остареят, стават мъдри. Науката и
мъдростта са дело на миналото. Настоящето е винаги било море от чувства, по което се
клатушкат хорските души, несигурни в своя път. Техните сълзи, техните вопли,
радости, стремления, измами и душевни тържества, техните мисли и опити падат като
скъпоценни бисери в бездните на това море. И когато се оттече в далечното минало,
хората намират на дъното му утаени всичките попаднали съкровища и черпят мъдрост.
Уверен съм, че ако тия мисли биха могли да излязат от устата на дядо владика, той
щеше да се възгордее повече от патриарх, но отец Сисой седеше спокоен, взимаше
трохи от масата и ги хвърляше с хубавата си свещеническа ръка на кокошките и на
врабците, които се трупаха около него и без страх кацаха на раменете му. Той беше
нисичък, здрав, с младежка светлина на очите, с приятно усмихнато лице, с посивяла
брада, но под черната му калимявка се подаваха кичури, бели като вечните преспи по
планините. Мислите му пъплеха бавно, разклоняваха се, виеха се като лоза и се
разлистваха гъсто.
Отец Сисой (Под манастирската лоза)
От Елин Пелин
V. Focus:

A. Книгите са като хората. In Bulgarian, when we speak in general, we use the article form.
In English the article is used for definite instances, not in general. There’s no article for
the general usage of non-count and plural count nouns. Translate accordingly. Consider
the usage in the next sentence – general or specific.
B. Which verbs of transition of state would you choose for the verbs in когато остареят,
стават мъдри? Choose from get, grow, go, become, turn
C. Check the ranks and positions of the clergy in Bulgarian and English, ways of addressing
them, and choose accordingly for дядо владика. (hint: check person honorifics for clergy-
Anglican and orthodox- in the Internet)

VI. Here is a sample, multi-variant, translation of the first section. Can you trace your choices
in it? If not, compare yours to the choices offered. Choose the best variant. If asked, be ready
to explain why.

20
 With your permission I will hide / conceal / withhold the name of the monastery / cloister
where I spent a blessed / blissful / beatific / sublime summer, (as a) guest of the good abbot /
father superior Father Sisoi / Sisoy. Every day / one of those long, idle / lazy / indolent and
quiet / peaceful / placid / serene / tranquil monastery / cloister days / ones, we two / the two of
us had lunch together outside, under the shadow / in the shade of the thick-leaved / dense-
leaved grape vine tree – a magnificent ornament / decoration / adornment to / of that holy
place / monastery. It spread its blessed twigs / sprigs / shoots above / over us, as the Lebanese
cedars spread over / above the head of Abraham / Abraham’s head, making / providing (us
with) a cool shade. Our lunches were private / self-contained, wonderful compositions of
Father Sisoi / Sisoy himself, in which he blended, alongside the fragrant mountain herbs,
much of the sweetness of his wisdom. The wine, to which the humble abbot was particularly
partial / for which the humble abbot had a peculiar weakness, he cooled beforehand in the tub
/ basin of the fountain / tap, which was singing sweetly in the shadow / shade of three old
mournful / weeping willows / willow trees in the middle of / amid the yard / courtyard. On /
round the small wooden table / tablelet under the (grape) vine-tree we spent (the time) until
evening / We spent (the time) until evening on / round the small wooden table / tablelet under
the (grape) vine-tree in quiet / peaceful / placid / serene / tranquil and inspiration-brightened
talks / conversations / discussions about God / god, the world, the vanity of life / life’s vanity
and the mystery of death. The stormy / turbulent and long / lengthy past of Father Sisoi /
Sisoy / Father Sisoi / Sisoy’s stormy / turbulent and long / lengthy past had given him /
provided him with a lot of (life / living / wordly) experience, and the church / religious books
and the Bible, over which he spent his solitary hours / the hours of his privacy, had purged /
purified his soul (, filling it ) with holy / blessed wisdom.

UNIT 5

I. Preliminary considerations:
Here are some set phrases in the source language that need to be interpreted in the source
language first. Look at the examples given, and continue with the rest:

Its meaning in the

Original phrase Translation in English
source language
Чудноват човек Странен човек A queer / outlandish man
самси Дори самият Enyo himself
В най-големите
Посред лято
горещини
In the height of summer
хвърляха в очи
както доде
като в пашкул
Натурален като жив
Като мина харман
Да те вземе мътната

21
Даде ми хака
отряза ми квитанцията

Йордан Йовков
От Серафим

Един чудноват човек, нито селянин, нито гражданин, дрипав, окъсан, идеше към
Енювото кафене и самси Еню, седнал отпред кафенето на сянка, не можеше да го
познае кой е. Посред лято в тая страшна жега, тоя човек беше навлякъл дълго зимно
палто, като попско расо, на главата му беше нахлузено смачкано бомбе, а краката му
бяха обути с цървули. Но най-често очите на Еня се връщаха върху палтото на
непознатия: едно време то ще е било синьо, ще е било от един плат, но сега нищо не
личеше - оръфано, разнищено, навред надупчено, навред кърпено. И между
безбройните разноцветни кръпки най-много се хвърляха в очи две-три много големи,
взети сякаш от чувал или от най-проста аба и лепнати, както доде, с едър шев и
избелели конци.
Човекът доде на две-три крачки и се спря. Той разбра, че Еню не може да го позна,
и малко обиден, с подигнати вежди, леко усмихнат, остави се да го гледа Еню и зачака.
Той бе мършав, дребен човек, изгубен в окърпеното палто като в пашкул. Лицето му
беше сухо, черно с рядка черна брада, очите му, като у пияниците или у хора, които не
са си доспали, бяха влажни и замъглени. Еню продължаваше да го гледа втрещено,
непознатия се усмихваше повече.
- А бре, Серафиме, ти ли си? - извика най-после Еню. - Ух, да те убий здраве, да те
уби! Не мога да те позная бре...
- Аз съм, бай Еньо, аз. Натурален като жив.. тъй да се каже... - аз пък рекох, че е
таласъм. Помислих, че плашилото от даскал Тодоровата бахча иде насам. Да те вземе
мътната, да те вземе. Мисли си: какъв ще е тоз изпаднал германец!
Серафим се засмя тихо, беззвучно, като поклащаше глава, той подпря на пейката
тоягата си, сне и чувалчето, което носеше на рамото си. Всяка година, а понякога през
година и през две, той се явяваше по тия места на Гергьовден или по Димитровден,
когато слугите менят господарите си. Той беше от града, но търсеше работа по селата.
Можеше да работи само лека, маловажна работа: на някоя мелница се приставяше да
храни свинете, да чисти обора на някой хан, или пък пасеше един-два добитъка.
Де беше туй лято? - попита го Еню. - Рано си напуснал, щъркелите още не са си
отишли. Де беше?
- В Белица бях туй лято, на една керемидарница. Има един Панайот там, кермекчия,
при него бях. Керемидите му пазех.
Той говореше ниско, като че се боеше да не го чуе някой, с разширени и учудени
очи, а после изведнъж се засмиваше и между посинелите му устни светваха зъбите му.
- Сухо беше туй лято - продължи той, - добра стока изкараха хората. Ама и берекетя
натъй по селата беше добър. А нашите българи, бай Еньо, кога имат пари, къщи правят.
Като мина харман, че като надодоха ония турлаци с талигите, иззеха що керемиди
имаше...
- Хъм... Взеха ги?
- До една. Три големи колелета бяха. Свършиха се. И чорбаджията, Панайот:
нямам, кай, нужда от пазач, бай Серафиме, свободен си. Даде ми хака и... отряза ми
квитанцията, тъй да се каже...

Exercises

22
II. Focus:

A. Pay attention to то ще е било синьо, ще е било от един плат,

1. Identify the time the verb phrases refer to.
2. Identify the modal meanings they imply and choose the modal construction that best
suits the context.
3. Think of other possible options for translation besides the modal constructions.
B. Pay attention to Гергьовден and Димитровден. Do you think St George’s Day or
Dimiter’s day will do? If not, think about the times of the year they refer to, and suggest a
better option.
C. Consider the sentences - Ух, да те убий здраве, да те уби! Не мога да те позная бре...
D. These are samples of colloquial speech and cannot be translated literally. Provide your
suggestions.
E. Focus on the sentence Той говореше ниско, като че се боеше да не го чуе някой, с
разширени и учудени очи, а после изведнъж се засмиваше и между посинелите му
устни светваха зъбите му.
What is the activity – progressive, or repetitive? Choose a proper tense form.

UNIT 6

Владимир Голев
От Хуанита
Из новия роман "Историята на едно черно дърво"

Дядо ми живееше в малка, стара къща до Перловската река. В онази есен и къщата,
и дворът, и всичко наоколо потъваше в гъста зеленина. Нещо тайнствено и неуловимо
се таеше в тая зеленина, в ореха с тъмни клонаци, в оплешивелия самотен бор, в
късната листовина на круши, ябълки и вишни. Под тях до самата ограда де стояха на
колове, де се влачеха по земята саморасли храсти, най-вече малини, къпини и бръшлян,
които вечер ми приличаха на скупчени или легнали хора. Някъде из тия храсталаци
нещо изшумоляваше, чуваха се стъпки, глас на птица, шум на вода. Понякога всичко
утихваше. Ставаше толкова тихо, че нерядко ни сепваше падащо листо или търкулнато
от катеричка орехче. Запомнил съм тия съвсем редки за големия град шумове и багри
от детството, когато мама и тате се разделиха и ме оставиха да живея при дядо. И до
днес обичам тоя двор и тая къща, макар че отдавна не живея там. Дочувам щурче,
виждам падаща звезда, лятна светкавица, зимни снегове, пролетни води и есенна шума.
Чувам и ги виждам, и ги пренасям с времето, все така живи в сърцето ми и не аз тях, а
те ме водят по големия, пъстър свят.
Не ми бяха ясни постъпките на големите. Защо мама се ожени за друг човек, а тате
отиде на работа в Перник. В гърдите ми засядаше самота и мъка, които съпътстваха
целия ми живот и единствено приказките и безкрайните разкази на дядо ме отвличаха.
А дядо умееше да разказва. Особено се увличаше по вселенски проблеми и
мъдреците на античността. От него научих за Персей и Андромеда, които след смъртта

23
си станали звезди, за Афродита, родена от морска пяна, за всемогъщия Зевс, за Антей и
Херкулес. Но не само за тях. Дядо знаеше много арабски легенди и мъдрости. Нерядко
ми ги повтаряше и точно тия негови приказки породиха и у мен непресъхващ интерес
към тайните на природата и живота, вселенски поглед към нещата и търсене смисъл във
всичко, което ни заобикаля...
Колкото и да съм бил малък, помня от дядо и разказите му за Аржентина, където се
установява след Америка. Аржентина за него беше нещо много скъпо и мило, говореше
за нея с трепет и вълнение, които не можех да си обясня. Името Буенос Айрес
произнасяше нежно, като че ли беше име на жена. Нерядко като работеше в градината
си напяваше "Компарсита", като казваше: "По-хубава песен от тази не познавам.
Разплаква душата..."
Освен другото, дядо някога е бил моряк, което личеше от една татуировка на
гърдите му. Дали от тия пътувания е обикнал Аржентина, дали там му се е случило
нещо хубаво и незабравимо, не знаех, защото той нищо не казваше. Беше хубав едър
човек, рус, винаги с една широкопола шапка, латиноамериканска или купена у нас, но
донесена отнякъде.
Дядо, независимо от скитанията му по света (а скитал беше по целия свят!)
невероятно обичаше Балканите. "Никъде не е така уютно, както на нашите Балкани -
казваше. - И такава природа не съм виждал никъде, и такъв уют и кеф. Те не случайно
ни американци, ни германци, французи, шведи нямат в езика си думата "кеф". На
никакъв език не може да се преведе. Били сме Ориент? А колко работи сме дали на
Европата. Дори и името й. То иде от древна Гърция. А богомилството? Докъде е
стигало богомилството? До Византия, Сърбия, Босна, Сицилия, Италия, Франция... Ти
чел ли си за богомилите?
- Има си хас един доцент в университета да не е чел за богомилите? Социално и
религиозно движение. Могъщо движение. Небесният и духовен живот е на Бога,
материалният и грешният - на дявола - издекламирах аз.
- ... отричане на кръста и иконите, на черквата и черковните служби - продължи
дядо.
После пак започна да ми разказва за Аржентина. Дълбоко в сърцето му беше тая
Аржентина и много пъти съм се питал какво толкова го е развълнувало в тая страна,
какво е преживял там, но той мълчеше, докато един ден...
- Значи заминаваш?
Бях дошъл да се сбогувам с него. Тръгвах в командировка за Африка.
- Да.
- За колко време?
- Година.
Дядо помълча.
- Много време е за моята възраст. Не знам ще те дочакам ли.
Влече в къщичката и донесе една снимка. Изобразено беше дете на десетина години.
Хубаво, русо дете с чуждестранни дрехи.
- Кое е това дете?
- Искам да знаеш. Никому не съм казвал. Може да се нарече твой племенник или
мой правнук. Кръстен е на мене.
Изтръпнах. Нямах такива роднини. Нищо не знаех за такива роднини.
- Някой ден може да ти се случи да идеш до Аржентина. Ще знаеш, че там имаш
роднини. Ето ти адреса.
Мълчах. Чаках дядо да ми разкаже.
- Това е моя тайна. Но дойде време да я издам. Знаеш ли колко е кратък животът?
Рано ти е да го знаеш. И светът е малък, много малък...

24
 Запали старата си лула, смукна няколко пъти и продължи:
- Да съм бил тогава петнайсетгодишен. Натиснати от кризата, много хора
заминаваха за чужбина да търсят препитание. Особено за Америка, където се търсеха
работници. С една група потеглих и аз.
Няма да описвам как пътувахме с един товарен кораб, как се хванахме да пренасяме
въглища в машинното, чий беше тоя кораб и как стигнахме до Ню Йорк. Описал съм го
в една тетрадка. Един ден може да го прочетеш... На старото пристанище на Ист Ривър
ни стовариха като стока. Дрипави, изгладнели. Граничните власти ни отведоха в лагер
за имигранти. Широко място с бараки, чешми и няколко административни сгради.
Съблякоха ни и ни изкъпаха. Лекари ни проверяваха за разни болести, слагаха ни
ваксинации. Даваха ни по нещо за ядене. По-слабите и старите ги качваха отново на
кораба и ги връщаха в Европа. От време на време идваха търговци и фермери, избираха
си работници. Мен ме хареса някакъв човек, бил търговец. Разбрахме се да му работя
на градината. Имал зеленчукова градина. Наистина имаше голяма градина. Там
работеше още един мъж, черногорец. И той тръгнал да търси препитание. От него
научих най-важните английски думи, колкото да разбирам какво искат от мене.
Заживях аз в тая градина. Къщичка имаше там от две-три стаи и обор с една крава.
Дояхме я и пиехме мляко. Празничен ден прескачахме до една кръчма, където свиреха
музиканти и танцуваха проститутки. Понякога идваше съвсем младият Боб Хоук.
Изпълняваше смешни сценки и пееше "Благодаря за спомена." Хубава, тъжна песен.
За две години поусвоих езика. Четях вестници, но се затруднявах в по-сложните
изрази, защото онова, което знаех, беше простонародна реч, а с писаната, особено в
документи и книги нещата не бяха тъй прости. Полека, с много усилия, успях да
преодолея и тия трудности.
Бях вече на седемнадесет години, едро здраво момче, когато моят черногорски
приятел, викаше се Слободич, ми предложи да напуснем Ню Джърси (там беше
градината на нашия господар!) и да заминем на юг. Имахме само документи на
имигранти и не се разрешаваше току тъй да се шари из страната, но с помощта на
Слободич се оправяхме. Предложението му да потърсим по-добре платени и по-добри
условия за работа ми допадна веднага. Душата ми копнееше за приключения.

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up:

1. Find out as many English words for sea vehicles and give their equivalents in Bulgarian.

2. Lexical refinement:

Find the connotations of the following words including them in suitable contexts. Translate
them:
шумоля, прошумолявам, зашумолявам
питам, разпитвам, опитвам, препитвам, запитвам, изпитвам, допитвам

3. Find the English idiomatic equivalents of the following phrases including the word ден:

ден след ден, от ден до пладне, ден да мине друг да дойде, посред бял ден, ясно като
бял ден, не виждам бял ден, всеки ден не е Великден, денят се познава от сутринта, ще
дойде видов ден, живея от ден за ден

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4. Find the English equivalents of the following Bulgarian collocations:

ден пълен със събития, ден за приключване на сметки, ден на плащане, ден на
загиналите във войните, ден на шегата, почивен ден, пълен работен ден, лош ден, Еньов
ден, зноен ден, много горещ ден, непълен работен ден, работа заплащана на ден

26
 FIRST YEAR: TRANSLATING FROM BULGRIAN TO ENGLISH

SECTION TWO: NONFICTION

UNIT 1
Роман Кисьов
За поезията или тайната йерархия на думите

Преди години бях прочел някъде, че „изкуството е отражение на действителността“.

Това, разбира се, е точно така. Но изниква въпросът: На коя точно действителност, на
коя реалност?
Този въпрос звучи напълно основателно за онзи, който знае, че съществуват
различни реалности, много измерения — видими и невидими, скрити и явни, нисши и
висши, физични и метафизични, иманентни и трансцендентни... И в този смисъл
изкуството отразява различни измерения от действителността, то най-вече е отражение
на света на твореца, или по-точно — на измерението, в което се намира отделният
автор, реалността, в която обитава духът му и която той познава, която му влияе.
Малцина са творците, които имат достъп до множество измерения и които
преминават свободно през тях. Още по-малко са тези, които имат способността да
съединяват, умиротворяват и преобразяват отделните реалности, като им придават нови
качества, за да достигнат до самата същност на явленията и измеренията.
В контекста на казаното дотук, следва да отбележа, че в частност Поезията също
има много лица и проявления. И както светът, Творението, цялата Вселена и всички
измерения са подчинени на строга йерархичност, така също и Поезията не прави
изключение. Дори напротив — от всички изкуства Поезията е, бих казал, най-
прозрачното изкуство, тъй като негов инструмент и материал е езикът, речта, словото...
Словото, което е навсякъде и във всичко, е най-изявено именно в литературата, но най-
вече в Поезията, защото тя е конкретно състояние и концентрация от слово, негова
висша еманация. Всяко стихотворение е определен порядък от думи, конкретна
вселена. Вселената е сътворена чрез творящи Думи. Поезията е йерархия от Думи.
Затова има различни нива на поезия: едноизмерна и многоизмерна, елементарна и
сложна, плитка и дълбока, душевна и духовна, сетивна и свръхсетивна, и т. н.
Моето лично убеждение е, че на върха на поетичната йерархия стои онази поезия,
която аз наричам мистична.
Ако Поезията сама по себе си е едно велико тайнство, то мистичната поезия е
тайнство в тайнството, или тайна на Тайната, наречена Поезия. Тя е тайна, защото
мнозинството не притежава съответните вътрешни сетива, за да я разбере и възприеме.
Но това не означава, че тази поезия въздействува на малцина — въпреки своята
необяснимост, (но не неясност), тя все пак въздейства и то именно на несъзнателното в
човека — не толкова на ума, на разума, колкото на сърцето.
Тази е поезията, която притежава Думи на Сила — онези скрити Думи, които са в
състояние да сътворяват нови светове, да трансформират същности и начала, да
въвеждат и отвеждат душите там, където те никога не биха достигнали сами, да отварят
и да затварят невидими врати... Тази поезия е свещенодействаща поезия и малцина са
поетите-жреци, служещи чрез нея, но в действителност и със сигурност това са най-
големите поети на човечеството.
Убеден съм, че не поетът избира поезията, а поезията избира поета. Поезията е
Божествен дар. Тя се превръща в Откровение не само за поета, но и за ценителя на
поезия, когато е осенен от тази тайна и се събуждат вътрешните му, духовни сетива за

27
скритата, висша реалност, която става осезаема и много по-реална от видимата —
онази, която обикновено се счита от мнозината за единствено реална, но в
действителност — преходна и изплъзваща се като времето.

Exercises

I. Focus:

A. When you deal with similar texts that are non-fiction you have to consider the following
points:
• First identify the subject area the text belongs to.
• Look for terminology words, clichés, etc that may happen to appear in the text and
find their equivalents in the target language.
• Pay attention to the word order, the noun-phrase groups, etc
• Think about the running tense form that you will use.
B. Apply these steps to the excerpt above before you start translating. What are your
findings?

II. Vocabulary build-up

1. These are the synonyms and related words of таен. Translate each into English.
таен - скрит, скришен, прикрит, потаен, притаен, невидим, анонимен, тъмен,
задкулисен, тайнствен, загадъчен, подмолен, нелегален, конспиративен, неразгадаем,
непонятен, поверителен, секретен, доверителен, дискретен, конфиденциален, съкровен,
интимен, езотеричен, неясен, неразбираем, интригантски, непочтен, коварен, лукав,
измамнически, посветен в тайна, доверен, неизразен, необясним

2. Give all possible translation of the phrases: разбира се, в този смисъл, още по-малко,
дори напротив, сама по себе си, и то именно, не толкова ……, колкото ……..

UNIT 2
Български език за чужденци

Какво прави системата “Български език за чужденци” по-различна?

Преди всичко това е възможността за самостоятелна работа и прекият достъп на
учещия до необходимата информация по всяко време на учебния процес. Това
означава, че всеки от вас може сам да определи темпото, с което да стори това. Нещо
повече, можете сами да планирате колко време да отделите за учене и как да вместите
това начинание в собствената си програма.
Друга важна характеристика на “Български език за чужденци” е възможността да
приспособявате продукта към собствения си стил на усвояване – ако имате силна
слухова памет, да използвате предимно записите; ако имате силна зрителна памет, да
разчитате на графичния дизайн и т.н.

28
 Не по-маловажна е възможността сами да калибрирате материала според
собствените си цели и намерения. От вас зависи на кое речево умение ще наблегнете –
слушане, говорене, четене или писане. За по-задълбочени знания може да използвате
съответните линкове (граматичен, лексикален и социокултурен) и автентични
материали.
В тон със съвременната методика на преподаване на чужд език настоящата система
се отличава с динамика и интерактивност. Тя ви предоставя възможност да се
ориентирате в контекст, да интерпретирате устна и писмена реч, да откривате форми и
закономерности, да произвеждате реч. През целия този процес вие ще можете да се
самонаблюдавате и самооценявате, като проверявате правилността на собствената си
реч. Убедени, че успешното усвояване на чужд език е свързано с активизиране на
интелектуалния капацитет на учещия, авторите са разработили задачи за използване на
вашите прогностични умения и логическо мислене.
Друго важно достойнство на “Български език за чужденци” е внимателният подбор
и степенуване на езиковия материал, който в съчетание с възможностите за избор цели
да постигне максимална интензивност не по пътя на прекомерно струпване на думи и
структури, а чрез доброто им систематизиране.

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: 1. Look at the sample search done for възможност. Check the
meanings in an English-English dictionary. Which will your final choice be for this specific
instance? Why? Conduct similar searches for the words provided.

възможност Българо-английски речник: possibility;

(удобен случай) chance, opportunity;
самостоятелен Българо-английски речник: 1. independent, self-dependent;
(самостоятелна работа) (независим, безпристрастен) detached;
как да вместите
характеристика Hint: check for ‘false friends’ under ‘characteristic’, n. you may
consider also Syn. attribute, property, trait. See feature.
да приспособявате
слухова (памет)

II. Focus:

A. Check calibrate for ‘false friends’. Consider re-phrasing the sentence (first sentence third
paragraph) if the meaning it is used with in the text is not common.
B. In the next sentence of the third paragraph, consider whether речево умение can be
applied to listening or writing; correct accordingly.
C. The last paragraph, if translated literally, may prove difficult to understand; consider
simplifying.
D. Try to simplify the language. The course is intended for prospective learners of Bulgarian,
who may not all be native English speakers.

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is a continuation, of the one
above, conducting your own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have
used so far.

Какви са основните принципи?

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 Три основни групи принципи са залегнали в разработването на настоящата учебна
система.
Според лингвистичните принципи езиковата комуникация е автентична, когато е
свързана с нуждите и интересите на учещия. В този смисъл са подбрани ситуации, в
които ще се озовете, когато посетите България. В тях постепенно ще развиете умения за
разбиране и създаване на устна и писмена реч. Структурно-системният характер на
езика обуславя разбирането и развиването на прогностични умения, а творческият му
характер прави възможно създаването на собствена реч.
Психологическите принципи са свързани с процеса на усвояване и неговото
улесняване. Възприето е становището, че езикът се усвоява като органично цяло от
езикови знания (лексика и граматика), речеви функции и комуникативни умения.
Правилността, свободата на изказа и комуникативната уместност са негови неделими
характеристики. Именно затова усвояването на нови единици става най-добре в
контекст, езиковата употреба и речевите функции се научават най-добре в процеса на
интерактивност и реална комуникация, а комуникативната компетентност най-лесно се
усвоява, когато надхвърли фазата на симулацията и се приложи в реална ситуация.
Социокултурните принципи са определили какъв обем и вид информация да бъде
включена в системата по отношение на страната, традициите и обичаите на хората в
нея, начина на живот и манталитет. Ясно са очертани социалните роли на действащите
лица и реакциите им в полезни за вас ситуации. Във връзка с това, наред с
литературната норма, в някои ситуации ще се запознаете и с разговорната реч.

IV. Here is a sample translation. Compare yours to it. Make changes in it, if necessary, as well
as in yours. If asked, be ready to explain why.

How is the Bulgarian for Foreigners course different?

Above all, it offers the opportunity for individual study and direct access to the required
information at any time during the study process. This means, that you can set your own pace,
plan how much time to devote to studying, and how to integrate this into your own schedule.
Another important feature of this course is that you can use it to suit your individual style
of learning. For example, if you have a good aural memory, then you can mainly use the
recordings; whereas if your strong point is visual memory, then you can benefit from the
attractive design and the use of a wide range of visual stimuli.
It is no less important that you can use the material in accordance with your own aims and
objectives. It will be entirely up to you to choose which language skills to develop the most –
i.e. reading, listening, writing or speaking. For a more in-depth knowledge you can use the so-
called ‘links’ (additional files) on offer: Bulgarian grammar, Topic-based vocabulary lists and
Country brief (including historical and cultural information).
In accordance with the latest methods for language teaching and learning, this course is
notable for its dynamism and interactivity. It has been designed to offer you experience of the
language in context, to hear and practise oral and written speech, to discover language
structures and rules and to translate and interpret. Throughout the entire learning process you
will be able to observe and appraise yourself, by checking your Bulgarian for errors,
inaccuracies and inappropriate usage. The authors of this course have designed tasks which
will prompt you to use your skills for logical thinking with the strong belief that foreign
language learning is closely linked to the ability to maximize one’s intellectual capacity,
Another important achievement of Bulgarian for Foreigners is the carefully selected and
graded language material, which enables the learner to make greatly effective progress
without undue recourse to words and structures.

30
What are the main principles?

Three main groups of principles were laid down in the design of this course.
According to the linguistic principles, language communication is only authentic when it
reflects the learner’s needs and interests. In this respect, the situations that have been selected
are those you would encounter when visiting Bulgaria. In them you will gradually develop
skills for understanding the spoken and written word . From understanding the gist you will,
step by step, acquire and be able to demonstrate a range of oral skills in real communication.
The psychological principles are linked to the process of learning and how to aid it. A
view is taken that a language is acquired as an organic entity of language knowledge (incl.
vocabulary and grammar), functions and communicative skills. Accuracy, competence and
communicative appropriateness are all integral characteristics. Exactly for those reasons,
learning new words and structures is best achieved in context. The use of language and the
associated skills are best learned in the process of interaction and real communication,
whereas the communicative competence is achieved when moving from a simulated to a real
situation.
The socio-cultural principles have determined the range and type of information included
with regards to the country, traditions and customs of its people, their way of life and
behaviour. Clearly specified are the social roles of the characters we come across in the
course in useful situations. The use of not only the standard formal language, but also, in
certain situations, of colloquial speech, is intentional.

UNIT 3

“Пътуващият човек и странстващите сюжети в културата на 18 век”

Резюме
Изследването се съсредоточава върху някои любопитни явления в
западноевропейската култура през 18 век – времето на късната реторическа култура, на
прехода от традиционализъм към антитрадиционализма на модерната епоха.
Целта е да се откроят няколко образа на света и човека в културните процеси на 18
век. Проследява се динамиката и смисловата логика в пораждането и редуването на
стиловете рококо и класицизъм. Затова изследването се движи по материали от
музиката, живописта и литературата (предимно на Франция) от 18 век.

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: 1. Look at the sample search done for резюме. Check the meanings in
an English-English dictionary. Which will your final choice be for this specific instance?
Why? Conduct similar searches for the words provided.

резюме Българо-английски речник: summary, resume; argument, synopsis;

recapitulation;
(на договор и пр.) юр. memorandum.

31
 See also: Syn. 1. outline, précis. SUMMARY, BRIEF, DIGEST,
SYNOPSIS are terms for a short version of a longer work. A
SUMMARY is a brief statement or restatement of main points, esp. as
a conclusion to a work: a summary of a chapter. A BRIEF is a detailed
outline, by heads and subheads, of a discourse (usually legal) to be
completed: a brief for an argument. A DIGEST is an abridgement of
an article, book, etc., or an organized arrangement of material under
heads and titles: a digest of a popular novel; a digest of Roman law. A
SYNOPSIS is usually a compressed statement of the plot of a novel,
play, etc.: a synopsis of Hamlet.
Consider also abstract - a summary of a text, scientific article,
document, speech, etc.; epitome.
изследване
се съсредоточава
реторическа Hint: check реторичен
преход
да се откроят
пораждането
редуването

II. Focus:

A. Човек features twice in the passage. Think how to avoid ‘sexist’ language, i.e. try not to
use ‘man’.
B. The second sentence of the second paragraph, beginning with Проследява се динамиката
…, lacks a subject, which is common for the Bulgarian format, but unacceptable in
English. Provide a suitable subject and rearrange the sentence accordingly.
C. Check the spellings of рококо and класицизъм

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is a continuation of the one
above, conducting your own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have
used so far.

Какви са културните утопии на късната аристократична култура и новите утопии на

буржоазния човек, пътуващ из “най-добрия от всички възможни светове”; как
пътуването става средство за изразяване на идеята за граница (различност), как
аристократичната и буржоазната култури през 18 век артикулират идеята за “свое”
пространство.
Специфичен акцент в изследването се поставя върху съпоставката на две творби,
изградени върху един “бродещ сюжет” в литературата, прекосил границите на словото
и преминал на сцената на европейската опера – “Кандид” на Волтер и “Отвличане от
сарая” на Моцарт.

IV. Focus

A. Try to preserve пътуващ and бродещ as in the title.

B. Check in the internet for the correct rendering of the titles and author names in “Кандид”
на Волтер и “Отвличане от сарая” на Моцарт.

32
V. Here is a sample translation. Compare yours to it. Make changes in it, if necessary, as well
as in yours. If asked, be ready to explain why.

“The traveller and the Wandering Plots in 18th Century Culture”

Summary.:
The research focuses on some curious aspects of 18th century West-European culture – the
time of late rhetorical culture, of transition from traditionalism to the anti-traditionalism of
modern times.
The aim is to single out some images of the world and man in 18th century cultural
processes. The research traces the dynamics and commonsence logic in the emergence and
succession of the rococo and classicism styles. That is why it treats materials from the music,
paintings and literature (mostly French) of the 18th century. What are the cultural utopias of
late aristocratic culture and the new utopias of bourgeois man, travelling around “the best of
all possible worlds”; how travelling becomes a means of expression of the idea of boundary
(differentness), how the aristocratic and bourgeois 18th century cultures articulate the idea of
“their own” place.
The research places a specific accent on the comparison between two works built upon the
same “wandering plot” in literature, which transcended literary boundaries, passing onto the
European opera stage – Voltaire’s Candide and Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio.

UNIT 4

I. Preliminary considerations:

1.Read relevant articles and make a rose glossary

2. Read about different products from the rose – rose oil (otto), attar, rose absolute,
concrete, rose water, etc.

Българската кралица

Розата – едно от най-обвеяните с легенди цветя на земята, е толкова свързано с

името на България, че може да бъде неин символ и герб. Вече четири века
скъпоценното маслодайно растение се отглежда в мястото с поетичното име
Долина на розите.
Появила се по волята на боговете, кралицата на цветята и до днес си остава най-
красивото мълчаливо признание в любов. А розовото масло – според легендата –
потеклата кръв на богинята Афродита, е с вълнуващ аромат, който и до днес
възбужда сетивата и сърцата на хората.
Днес малка България е вторият по-големина износител на розово масло в света.
Годишно за Франция, Германия и САЩ се изнася продукция от над един тон. В
света има само четири страни, чието розово масло се купува. Най-хубавото сред
тях, поради климатичните особености и сортовете растения, идва от България.

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 Истинското розово масло е извлечено от нежните листенца на казанлъшката
роза Rosa damascena Mill. Сред гърци и римляни тя била известна и като Rosa
gallica. У нас се отглежда в дворните градини вече повече от 300 години. В края на
ХІХ, началото на ХХ век тя е заемала по-голямата част от насажденията с
маслодайна роза в България и е известна с името Казанлъшка роза. Розовото масло,
получено от нея, се смята за най-съвършения натурален ароматичен продукт.
Заради високото си качество българското розово масло и днес е търсено от
страните със силно развита парфюмерийна промишленост. Съществуват още
няколко сорта, от които се произвежда маслото с цената на злато, но най-доброто
по качество се получава в България. В долината на розите.
За пръв път за получаване на розова вода и етерично масло от розата разказва
историкът Ибн Холдун, в своята хроника, написана през 916 година. Още тогава
той съобщава, че розовата вода, получена чрез дестилация, е важна стока в
търговията между Китай и Византия.
Розопроизводството в България започва през XVII век. И бързо става най-
успешния продукт, с който българските търговци участват на световните
изложения. През 1870-1875 г. на европейския пазар се продава около 1650 кг
розово масло. От тях 850 кг - повече от половината, е от Казанлъшката долина на
розите. До 1890 г. маслото се е теглило в мускали (в оригинал - мискал) -
староарабска мярка за вместимост на розово масло, която тежи 4, 810 г., след това
статистиката се отбелязва в килограми.
Оттогава до днес през април и май, когато розите цъфтят, цялата долина между
Стара планина и Средна гора (14 000 кв.м) се изпълва с аромата им. Много рано
сутрин, преди да е изгряло слънцето, розовите листенца внимателно се събират.
Благоуханната маса се преработва в розово масло, което се използва като съставка
в продуктите на най-реномираните парфюмерийни и козметични компании в света.
То намира приложение в козметиката за коса, изглажда кожата, стимулира
възстановяването на клетките. Прозрачният, опияняващ аромат на розата –
ароматът на любовта, прави дамите още по-женствени и привлекателни.
Еротично въздействащ, той усилва чувствеността.
Но, освен да облагородява парфюмните композиции, ароматът на розовото
масло има и други достойнства. Той оказва общоподмладяващо действие.
Притежава и антисептично, антибактериално и антивирусно действие и от най-
древни времена се смята за най-доброто успокояващо средство. Ароматотерапията
с розово масло повиша самочувствието и дори либидото.
Заради уникалните си качества и трудността на добиването му, розовото
масло е истинска скъпоценност: от листенцата на 30 рози се получава само една
капчица от него... За един килограм розово масло са необходими 3000 кг розови
листенца. Вероятно затова в стари времена цената му е била шест пъти по-висока
от тази на златото.
Истинското розово масло стои на кристалчета. То кристализира при 18-22°С.
Цената на 1 килограм розово масло е между 3600 и 4000 USD. Казанлъшкото
розово масло печели златни медали на световните изложения в Париж, Лондон,
Филаделфия, Антверпен, Лиет, Милано.
В момента износът на българско розово масло покрива около 80% от
световното търсене на този артикул. А българските розопроизводители инвестират
в подобряване на розовите насаждения и качеството на маслото.
В чест на царицата на цветята всяка година в първата седмица на юни в
Казанлък се провежда Празник на розата. Той е честван за първи път през 1903 г.,

34
като тогава е бил посветен на красотата и милосърдието. Днес е едно от най-
колоритните събития за Казанлък и гостите му.
В края на всяка пролет, туристи от цял свят, особено от Япония, се събират в
Долината на розите, за да наблюдават розобера и да участват в традиционния
Празник на розата.

Exercises

Focus on:

1. The phrases written in italics pose certain translation problems – often in deciding the
approach to adopt when translating. Sometimes it is necessary to find common clichés, at
other time the purpose is to avoid them This is the case with “най-обвеяните с легенди”
– try to suggest the cliché, and then think of ways of avoiding it.

2. What is to be done with names is often one of the greatest questions that translators ask
themselves when translating. In this text there are several names that demand different
approaches: translation, transcription, and use of traditional name in the target language, or in
rare cases, leaving the name written in the Latin alphabet.

Here is a list of the names in this text:

Долина на розите, Афродита, Франция, Германия, САЩ, Rosa damascena Mill, Rosa
gallica, Казанлъшка роза, Ибн Холдун, Китай и Византия, Казанлъшката долина на
розите, Стара планина и Средна гора, Париж, Лондон, Филаделфия, Антверпен,
Лиет, Милано., Казанлък, Япония

Празник на розата
Transcription Transliteration Translation Tradition

Which approach was used more often? Think of examples of other names to fill the table
with.

3. Collocations are very important. First identify set phrases in the text and then find the
corresponding set phrase in the target language, e.g.
признание в любов – a declaration of love.
сортове растения –
климатичните особености –

35
Find others.

4. Very often a text contains binary oppositions which have pretty stable collocations in both
source and target language.

An example of this is the word търсено. Although its binary opposition (предлагано) has not
been mentioned here, it is implied, and therefore it must be translated as this collocation is
traditionally translated in the target language (based on the economic terms: supply and
demand).

UNIT 5

Минерални води

Preliminary considerations:
1. Always have in mind that the normal word order in English is SVO.
2. Use the on-line software for transliterating names in Cyrillic “Comprehensible Bulgaria" at:
http://transliteration.mdaar.government.bg/
3. Before you start translating, read a few mineral water-related articles and glossaries, such as
the one at: http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/beverages/waters/water-glossary.asp

В България има повече от 1000 минерални извора с общ дебит от 400 милиона литра
дневно. Водата им е с различна температура и химически състав. Балнеоложки курорти
са изградени край стари тракийски и римски селища – Сандански, Хисаря, Велинград,
Сапарева баня, а инфраструктурата за този вид туризъм се подобрява.
Лечебните свойства на минералните води са познати още от времето на Римската
империя. Сулфатните минерални води лекуват чернодробни и жлъчни заболявания,
солените минерализирани води са подходящи за лечение на травматично-ортопедични,
неврологични и гинекологични заболявания, а някои видове питейна вода са полезни при
бъбречно-урологични заболявания.
Последните десет години бележат ръст в производството и консумацията на
бутилирана минерална вода. България изнася 10 милиона литра висококачествена
трапезна вода за САЩ, Германия, Холандия, Румъния и Гърция.
Лечебните минерални извори са едно от най-големите богатства на България.
Съчетанието от благоприятен климат, минерални води и красива природа са причина
много хора да потърсят балнеолечебните курорти за ваканцията си като комбинират
лечението с почивка и отдих. По известни балнеологични курорти са: Велинград,
Наречен, Вършец, Кюстендил, Костенец, Сапарева баня (с най-горещите минерални
води), Сандански, София, Поморие, Павел баня, Хисаря.
Лечебните качества на българските минерални води са били познати още в дълбока
древност. Край минералните извори са съграждани балнеолечебници: Хисар - древна
Аугуста, Кюстендил - Пауталия, Бургаски минерални бани - Акве калите, по-късно

36
Термополис, Сапарева баня - Германея, Сливенски бани - Танзос и София - Улпия
Сердика.
В България се срещат всички известни на нашата планета минерални води. Над
шестотинте хидроминерални източници са с дебит 270 милиона литра в денонощие. По-
голямата част от тях са топли или горещи, извиращи от голяма дълбочина, което
гарантира чистотата им.
Българските минерални води са средно- и силноминерализирани. За питейно
балнеолечение се прилагат при бъбречно-урологични, стомашно-чревни, чернодробно-
жлъчни, ендокринно-обменни заболявания и хронични интоксикации.
Макроингредиентните води могат да окажат фармакодинамичен ефект, подобно на
лекарствата.
Сулфатните минерални води са особено ефективни при чернодробно-жлъчни
заболявания. Сулфатно-железните минерални води дават добър лечебен ефект при
анемии. Солените минерализирани води са най-подходящи за външно балнеолечение при
ревматични, дегенеративни и възпалителни заболявания, както и при травматично-
ортопедични, неврологични и гинекологични заболявания.
Лечебното действие на газово-сулфидно-сероводородните и радонови води е
биостимулативно.
Балнеоложките курорти в България имат дълга история. Траките, които населяват
българските земи, издигат в култ изворните води. Курортното дело се заражда на базата
на тракийската медицина, утвърдена като природолечебна. Древните гърци също
използват широко българските минерални води и ги боготворят, което личи по сечените
от тях монети. Край минералните извори се строят плувни басейни; използува се
балнеолечението.
През римската епоха (I-VII в.) балнеологичните курорти са на почит, което е свързано
с грижите за укрепването на физическата мощ на легионите. Дават се първите
класификации на минералните води. Римляните благоустрояват местностите около
лечебните извори. На почит са божествата, свързани с култа към водата и здравето.
Запазени са останки от терми, балнеологични сьоръжения, асклепиони, нимфеуми край
изворите в Кюстендил, София, Хисаря, Сапарева баня и др. През средновековието
минералните води се използват предимно за хигиенни нужди. Засиленият интерес към
балнеолечението през 20 век привлича още в началото му чуждестранни туристи.

Exercises

Focus on

1. - the medical, hydrological, marketing and chemical terms

- Check the current names of the countries, еsp. "Холандия”
- Types of water, classification
- Difference between spa (sanitas per aquam) and balneology
- Лечение- dictionary entries include: treatment, medication, cure, remedy.
- Почивка и отдих – find the corresponding referent for the concept in question.
- Do not hesitate to use the “best guess” search engine. (make a best guess and see how
many times and in what context it comes up in Google. Make sure it is a reliable source.)

2. Places
Check and write down the traditional names of the following places: Cologne, Leghorn,
Lower Saxony, Lyons, Marseilles, Naples, Nuremberg, Turin, Rockefeller Centre, Pearl
Harbour, Rockefeller Center Properties Inc.

37
3.Check and write down in Cyrillic the politically updated and the outdated names of the
following places.

Almaty Alma Ata

Chemnitz Karl-Marx-Stadt
Chennai Madras
Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast;
Mumbai Bombay
Myanmar Burma
Nizhny Novgorod Gorky
Yangon Rangoon
St Petersburg Leningrad
Congo Zaire

No article before Krajina, Lebanon, Piedmont, Punjab, Sudan, Transkei, Ukraine.

But it is the Caucasus, the Gambia, The Hague, the Maghreb, the Netherlands
and La Paz, Le Havre, Los Angeles, etc.

Although the place is western (or eastern) Europe, euphony dictates that the people are west (or
east) Europeans.

UNIT 6

РЕЗЮМЕ
Настоящата статия, съдържа резултати от проследяването на сезонната динамика в
плодообразуването на видовете от род Agaricus в България. Представени са
фенологичните срокове на плодообразуване, установени въз основа на ежемесечни
наблюдения в естествените местообитания на таксоните. Установените в страната
видове от рода могат да бъдат обособени в 3 фенологични групи: пролетни, летни,
есенни и плодообразуващи през трите сезона.

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: 1. Look at the sample search done for видове. Which will be your
final choice for this specific instance? Why? Supply the proper plural. Conduct similar
searches for the words provided.

вид, видове Българо-английски речник Вид – appearance, air, aspect;

look; sort, kind; биол. species; грам. aspect; литературен
- form, genre
резюме

38
род
фенологични Check phenological, if it fits, use it
местообитаниe
таксон Check taxon, use the appropriate plural
yстановените
обособени

2. The extract is about mushrooms of the Genus Agaricus. Find articles about mushrooms in
the Internet and choose a suitable word for плодообразуване. Check it out in a dictionary

II. Focus:

A. The second sentence, beginning with Представени са фенологичните срокове на …,

lacks a subject, which is common for the Bulgarian format, but unacceptable in English.
Provide a suitable subject and rearrange the sentence accordingly.
B. Установени features two times with two different meanings. Provide suitable translations,
first replacing установени with a suitable Bulgarian substitute for the given context, then
choosing a translation equivalent. Suggest at least two different ways in which you can
convey the meanings in English.

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is a continuation of the one
above, conducting your own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have
used so far.

В настоящата статия е представено разпределението на видовете от род Agaricus по

растителни съобщества в Тракийската низина. Най-голямо видово разнообразие на
пeчурки е установено в тревните съобщества - 20 вида, следвани от горските
съобщества - 17 вида, широколистните насаждения - 15 вида и парковете - 11 вида.
Храстовите съобщества са със сравнително по-малко видово разнообразие (7 вида).
Общи за всички типове растителни съобщества са 4 вида. Констатирани са някои
видове характерни за степни, пустинни и полупустинни райони.

IV. Vocabulary build-up: 1. Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above.
Look up the alternatives suggested. Which will be your final choice for this specific instance?
Why? Conduct similar searches for the words provided.

разнообразие Variety, choice, a wealth of, diversity, for a change

пeчурки
xрастови
степни

V. Focus:

A. The first sentence, beginning with В настоящата статия е представено …, lacks a

subject, which is common for the Bulgarian format, but unacceptable in English. Provide
a suitable subject and rearrange the sentence accordingly.
B. The sentence beginning with Общи за всички типове…, would not be very acceptable if
you preserve the word order in English. Explain why. What would the normal word order
be in English?
C. Same for the last sentence

39
VI. Here is a sample translation. Compare yours to it. Make changes in it, if necessary, as well
as in yours. If asked, be ready to explain why.

ABSTRACT
The present article contains results from research of the seasonal dynamics of fruiting of
the genus Agaricus species in Bulgaria. The phenological terms of fruiting are presented, as
established after monthly observations in the taxa natural habitats. The Agaricus species
found in Bulgaria can be classified into 4 phenological groups: spring, summer, autumn, and
fruiting throughout the three seasons.
The present article presents the Agaricus species distribution in plant communities in the
Thracian valley. The largest mushroom species variety was found in the grassy communities –
20 species, followed by the forest communities - 17 species, the deciduous growths - 15
species, and parks - 11 species. The shrubby communities present a comparatively smaller
species variety (7 species). Four species are common for all the plant community types.
Several species were found, characteristic for steppe, desert and semi-desert regions.

UNIT 7

I. Read both the source and target texts about Rousse. Compare them and try to assess the
translation providing commentaries on the following issues that will help you support your
opinion:
1. On what grounds has the translator made his/her choice to use ‘Past Simple’ in the target
text.
2. Find all the examples of word order changes and discuss the translator’s choice.
3. How have names been dealt with?
4. How have "realia" been dealt with?

II. after completing the above task, do you think that it is a good translation, and what could
be done to improve it? Justify your opinion.

Пресищането с възрожденски къщи и Ruse is an Efficient Treatment for Weariness

шарени престилки се лекува в Русе with Revival Period Houses and Colourful
Aprons

Ако сте влизали в поне два антикварни
магазина в България – особено в
етнографски селища като Велико Търново
и Копривщица, - може би сте останали с
впечатление, че до средата на ХХ в.
Българите се придържат към националните
си носии: рунтав калпак за мъжете, шарени
If you have been to at least a couple of
antique shops in Bulgaria, especially those in
ethnographic towns like Veliko Turnovo or
Koprivshtitsa, you may think that Bulgarians
stuck to their fanciful national costumes until
the mid-20th Century – bushy fur hats for the
men, colourful aprons for the women and

40
престилки за жените и цървули за двата
пола. Но ще сгрешите.
В края на ХІХ в. Магазините в Русе
продават рокли, костюми, шапки, обувки и
ръкавици по последна европейска мода,
пристигнали по Дунава от Виена и
Будапеща. Градът е проводник на
напредничави идеи и в търговията,
индустрията, архитектурата
забавленията. Причината е положението
му на брега на реката, която свързва
Средна Европа, Скандинавия и Русия с
Ориента. При такива условия развитието
на търговията е неизбежно, а военното
значение на града- оценявано от твърде
много генерали.
През І в. сл. Хр. Римляните построяват
на мястото на Русе гранична крепост,
Сексагинта Приста. През VІІ в. тя е
разрушена при поредното варварско
нашествие, но 300 години по-късно върху
руините й се заселват хора. Те наричат
селището си Руси. Според средновековни
писатели то заема двата бряга на реката,
като включва Йорги, днешното Гюргево в
Румъния.
Османците завладяват тази част от
Дунавския бряг в края на ХІV в. и
превръщат Руси в крепост. В края на ХVІ
в. влашкият княз Михай Витязул превзема
и опожарява градчето, но османските
турци основават нов град, само на юг от
реката, и с доза носталгия го наричат
Русчук – Малкия Руси.
ДИХАТЕЛНА СИСТЕМА
The text is a sample of ESP usage. Surely it is quite a difficult task for you to translate it
right away, so please follow the instructions bellow:
1. Read the text carefully and identify the subject area it belongs to.
tsarvuli moccasins for both sexes. You are
wrong.
At the end of the 19th Century the shops in
Ruse sold dresses, suits, hats, shoes and gloves
fashioned on the latest European designs, which
came there by way of the Danube from Vienna
and Budapest. The city was the conveyer of
progressive ideas in commerce, industry,
и architecture and entertainment as well. The
reason was its location on the banks of the river
which links Central Europe, Scandinavia, and
Russia to the Orient. With such conditions, the
development of commerce was inevitable and
the military significance of the city was
appreciated by too many a general.
In the 1st Century AD, the Romans built a
fortress, Sexaginta Prista, on the site where
Ruse is today. In the 7th Century, it was
destroyed by one of a series of barbaric
invasions, but 300 years later, its ruins were
settled again. The new town was called Rusi
and, according to some mediaeval writers, it
occupied both banks of the river, comprising
also Yorgi, the present-day Giurgiu in Romania.
The Ottomans conquered this part of the
Danube at the end of the 14th Century and
turned Rusi into a fortress. However,
Wallachian Prince Michael the Brave took the
city at the end of the 16th Century and burned it
to the ground. The Ottomans established a new
city on the south bank of the river and –
nostalgically – named it Ruscuk, or Little Rusi.
UNIT 8
41
 2. Read the text in English, which is on a similar subject and find the English terms that
you need for your translation.
3. Study carefully the words you are asked to explore consulting both the English text and
a specialised dictionary to find out the English words for them

Words to explore :

Клетка, енергия, въглехидрати, мазнини, белтъци, кислород, въглероден диоксид,

сърдечно-съдовата система, въздухоносни пътища, гълтач, гръклян, трахея, бронхи.,
хрущял, носна преграда, носна мида, околоносна кухина, лигавица, ресничест епител,
мукозно-серозни жлези, надгръклянник, трахея, бронхиално дърво, бронхиоли,
кръвообращението., алвеоли, плевра, гръдния кош., диафрагмата, интраплеврално
пространство, белодробна вентилация

4. Having completed the tasks above translate the text into English. Some of the terms can
be found in the English text that follows this one.

Клетките на човешкия организъм се снабдяват с енергия от разграждането на

органичните вещества (въглехидрати, мазнини и белтъци). За тези химични реакции е
необходим кислород ( О2 ), а като краен продукт от тях се получава въглероден диоксид
( СО2 ) и вода. Клетките си набавят О2 от кръвта и пак в кръвта отделят СО2 и водата.
От своя страна кръвта се насища с О2 и се освобождава от СО2 при преминаването си
през белите дробове. Този процес на усвояване от клетките на организма на О2 от
въздуха, както и отделянето във външната среда на образувания СО2 се нарича дишане.
Дишането протича в няколко етапа с участието на кръвта, сърдечно-съдовата и
дихателната система. Дихателната система осъществява обмяната на О2 и СО2 между
външната среда и организма.

УСТРОЙСТВО И ФУНКЦИИ НА ДИХАТЕЛНАТА СИСТЕМА

Дихателната система на човека е изградена от въздухоносни пътища, бели дробове

и елементи на опорно-двигателната система (гръден кош).
Въздухоносните пътища са тази част от дихателната система, която осигурява
провеждането на въздуха от външната среда до белите дробове. Ето защо устройството
им е такова, че не позволява те да се огъват и запушват. Други техни функции са да
почистват, овлажняват и затоплят атмосферния въздух. Към въздухоносните пътища се
отнасят нос, гълтач, гръклян, трахея и бронхи.
Носът се състои от външен нос и носна кухина. Освен в дишането носът участва и в
обонянието.
Външният нос прилича на триъгълна пирамида. Той е изграден от кости и хрущяли
и отвън е покрит с кожа. Носната кухина е разделена на две части от носната преграда.
Всяка от двете части започва от ноздрите и завършва със задните отвори, които се
свързват с гълтача. По страничната стена на всяка част се разполагат три носни миди.
Свободните ръбове на трите миди ограждат три носни хода, в които се отварят
околоносни кухини . Този сложен релеф на носната кухина увеличава нейната площ и
площта на вътрешната й покривка. Началната част от носната кухина се загражда от
външния нос. Тя е покрита с кожа, която притежава косми. Космите задържат
попадналите с въздуха едри частици прах. Останалата част от носната кухина е покрита
с лигавица. Тя е изградена от многореден ресничест епител и мукозно-серозни жлези и

42
е богато кръвоснабдена. В горната част на носната лигавица се намират обонятелните
рецептори.
Гълтачьт е кух мускулест орган, който се намира между носната кухина и гръкляна.
През него преминава не само въздухът, но и храната. Гълтачът има три части, които се
свързват с носната кухина, устната кухина и гръкляна.
Гръклянът е разположен в предната област на шията пред долната част на гълтача,
а надолу продължава в трахеята. Той е изграден от хрущяли, които са свързани с
връзки и мускули. Над входа на гръкляна се разполага т.нар. надгръклянник, който при
преглъщане затваря гръкляна и не позволява храната да навлезе в дихателните пътища
Освен като част от дихателния път, гръклянът е и орган на гласообразуването. В
гръкляна има две гласни връзки, които при говорене идват една до друга. При това
положение въздухът, който при издишване преминава през този процеп, предизвиква
вибриране на връзките и образуване на звуците на речта.
Трахеята започва от гръкляна и се спуска в гръдната кухина, където се дели на два
главни бронха. От своя страна всеки от двата главни бронха при навлизането си в
белите дробове се дели на по-малки бронхи, а те на още по-малки. В резултат на това
се получава система от въздухоносни пътища, която прилича на дърво и затова се
нарича бронхиално дърво. Най-малките и крайни разклонения на бронхиалното дърво
се наричат бронхиоли. Стената на трахеята и на бронхите е изградена от хрущяли,
които им придават цилиндрична форма и ги правят устойчиви. В бронхите с малки
размери и в крайните бронхиоли хрущялът се замества от мускулна тъкан.
Белите дробове са мястото, в което се осъществява обмяната на О2 и СО2 между
организма и външната среда. Разположени са в гръдния кош и се състоят от две части:
десен и ляв бял дроб.
Всеки бял дроб има връх, основа и три повърхности. На вътрешната повърхност се
намира „вратата”, през която в белия дроб преминават главният бронх, кръвоносните
съдове и нервите. Белите дробове са изградени главно от бронхиоли и белодробни
мехурчета, а също и от артерии, капиляри и вени на малкия (белодробния) кръг на
кръвообращението.
Белодробните мехурчета, наречени още алвеоли, са частта, с която завършват
последните разклонения на бронхиалното дърво. Те са изградени от еднослойно -
подредени епителни клетки, покрити с белодробни капиляри. Общата им повърхност е
около 70 m2. Всеки бял дроб е обвит с обвивка, подобна на торба, която се нарича
плевра. Двата бели дроба заедно със сърцето и големи кръвоносни съдове се разполагат
в гръдната кухина, която се загражда от гръдния кош.
Гръдният кош има формата на пресечен конус, в основата на който се намира
диафрагмата. Стената на гръдния кош е изградена от кости, хрущяли и мускули, затова
тя е както твърда, така и еластична. Освен това обемът на гръдния кош може да се
увеличава и намалява. Това става в резултат на съкращаването на т.нар. дихателни
мускули. Връзката между гръдния кош и белите дробове се осъществява чрез двете
плеври, които с външния си лист покриват вътрешната стена на гръдния кош, а с
вътрешния си лист покриват белите дробове. Между двата листа има много тънък слой
течност, а затвореното пространство, което заграждат, се нарича интраплеврално .
Гръдният кош предпазва белите дробове и другите органи в него от нараняване и
заедно с белите дробове осъществява белодробната вентилация.

What Are the Lungs and Respiratory System and What Do They Do?
Each day we breathe about 20, 000 times. All of this breathing couldn't happen without
help from the respiratory system, which includes the nose, throat, voice box, windpipe, and
lungs. With each breath, you take in air through your nostrils and mouth, and your lungs fill

43
up and empty out. As air is inhaled, the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth warm and
humidify the air.
Although we can't see it, the air we breathe is made up of several gases. Oxygen is the
most important for keeping us alive because body cells need it for energy and growth.
Without oxygen, the body's cells would die.
Carbon dioxide is the waste gas that is produced when carbon is combined with oxygen
as part of the body's energy-making processes. The lungs and respiratory system allow
oxygen in the air to be taken into the body, while also enabling the body to get rid of carbon
dioxide in the air breathed out.
Respiration is the term for the exchange of oxygen from the environment for carbon
dioxide from the body's cells. The process of taking air into the lungs is called inhalation or
inspiration, and the process of breathing it out is called exhalation or expiration.
Even if the air you breathe is dirty or polluted, your respiratory system filters out foreign
matter and organisms that enter through the nose and mouth. Pollutants are breathed or
coughed out, destroyed by digestive juices, or eaten by macrophages, a type of blood cell
that patrols the body looking for germs to destroy.
Tiny hairs called cilia protect the nasal passageways and other parts of the respiratory
tract, filtering out dust and other particles that enter the nose with the breathed air. As air is
inhaled, the cilia move back and forth, pushing any foreign matter (like dust) either toward
the nostrils, where it is blown out, or toward the pharynx, where it travels through the
digestive system and out with the rest of the body's waste.
The two openings of the airway (the nasal cavity and the mouth) meet at the pharynx, or
throat, at the back of the nose and mouth. The pharynx is part of the digestive system as well
as the respiratory system because it carries both food and air. At the bottom of the pharynx,
the pathway for both food and air divides in two. One passageway is for food (the
esophagus, which leads to the stomach) and the other for air. The epiglottis, a small flap of
tissue, covers the air-only passage when we swallow, keeping food and liquid from going
into our lungs.
The larynx, or voice box, is the uppermost part of the air-only passage. This short tube
contains a pair of vocal cords, which vibrate to make sounds. The trachea, or windpipe,
extends downward from the base of the larynx. It lies partly in the neck and partly in the
chest cavity. The walls of the trachea are strengthened by stiff rings of cartilage to keep it
open so air can flow through on its way to the lungs. The trachea is also lined with cilia,
which sweep fluids and foreign particles out of the airway so that they stay out of the lungs.
At its bottom end, the trachea divides into left and right air tubes called bronchi, which
connect to the lungs. Within the lungs, the bronchi branch into smaller bronchi and even
smaller tubes called bronchioles. Bronchioles, which are as thin as a strand of hair, end in
tiny air sacs called alveoli. Each of us has hundreds of millions of alveoli in our lungs —
enough to cover a tennis court if they were spread out on the ground. The alveoli are where
the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place.
With each inhalation, air fills a large portion of the millions of alveoli. In a process called
diffusion, oxygen moves from the alveoli to the blood through the capillaries (tiny blood
vessels) that line the alveolar walls. Once in the bloodstream, oxygen gets picked up by a
molecule called hemoglobin in the red blood cells. This oxygen-rich blood then flows back
to the heart, which pumps it through the arteries to oxygen-hungry tissues throughout the
body.
In the tiny capillaries of the body tissues, oxygen is freed from the hemoglobin and
moves into the cells. Carbon dioxide, which is produced during the process of diffusion,
moves out of these cells into the capillaries, where most of it is dissolved in the plasma of
the blood. Blood rich in carbon dioxide then returns to the heart via the veins. From the

44
heart, this blood is pumped to the lungs, where carbon dioxide passes into the alveoli to be
exhaled.
The lungs also contain elastic tissues that allow them to inflate and deflate without losing
shape and are encased by a thin lining called the pleura. This network of alveoli,
bronchioles, and bronchi is known as the bronchial tree.
The chest cavity, or thorax, is the airtight box that houses the bronchial tree, lungs,
heart, and other structures. The top and sides of the thorax are formed by the ribs and
attached muscles, and the bottom by a large muscle called the diaphragm. The chest walls
form a protective cage around the lungs and other contents of the chest cavity.
The diaphragm, which separates the chest from the abdomen, plays a lead role in
breathing. When we breathe out, the diaphragm moves upward, forcing the chest cavity to
get smaller and pushing the gases in the lungs up and out of the nose and mouth.
When we breathe in, the diaphragm moves downward toward the abdomen, and the rib
muscles pull the ribs upward and outward, enlarging the chest cavity and pulling air in
through the nose or mouth. Air pressure in the chest cavity and lungs is reduced, and because
gas flows from high pressure to low, air from the environment flows through the nose or
mouth into the lungs.
As we exhale, the diaphragm moves upward and the chest wall muscles relax, causing the
chest cavity to contract. Air pressure in the lungs rises, so air flows from the lungs and up
and out of respiratory system through the nose or mouth.

45
 FIRST YEAR: TRANSLATING FROM ENGLISH TO BULGARIAN

SECTION ONE. FICTION

UNIT 1

William Golding
From Lord of the Flies

Ralph lay in a covert, wondering about his wounds. The bruised flesh was inches in
diameter over his right ribs, with a swollen and bloody scar where the spear had hit him. His
hair was full of dirt and tapped like the tendrils of a creeper. All over he was scratched and
bruised from his flight through the forest. By the time his breathing was normal again, he had
worked out that bathing these injuries would have to wait. How could you listen for naked
feet if you were splashing in water? How could you be safe by the little stream or on the open
beach? Ralph listened. During the first panic he had thought he heard sounds of pursuit. But
the hunters had only sneaked into the fringes of the greenery retrieving spears perhaps, and
then had rushed back to the sunny rock as if terrified of the darkness under the leaves. He had
even glimpsed one of them, striped brown, black and red and had judged that it was Bill. But
really, thought Ralph, that was not Bill. That was a savage whose image refused to blend with
that ancient picture of a boy in shorts and shirt.

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will
be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

covert 1. A covering or cover.

2. A covered place or shelter; hiding place.
n. 3. Zoology. One of the small feathers covering the bases of the longer feathers of a
bird's wings or tail.
4. A flock of coots.
tendrils 1. A twisting, threadlike structure by which a twining plant, such as a grape or
cucumber, grasps an object or a plant for support.
n. 2. Something, such as a ringlet of hair, that is long, slender, and curling.
a creeper 1. any plant (as ivy or periwinkle) that grows by creeping
2. a person who crawls or creeps along the ground
n. 3. any of various small insectivorous birds of the northern hemisphere that climb
about on trees
flight 1. a. The motion of an object in or through a medium, especially through the earth's
atmosphere or through space. b. An instance of such motion. c. The distance
n. covered in such motion.
2. a. The act or process of flying through the air by means of wings. b. The ability to
fly.
3. A swift passage or movement.
4. A scheduled airline run or trip.
5. A group, especially of birds or aircraft, flying together.
6. A number of aircraft in the U.S. Air Force forming a subdivision of a squadron.
7. A round of competition, as in a sports tournament.
8. An exuberant or transcendent effort or display: a flight of the imagination; flights
of oratory.
9. A series of stairs rising from one landing to another: a flight of stairs.

work out 1. To accomplish by work or effort.

46
phr. v. 2. To find a solution for; solve: worked out the equations; worked out their personal
differences.
3. To formulate or develop: work out a plan.
4. To discharge (an obligation or debt) with labor in place of money.
5. To prove successful, effective, or satisfactory: This strategy may not work out.
6. To have a specified result: The ratio works out to an odd number. It worked out
that everyone left on the same train.
7. To engage in strenuous exercise for physical conditioning.
8. To exhaust (a mine, for example).
fringes 1. A decorative border or edging of hanging threads, cords, or strips, often attached
to a separate band.
n. 2. Something that resembles such a border or edging.
3. A marginal, peripheral, or secondary part: "They like to hang out on the
geographical fringes, the seedy outposts" James Atlas.
4. Those members of a group or political party holding extreme views: the lunatic
fringe.
5. Any of the light or dark bands produced by the diffraction or interference of light.
6. A fringe benefit.
tr. v 1. To decorate with or as if with a fringe: The weaver fringed the edge of the scarf.
2. To serve as a fringe to: Ferns fringed the pool.
retrieve 1. get something back
2. save something: to save something from being lost, damaged, or destroyed
v. 3. remedy something: to set something right or make it better; attempt to retrieve the
situation before it worsens
4. restore something: to revive or restore something to its original condition : She
quickly retrieved her sense of humour.
5. remember something: to recall something from memory
6. computers get data: to read data from a storage device and return it to the
program or device that requested it
7. racket games return shot: in a game such as tennis or badminton, to return a
difficult shot
8. hunting fetch game: to fetch small game that has been shot by a hunter

II. Focus:

D. What kind of actions does the passage describe? What kind of action does the sentence
‘Ralph listened’ suggest? How do we change verbs in Bulgarian to indicate completed,
repetitive, etc. actions in the past?
E. The literal translation of the phrase ‘During the first panic…’ clearly presents a
grammatical and stylistic problem in Bulgarian. Suggest at least three different ways in which
you can convey the meaning of the phrase in Bulgarian within the sentence.
F. In the last sentence of the text, explain in your own words your understanding of the
phrase, ‘that ancient picture of a boy in shorts and shirt’, taking into account the overall
passage.

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is the continuation, conducting
your own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far.

The afternoon died away; the circular spots of sunlight moved steadily over green fronds
and brown fibre but no sound came from behind the Rock. As last Ralph wormed out of the
ferns and sneaked forward to the edge of that impenetrable thicket that fronted the neck of
land. He peered with elaborate caution between branches at the edge and could see Robert
sitting on guard at the top of the cliff. He held a spear in his left hand and was tossing up a
pebble and catching it again with the right. Behind him a column of smoke rose thickly, so
that Ralph’s nostrils flared and his mouth dribbled. He wiped his nose and mouth with the
back of his hand and for the first time since the morning felt hungry. The tribe must be sitting
round the gutted pig, watching the fat ooze and burn among the ashes. They would be intent.

47
IV. Pay attention to the verbs in bold. Why do you think they are highlighted as requiring
translator’s attention?

V. What in the text would suggest to you the appropriate sense of the word ‘intent’?

UNIT 2

Margaret Drabble
From The Garrick Year

On my way home I began to wonder if it had not been extremely silly: my sense of muted
triumph and exhilaration gave way to an anxiety that at first formulated itself in terms of the
doubtful wisdom of going out with another man alone. It was a fact that since my marriage I
had been out with nobody but the most harmless friends of my childhood: I had not had time.
There would have been no point in saying no, and yet I felt that I had involved myself in
disaster by saying yes. It was not merely that our appointment had a distinct flavour of the
clandestine, nor that Wyndham Farrar himself seemed to be a dangerous undertaking, though
both these factors were involved. It was more that the way I had said yes, the helpless, rash,
needing way I had been unable to refuse, laid me open to all sorts of conjectures about myself
and my position. I thought of David, and Flora, and Joseph, and myself, and with each step I
realized more clearly that for the last few months, for the last year, I personally, I myself, the
part of me that was not a function and a smile and a mother, had been curled up and rotten
with grief and patience and pain. I walked quicker and quicker as myself stretched and put out
damp, bony wings. I hated myself. I did not want to give myself a chance, I would rather have
said no to that invitation and concentrated on my Liverpool teapots and my even temper.

I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will
be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

exhilaration High spirits: animation, elatedness, elation, euphoria, exaltation, inspiration, lift,
uplift.
n.
clandestine Existing or operating in a way so as to ensure complete concealment and
confidentiality: cloak-and-dagger, covert, huggermugger, secret, sub rosa,
adj. undercover. Informal hush-hush. Idioms: under wraps.
rash 1. Characterized by or resulting from ill-considered haste or boldness. Synonyms
at reckless.
adj. 2. Archaic. Quick in producing a strong or marked effect.
conjecture 1. Inference or judgment based on inconclusive or incomplete evidence;
guesswork.
n. 2. A statement, opinion, or conclusion based on guesswork: The commentators
made various conjectures about the outcome of the next election. Synonyms:
guess, guesswork, speculation, supposition, surmise.
even 1. divisible by two
2. equal in degree or extent or amount; or equally matched or balanced; even
adj. amounts of butter and sugar; on even terms; it was a fifty-fifty (or even) split;
had a fifty-fifty (or even) chance; an even fight.
3. being level or straight or regular and without variation as e.g. in shape or

48
 texture; or being in the same plane or at the same height as something else (i.e.
even with); an even application of varnish; an even floor; the road was not
very even; the picture is even with the window.
4. used as an intensive especially to indicate something unexpected; even an idiot
knows that; declined even to consider the idea; I don't have even a dollar!
5. flush: make level or straight; level the ground.
6. symmetrically arranged; even features; regular features; a regular polygon
7. in spite of; notwithstanding.
8. to a greater degree or extent; used with comparisons; looked sick and felt even
worse; an even (or still) more interesting problem.
9. occurring at fixed intervals; a regular beat.
10. make even or more even
11. to the full extent; loyal even unto death
lay (sb. open to) 1. To cause to lie down: lay a child in its crib.
2. a. To place in or bring to a particular position: lay the cloth over the painting.
v. b. To bury.
3. To cause to be in a particular condition: The remark laid him open to criticism.
4. To put or set down: lay new railroad track.
5. To produce and deposit: lay eggs.
6. To cause to subside; calm or allay: "chas'd the clouds ... and laid the winds"
John Milton.
7. To put up to or against: lay an ear to the door.
8. To put forward as a reproach or an accusation: They laid the blame on us.
9. To put or set in order or readiness for use: lay the table for lunch.
10. To devise; contrive: lay plans.
11. To spread over a surface: lay paint on a canvas.
12. To place or give (importance): lay stress on clarity of expression.
13. To impose as a burden or punishment: lay a penalty upon the offender.
14. To present for examination: lay a case before a committee.
15. To put forward as a demand or an assertion: laid claim to the estate.
16. Games To place (a bet); wager.
17. To aim (a gun or cannon).
18. a. To place together (strands) to be twisted into rope: lay up cable.
19. Slang To have sexual intercourse with.

II. Focus:

A. How would you translate: ‘Something gives way to something else’ and ‘To be out with
nobody but…’?
B. What does the phrase ‘Liverpool teapots’ suggest to you?
C. What do you think this phrase might suggest to an English-speaking reader? How can you
find out and would you take it into account for translation purposes? Why?
D. Perhaps one of the trickiest moment in the above text is the sentence that runs, ‘[…] my
sense of muted triumph and exhilaration gave way to an anxiety that at first formulated
itself in terms of the doubtful wisdom of going out with another man alone.’ Here are
some helpful hints:
• to formulate: avoid using the loan word ‘формулирам’
• in terms of: 1. As measured or indicated by; in units of: distances expressed in terms
of kilometers as well as miles; cheap entertainment, but costly in terms of time wasted. 2.
In relation to; with reference to: "facilities planned and programmed in terms of their
interrelationships, instead of evolving haphazardly" Wharton Magazine.
• doubtful wisdom: who is doubtful, i.e. full of doubt?

49
 UNIT 3
Douglas Adams
From The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Compare the texts. Try translating the text word for word. Is it possible to achieve an equal
length translation in the target language to that of the source language?
The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Far out in the uncharted backwaters of
the unfashionable end of the western spiral
arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded
yellow sun.
Orbiting this at a distance of roughly
ninety-two million miles is an utterly
insignificant little blue green planet whose
ape-descended life forms are so amazingly
primitive that they still think digital watches
are a pretty neat idea.
This planet has — or rather had — a
problem, which was this: most of the people
on it were unhappy for pretty much of the
time. Many solutions were suggested for
this problem, but most of these were largely
concerned with the movements of small
green pieces of paper, which is odd because
on the whole it wasn't the small green
pieces of paper that were unhappy.
And so the problem remained; lots of the
people were mean, and most of them were
miserable, even the ones with digital
watches.
Many were increasingly of the opinion
that they'd all made a big mistake in coming
down from the trees in the first place. And
some said that even the trees had been a bad
move, and that no one should ever have left
the oceans.
And then, one Thursday, nearly two
thousand years after one man had been
nailed to a tree for saying how great it
would be to be nice to people for a change,
one girl sitting on her own in a small cafe in
Rickmansworth suddenly realized what it
Пътеводител на галактическия стопаджия
Някъде далече в неотбелязания на
картата затънтен и рядко посещаван край
на западния спирален клон на Галактиката
се намира едно дребно, с нищо
незабележително жълто слънце.
Около това слънце, на разстояние
приблизително деветдесет и два милиона
мили, обикаля една съвсем незначителна,
малка синьозелена планета, чиито
обитатели — произлезли от маймуната
форми на живот — са така изумително
изостанали, че все още смятат
електронните часовници за доста
хитроумно изобретение.
Тази планета има — или по-точно
имаше един проблем: почти всички хора,
живеещи на нея, през по-голямата част от
живота си се чувствуваха нещастни.
Много бяха предложенията за решаването
на този проблем, но повечето се отнасяха
до движението на едни малки зелени
късчета хартия. И това е много странно,
защото, общо взето, тези малки зелени
късчета хартия съвсем не бяха нещастни.
И така, проблемът си оставаше нерешен
— много хора се чувстваха зле, а повечето
от тях — отвратително, включително и
онези с електронните часовници.
Мнозина изказваха мнението, че
поначало човечеството е допуснало
голяма грешка, като е слязло от дърветата.
А някои твърдяха, че дори и крачката към
дърветата е била погрешна и че изобщо не
е трябвало да напускат океаните.
Но ето че един ден — беше четвъртък
— близо две хиляди години след като
един човек бил прикован за някакво дърво
заради това. че разправял колко хубаво би
било, ако започнем ей тъй. за
разнообразие, да бъдем добри един към
50
was that had been going wrong all this time,
and she finally knew how the world could
be made a good and happy place. This time
it was right, it would work, and no one
would have to get nailed to anything.
Sadly, however, before she could get to a
phone to tell anyone about it, a terribly
stupid catastrophe occurred, and the idea
was lost forever.
This is not her story.
But it is the story of that terrible stupid
catastrophe and some of its consequences.
It is also the story of a book, a book
called The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the
Galaxy — not an Earth book, never
published on Earth, and until the terrible
catastrophe occurred, never seen or heard of
by any Earthman.
Nevertheless, a wholly remarkable book.
In fact it was probably the most
remarkable book ever to come out of the
great publishing houses of Ursa Minor — of
which no Earthman had ever heard either.
Not only is it a wholly remarkable book,
it is also a highly successful one — more
popular than the Celestial Home Care
Omnibus, better selling than Fifty More
Things to do in Zero Gravity, and more
controversial than Oolon Colluphid's trilogy
of philosophical blockbusters Where God
Went Wrong, Some More of God's Greatest
Mistakes and Who is this God Person
Anyway?
In many of the more relaxed civilizations
on the Outer Eastern Rim of the Galaxy, the
Hitch Hiker's Guide has already supplanted
the great Encyclopedia Galactica as the
standard repository of all knowledge and
wisdom, for though it has many omissions
друг — едно момиче, седнало само в
малък ресторант в Рикмънзауърт, се сети
каква е причината за всички досегашни
нещастия на човечеството и прозря как
светът може да стане по-добър и щастлив.
Този път не можеше да има грешка,
нещата непременно щяха да се оправят и
повече никой за нищо нямаше да бъде
приковаван.
За жалост обаче, преди момичето да
успее да се добере до телефон, за да
сподели с някого идеята си, се случи едно
ужасно и глупаво нещастие и тя
безвъзвратно пропадна.
Но това тук не е разказ за нея.
Това е разказ за онова ужасно и глупаво
нещастие и някои от неговите последици.
Този разказ е и за една книга, една
книга, наречена ПЪТЕВОДИТЕЛ НА
ГАЛАКТИЧЕСКИЯ СТОПАДЖИЯ —
книга, която не е писана и никога не е
издавана на Земята и за която до деня на
ужасното нещастие ни един земен жител
не бе нито чувал, нито пък я бе виждал.
И все пак това бе една наистина
забележителна книга.
Всъщност навярно най-
забележителната книга, излязла някога от
великата издателска корпорация на
Малката мечка — но и за нея ни един
земен жител никога не бе чувал.
Това е не само една наистина
забележителна книга, тя се радва и на
голям успех — по-популярна е от КНИГА
ЗА ВСЕКИ НЕБЕСЕН ДОМ. по-търсена
от КАКВО ДА ПРАВИМ ПРИ НУЛЕВА
ГРАВИТАЦИЯ — НОВИ ПЕТДЕСЕТ И
ТРИ СЪВЕТА, и е по-нашумяла от Уулон-
Колъфидовия знаменит философски труд
в три тома: В КАКВО СБЪРКА БОГ; ЗА
НЯКОИ ОТ НАЙ-ГОЛЕМИТЕ ГРЕШКИ
НА БОГ: ВСЪЩНОСТ ЩО ЗА
ЛИЧНОСТ Е БОГ?
В много от по-напредничавите
цивилизации от Външния Източен край на
Галактиката ПЪТЕВОДИТЕЛЯТ вече е
изместил великата ЕНЦИКЛОПЕДИЯ
ГАЛАКТИКА като настолна
съкровищница на целокупното знание и
51
and contains much that is apocryphal, or at
least wildly inaccurate, it scores over the
older, more pedestrian work in two
important respects.
First, it is slightly cheaper; and secondly
it has the words Don't Panic inscribed in
large friendly letters on its cover.
But the story of this terrible, stupid
Thursday, the story of its extraordinary
consequences, and the story of how these
consequences are inextricably intertwined
with this remarkable book begins very
simply.
It begins with a house.
мъдрост, защото въпреки големите
пропуски и многобройните съмнителни —
или поне крайно неточни — сведения той
превъзхожда по-стария и по-традиционен
труд в две важни отношения.
Първо, той е малко по-евтин; и, второ,
на корицата му с големи приветливи
букви са изписани думите БЕЗ ПАНИКА.
Но разказът за този ужасен и глупав
четвъртък, разказът за необикновените
последици от него и разказът за
неразривната връзка между тези
последици и гореспоменатата книга
започва твърде обикновено.
Започва с една къща.

Translation from English Саркис Асланян

Here is another excerpt from the same book. Translate in a similar manner.

Douglas Adams
From The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Chapter 4
Far away on the opposite spiral arm of the Galaxy, five hundred thousand light years
from the star Sol, Zaphod Beeblebrox, President of the Imperial Galactic Government, sped
across the seas of Damogran, his ion drive delta boat winking and flashing in the Damogran
sun.
Damogran the hot; Damogran the remote; Damogran the almost totally unheard of.
Damogran, secret home of the Heart of Gold.
The boat sped on across the water. It would be some time before it reached its destination
because Damogran is such an inconveniently arranged planet. It consists of nothing but
middling to large desert islands separated by very pretty but annoyingly wide stretches of
ocean.
The boat sped on.
Because of this topological awkwardness Damogran has always remained a deserted
planet. This is why the Imperial Galactic Government chose Damogran for the Heart of Gold
project, because it was so deserted and the Heart of Gold was so secret.
The boat zipped and skipped across the sea, the sea that lay between the main islands of
the only archipelago of any useful size on the whole planet. Zaphod Beeblebrox was on his
way from the tiny spaceport on Easter Island (the name was an entirely meaningless
coincidence — in Galacticspeke, easter means small flat and light brown) to the Heart of
Gold island, which by another meaningless coincidence was called France.
One of the side effects of work on the Heart of Gold was a whole string of pretty
meaningless coincidences.
But it was not in any way a coincidence that today, the day of culmination of the project,
the great day of unveiling, the day that the Heart of Gold was finally to be introduced to a
marvelling Galaxy, was also a great day of culmination for Zaphod Beeblebrox. It was for
the sake of this day that he had first decided to run for the Presidency, a decision which had
sent waves of astonishment throughout the Imperial Galaxy — Zaphod Beeblebrox?

52
President? Not the Zaphod Beeblebrox? Not the President? Many had seen it as a clinching
proof that the whole of known creation had finally gone bananas.
Zaphod grinned and gave the boat an extra kick of speed.
Zaphod Beeblebrox, adventurer, ex-hippy, good timer, (crook? quite possibly), manic
self-publicist, terribly bad at personal relationships, often thought to be completely out to
lunch.
President?
No one had gone bananas, not in that way at least.
Only six people in the entire Galaxy understood the principle on which the Galaxy was
governed, and they knew that once Zaphod Beeblebrox had announced his intention to run as
President it was more or less a fait accompli: he was the ideal Presidency fodder. .
What they completely failed to understand was why Zaphod was doing it.
He banked sharply, shooting a wild wall of water at the sun.
Today was the day; today was the day when they would realize what Zaphod had been
up to. Today was what Zaphod Beeblebrox's Presidency was all about. Today was also his
two hundredth birthday, but that was just another meaningless coincidence.
As he skipped his boat across the seas of Damogran he smiled quietly to himself about
what a wonderful exciting day it was going to be. He relaxed and spread his two arms lazily
across the seat back. He steered with an extra arm he'd recently fitted just beneath his right
one to help improve his ski-boxing.
"Hey, " he cooed to himself, "you're a real cool boy you." But his nerves sang a song
shriller than a dog whistle.
The island of France was about twenty miles long, five miles across the middle, sandy
and crescent shaped. In fact it seemed to exist not so much as an island in its own right as
simply a means of defining the sweep and curve of a huge bay. This impression was
heightened by the fact that the inner coastline of the crescent consisted almost entirely of
steep cliffs. From the top of the cliff the land sloped slowly down five miles to the opposite
shore.
On top of the cliffs stood a reception committee.
It consisted in large part of the engineers and researchers who had built the Heart of Gold
— mostly humanoid, but here and there were a few reptiloid atomineers, two or three green
slyph-like maximegalacticans, an octopoid physucturalist or two and a Hooloovoo (a
Hooloovoo is a super-intelligent shade of the colour blue). All except the Hooloovoo were
resplendent in their multi-coloured ceremonial lab coats; the Hooloovoo had been
temporarily refracted into a free standing prism for the occasion.
There was a mood of immense excitement thrilling through all of them. Together and
between them they had gone to and beyond the furthest limits of physical laws, restructured
the fundamental fabric of matter, strained, twisted and broken the laws of possibility and
impossibility, but still the greatest excitement of all seemed to be to meet a man with an
orange sash round his neck. (An orange sash was what the President of the Galaxy
traditionally wore.) It might not even have made much difference to them if they'd known
exactly how much power the President of the Galaxy actually wielded: none at all. Only six
people in the Galaxy knew that the job of the Galactic President was not to wield power but
to attract attention away from it.
Zaphod Beeblebrox was amazingly good at his job.

53
 UNIT 4

Preliminary considerations: Pay attention to the rhythm, meter, pathos, syntactic parallelism,
oppositions, etc.

Charles Dickens
From A Tale of Two Cities

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age
of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of
Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,
we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven,
we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period,
that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the
superlative degree of comparison only.
There were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face, on the throne of
England; there were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a fair face, on the throne of
France. In both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of
loaves and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever.
It was the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five. Spiritual
revelations were conceded to England at that favoured period, as at this. Mrs. Southcott had
recently attained her five-and-twentieth blessed birthday, of whom a prophetic private in the
Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements were
made for the swallowing up of London and Westminster. Even the Cock-lane ghost had been
laid only a round dozen of years, after rapping out its messages, as the spirits of this very year
last past (supernaturally deficient in originality) rapped out theirs. Mere messages in the
earthly order of events had lately come to the English Crown and People, from a congress of
British subjects in America: which, strange to relate, have proved more important to the
human race than any communications yet received through any of the chickens of the Cock-
lane brood.
France, less favoured on the whole as to matters spiritual than her sister of the shield and
trident, rolled with exceeding smoothness down hill, making paper money and spending it.
Under the guidance of her Christian pastors, she entertained herself, besides, with such
humane achievements as sentencing a youth to have his hands cut off, his tongue torn out with
pincers, and his body burned alive, because he had not kneeled down in the rain to do honour
to a dirty procession of monks which passed within his view, at a distance of some fifty or
sixty yards. It is likely enough that, rooted in the woods of France and Norway, there were
growing trees, when that sufferer was put to death, already marked by the Woodman, Fate, to
come down and be sawn into boards, to make a certain movable framework with a sack and a
knife in it, terrible in history. It is likely enough that in the rough outhouses of some tillers of
the heavy lands adjacent to Paris, there were sheltered from the weather that very day, rude
carts, bespattered with rustic mire, snuffed about by pigs, and roosted in by poultry, which the
Farmer, Death, had already set apart to be his tumbrils of the Revolution. But that Woodman
and that Farmer, though they work unceasingly, work silently, and no one heard them as they
went about with muffled tread: the rather, forasmuch as to entertain any suspicion that they
were awake, was to be atheistical and traitorous.

Exercises

I. Focus:

54
Set phrases: find the best translation for: It was the year of Our Lord, Life Guards, Sister of
the shield and trident, Private.

II. Think of typical representations of Death in our culture – are Woodman and Farmer
sufficiently clear metaphors for Fate and Death if translated directly? Any suggestions for
changing them. Think of the scythe usually depicted in images of Death. Watch out for
polysemy:

III. One word can have several meanings in the same language.
Pole - a citizen of Poland
поляк
- stick
прът
- mast
мачта
- furthest northern and southern end of the world
полюс

Notes

The translator has to identify the meaning first and then provide the correct translation. This
accounts for one of the most famous translator's mistakes of all time: St. Jerome, the translator
of the bible from Hebrew, later revered as the patron saint of translators and interpreters,
mistranslated the Hebrew word “karnayim”, which represents two concepts – rays and horns.
St. Jerome, proving that even saints do make translation mistakes, chose the wrong referent
and instead of writing that “rays glowed from Moses’ head” after he was spoken to be God on
Mount Sinai, wrote that “horns grew on Moses’ head. As a result, centuries later,
Michelangelo, referring to the Bible, made a sculpture of Moses with horns.

Picture of Michelangelo’s Moses

UNIT 5

Preliminary considerations:
1. Find English realia words in the text. How will you proceed with them?
2. Find proper names in the text. How will you proceed with them?

55
3. Homer, Cicero – what is their traditional translation in Bulgarian?
Think of the title – what does it imply?

Graham Swift
From Out of this World

Colour appeared, in shy, unstable tints, in the Forties and Fifties, then blossomed – yellow
cars! Pink shirts! Shop-fronts that fluoresced! – in that bright new age in which you grew up.
Was all that to do with the perfecting of the three-colour emulsion process – as if the world
had glimpsed itself in some new flattering mirror – or was it to do, like rising hemlines and
marijuana and rockets into space, with sheer high spirits? And was it only coincidence that the
years that had preceded, the years of world wars and depressions and newsreels and family
albums, should be clad, or so it seems in my memory, in sullen shades of grey?
Before there was colour there was black and white. But before there was black and white
there was sepia, ochre, tawny, bronze. I was born – just about – in the age of sepia. Or it has
always seemed to me that before this black-and-white then technicolour century came of age,
the world was brown. My father’s world was brown. The brown of leather and horseflesh and
mahogany sideboards. The brown of old brown shires and rutted lanes before the spread of
tar. Even the first cameras were little brown boxes, glossy and venerable as violins.
My father’s desk was polished oak. And the study was oak paneled, and the spines of Uncle
Edward’s books were mostly brown, and even the plaster busts on the mantelpiece – Homer?
Cicero? I forget – turning on me their blind eyes that brown afternoon, had acquired a faint
tobaccoey sheen.
The desk was unlocked – for once, negligently unlocked – and when I took from the top
left-hand drawer that single sepia photograph, that colour brown, most familiar and
companionable of colours, became all at once foreign and strange, the colour of things lost.
She is standing in front of some porch or verandah, in a long dress with a tight waist. And
though the photographer was plainly no professional (but I knew that), you must give him his
due. She is clutching in one hand a wide-brimmed summer hat which would have cast her
face in deep shade were it on her head. The photographer has told her to take off the hat, and
she has only just removed it. Her hair is slightly disarranged. She is trying to hold a pose, but
it is clear that – because the photographer has not given her time or because of something he
has said – it has slipped. Her eyes are wide in happy surprise, her lips are just parted.
Fact or phantom? Truth or mirage? I used to believe – to profess, in my professional days –
that a photo is truth positive, fact incarnate and incontrovertible. And yet: explain to me that
glimpse into unreality.

I. Find best translations for the following specific phrases: Technicolor century, turning on me
their blind eyes, a faint tobaccoey sheen, fact incarnate and incontrovertible, hold a pose, fact
incarnate and incontrovertible,

II. Retranslation

1. Study the original closely.

2. Translate into Bulgarian
3. Translate the Bulgarian text back into English - consider to what extent memory plays part
in the translation & foreign language performance in general.

56
 UNIT 6

Pay special attention to the words and phrases in bold and consult a dictionary to translate
them.

Ernest Hemingway
From The Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber

It was now lunch time and they were all sitting under double green fly of the dining tent
pretending that nothing had happened.
"Will you have lime juice or lemon squash?" Macomber asked.
"I'll have a gimlet, " Robert Wilson told him.
"I'll have a gimlet too. I need something, " Macomber's wife said.
"I suppose it's the thing to do, " Macomber agreed. "Tell him to make three gimlets."
The mess boy had started them already, lifting the bottles out of the canvas cooling bags
that sweated wet in the wind that blew through the trees that shaded the tents.
"What had I ought to give them?" Macomber asked.
"A quid would be plenty, " Wilson told him."You don't want to spoil them."
"Will the headman distribute it?"
"Absolutely."
Francis Macomber had, half an hour before, been carried to his tent from the edge of the
camp in triumph on the arms and shoulders of the cook, the personal boys, the skinner and the
porters. The gunbearers had taken no part in the demonstration. When the native boys put him
down at the door of his tent, he had shaken all their hands, received their congratulations, and
then gone into the tent and sat on the bed until his wife came in. She did not speak to him
when she came in and he left the tent at once to wash his face and hands in the portable wash
basin outside and go over to the dining tent to sit in a comfortable canvas chair in the breeze
and the shade.
"You've got your lion, " Robert Wilson said to him, "and a damned fine one too."
Mrs Macomber looked at Wilson quickly. She was an extremely handsome and well-kept
woman of the beauty and social position which had, five years before, commanded five
thousand dollars as the price of endorsing, with photographs, a beauty product which she had
never used. She had been married to Francis Macomber for eleven years.
"He is a good lion, isn't he?" Macomber said. His wife looked at him now. She looked at
both these men as though she had never seen them before.
One, Wilson, the white hunter, she knew she had never truly seen before. He was about
middle height with sandy hair, a stubby moustache, a very red face and extremely cold blue
eyes with faint white wrinkles at the corners that grooved merrily when he smiled. He smiled
at her now and she looked away from his face at the way his shoulders sloped in the loose
tunic he wore with the four big cartridges held in loops where the left breast pocket should
have been, at his big brown hands, his old slacks, his very dirt boots and back to his red face
again. She noticed where the baked red of his face stopped in a white line that marked the
circle left by his Stetson hat that hung now from one of the pegs of the tent pole.
"Well, here's to the lion, " Robert Wilson said. He smiled at her again and, not smiling,
she looked curiously at her husband.

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 Francis Macomber was very tall, very well built if you did not mind that length of bone,
dark, his hair cropped like an oarsman, rather thin-lipped, and was considered handsome. He
was dressed in the same sort of safari clothes that Wilson wore except that his were new, he
was thirty five years old, kept himself very fit, was good at court games, had a number of big-
game fishing records, and had just shown himself, very publicly, to be a coward.
“Here's to the lion, " he said. "I can't ever thank you for what you did."
Margaret, his wife, looked away from him and back to Wilson.
"Let's not talk about the lion, " she said.
Wilson looked over at her without smiling and now she smiled at him.
"It's been a very strange day, " she said. "Hadn't you ought to put your hat on even under
the canvas at noon? You told me that, you know."
"Might put it on, " said Wilson. "You know you have a very red face, Mr. Wilson, " she
told him and smiled again.
"Drink, " said Wilson.
"I don't think so, " she said. "Francis drinks a great deal, but his face is never red."
"It's red today, " Macomber tried a joke.
"No, " said Margaret. "It's mine that's red today. But Mr Wilson's is always red."
"Must be racial, " said Wilson. "I say, you wouldn't like to drop my beauty as a topic,
would you?"
"I've just started on it."
"Let's chuck it, " said Wilson.
"Conversation is going to be so difficult, " Margaret said.
"Don't be silly, Margot, " her husband said.
"No difficulty, " Wilson said. "Got a damn fine lion." Margaret looked at them both and
they both saw that she was going to cry. Wilson had seen it coming for a long time and he
dreaded it. Macomber was past dreading it.
"I wish it hadn't happened. Oh, I wish it hadn't happened, " she said and started for her
tent. She made no noise of crying but they could see that her shoulders were shaking under
the rose-colored, sun-proofed shirt she wore.
"Women upset, " said Wilson to the tall man. "Amounts to nothing. Strain on the nerves
and one thing 'n another."
"No, " said Macomber. "I suppose that I rate that for the rest of my life now."
"Nonsense. Let's have a spot of the giant killer, " said Wilson. "Forget the whole thing.
'Nothing to it anyway."
"We might try, " said Macomber. "I won't forget what you did for me though."
"Nothing, " said Wilson: "All nonsense."
So they sat there in the shade where the camp was pitched under some wide-topped acacia
trees with a boulder-strewn cliff behind them, and a stretch of grass that ran to the bank of a
boulder-filled stream in front with forest beyond it, and drank their just-cool lime drinks and
avoided one another's eyes while the boys set the table for lunch. Wilson could tell that the
boys all knew about it now and when he saw Macomber's personal boy looking curiously at
his master while he was putting dishes on the table he snapped at him in Swahili. The boy
turned away with his face blank.
"What were you telling him?" Macomber asked.
"Nothing. Told him to look alive or I'd see he got about fifteen of the best."
"What's that? Lashes?"
"It's quite illegal, " Wilson said. "You're supposed to fine them."
"Do you still have them whipped?"
"Oh, yes. They could raise a row if they chose to complain. But they don't. They prefer it
to the fines.

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 "How strange!" said Macomber.
"Not strange, really, " Wilson said. "Which would you rather do? Take a good birching or
lose your pay?"
Then he felt embarrassed at asking it and before Macomber could answer he went on, "We
all take a beating every day, you know, one way or another."
This was no better. "Good God, " he thought. "I am a diplomat, aren't I?"
"Yes, we take a beating;" said Macomber, still not looking at him. "I'm awfully sorry
about that lion business. It doesn't have to go any further, does it? I mean no one will hear
about it, will they?
"You mean will I tell it at the Mathaiga Club?" Wilson looked at him now coldly. He had
not expected this. So he's a bloody four-letter man as well as a bloody coward, he thought. I
rather liked him too until today. But how is one to know about an American?
"No, " said Wilson. "I'm a professional hunter. We never talk about our clients. You can
be quite easy on that. It's supposed to be bad form to ask us not to talk though."
He had decided now that to break would be much easier. He would eat then, by himself
and could read a book with his meals. They would eat by themselves. He would see them
through the safari on a very formal basis - what was it the French called it? Distinguished
consideration - and it would be a damn sight easier than having to go through this emotional
trash. He'd insult him and make a good clear break. Then he could read a book with his
meals and he'd still be drinking their whisky. That was the phrase for it when a safari went
bad. You ran into another white hunter and you asked., "How is everything going?" and he
answered, "Oh, I'm still drinking their whisky, " and you knew everything had gone to pot.

Exercises

I. Choose the appropriate synonyms of walk; translate the completed sentences

1. Marian was very exhausted at the end of the day so she ________ slowly along the beach
on her way back home.
(a) paced (b) stalked (c) walked (d) strode
2. When they were younger, they used to ________ in the park with their kids every weekend.
(a) stagger (b) stroll (c) meander (d) halt
3. As Brian is having his summer vacation he is ________ about the village all day long.
(a) striding (b) staggering (c) walking (d) sauntering
4. The man was very worried about his wife being so late and he was ________ nervously up
and down the sitting room.
(a) striding (b) pacing (c) walking (d) sauntering
5. As it had no choice trying to escape from the vulture, the doe ________ quickly over the
streamlet.
(a) strode (b) paced (c) strayed (d) meandered
6. Now, after he had won the coveted prize, Jason ________ into the room smiling.
(a) strode (b) blundered (c) stalked (d) paced
7. They spent their first day as a married couple ________ about the streets of Venice as
tourists.
(a) striding (b) gadding (c) tottering (d) wandering
8. He soon retired and will finally have enough time to ________ over the country.
(a) mosey (b) roam (c) gad (d) stride
9. It got very dark in the forest, so they easily ________ from the path and got lost.
(a) strayed (b) moved (c) walked (d) meandered

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10. Her friends left her all alone in a strange town and she ________ about unaccompanied all
day long.
(a) staggered (b) stalked (c) strayed (d) gadded

UNIT 7

Vladimir Nabokov
From Invitation to a Beheading

He lamented for a while, groaned, cracked all his joints, then he got up from the cot, put
on the abhorred dressing-gown, and began to wander around. Once again he examined all the
inscriptions on the walls in the hope of somewhere discovering a new one. Like a fledgling
crow on a stump, he stood for a long while on the chair, motionlessly gazing up at the
beggarly ration of sky. He walked some more. Once more he read the eight rules for inmates,
which he already knew by heart:
1. Leaving the prison building is positively forbidden.
2. A prisoner’s meekness is a prison’s pride.
3. You are firmly requested to maintain quiet between one and three p. m. daily.
4. You are not allowed to entertain females.
5. Singing, dancing and joking with the guards is permitted only by mutual consent and
on certain days.
6. It is desirable that the inmate should not have at all, or, if he does, should immediately
himself suppress nocturnal dreams whose content might be incompatible with the condition
and status of the prisoner, such as: resplendent landscapes, outings with friends, family
dinners, as well as sexual intercourse with persons who in real life and in the waking state
would not suffer said individual to come near, which individual will therefore be considered
by the law to be guilty of rape.
7. Inasmuch as he enjoys the hospitality of the prison, the prisoner should in his turn not
shirk participation in cleaning and other work of prison personnel in such measure as said
participation is offered him.
8. The management shall in no case be responsible for the loss of property or of the
inmate himself.

Exercises

I. Before you embark on translating the passage into Bulgarian, consider the following
questions:

• What is the overall effect of the passage on you? Do you find it serious or funny? Why?
Where is the effect located?
• Since there seem to be two distinct paragraphs in the text, i.e. a) the opening narrative and
b) the written list of prison rules, are these two paragraphs different in linguistic terms?
Sentence length, syntax structure, types of words used, tenses used, etc.?

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• Have you read any written rules and regulations in Bulgarian? What are the linguistic and
stylistic features which mark such a discourse?

II. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use
the empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which
will be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

to lament 1. To express grief for or about; mourn: lament a death.

2. To regret deeply; deplore: He lamented his thoughtless acts.
v. tr. 1. To grieve audibly; wail.
v. intr. 2. To express sorrow or regret. To grieve.
cot 1. A narrow bed, especially one made of canvas on a collapsible frame.
2. Chiefly British. A crib.
n.
abhor To shrink back with shuddering from; to regard with horror or detestation; to
feel excessive repugnance toward; to detest to extremity; to loathe.
v.
a fledgling 1. A young bird that has recently acquired its flight feathers.
2. A young or inexperienced person.
n.
adj. 1. New and untried or inexperienced: a fledgling enterprise.
inmate 1. one of several resident of a dwelling (especially someone confined to a
prison or hospital)
n. 2. inpatient: a patient who is residing in the hospital where he is being
treated
3. convict: a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison
positively 1. In a direct, positive manner: emphatically, flat, flatly. Informal flat out.
2. Without question: absolutely, certainly, doubtless, doubtlessly,
adv. undoubtedly.
3. In truth: actually, fairly, genuinely, indeed, really, truly, truthfully, verily.
Idioms: for fair.
meekness Lack of vanity or self-importance: humbleness, humility, lowliness,
modesty.
n.
resplendent Splendid or dazzling in appearance; brilliant.
adj
nocturnal 1. belonging to or active during the night; "nocturnal animals are active at
night"; "nocturnal plants have flowers that open at night and close by day"
adj. 2. of or relating to or occurring in the night; "nocturnal darkness"
to suffer 1. To feel pain or distress; sustain loss, injury, harm, or punishment.
2. To tolerate or endure evil, injury, pain, or death.
v. intr. 3. To appear at a disadvantage: “He suffers by comparison with his greater
contemporary” (A. C. Baugh).
1. To undergo or sustain (something painful, injurious, or unpleasant):
“Ordinary men have always had to suffer the history their leaders were
v. tr. making” (H. J. Muller).
2. To experience; undergo: suffer a change in staff.
3. To endure or bear; stand: would not suffer fools.
4. To permit; allow: “They were not suffered to aspire to so exalted a
position as that of streetcar conductor” (E. S. Morgan).
to shirk To avoid or neglect (a duty or responsibility).
v. tr. & intr

III. List as many synonyms in Bulgarian as you can think of (at least three) for ‘meekness’,
‘prison’, ‘dinner’ (in ‘resplendent dinners’) and ‘beggarly’ (in ‘beggarly ration’),
respectively. Which would you choose? Why?

III. Focus:
A. How long a period is ‘a while’? What are the ways in which the meaning of phrases like
‘lamented for a while’ and ‘stood for a long while’ can be conveyed in Bulgarian by a single
verb in each instance?

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B. Similarly, what is the most economical way of conveying ‘began to wander around’?
C. How can you convey the phrase ‘a fledgling crow’ with one word only? Can you think of
other examples of phrases in English which can be translated by employing diminutive noun
forms in Bulgarian?
D. Think of at least three ways in which you can render in Bulgarian ‘singing, dancing and
joking’ from rule number 5. Which would you choose? Why?
E. In rules 3 and 4, what kind of use of the second person do we have?

IV. Upon rereading your paragraph in Bulgarian:

• Do you think you have conveyed the effect the text had on you in English (considered at
the beginning of your work on it above) to a Bulgarian-speaking audience? If you have
doubts, think what could be improved. If you feel you are unable to judge, try reading the
text in Bulgarian to somebody who is not familiar with it and ask them the questions you
considered initially.
• Did your translation keep all the aspects of the original text which render the individual
small and insignificant vis-à-vis what seems like an enormous cell in the narrative part?
Which are the details that suggest it? Among others, note ‘gazing up’.
• Do you see in Bulgarian the semantic tension between ‘firm’ and ‘request’ present in the
phrase ‘firmly requested’ from the original text?
• Which words/phrases did you use for ‘females’, ‘sexual intercourse’, ‘said individual’?
• What features of Bulgarian bureaucratic (management) speak have you used?
• Does the syntax of rule 6 run smoothly in Bulgarian, yet pompous?
• Have you preserved the duality implied in rule 8 as to what could possibly get lost?

UNIT 8

Willa Cather
From Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament

It was Paul's afternoon to appear before the faculty of the Pittsburgh High School to
account for his various misdemeanors. He had been suspended a week ago, and his father had
called at the Principal's office and confessed his perplexity about his son. Paul entered the
faculty room suave and smiling. His clothes were a trifle outgrown, and the tan velvet on the
collar of his open overcoat was frayed and worn; but for all that there was something of the
dandy about him, and he wore an opal pin in his neatly knotted black four-in-hand, and a red
carnation in his buttonhole. This latter adornment the faculty somehow felt was not properly
significant of the contrite spirit befitting a boy under the ban of suspension.
Paul was tall for his age and very thin, with high, cramped shoulders and a narrow chest.
His eyes were remarkable for a certain hysterical brilliancy, and he continually used them in a
conscious, theatrical sort of way, peculiarly offensive in a boy. The pupils were abnormally
large, as though he were addicted to belladonna, but there was a glassy glitter about them
which that drug does not produce.

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Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will
be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

faculty 1. An inherent power or ability.

2. Any of the powers or capacities possessed by the human mind.
n. 3. The ability to perform or act.
4.
• Any of the divisions or comprehensive branches of learning at a
college or university: the faculty of law.
• The teachers and instructors within such a division.
• A body of teachers.
5. All of the members of a learned profession: the medical faculty.
6. Authorization granted by authority; conferred power.
7. Archaic. An occupation; a trade.
misdemeanour A misdemeanor, or misdemeanour, in many common law legal systems, is
a "lesser" criminal act.
n.
to suspend 1. To bar for a period from a privilege, office, or position, usually as a
punishment: suspend a student from school.
v. tr. 2. To cause to stop for a period; interrupt: suspended the trial.
3a. To hold in abeyance; defer: suspend judgment. b. To render
temporarily ineffective: suspend a jail sentence; suspend all parking
regulations.
4. To hang so as to allow free movement: suspended the mobile from the
ceiling.
5. To support or keep from falling without apparent attachment, as by
buoyancy: suspend oneself in the water.
v. intr.
1. To cease for a period; delay.
2. To fail to make payments or meet obligations.
suave 1. debonair: having a sophisticated charm; "a debonair gentleman"
2. politic: smoothly agreeable and courteous with a degree of
adj. sophistication; "he was too politic to quarrel with so important a
personage"; "the manager pacified the customer with a smooth
apology for the error"
3. sweet talk; charming, confident and elegant
to tan (velvet) 1. To convert (hide) into leather, as by treating with tannin.
2. To make brown by exposure to the sun.
v. tr. 3. Informal To thrash; beat.
dandy 1. A man who affects extreme elegance in clothes and manners; a fop.
2. Something very good or agreeable.
n. 3. Nautical. A two-masted fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel similar to the
ketch but having a smaller jigger- or mizzenmast stepped abaft the
rudder, i.e. yawl.
four-in-hand 1. a. a team of four horses driven by one person; b. a coach drawn by
such a team
n. 2. a necktie tied in a slipknot with the ends left hanging
contrite feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming “a
contrite criminal”, “a contrite apology”, “contrite sighs”
adj.
cramped uncomfortably restricted in size; overcrowded or congested; ex. "cramped
quarters"; "trying to bring children up in cramped high-rise apartments"
adj.

II. Focus:

• You can translate the phrase ‘confessed his perplexity’ either preserving the classes of
words used or shifting them, i.e. turn ‘his perplexity’ into ‘he was perplexed’? Which is
better? Why?

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• What is the difference between ‘to call at’ and ‘to call’?
• Think of at least three ways in which you can convey the phrase ‘a trifle outgrown’ with
regard to clothes? Which would you choose? Why?

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, conducting your own consultation with
dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far.

When the symphony began Paul sank into one of the rear seats with a long sigh of relief,
and lost himself as he had done before the Rico. It was not that symphonies, as such, meant
anything in particular to Paul, but the first sigh of the instruments seemed to free some
hilarious and potent spirit within him; something that struggled there like the genie in the
bottle found by the Arab fisherman. He felt a sudden zest of life; the lights danced before his
eyes and the concert hall blazed into unimaginable splendor. When the soprano soloist came
on Paul forgot even the nastiness of his teacher's being there and gave himself up to the
peculiar stimulus such personages always had for him. The soloist chanced to be a German
woman, by no means in her first youth, and the mother of many children; but she wore an
elaborate gown and a tiara, and above all she had that indefinable air of achievement, that
world-shine upon her, which, in Paul's eyes, made her a veritable queen of Romance.

Paul’s Case by Willa Cather

UNIT 9

Lisa Jewell
From Thirty Nothing

TEXT 1
Maxwell pulled his huge frame out from the bed, squeezed himself into Nadine’s much
too-small, red silk robe and gently padded off toward the kitchen. Nadine stretched herself out
in the newly spacious bed and smiled as she heard Maxwell performing his usual clattering
pillage of the kitchen drawers and cupboards, unable even after three months, to locate
teaspoons, mugs, and teabags without first exploring every possible location.
She clicked on the radio and listened to the homely babble of Radio Five Live presenters
for a while and suddenly realised that despite the traces of a headache lingering around her
temples, a vague nausea emanating from her stomach, and the slightly embarrassing memory
of yet another scene with Maxwell in the restaurant last night, she was feeling quite
inexplicably, deliriously happy. It was a Saturday morning, the sun was shining, there was a
man in the kitchen making her tea, and she had no plans whatsoever for the rest of the day.
Maxwell wasn’t usually here at the weekend. She’d only seen him last night because it was
Dig’s birthday and Dig liked Maxwell and had insisted that she invite him. She wasn’t used to
waking up with a man on a Saturday morning. It was nice. They could do a couple of things,
they could go for a walk, or go out for lunch somewhere and read the papers. Or they could
just stay in bed all day, watch the telly, eat bacon sandwiches, chat, and have sex.

64
 Then, she realised, was one of those moments, one of those utterly perfect moments in
life, which you absolutely had to draw into your lungs and hold there and absorb every drop
of, because that was what life was all about. If you expected eternal happiness, then you
missed the moments, and the essence of life was contained in moments like this.

Exercises and guiding notes

I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will
be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

pull • to move something towards you with your hands.

• to take something out of a bag, pocket, etc
v.
• to move a part of your body away from someone or something
squeeze • to press something firmly together with your fingers or hand
• to get out liquid from something by pressing it
v.
• to try to get into a small space
• to succeed to a pass a test, just avoiding failure
• to limit money
explore • to discuss or think about something carefully
• to travel around an area in order to find out about it
v.
• written- to feel something with your hand to find out what it is like
linger • to continue to exist, be noticeable for longer than is usual or desirable
• to stay out a little longer, because you do not want to leave
v.
• to continue to live although you are slowly dying
absorb • to take in liquid, gas, etc from the surface or a space around something
• to read and hear a large amount of information and understand it
v.
• to interest someone so much that they do not pay attention to other things

II. Focus :
A. Pay attention to the word squeeze and translate the following expressions:
• squeeze your eyes shut
• squeeze up
• squeeze something out
• squeeze somebody or something in
B. Pay attention to the expression : performing his usual clattering pillage that might cause
a problem for translation. Find out at least five expressions with perform illustrating
different, semantic meaning
C. Pay attention to Radio Five Live. How do we deal with names of people, institutions,
radio stations, etc.
D. Pay attention to the sentence beginning with : She clicked…… Should we stick to its
original length or could we chop it?
E. Pay attention to the continuous verb forms and consider their use.

III. Translate the following sentences into Bulgarian consulting exercise I and your
dictionaries.

1. She pulled open the door and hurried inside.

2. Vicky had pulled the arm of her doll.
3. Ben pulled a pen out of his pocket.
4. She struggled fiercely trying to pull her arm out of his grasp.
5. He squeezed the trigger but nothing happened.
6. He had squeezed through a gap into the fence.

65
7. The government is squeezing the railway’s investment budget.
8. I am going to explore the possibility of a part-time job
9. Venice is a wonderful city to explore.
10. Gingerly she explored the bump on her head with her fingers.
11. Unfortunately the tax will linger on until April.
12. Plants absorb nutrients from the soil.
13. Her capacity to absorb information is amazing.
14. The movement and noise of the machines absorbed him completely

TEXT 2
Nadine leaped to her feet, leaned down and scooped up a large armful of russet, auburn,
and mustard leaves. “ So, ” she said, “ you’re not too old to have a jolly good leaf fight”-and
with that she threw the leaves all over Dig’s head, like oversized confetti, turned on her heel,
and ran away, laughing.
She ran away, as she would later recollect, in a counterclockwise direction, and she
would later wonder what uncontrollable forces had led her to that direction. If she had
analysed her thoughts in depth, she might have found an answer. But more likely she
would have found it to be no more than a random decision, plucked from nothing more
substantial than pure fancy.
Because what Nadine didn’t know when she made that seemingly trivial decision was just
how important it actually was. Fate had sneaked up on her unawares that day on Primrose
Hill, and as she ran screaming with laughter across the springy grass, Dig in pursuit and
closing in on her rapidly with an enormous pile of leaves in his hands and a look of vengeance
about him, little did she know that fate was about to leap into her path and change the course
of her life irrevocably.
Because had Nadine not chosen to take the counterclockwise route that day, had she
set off in the other direction, then they would have exited the park, walked twenty
minutes to Dig’s flat, flopped onto his sofa, opened a beer, and watched some soccer, and
they would never have bumped into Delilah.

Thirty Nothing
Lisa Jewell

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will
be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

leap • to jump high into the air

• to jump over something
v.
• to move very quickly with a lot of energy
• to increase quickly and by a large amount
scoop • to pick something up or remove it using a scoop, spoon, or your curved hand
• to be the first newspaper to print an important news-report
v.
• (Br.E) to win a prize or a reward
• scoop something up – buy something quickly so soon there is none left
pluck • (written) to pull something quickly in order to remove it
• to take somebody or something away from a place that is dangerous in a quick and
v. unexpected way
pure • clean, not containing anything harmful
• morally good
adj./
• typical of a particular style

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 • complete and total

II. Focus

A. Translate the following expressions into Bulgarian:

• leap at the chance/opportunity
• leap to somebody’s defence
• pluck something out of the air
• pluck one’s eyebrows
• pluck up the courage to do something
B. Pay attention to the description: russet, auburn, and mustard leaves. Can you think of any
other colours related to autumn.
C. Pay attention to the use of the modal auxiliary would in the verb phrases :
• she would later recollect, would later wonder
Do they refer to habitual, past activities or future in the past? How do we translate them in
both cases respectively?
D. Pay attention to the sentences in bold illustrating third conditional. How do we render it in
Bulgarian? Do we have markers for inversion?

III. Translate the following sentences into Bulgarian consulting exercise I and your
dictionaries.

1. Brenda leaped the gate and ran across the field.

2. Profits leap to $ 367 million.
3. Time and again we have scooped “ The Guardian”
4. Fans scooped up the trading cards in the first hours of the sale.
5. He plucked a couple of plastic bags from the roll.
6. Some refugee children were plucked out of the country in a number of mercy missions
7. They are too pure and innocent to know what’s really going on
8. His music is pure New York.

TEXT 3
The judge glared as he spoke between clenched teeth. “ Mr. Mitchell, as reluctant as I am
to grant your motion I find that I must.”
Jeremiah Mitchell allowed himself a small smile. “ We all have to follow the law, your
honour.”
“ I have no doubt in my heart that justice has been twisted out of shape by you, but I am
powerless to do anything but release your client.”
Mitchell ignored the gasps of outrage from spectators. “ The presumption of innocence,
judge, continues in a criminal charge until such time as guilt is found. My client is an innocent
man.”
“ And I am the Queen of Sheba!” the judge snapped.
Mitchell knew Judge Webster Broadbent was a man without a sense of humour, so he
remained silent.
The short, stocky judge stood up. “ The jury is dismissed, the bond is cancelled, and the
defendant is discharged!” He snapped out those words with obvious distaste, then stomped off
the bench.
The court officers quickly began to disperse the angry spectators.

67
Jerry Mitchell, six-foot-three and a muscular two hundred pounds, towered above his short,
paunchy client, Dr. Oliver Sampson. Sampson bewildered, looked up at his lawyer. “ What
happens now?”
“ The judge as a matter of law, has determined the prosecution couldn’t establish that your
actions resulted in the death of that girl. No crime, no charge. You are free.”

Her Honour
William J. Coughlin

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will
be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

glare • to look angrily at someone for a long time

• to shine with a very strong bright light
v.
grant • (formal) to give someone something or allow them to have something that they
have asked for
v. • to admit that something is true, although it does not make much difference to your
opinion
twist • to turn a part of your body around or change your position by turning
• to bend or turn something, such as wire into a particular shape
v.
• to wind something around or through an object
• to change the true or intended meaning of a statement, especially in order to get
some advantage for yourself
gasp • to breathe in suddenly in a way that can be heard, especially because you are
surprised or in pain
v. • to breathe quickly in a way that can be heard because you are having difficult
breathing
• (Br.E) (spoken) to feel that you urgently need something such as a drink or a
cigarette
dismiss • to refuse to consider someone’s idea, opinion, etc because you think it is not
serious, true or important
v. • to remove someone from their job
• (formal) to tell someone that they are allowed to go or no longer needed
• to stop a court case from continuing
bond • an official document promising that a government or company will pay back
money that it has borrowed often with an interest
n. • something that unites 2 or more people or groups such as love or a shared interest
or idea
• a written agreement to do something that makes you legally responsible to do
what you have promised
• my word is my bond – (formal) used to say that you will definitely do what you
have promised

II. Focus :
A. Pay attention to the phrases in bold and avoid literal translation. Try to find out the most
suitable expressions in Bulgarian that are closest to the original meaning.
B. The text presents samples of direct speech. Consider the verb phrases used and the address
patterns.

III. Translate the following sentences into Bulgarian consulting exercise I and your
dictionaries.

68
1. He took it for granted that he would pass the exam.
2. Bridget was careful not to take him for granted.
3. Granted, the performance was not perfect, but everybody enjoyed it.
4. The road twisted between spectacular mountains.
5. His mouth twisted in a humorous smile.
6. She twisted a silk scarf round her neck.
7. Harriet slipped on the stairs and twisted her ankle.
8. No one twisted my arm about coming to see you.
9. The audience gasped at the splendour of their costumes.
10. Brendan climbed slowly, gasping for air.
11. I am gasping for a pint!
12. The government has dismissed criticism that the country’s policy is a mess.
13. Bryan was unfairly dismissed from his job.
14. The class will be dismissed early today.

TEXT 4
Mease’s voice was intruding into her consciousness. “But Dennis Chesney wasn’t
satisfied with that, ” he said, his voice rising. “No. When he went to Paul Martin’s bedside, he
was no longer a policeman, he was a cold-blooded killer!”
“Objection!” Mitchell rose quickly to his feet. He looked at Mease, paused, and then
slowly glanced up at Kathleen. “I have been very patient, if the court please, but Mr. Mease
has gone from an opening statement to a closing argument without giving the rest of us a
chance to hear any testimony. Now, I came here expecting to participate in a trial, but Mr.
Mease has apparently skipped right by that part of the proceedings.”
Before Kathleen could reply, Mease snapped: “most of us wait until we get our turn, Mr.
Mitchell.” He glared at his opponent.
Kathleen used the gavel, cracking it once. “That’s quite enough, gentlemen, ” she said
quietly but firmly. “Mr. Mease the objection is sustained, your remarks were argumentative
both in content and in delivery.” She looked at Mitchell. “it will be sufficient, Mr. Mitchell,
for the rest of this trial, if you merely make your objection without appending a short speech
to the jury. Fairness cuts both ways.”
Mitchell smiled slightly and nodded. “Fairness is all any of us can ask, ” he said as he sat
down.
Mease glowered at him, then began again to address the jury. This time his voice was
sharp but without the previous dramatic inflection. “we will show that Paul Martin was alive
when Dennis Chesney walked into his room, that he……”
Kathleen listened, satisfied that Tom Mease was once more on track. She glanced around
the courtroom.

Her Honour
William J. Coughlin

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will
be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

intrude • to interrupt someone or become involved in their private affairs

• to come into a place or situation and have an unwanted effect
v.

69
satisfy • to make someone feel pleased by doing what they want
• to satisfy your needs, demands- to provide what they need or want
v.
• (formal) be good enough for a particular purpose, standard
snap • to break with a sudden, sharp noise, or to make something break
• to move into a particular position suddenly, making a sharp noise
v.
• to say something angrily
• to become angry or anxious, etc
• take a photograph
crack • to break or make something break into pieces
• to make a quick loud sound like the sound of something breaking
v.
• to be unable to continue because there is too much pressure
• /voice/ to sound differently because you are feeling emotions
• to find an answer to a problem
delivery • the act of bringing goods, letters, etc to a particular person or place
• take delivery of something- to accept officially something large you
n. have bought
• the process of giving birth to a child
• the way in which someone speaks in public
inflection • the way in which a word changes in form to show a difference in
meaning or use
n. • a part that is added to a word
• the way the sound of your voice goes up and down when you are
speaking

II. Focus:
A. The text is related to law and court proceedings. Pay attention to the words in bold, study
the list below and translate the expressions:
• the objection is overruled
• to establish somebody as an expert
• People versus Chesney
• The Honorable Kathleen Talbot presiding
• Enforce the law, by law, criminal law, civil law, international law, break the law,
become law, obey the law
• Criminal charge
B. Consult your dictionaries and find at least 10 more expressions related to law and court
proceedings

III. Translate the following sentences into Bulgarian consulting exercise I and your
dictionaries.

1. Jackson tried to satisfy me of his innocence.

2. Have you satisfied all the requirements of an MA degree?
3. Most Indian restaurants offer free deliveries.
4. We expect to take delivery of the aircraft sometime in June.
5. You’ll have to work on your delivery and stanza.
6. She fell and cracked a bone in her leg.
7. Dennis rubbed his hands together and cracked his knuckles.
8. I slipped and cracked my head on the door.
9. He cracked under interrogation and confessed.
10. His voice cracked slightly as he tried to explain.
11. It took him nearly 2 months to crack the problem.
12. The wind snapped branches and power lines.
13. The policeman snapped the handcuffs around her wrists.
14. He snapped at Walter for no reason.

70
15. The stress began to get to her and one morning she just snapped.

UNIT 10
A. A. Milne
From Winnie-The-Pooh

INTRODUCTION
If you happen to have read another book about Christopher Robin, you may remember
that he once had a swan (or the swan had Christopher Robin, I don't know which) and that he
used to call this swan Pooh. That was a long time ago, and when we said good-bye, we took
the name with us, as we didn't think the swan would want it any more. Well, when Edward
Bear said that he would like an exciting name all to himself, Christopher Robin said at once,
without stopping to think, that he was Winnie-the-Pooh. And he was. So, as I have explained
the Pooh part, I will now explain the rest of it. You can't be in London for long without going
to the Zoo. There are some people who begin the Zoo at the beginning, called WAYIN, and
walk as quickly as they can past every cage until they get to the one called WAYOUT, but the
nicest people go straight to the animal they love the most, and stay there. So when
Christopher Robin goes to the Zoo, he goes to where the Polar Bears are, and he whispers
something to the third keeper from the left, and doors are unlocked, and we wander through
dark passages and up steep stairs, until at last we come to the special cage, and the cage is
opened, and out trots something brown and furry, and with a happy cry of "Oh, Bear!"
Christopher Robin rushes into its arms. Now this bear's name is Winnie, which shows what a
good name for bears it is, but the funny thing is that we can't remember whether Winnie is
called after Pooh, or Pooh after Winnie. We did know once, but we have forgotten.

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Conduct
similar searches for the entries listed (in bold above).Which will be your final choice for this
specific instance? Why?
exciting
adj.
nice 1. pleasing; agreeable; delightful: a nice visit.
2. amiably pleasant; kind: They are always nice to strangers.
adj. 3. characterized by, showing, or requiring great accuracy, precision, skill, tact, care, or
trot delicacy: nice workmanship; a nice shot; a nice handling of a crisis.
v. 4. showing or indicating very small differences; minutely accurate, as instruments: a job
rush that requires nice measurements.
5. minute, fine, or subtle: a nice distinction.
v 6. having or showing delicate, accurate perception: a nice sense of color.
arms 7. refined in manners, language, etc.: Nice people wouldn't do such things.
n. pl. 8. virtuous; respectable; decorous: a nice girl.
9. suitable or proper: That was not a nice remark.
call 10. carefully neat in dress, habits, etc.
after 11. (esp. of food) dainty or delicate.
phr. v. 12. having fastidious, finicky, or fussy tastes: They're much too nice in their dining habits to
enjoy an outdoor barbecue.

71
II. Focus:

A. In the first sentence the pronoun ‘you’ has to be considered. As there is no indicator
whether it is a plural or singular one, read the passage, consider the tone and formality
level (formal-informal-friendly) and decide whom the author addresses – all readers, or
each individual one. Translate accordingly. If you choose the singular, consider the
difficulties of masculine/feminine/neuter verb endings in Bulgarian. Your choice should
cover all readers, regardless of their sex.
B. If you are translating something that has already been translated, or a sequel to one, check
first how the proper names have been treated. Some of the proper names in this case have
been borrowed (transposed alphabetically or phonetically), others – translated. Do not
change them unless you find it absolutely necessary. Explain why.
C. Check for the meaning of ‘IF you happen to’ and translate accordingly, having in mind the
considerations in A..
D. Note in which part the writer uses the WE point, and in which, I. Translate accordingly,
keeping to the person the writer uses – sg. or pl.

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is the continuation, conducting
your own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far.

I had written as far as this when Piglet looked up and said in his squeaky voice, "What
about Me?" "My dear Piglet, " I said, "the whole book is about you." "So it is about Pooh, "
he squeaked. You see what it is. He is jealous because he thinks Pooh is having a Grand
Introduction all to himself. Pooh is the favourite, of course, there's no denying it, but Piglet
comes in for a good many things which Pooh misses; because you can't take Pooh to school
without everybody knowing it, but Piglet is so small that he slips into a pocket, where it is
very comforting to feel him when you are not quite sure whether twice seven is twelve or
twenty-two. Sometimes he slips out and has a good look in the ink-pot, and in this way he
has got more education than Pooh, but Pooh doesn't mind. Some have brains, and some
haven't, he says, and there it is. And now all the others are saying, "What about Us?" So
perhaps the best thing to do is to stop writing Introductions and get on with the book.
A. Milne
Winnie the Pooh.

IV. Now compare your draft with the sample translation of the first passage below (whether
you have chosen the second person plural approach or not). Consider the choices, suggested
by words separated by virgule.

ВЪВЕДЕНИЕ
Ако случайно сте чели някоя друга книга за Кристофър Робин, може да си
спомняте, че той някога имаше лебед (или лебедът имаше Кристофър Робин, не знам
как беше), и че наричаше/викаше на лебеда Пух това бе много отдавна, и когато се
сбогувахме взехме името със себе си, тъй като мислехме, че на лебеда няма да му
трябва повече. И когато Едуард Мечето каза, че би желал/ще му трябва свое собствено
интересно име, Кристофър Робин каза веднага, без дори да се замисли, че той е/ще
бъде Мечо Пух. И така стана. И така, след като обясних/изясних
въпроса/проблема/частта с Пух, сега ще обясня и останалото. Не може да сте живели
дълго в Лондон без да отидете/сте отишли в зоологическата градина. Има хора, които
започват зоологическата градина от началото, наречено В ХОД/НАВЪТРЕ, и минават

72
колкото се може по-бързо покрай клетките, докато стигнат до онази, наречена ИЗ
ХОД/НАВЪН, но най-добрите/хубавите/милите/изисканите хора отиват право при
животното, което харесват/обичат най-много и остават там. Така че когато Кристофър
Робин ходи/отива в зоологическата градина, той отива при полярните/белите мечки и
пошепва нещо на третия пазач отляво, и се отключват врати, и се скитаме/лутаме/
мъкнем/тътрим по/из тъмни коридори и по стръмни стълби/стълбища докато най-
после/сетне стигнем до специалната клетка, и клетката се отваря, и навън
изскача/изтупурква/изприпква нещо кафяво и пухкаво/космато, и с щастлив вик „О,
Мечо” Кристофър Робин се втурва/хвърля в прегръдките му. Името на това мече е
Мечо, което показва колко добро име за мечки е то, но смешното/странното е, че не
можем да си спомним дали Мечо е кръстен на Пух, или Пух на Мечо. Знаехме някога,
вярно/наистина, но сме забравили.

V. Then compare to the authorized translation below. Comment on the differences.

Ако ти се е случвало да прочетеш някоя друга книга за Кристофър Робин, може би

ще си спомниш, че по-рано той имаше един Лебед (или Лебеда си имаше Кристофър
Робин — не знам точно как беше) и че той наричаше този лебед Пух. То беше отдавна и
като се сбогувахме с Лебеда, ние си взехме името обратно, защото мислехме, че то
повече няма да му трябва. И когато новото мече Едуард поиска едно галено, прекрасно
име, име, което да вълнува и да е измислено само за него — Кристофър Робин
изведнъж го нарече Пух. И така си остана.
Сега, когато вече обясних тази част от името му, ще обясня и другата.
Не е възможно да отидеш за по-дълго време в Лондон и да не посетиш
Зоологическата градина. Има хора, които започват да я разглеждат оттам, където пише:

ВХОД

и с възможната най-голяма бързина минават край всички клетки … докато стигнат

дотам, където пише:

ИЗХОД

Но умните отиват веднага и застават при най-любимото животно.

Така и Кристофър Робин: той отива право там, където са мечките, започва да шепне
нещо на помощника на пазача и вратата се отключва, ние минаваме през някакъв тъмен
вход, качваме се по стръмни стъпала, докато стигнем една специална клетка, тя се
отваря, от нея се измъква нещо кафяво, космато, рошаво и с радостен вик: „О, Мечо!“,
Кристофър Робин се хвърля в прегръдките му. Името на това мече е Мечо, което
показва какво хубаво име е то за мечета. Смешното е само, че сега не си спомняме дали
нашият Мечо е наречен първо Мечо, а после Пух, или първо Пух, а после Мечо. По-
рано знаехме как беше, но сега вече сме забравили.
Тук Прасчо ме прекъсна с квичащия си гласец:
— А за Мен?
— Мое мило Прасенце — отговорих, — в цялата книга пише и за теб.
— Но за Пух повече! — изквича той.
Нали разбирате — Прасчо завижда, че за Пух има Голямо Въведение. Е, няма защо
да отричаме: разбира се, Пух е любимецът. Но и Прасчо е герой много пъти, когато Пух
го няма. Защото не е възможно да вземеш Пух незабелязано в училище, а мъничкият
Прасчо може да се пъхне в джоба, където е голяма утеха да го чувствуваш, когато не си

73
много сигурен дали два пъти по седем е 12 или 22! Понякога той се измъква от джоба и
наднича в мастилницата. По такъв начин става по-учен от Пух, но Пух няма Нищо
против:
— Някои са умни, а някои не са — казва той. И така си е!
А сега всички играчки се развикаха:
— Ами за Нас?
Затова най-добре е вече да престана да пиша Въведение, а да започна самата книга.
Превод: Вера Славова 1987

VI. The first translation of Winnie the Pooh into Bulgarian was published in 1945 by the same
translator. Read the passage below and identify the differences between the translator’s
choices in 1945 and in 1987. What, in your view, are the reasons for those differences? What
are the translation losses (and gains), when you compare these two translations?

Вера Славова Мечето Пух 1945

ВЪВЕДЕНИЕ
Ако ти се е случило да прочетеш някоя друга книга за Бебо Червенушко, може
би ще си спомниш1 че по-рано той имаше един Лебед и че той наричаше този Лебед –
Пух.
Това беше много отдавна и когато се сбогувахме с Лебеда, ние му взехме името
обратно, защото мислехме, че той не се нуждае вече от него. И ето, когато новото Мече
пожела едно галено, прекрасно име, име което вълнува и измислено само за него, Бебо
Червенушко, без да се колебае, го нарече изведнъж – Пух. И така си остана.
Сега, когато вече обясних тази част от името, ще се заловя с обяснението на
другата му част:
Не е възможно да се за по-дълго време в Столицата и да не посетиш
Зоологическата градина. Има хора, които започват да я разглеждат от началото, от там,
където пише:

ВХОД
и с възможно най голяма бързина, минават край всички клетки до като стигнат до там,
където пише:

ИЗХОД

Но най-разумните отиват направо при най-любимото си животно и застават там.

Така и Бебо Червенушко разглежда Зоологическата: ние отиваме направо при
мечките. Бебо Червенушко започва да шепне нещо на помощника на пазача и вратата се
отключва; ние минаваме през някакъв тъмен вход, качваме се по стръмни стъпала,
докато стигаме най-сетне пред една особена клетка; клетката се отваря и от нея се
измъква нещо кафяво, космато, рошаво и с радостен вик: „О, Мечо!”, Бебо Червенушко
се хвърла в прегръдките му. Името на това мече е Мечо, което показва какво хубаво
име е то за мечета. Смешното е там, че не си спомняме, дали нашият Пух е кръстен
първо Мечо, пък после – Пух, или първо Пух, пък после – Мечо. По-рано знаехме как
беше, но сега сме вече забравили.

VII. The 2001edition of Winnie the Pooh is by two other translators. Compare their rendering
of the Introduction to the one published in 1987. What are the differences and similarities?
What, in your view necessitated the new translation?

74
Светлана Комогорова, Силвия Вълкова, 2001
ПРЕДГОВОР
Ако случайно сте чели и друга книжка за Кристофър Робин, може би си спомняте, че
някога той си имаше един лебед (или пък лебедът си имаше Кристофър Робин – не знам
точно как беше). И този лебед се казваше Пух. Беше много отдавна и когато се
сбогувахме с него, си взехме с нас името – мислехме, че той вече не го иска. После,
когато Плюшеното Мече каза, че искало да си има интересно име и то да си е само
негово, Кристофър Робин веднага, без изобщо да се замисли, каза: „Мечо Пух.” И
толкова. А тъй като за Пух вече ви обясних, сега ще обясня и останалото.
Не може за живееш дълго в Лондон, без да отидеш в зоопарка. Има хора, които,
като влязат в началото на зоопарка, което се казва ВХОД, страшно бързо минават
покрай всички клетки и стигат до онова, което се нарича ИЗХОД. Най хубавите хора
обаче отиват право при животното, което обичат най-много, и си остават там. Затова
Кристофър Робин, когато ходи в зоопарка, отива при полярните мечки, пошепва нещо
на третия пазач отляво, вратите се отключват и ние с него се залутваме из тъмни
коридори и изкачваме стръмни стълбища, докато най-сетне стигнем до онази,
особената клетка. Отключват клетката, от нея изприпква нещо кафяво и рунтаво и с
радостен вик „О, Мечо!” Кристофър Робин се втурва в прегръдките му. Това мече се
казва Мечо, което показва колко хубаво име си е то за мечки, но смешното е, че не
можем да си спомним Мечо ли кръстихме на Пух или Пух на Мечо. Едно време
знаехме, но вече сме забравили.

75
 FIRST YEAR: TRANSLATING FROM ENGLISH TO BULGARIAN

SECTION TWO: NONFICTION

UNIT 1

1. Preliminary considerations

A. Find names that defy traditional transcription rules.

B. Think of the titles of Darwin’s and Galileo’s works – are you aware of their Bulgarian
translations?
C. What do you know of "the human condition”? How do you propose to translate it,
considering all its philosophical implications?

‘Galileo, Copernicus - and now Dolly!’

by Andrew Marr

In the past few days, we have lived through a change in the human condition as
momentous as the Copernican revolution or the splitting of the atom. In the sheepish gaze of
Dolly from Edinburgh, awesome possibilities glitter. We can imagine, just a little, how it must
have felt to be a Tuscan Jesuit reading Galileo’s Dialogue on astronomy, or a pious Londoner
settling down 250 years later with a copy of the Origin of Species.
Ian Wilmut, the embryologist who led the team which created Dolly by cloning, has
downplayed the implications. You could clone humans, he admits, but all of us would find
that offensive.
No doubt. But humans will be cloned, and probably soon. Not here - the making of Dolly
was a great achievement for British science, but the UK is also one of a handful of countries
with thought-through legislation which bans human cloning. Yet if it can be done, it will be
done. The human instinct to experiment and explore cannot and will not be reined in by
legislators, commissions or priests. (Ask Galileo.) There are serious difficulties still.. We
must therefore work on the assumption that cloned humans will be created within a few
years and start to think through the consequences.
Cloning seems to challenge the deep ideas of self, identity and soul on which human
society has relied throughout history. Some deny this and argue that because humans are the
result of their environment, as well as their genes, clones would have unique souls. Yet we
are only just beginning to absorb the knowledge of just how much of our personalities,
choices and behaviour are genetically programmed. Edward O Wilson, the founder of
sociobiology, described the human brain as an exposed negative waiting to be slipped into
developer liquid: "The print is the individual's genetic history, over thousands of years of
evolution and there is not much anybody can do about it." Many of our moral "choices" are
already printed on the hypothalamus and limbic regions of the brain. This is the intellectual
context surrounding the Edinburgh breakthrough in cloning. And cloning is "like" the
Copernican-Galilean revolution, or Darwin's discovery of evolution, in that it radically
humbles mankind. In religious terminology, we are both blessed and damned: we have the
brilliance, the biological specialness, to understand our own ordinariness. It is a glorious
paradox. Like sociobiology and evolution, cloning is both a human triumph and an
undignified moment of biological self-recognition. As a species, we come from apes. As
individual members of it, we are heavily pre-programmed by genes. Now we can reproduce
ourselves without sex, with a piece of our own skin, or hair. The question is, will it change
us? Will it release amoral, barbaric behaviour?

76
 The novelist Fay Weldon, whose book The Cloning of Joanna May confronted some of
the issues, thinks of it as an escape from fate. "I don't see that nature has done such a good
job that we can't improve on it . . . I think it is rather primitive of us to be so fearful of
ourselves." She suggests, only half-jokingly, that one day, instead of rewarding great
achievers with peerages, the government will give them cloning certificates. Certainly, the
history of science gives little cause for optimism among those who would use political
authority to ban new thinking, or new research. Tom Wilkie, the Independent writer who has
moved to the Wellcome Trust as senior policy analyst, points out that the "yuk factor" tends
to dominate early reactions to biological advance - but then moral attitudes evolve. For
instance, until 1950 it was considered immoral and was illegal to use the corneas of dead
people to save the sight of the living. (The law was changed after a campaign by the then
science editor of the Daily Mirror.) Now it is considered almost as immoral not to carry a
donor card. In the end, I find it difficult to believe that we cannot live with our own growing
skill. Moral codes can depend as well on an understanding of own origins, wiring and
organic connection with the rest of the living world, as on older, fiercely contested beliefs
about divinity and fate. Science can make you humble as well as arrogant; religion can make
you arrogant as well as humble. Galileo, after all, was considered a heretical menace to faith
and morality - the sentence passed by the Inquisition was only finally retracted in October
1992. And Charles Darwin was thought to be a herald of the death of human dignity. But we
have somehow survived even our own growing understanding. Soon, the first human created
from a piece of skin will be born. And the world will seem to shudder a little, and spin on.
And we will find the world a little more extraordinary than it seemed the day before, and
carry on too, mixing our genes with the help of music, alcohol and eye-contact, rather than
needles and petri-dishes.

Exercises and guiding notes

I. Focus on:

• False friends! Beware! – Momentous, Political authority, organic

• Mind the collocations! – Splitting the atom, Blessed and damned,
• Hark! Polysemy! – Settle down with a book, Some argue that, Developer, Wiring
• New coinages - watch out! – Yuk factor

II. Pay attention to punctuation in Bulgarian.

II. How will you translate the title of Origin of Species? Do not forget to use inverted commas
for titles in Bulgarian.

Write the names of the following famous people in Bulgarian: Look them up in Google.

77
Gianni Agnelli Gurkha Viktor Pynzenyk
Muhammad Farrah Aideed Habsburgs Muammar Qaddafi
Heidar Aliev Stelios Haji-Ioannou Burhanuddin Rabbani
Askar Akaev Denis Healey Yitzhak Rabin
Yasser Arafat Gulbuddin Hikmatyar Ali Akbar Rafsanjani
Bashir Assad Elias Hrawi Cyril Ramaphosa
Issaias Afwerki (Mr Issaias) Saddam Hussein Prince Ranariddh
Omar Bashir Jaba Iosseliani Reichmann brothers
Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali Alija Izetbegovic Edzard Reuter
Chadli Benjedid Radovan Karadzic Nikolai Ryzhkov
Ritt Bjerregaard Muhammad Khatami Andrei Sakharov
Frits Bolkestein Ahmad Khomeini Ali Abdullah Saleh
Boutros Boutros-Ghali Nikita Khrushchev Wolfgang Schäuble
Zbigniew Brzezinski Kim Dae-jung Gerhard Schröder
Mangosuthu Buthelezi Kim Jong Il Yitzhak Shamir
Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo Jean Kirkpatrick Mohammed Zahir Shah
Cuauhtémoc Cardenas Sergei Kozalev Edward Shevardnadze
Nicolae Ceausescu Alain Lamassoure George Shultz
Emilio Chuayffet René Lévesque Haris Silajdic
Jean-Pierre Chevènement Alexander Lukashenka Banharn Silpa-archa
Uncle Tom Cobbleigh Ahmad Shah Masoud Mario Soares (Portugal)
José Cutileiro Milan Martic Javier Solana
Poul Dalsager Pierre Mendès-France Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Carlo De Benedetti Slobodan Milosevic Franz Josef Strauss
Gaston Defferre François Mitterrand Adolfo Suarez (Spain)
Gianni De Michelis Ratko Mladic Aung San Suu Kyi (Miss Suu
Ciriaco De Mita Mahathir Mohamad Kyi)
Yves-Thibault de Silguy King Mohammed of Morocco Jean Tiberi
Carlo Ripa di Meana Daniel arap Moi Tsar
John Deutch Olexander Morozov Karel Van Miert (Mr Van
Fedor Dostoevsky Milan Mrsic Miert)
Edward du Cann Hosni Mubarak Hans van den Broek (Mr Van
Jokar Dudaev Muhammad (unless it is part of den Broek)
Lawrence Eagleburger the name of someone who spells Otto von Habsburg
King Fahd it differently) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Boris Fedorov Nursultan Nazarbaev Hans-Jochen Vogel
Garret FitzGerald Binyamin Netanyahu Siegmund Warburg
Gandhi Saparmurat Niyazov Caspar Weinberger
Hans-Dietrich Genscher Gaafar Numeiri Grigory Yavlinsky
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (Mr Andrej Olechowski Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Giscard d'Estaing) Mullah Mohammed Omar Goodwill Zwelithini
Felipe Gonzalez Karl Otto Pöhl Gennady Zyuganov
Mikhail Gorbachev Velupillai Prabhakaran

‘Metaphors’
from The Economist

“A newly invented metaphor assists thought by evoking a visual image, ” said Orwell, “while
on the other hand a metaphor which is technically ‘dead’ (e.g., iron resolution) has in effect reverted
to being an ordinary word and can generally be used without loss of vividness. But in between these
two classes there is a huge dump of worn-out metaphors which are merely used because they save
people the trouble of inventing phrases for themselves.”

78
 Every issue of The Economist contains scores of metaphors: trails of crushed rivals, billing
and cooing politicians, projects falling at the first hurdle, track records on inflation, tabloid
reporters lapping up stories, reports leaving the door ajar, irresistible forces about to meet
immovable objects, roadblocks in the path of reform, investors crying foul, doors slammed
shut in China, blind eyes turned in Taiwan.
Some of these are tired, and will therefore tire the reader. Most are so exhausted that they may
be considered dead, and are therefore permissible. But use all metaphors, dead or alive, sparingly,
otherwise you will make trouble for yourself.
An issue of The Economist chosen at random had a package cutting the budget deficit, the
administration loath to sign on to higher targets, liberals accused of playing politics on the
court (Supreme, not tennis), only to find in the next sentence that the boot was on the other foot,
the lure of eastern Germany as a springboard to the struggling markets of eastern Europe,
west Europeanness helping to dilute an image, someone finding a pretext to stall the process
before looking for a few integrationist crumbs, a spring clean that became in the next sentence a
stalking-horse for greater spending, and Michelin axing jobs in painful surgery in order to stay
at the top of a league table. Soon the Michelin man was plunging his company even further in to
debt, though if it were to stay afloat his ambitions would have to be deflated.
Two pages on, the reader had to go down to the seas again when a flotilla of mutual and quoted
life-assurance outfits were confident of surviving turbulent waters. The galleons were afloat, but
the medium-sized and smaller mutuals quickly turned into fodder for domestic and foreign
predators. Further on, banks going to the altar in the expectation of a tax-free dowry saw it
become a sweetener in the next sentence and the bill that delivered it transformed into a panacea.
Those who wanted to learn about Japanese equity financing were told of a stockmarket crawling
back (not on its feet, it was explained) towards its old high, of commercial banks keeping the wolf
from the door and, three paragraphs later, of the stockmarket's double whammy. On, on went the
reader past masked bunglings, key measures, money-supply growth out of hand, a haunted
Bank of Japan redoubling its squeeze, banks slashing growth lest they found themselves on a
tight leash before being cracked down on. Few could have been surprised to learn at the end of the
article that another dose of higher interest rates might be forced on the banks if the present
inflationary symptoms turned into measles-like spots, and if the apothecaries at the finance ministry
agreed with the diagnosis.
Others are even more extravagant in their figures of speech. These two sentences were used as
an opening paragraph to arrest the attention of the readers of A.N. Other newspaper:
••Bulgaria is on its knees. A long-simmering economic crisis has erupted, gripping the
country in a fierce and unrelenting embrace.
Another publication reported:
••The basic question for the Bush campaign, as the fervour from the Republican convention in
Houston last week dissipates, is whether or not it is barking up the wrong social tree by painting
an exclusionary picture of an American society that has otherwise long been characterised as a
melting-pot eternally susceptible to change. This may only be part of the broader election canvas,
which also runs to more legitimate criticism of the opposition . . .
On another occasion, it lamented:
••Mr Clinton has had to pull the plug on a plan that had been tarred as a bail-out for an
incompetent regime and the Wall Street fat cats who invested in it.
And poor Reuters had to report that:
••A BBC statement said today: “This is an off-the-wall programme with a track record of
cutting-edge humour, but on this occasion we appear to have overstepped the mark.”
So did Léon Dion, cited as “an important constitutional expert” by another publication:
••In his opinion, give the Anglophones an inch and they will demand a mile. “The signs issue is
just the Trojan horse, ” he says. “It is the tip of the iceberg. Once the dam is open you won't be able
to close it.”

79
Exercises

Find appropriate translations for the metaphors highlighted in bold. Find other instances of
metaphors and translate them. Can metaphors be always transferred into the target language as
metaphors?

UNIT 2

Preliminary considerations:
1. Read through the text and find those words that are terms. Look them up in terminological
databases.
2. What extralinguistic knowledge does the translator need to have? Use a dictionary of economic
terms to understand the meaning of: Economic nationalism, Consortium bid, Private equity firm,
Stake, Pre-emption rights, Non-binding offer
3. Make a list of all economic terms referred to in the text and find their precise translations.
4. Find possible "false friends" - words and phrases that are not directly transferable in the target
language: Pie in the sky, Make a basket case, Industry observer, Advocate, Financial clout
5. Which proper names have acquired circulation in Bulgarian with spelling deviating from the
traditional phonetic transcription rules.

‘Pie in the Sky’

There is no Spanish or Italian solution to the problems of Iberia and Alitalia

For all the brave talk of liberalization, the airline business has yet to escape the bane of
economic nationalism. American airlines will still be out of bounds to foreign ownership when the
new "open skies” agreement with Europe comes into force next April. And within the European
Union, although such obstacles officially do not exist, the reality is rather different.
This week a € 3.4 billion ($ 5 billion) consortium bid for Iberia, the Spanish "flag carrier” by
British Airways (BA), Texas Pacific Group and three Spanish private-equity firms crumbled in the
face of political resistance. Caja Madrid, a savings bank controlled by Madrid’s regional
government, raised its stake to Iberia to 23.3%. The move was designed to force BA, which owns
10%, to exercise pre-emption rights and raise its own stake, or back off. Having promised not to
spend BA’s cash on the bid, Willie Walsh, its chief executive, had no option but to retreat.
Meanwhile on December 5th Alitalia, Italy’s national airline, hopes to receive non-binding
offers for most of the Italian government’s 49.9% stake. It may be disappointed. Alitalia, which
loses about €1m a day, is a very different proposition from Iberia, which is decently managed and
modestly profitable. But its fate also lies in the hands of politicians rather than those appointed to
run the business.
Having made a basket case of Alitalia through years if interference, the Italian government
doomed a previous attempt to auction its shares last July by imposing a string of conditions,
including requirements to maintain bloated staffing levels (cabin crew work less than 10 hours a
week), keep open loss-making routes, retain Rome as a hub airport and preserve Alitalia’s national
identity. This time round, the conditions of sale are said to be less onerous, but so far the only
airline that looks almost certain to bid is Air One. Despite being Italy’s second-biggest carrier, it is

80
a relative tiddler with revenues last year just one-eighth of Alitalia’s Air One has political support
and the backing of Italy’s second-biggest bank. But industry observers reckon that Alitalia has little
future outside the sheltering embrace of one of the big three European network carriers – Lufthansa,
Air France-KLM or BA.
The same is true of Iberia, even though it is much healthier. Its domestic and short-haul routes,
like Alitalia’s, are under relentless attack from low-cost competitors such as Ryanair and Easyjet.
And the final section of the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed rail link is about to open, depriving Iberia
of Europe’s most profitable route. Innovata, a provider of travel-industry data, says that since 2002
Iberia’s domestic market share has fallen from 59% to 32%, and Alitalia’s from 52% to 40%.
Iberia’s chairman, Fernando Conte, is a realist who advocates further consolidation. He would
have welcomed a tie-up between Iberia and BA if it could have been done speedily and on the right
terms. The two airlines are members of the same alliance and co-operate on a number of routes. BA
says it is not too sorry to have failed to bag Iberia. But its hope for business as usual is probably
forlorn. Iberia will eventually have to find a partner with scale and financial clout. Lufthansa, which
has far less overlap with Iberia’s lucrative Latin American routes than Air France-KLM does, seems
the likeliest candidate.
Nor is there an Italian solution to Alitalia’s plight, whatever politicians imagine. Nick van den
Brul of Exane BNP Paribas points out that although the Italian business-travel market is booming,
the only value in Alitalia itself is “option value” contingent upon a purchaser’s ability to do
whatever needed to turn the business around €1.2 billion, an eldelry fleet and at least ten stroppy
unions to deal with, any potential buyer – Air France-KLM says it is still interested – will want the
Italian government to take on some of the risk. When will reality bite? That is the awkward question
for the meddling politicians of Italy and Spain.

Exercises

1. Focus

A. Choose the correct translation for:

Pie in the sky = на куково лято / баница в небето / лесна работа / безнадеждна работа
For all the = За цялата / Заради / Макар че / Въпреки
To have yet to = Трябва все пак да / Трябва още да / Трябва тепърва да / Трябва все още да
The bane = Проклятие / Тегоба / Напаст / Зло
Out of bounds = Недостъпно / Извън обсега на / Забранено за / Извън периферията на
“Open skies” agreement = открити небета / открито небе / отворени небеса / достъпна синева
Billion = билион / милиард
€ 3.4 billion = € 3.4 милиарда евро / 3.4 милиарда евра / 3.4 билиона EUR / 3.4 милиарда
ЕВРО
consortium bid = обща оферта / оферта на консорциума / временна оферта / предложена цена
на консорциума
flag carrier = национален превозвач / знаменосец / флагман / първенец
private equity = частни инвеститори

B. Look up the following phrases in the dictionary and suggest suitable translation. Try to preserve
the possible metaphors rather than paraphrase them.

to crumble in the face of bloated staffing levels network carrier

to raise the stake hub industry observer
to exercise pre-emption rights hub airport short haul route
to back off this time round chairman
chief executive onerous tie-up

81
non-binding offer a tiddler on the right terms
€1m revenues clout
having made a basket case sheltering embrace financial clout
of…- stroppy

C. Find appropriate translations of the following journalese slang expressions:

He really hit the big time in 1994 the gimbal-pin industry

the thumbs up, the thumbs down or the green light. well-placed insider
gravy trains riven by a make-or-break strike
salami tactics an 11th-hour (or last-ditch)
the likes of intervention
the bottom line a marathon negotiating session.
high profile As one wag put it...
caring (as an adjective), carers bridges too far
guesstimate (guess) empires striking back
visible politician F-words
transparent policy flavours of the month
Elections described as too close to call Generation X
mandarins hearts and minds
their lordships $64, 000 question
oil-rich country southern discomfort
ailing President back to the future
the long-serving strongman thirty-somethings
chattering classes care for
a wily political operator the breakaway south
uneasy peace face a bloody uprising
recent watershed (or landmark or sea-change) (the honeymoon is over)
decision to arrest his prime minister

UNIT 3

What is Blu-ray? Blu-ray Disc, or BD, is an optical disc that uses state-of-the-art blue-violet
laser technology to enable consumers to record high-definition TV broadcasting. Developed by the
"Blu-ray Disc Founders" group, these companies include Hitachi, LG, Matsushita, Pioneer, Philips,
Samsung, Sharp, Sony, and Thomson. Although Blu-ray Disc was primarily designed to be a
"consumer high definition video recording format", its very high storage capacities and high-speed
data transfer rates also make Blu-ray Disc suitable for storage libraries and ultimately other
applications. A Blu-ray Disc has the same physical size as a DVD (12cm) but has higher data and
track densities that give it between roughly three to six times the storage capacity of a standard
4.7GB DVD-R. This feat is made possible using a 405 nm (405 billionth of a meter) blue-violet
laser, actually violet-purple, and an optical pickup head with a 0.85 NA (numerical aperture)
lens. Because a blue-violet light laser has a shorter wavelength (405 nm) than the red light (650 nm)
used in CD and DVD systems, it allows the laser beam to make a smaller spot on the disc surface.
With each bit of data taking up less space on the disc, more data can be stored on a 4.7-inch disc.

Exercises

82
I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will be
your final choice for this specific instance? Why? Continue the same way with the words marked in
bold, as well as any other problematic words.

state-of-the-art the latest and most sophisticated or advanced stage of a technology, art, or science.
definition 1. the act of defining or making definite, distinct, or clear.
2. the formal statement of the meaning or significance of a word, phrase, etc.
3. the condition of being definite, distinct, or clearly outlined.
4. (Optics) sharpness of the image formed by an optical system.
5. (Radio and Television) the accuracy of sound or picture reproduction.

II. Focus:

A. The third sentence, beginning ‘Developed by the "Blu-ray Disc Founders" group, these
companies’ clearly presents a problem, as these companies were not developed by the above
group. This is a case of sloppy writing, which should be corrected and translated accordingly
B. Consider "consumer high definition video recording format". These noun accumulations are
common for non-fiction writing, their purpose is to avoid unnecessary prepositions and be brief.
They are derived by pre-posing the following nouns and omitting the prepositions. Thus, the
above is returned back to normal as: a format for recording of video with high definition for
consumers. That is, the last noun is the leading one, the others follow with prepositions.
Translate accordingly. Try to find other such groups in the same sentence.
C. Do we translate the names of foreign companies, or do we leave them in Latin letters? What do
we do with Blu-ray, which is obviously a trade name, or Trademark? What do we do with the
abbreviations CD, DVD, GB? What do they mean?
D. Consider the translation of make in the last sentence but one. Lasers actually ‘burn’ spots on the
disc.

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is the continuation, conducting your
own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far.

Blu-ray Disc recording layer A distinct feature of the Blu-ray Disc is the position of the
recording layer within the disc. For DVD, the recording layer is sandwiched between two 0.6-mm
thick layers of polycarbonate plastic. But the recording layer in a Blu-ray Disc sits near the surface
of a 1.1-mm thick plastic substrate and is protected by a mere 0.1-mm thin cover layer. This not
only allows for better disc readout, as the laser does not have to travel far to the point of focus, but
serves to increase the recording density because the laser can be more narrowly focused by the
larger 0.85 NA lens aperture. In addition, it minimizes tilt problems associated with substrate
stresses which can occur during the injection molding process used to produce them. This can
cause the laser light to split into two separate beams, referred to as birefringence, and if it becomes
excessive, the drive cannot read data reliably from the disc. But having the recording layer closer to
the surface has its disadvantages as it leaves the disc exposed to accidental abrasions, dust, and
fingerprint marks. To overcome this, a specially formulated protective hard-coat is applied on top
of the cover layer. This protective coat is hard enough to prevent accidental abrasions and also
allows for dust and fingerprints to be removed from the disc by simply wiping.

IV. Here is a translation of an MA student. Compare yours with it. Correct the spacing and
punctuation, if necessary. Mark with a tick where you need spacing, and an X where you don’t need
one.

Какво е Блу-рей? Блу-рей диск или BD е оптичен диск, който използва модерна синьо-
виолетова лазерна технология, позволяваща на потребителите да записват телевизионни

83
предавания с висока разделителна способност. Разработван от групата на “Blue-ray Disc
Founders”(„създатели на блу-рей”) тези компании включват: Hitachi, LG, Matsushita, Pioneer,
Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony и Thomson. Въпреки, че дисковете Блу-рей са първоначално
замислени да бъдат „потребителски формат за запис на видео с висока разделителна
способност”, техния много голям капацитет на съхранение и висока скорост на предаване на
данни правят Блу-рей диска подходящ също и за библиотеки от цифрови данни, а в крайна
сметка и за други приложения. Блу-рей дискът има същия физически размер като един DVD
(12cm), но притежава по-голяма плътност на данните и пътеките, което му дава грубо от 3 до
6 пъти по-голям капацитет от един стандартен 4, 7 гигабайтов DVD-R. Това постижение е
възможно чрез използването на синьо-виолетов лазер, всъщност виолетово-пурпурен, с
дължина на вълната 405 нм (405 милиардни от метъра) и четяща оптична глава с оптика 0, 85
NA (цифрова апертура) на лещите. Тъй като лазерът със синьо-виолетова светлина има по-
къса дължина на вълната (405 нм)от червената светлина (650 нм), използвана при системите
за CD и DVD дискове, това позволява на лазерния лъч да прави по-малко петно на
повърхността на диска. След като всеки бит данни заема по-малко пространство върху диска,
повече данни могат да бъдат съхранени на 4, 7-инчов (12см) диск.
Записен слой на Блу-рей. Отличителна черта на Блу-рей диска е позицията на записния
слой в диска. При DVD дисковете записния слой се намира между двa 0, 6мм дебели слоя
поликарбонатна пластмаса, а при Блу-рей диска записния слой стои близо до повърхността
на 1, 1мм дебела подложка и е защитен от едва 0, 1 мм тънък покривен слой. Това позволява
не само по-добра четимост, тъй като лазерът не трябва да изминава много разстояние до
точката на фокус, но и помага за повишаването на плътността на записа, тъй като лазерът
може да бъде по-тясно фокусиран от по-голямата 0, 85 NA цифрова апертура на лещите. В
допълнение, това намалява проблемите свързани с изкривяване на диска дължащи се на
стрес на подложката, които могат да възникнат в процеса на инжекционно шприцване
използван за производството му. Това може да доведе до разделянето на лазерната светлина
на два отделни лъча, известно като двойно лъчепречупване, а ако това се случи устройството
не може да разчете правилно данните от диска. Но, позицията на записния слой по-близо до
повърхността има и своите недостатъци, тъй като тя излага диска на опасност от случайно
надраскване, прах и отпечатъци от пръсти. За да се избегне това, специално изработен
защитен твърд слой се нанася на повърхността на покривния слой. Този защитен слой е
достатъчно твърд, за да предотврати случайни надрасквания, а също така позволява праха и
отпечатъците от пръсти да бъдат отстранени само с бърсане.

UNIT 4

‘The Books That Move Men’

When Lisa Jardine and Annie Watkins asked women which book
had helped them most during their lives, the clear winner was Jane
Eyre, with Pride and Prejudice not too far behind. When they
repeated the exercise with men, a very different reading list
emerged ...

84
 By Lisa Jardine and Annie Watkins, Thursday April 06 2006, The
Guardian.

A little over a year ago, we conducted a survey of women readers to find a "watershed"
women's novel - the book which, above all others, had sustained individual women through key
moments of transition or crisis in their lives. We began by polling women who were prominent in
the arts and the media, then moved on to women journalists, academics, university students,
schoolteachers and sixth formers. By the end we were polling every woman reader who crossed our
paths; in total, 400 women responded to our inquiry.
Absolutely every woman we spoke to had her favourite. The top titles that emerged were
surprisingly varied. They ranged from The Lord of the Rings and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy to Catch 22, Gone With The Wind, Rebecca, Heart of Darkness and The Golden Notebook.
This was alongside such perennial favourites as Jane Eyre (our way-out-in-front eventual winner),
Mrs Dalloway, Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch and Anna Karenina. Jeanette
Winterson's Passion and Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, Toni Morrison's Beloved and Margaret
Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale had bands of loyal followers.
This year, we tackled the obvious next question: what do men read to get them through life? If
polling women's reading habits had thrown up such an astonishing variety of reading, surely men's
reading would be equally revealing. After all, as two female researchers, we might have been
prepared for women's reading choices; in the case of men, we admitted we really hadn't a clue.

Exercises

I. Focus:

A. Spoken vs. written mode: In your overall impression, how does each text in this section feel to
you? Do you hear or see it? Does it feel more spoken or written? Which linguistic features in
each of the English texts in this series account for its perceived ‘spoken-ness’ or ‘written-ness’?
B. Considering the source text media context: Have you read articles published in The Guardian?
Upon reading the passage above, what impressions did you get regarding this daily’s language
(in terms of vocabulary, phrases, syntax structures, etc. used)? What kind of audience/readership
do you think this daily addresses? Compare your thoughts to the brief article on The Guardian
at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian (last downloaded 17 September 2008).
C. Considering the target text media context: In which Bulgarian language print media are you
likely to read articles that discuss similar issues, for instance, ‘popular sociology of readership
patterns’? What are their respective audiences? What are your impressions about those print
media linguistic characteristics (in terms of vocabulary, phrases, syntax structures, etc. used)?
D. Translating titles: The first passage (above) is abundant in book titles. How does one translate
book titles? What strategies in this respect are available to translators?
E. ‘Translating’ proper names: Similarly, how do we approach the matter of ‘translating’ proper
names?

II. Vocabulary build-up.

A. In this particular text you encounter terms pertaining to two broadly defined areas: sociology and
literature. What are their equivalents in Bulgarian? Which of them have wider currency?

Sociology: To/a poll; to/a survey; a questionnaire; an interview, interviewer, interviewee; a(n)
informant, respondent; to/a sample; data; constituency, etc; anomie.
Literature: fiction, narrative, plot; a novel, a short story, a long short story; denouement, character;
reader and readership, etc.

85
B. First consider the multiple senses of the chosen words as dictionary entries. In view of their
immediate context (as used in this article), define the specific sense in which they are used then
look for possible correspondences in Bulgarian. Continue with the list of words and expressions
as appropriate, including the passage below.

watershed 1. A ridge of high land dividing two areas that are drained by different river
systems. Also called water parting.
n. 2. The region draining into a river, river system, or other body of water.
3. A critical point that marks a division or a change of course; a turning point:
“a watershed in modern American history, a time that … forever changed
American social attitudes” (Robert Reinhold).
perennial 1. Lasting or active through the year or through many years.
2. a. Lasting an indefinitely long time; enduring: perennial happiness.
adj. b. Appearing again and again; recurrent. Continual.
3. Botany Living three or more years.
quintessential 1. representing the perfect example of a class or quality
Syn. ultimate, essential, typical, fundamental, definitive, archetypal,
adj. prototypical
angst A feeling of anxiety or apprehension often accompanied by depression.
Syn. for a troubled or anxious state of mind: anxiety, anxiousness, care, concern,
n. disquiet, disquietude, distress, nervousness, solicitude, unease, uneasiness,
worry.

Our sample of reading men was selected on exactly the same principles as the women - that
way, we felt the results could be directly compared. The first thing we found, unexpectedly, was
that the men were more reluctant than the women to discuss the influence reading might have had
on them. Or, perhaps it might be more accurate to say, they seemed suspicious of the question.
Women had responded to our questionnaire without hesitation, producing a number of key moments
in their life at which they unselfconsciously acknowledged that fiction had offered them guidance or
solace. Many men we approached really did not seem to associate reading fiction with life choices.
"Perhaps it's the gender of the interviewer, " suggested Stephen Beresford, one of a number of
informants from the world of theatre. "Perhaps certain men have a problem opening up to a female
interviewer. I don't really see why, but maybe it's a macho thing." Jon Elek, lecturer in English at
University College London, told us: "I guess that if you admit to having a watershed novel, then
you're admitting to having a watershed moment, which is something that a lot of men don't
necessarily want to admit to. And to admit to having five [as respondents were asked to do] - oh,
come on!"
Where they did produce titles, men's reading did not show the same range as the women's had
done. For the women's project we interviewed 400 women and ended up with some 200 titles. We
found we had to approach a significantly larger sample of men to get a similar number of responses.
From an early stage, the choices clustered around a set of out-and-out favourites: Camus's The
Outsider, Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye and
Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. These titles remained consistently popular, which was something
that failed to happen with the women's titles, which changed daily, throwing up little-known books
alongside familiar classics.
Still, in spite of a certain angst about revealing that fiction had any impact on their day-to-day
lives, the great majority of our respondents were intrigued by our inquiry and happily offered us
time, leading to some fascinating results. Men's formative reading does indeed differ markedly from
women's. Only four titles were shared between the women's and men's top 20, and there was no
overlap at all in the top five.

III. Focus:

A. Hyphenated adjectives. Find the following expressions in the texts:

• our way-out-in-front eventual winner
• out-and-out favourites

86
 • through word-of-mouth recommendation

What is the function of these hyphenated adjectives? In what ways do they influence the rhythm and
the syntax of the text? To what degree are such hyphenated adjectives used in Bulgarian? What
available strategies and strategic decisions are available to a translator from English into Bulgarian?

B. Considering ‘culture’: Find in the paragraphs the following two expressions - ‘sixth former’
and ‘grammar-school boy’ (the former is mentioned at the beginning of the text, the latter in its
concluding paragraphs).
• What are their direct (spur-of-the-moment) correspondences in Bulgarian? What
associations do these Bulgarian correspondences evoke in you?
• Consider the specific context in which these expressions appear.
• Why are ‘sixth formers’ a group worth mentioning within the various informants for the
journalists’ survey?
• Why is ‘grammar-school boy’ placed in quotations marks? What is it suggestive of?
• Where can you find information on the likely evocations the phrase ‘grammar-school boy’
might have on English speakers? Are those evocations relevant to the overall thrust of the
article?
• What translation choices do you have so as to suggest similar associations in the target text?

IV. Choose one of the four passages below to develop further your strategies and skills for
translating texts in the field of cultural journalism. Are there additional issues (not covered above)
that arise from these specific paragraphs? How would you deal with them?

Our final top 20 of men's reading clearly shows a majority of books with strong active narrative
themes - books that might traditionally be described at quintessential boys' books. No surprise there,
perhaps. Except that both our recorded interviews and questionnaire responses show these choices
being made on the basis of a conscious commitment to novels that take the reader in a direction of
personal development. Men's reading choices tend to identify themselves with novels that include
intellectual struggle. Personal vulnerability is represented as a more or less angst-ridden struggle
against convention, a sense of isolation from social normality. Catastrophe and the struggle to rise
above circumstance characterise the plots.
Part of the reason for this, we decided, was that, to a far larger degree than women, men's
formative reading was done between the ages of 12 and 20 - indeed, specifically around the ages of
15 and 16. For men, fiction was a rite of passage into manhood during painful adolescence. Many
men admitted that they had read little fiction since, though mature men returned to fiction reading in
later life, and expressed increasing enjoyment in reading for "self-reflection".
Between 20 and 40, many men we talked to openly showed an almost complete lack of interest
in reading which drew them into personal introspection, or asked them to engage with the family
and the domestic sphere. On the other hand, those who had remained avid readers could see distinct
patterns emerging in their choices which differed from those selected by women.

***

Professor Rob Dickins, a record-industry impresario with boundless energy for reading whom
we had interviewed early on in our survey, pointed out that reading in later life was bound to be
influenced by that emotionally shaping reading at 15 to 16, and that women and men would surely
arrive in maturity at different patterns of reading based on adolescent choices. "Depending on
whether you read Alcott's Little Women or Kafka's Metamorphosis at 15, your reading paths are
bound to diverge later on, " he said.
We found a strong sense of nostalgia among male readers as they looked back to their formative
years; many had tended to lose interest in fiction in favour of non-fiction on entering into

87
adulthood. One consequence of this was that several men admitted that they were reluctant to reread
a book which had been almost painfully important to them at puberty. "I'm afraid I might find it
mawkish now", "It might not live up to my memories", "It might read as dated now" became
familiar responses.
Men also recalled a kind of "mentoring" by authors encountered as a teenager - the same word
was used by a surprising number of those we interviewed. Having found an author who "spoke" to
them, a man would have trusted them as a literary guide, reading all of their works, and also works
quoted from or cited by them. Orwell, in particular, was cited frequently as having guided our male
reader in his choices of author. This idea of mentoring had never cropped up in our survey of
women's reading, though word-of-mouth recommendation by other readers regularly had (men
mentioned word-of-mouth much less often).

***

[…] So how, in the end, do we interpret the men's list, and our outright winner - Camus' The
Outsider, in translation? From the face-to-face interviews as well as the raw data a real pattern
emerges: men use fiction almost physically as a guide to negotiate a difficult journey (but would
rarely admit to this downright being the case). They use fiction almost topographically, as a map.
Many of our women respondents last year explained that they used novels metaphorically - the
build-up to an emotional crisis and subsequent denouement in a novel such as Jane Eyre might have
helped negotiate an emotional progress through a difficult divorce, or provided support during a
difficult period at work, or provided solace when things seemed generally dull.
This did not seem ever to be the case for men, though some men admitted to having made a
sound investment in an author - such as Orwell - whom they used as a guide throughout their adult
life on the basis of a first encounter in adolescence.
It is Orwell who leaves us with our final sense of fascination with men's choices of fiction
reading. For Orwell's writing has traditionally been associated, by critics such as Raymond
Williams and Richard Hoggart, with a transition from "grammar-school boy" to mature membership
of a British intelligentsia whose feelings and beliefs transcend class and community. Is that
aspiration still strong among men in culture and the media (our chosen constituency) today?

***

Bronte v Camus

Jane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte; Number of pages: 502, in quite small type

Plot: A young orphan raised by a cruel aunt then sent away to boarding school becomes the
governess at a grand house. She falls in love with her handsome, brooding boss, Rochester.
Unfortunately he has omitted to mention he is married, to Bertha, who is mad and confined to the
attic. Fortunately Jane finds out in the nick of time and leaves. Unfortunately she cannot forget
Rochester, even when an upright missionary type offers marriage. Fortunately Bertha burns the
house down, killing herself, so Jane gets her man.
Standardbearer for: Female independence and refusal to be compromised. The message is that love
will triumph over any adversity - class, madness, plain looks.
Prevailing atmosphere: Dark. Victorian. Strong sense of wild moors, over which Jane somehow
hears Rochester calling her name.
Most memorable line: "Reader, I married him."
Cultural spinoffs: Any number of ruffle-shirted adaptations giving excuses for brooding men
and not-so-plain women to smoulder at each other: Ciaran Hinds and Samantha Morton, William
Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg, Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine ...

88
The Outsider By Albert Camus; Number of pages: 117, in rather larger type

Plot: A young, amoral bachelor called Meursault kills an Arab on a beach in a fit of heat-
induced rage. At his trial, the fact that he did not cry at his mother's funeral is a central piece of
circumstantial evidence. He is sentenced to death, which merely serves to confirm his conviction
that the universe is indifferent.
Standardbearer for: Brooding lonerdom. Sartrean existentialism. (According to Camus himself,
Meursault's refusal to express remorse - his adherence to a kind of absurd truth - is a sort of bravery.
"I tried, " Camus said, "to make my character represent the only Christ that we deserve.")
Prevailing atmosphere: Blinding light off water; unbearable heat. Anomie. Detachment
punctuated by sudden flurries of violence and anger.
Most memorable line: "Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know." (It is the first
line of the book.)
Cultural spinoffs: Lo Straniero (1967), by Luchino Visconti. Inspired the Cure's Killing an
Arab, as well as, some say, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.

UNIT 5

1. Making Espresso

Preparing the appliance:

• Remove the water tank by pulling it outward and fill it with cold water (water tank can also be
filled by raising the cover lid);
• Insert plug into a wall outlet;
• Turn the machine ON; The power ON indicator lamp will light;
• When the temperature OK indicator lamp lights, the machine is ready to brew coffee;
• Choose the Creamaker ®™ filter to use, according to the instructions on page four (4).

- With ground coffee:

• Fill the chosen filter with ground coffee using the measuring spoon provided. Place one level
measure of coffee in the filter for each cup of Espresso. Do not overfill. Gently tap down coffee
with the tamper on the left side of your machine. Insert filter-holder into brew head, by turning
it to the right as you face machine;
• Place one or two Espresso cups on the drip tray to line up with the spouts of the filter-holder.
! Place one shallow level measure of coffee in the filter for each cup of coffee to
prepare.

- With coffee pods:

! With the coffee pod, you may prepare only one Espresso at a time!
• Place a fresh coffee pod in the Creamaker ®™ filter. Insert filter-holder into brew head, by
turning it to the right as you face machine;
• Place one Espresso cup on the drip tray to line with the spouts of the filter-holder.

89
I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will be
your final choice for this specific instance? Why? Proceed the same way with words marked in
bold. You may have to look up ‘coffee pod’ in the Internet (try Wikipedia).

appliance 1. an instrument, apparatus, or device for a particular purpose

n. or use.
2. a piece of equipment, usually operated electrically, esp. for
use in the home or for performance of domestic chores, as
a refrigerator, washing machine, or toaster.
3. the act of applying; application.
4. Archaic. a measure; stratagem.
tank 1. a large receptacle, container, or structure for holding a
n. liquid or gas: tanks for storing oil.
2. a natural or artificial pool, pond, or lake.
3. Military. an armored, self-propelled combat vehicle, armed
with cannon and machine guns and moving on a caterpillar
tread.
4. Slang. a prison cell or enclosure for more than one
occupant, as for prisoners awaiting a hearing.
plug 1. a piece of wood or other material used to stop up a hole or
n. aperture, to fill a gap, or to act as a wedge.
2. a core or interior segment taken from a larger matrix.
3. Electricity. a device to which may be attached the
conductors of a cord and which by insertion in a jack, or
screwing into a receptacle, establishes contact.

II. Focus:

A. The text is in the form of instructions. Will you use second person singular or plural? Why?
B. Check what the symbol and abbreviation in ‘Creamaker ®™’ represent/mean. Translate
accordingly
C. ‘temperature OK indicator lamp’ – provide a rephrasing, beginning with: the lamp which….

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is the continuation, conducting your
own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far.

Brew coffee:
• Make sure steam control is closed;
• When the machine is ready, the temperature OK indicator lamp will light.
• After completing all the above steps, your machine is now ready to brew coffee;
• Turn ON the coffee function. After a few moments, Espresso will start to flow into the cup(s);
• The more water you allow to flow, the softer the coffee will be. The espresso will have a light
brown foam floating on top;
• To stop the water flow, simply turn OFF the coffee function.

Filter-holder removal:

! After having brewed coffee, wait 10 to 15 seconds before removing the filter-holder.

90
• To make more espresso, or to remove the filter-holder, move handle to the left. Be careful, as
hot water will be on top of the ground coffee or on the top of the coffee pod in the filter-holder;
• Knock out used coffee grinds or coffee pod from filter using filter retainer to keep it from
falling out. For more Espresso repeat the above steps;
• After Espresso preparation, rinse the filter-holder and the used Creamaker®™ filter.

Notes:

• If you have just used ground coffee and want to use coffee pod now, simply turn ON the coffee
function of your machine, and let the water clean the remaining powder;
• With the coffee pod, you may prepare only one Espresso at a time.

1. Preparing Cappuccino

“Cappuccino” is the name given by the Italians to the mixture of espresso and milk foam. This
foam is obtained by using the Cappuccino nozzle. Then the foam and a little bit of milk are blended
with the coffee.
Note: use larger cups than those used for Espresso.

IV. Below is the translation of a student. Compare yours to it. Comment on the differences.

1. Приготвяне на Еспресо

Подготовка на уреда:
• Изтеглете резервоара за вода, като го издърпате навън и го напълнете със студена вода
(резервоарът за вода може да се напълни и като се повдигне капачето);
• Включете щепсела в контакта;
• ВКЛЮЧЕТЕ машината. Лампичката, показваща, че машината е включена светва;
• Когато лампичката, показваща че е достигната подходящата температура светне,
машината е готова да направи кафе;
• Използвайте цедката за каймак според инструкциите на страница четири (4).
- С мляно кафе:
• Напълнете избраната от вас цедка с мляно кафе като за целта използвате наличния
дозатор. Слагайте една доза заравнено кафе в цедката за всяка чаша Еспресо. Не препълвайте
дозатора. Внимателно притиснете кафето с пресата за кафе от лявата страна на вашата
машина. Поставете ръкохватката в нагревателя като я завъртите надясно, както сте с лице
пред машината;
• Поставете една или две Еспресо чаши на тавичката така, че да застанат под струите на
ръкохватката.
! Слагайте по една заравнена доза кафе в цедката за всяко едно кафе, което искате да
приготвите.

- С пакетирани дози кафе:

! С пакетираната доза кафе може да приготвите само по едно Еспресо наведнъж!

• Поставете нова пакетирана доза кафе в Cremaker®™ цедката. Сложете ръкохватката в

нагревателя като я завъртите надясно както сте с лице към машината;
• Поставете една Еспресо чаша на тавичката така, че да застане под струите на
ръкохватката.

91
Приготвяне на кафе:

• Уверете се, че функцията за пара е спряна;

• Когато машината е готова лампичката, показваща, че е достигната подходящата
температура светва;
• След приключване на описаните по-горе операции, вашата машина сега е готова да
приготви кафе;
• ВЛЮЧЕТЕ на функция кафе. След секунди, Еспресото ще потече в чашата или чашите;
• Колкото повече вода оставите да изтече, толкова по-слабо ще е кафето. Отгоре Еспресото
ще има лека кафеникава пяна;
• За да спрете изтичането на водата, просто ИЗКЛЮЧЕТЕ функцията за кафе.

Сваляне на ръкохватката:

!След като кафето е готово изчакайте от 10 до 15 секунди преди да свалите

ръкохватката.
• За да направите повече кафе или да свалите ръкохватката, завъртете дръжката наляво.
Бъдете внимателни, тъй като ще има гореща вода върху мляното кафе или върху пакетирана
доза кафе в ръкохватката;
• Изхвърлете утайката от кафе или пакетирана доза кафе от цедката като използвате
предпазител за да не падне. За повече Еспресо повторете горните стъпки;
• След приготвянето на Еспресо изплакнете ръкохватката и използваната Cremaker®™
цедка.

Забележки:
• Ако сте използвали мляно кафе и сега искате да използвате пакетирана доза кафе, просто
ВКЛЮЧЕТЕ машината на функция кафе и оставете водата да почисти остатъците от кафето;
• С пакетираната доза кафе вие може да приготвите само едно Еспресо наведнъж.

2. Приготвяне на капучино
„Капучино” е името, дадено от италианците на сместа от еспресо и млечна пяна. Пяната се
прави като се използва дюзата за капучино. След това пяната заедно с малко мляко се
смесват с кафето.
Забележка: Използвайте по-големи чаши от тези за Еспресо.

UNIT 6

Preliminary considerations

Unlike the language of fiction, the language of Business English is characterized by extensive use
of terminology, clarity of ideas but heavier noun phrase constructions that often need restructuring
in Bulgarian. Don’t underestimate the help of Business English Dictionaries when translating ESP
texts.

92
 TEXT 1
PRODUCT MARKETING

Product marketing deals with the first of the "4P"'s of marketing, which are Product, Pricing,
Place and Promotion. Product marketing, as opposed to product management deals with more
outbound marketing tasks. For example, product management deals with the nuts and bolts of
product development within a firm, whereas product marketing deals with marketing the product to
prospects, customers, and others. Product marketing, as a job function within a firm, also differs
from other marketing jobs such as Marcom or marketing communications, online marketing,
advertising, marketing strategy, etc.
A Product Market is something that is referred to when pitching a new product to the general
public. The people you are trying to make your product appeal to is your consumer market.
For example: If you were pitching a new playstation game to the public, your consumer market
would probably be a younger/teenage market (depending on the type of game). Thus you would
carry out market research to find out how best to release the game. Likewise, a massage chair would
probably not appeal to younger children, so you would pitch your product to an older generation.

Role of Product Marketing

Product marketing in a business addresses four important strategic questions:

• What products will be offered (i.e., the breadth and depth of the product line)?
• Who will be the target customers (i.e., the boundaries of the market segments to be served)?
• How will the products reach those customers (i.e., the distribution channels to be used)?
• Why will customers prefer our products to those of competitors (i.e., the distinctive attributes
and value to be provided)?

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will be
your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

marketing • Shopping
• activities intended to make and attract a profitable demand for a product
n. by means such as advertising, sales promotion, pricing, carrying out
market research, and developing and testing new products
• (transp.) moving goods from producer to consumer
outbound • ready to go, on the way to, start
• (law) tied by a promise or legal duty
adj.
pitch • to throw in a rough or forceful way
• to fall heavily in particular direction
v.
• to move up and down on the water or in the air
• to try to sell, to aim or direct a product or service at a particular group of
people
address • to write on an envelope
• to make a formal speech to a group of people
v.
• to say something directly to somebody
• / yourself to something / -to think about a problem or a situation and
decide how you are going to deal with it
product • a group of products made by the same producer that are similar in the
purpose for which they are made but are different in such details as size,
line shape, colour
n.

II. Focus

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A. Pay attention to the words in bold in the first sentence. Can you preserve the alliteration of the
words beginning with P. Consider carefully your options. Focus on the "4P"'s and suggest your
option
B. Have a look at the expression the nuts and bolts of product development . Is word for word
translation possible. Justify your choice.
C. Concentrate on Marcom, which is a result of blending-combining two stems into one. Make
sure to consult Business English Dictionaries before providing a translation. Mind that when
translating Business English texts you will have to work mostly with such dictionaries to be able
to choose better.
D. Study the sentence in bold. This sentence structure is rather popular in technical writing. What is
the effect? Can you change the word order in the sentence ?
E. Find the meaning of the phrase –the breath and depth of something

TEXT 2
Product Marketing vs. Product Management

Product marketing frequently differs from product management in high-tech companies.

Whereas the product manager is required to take a product's requirements from the sales and
marketing personnel and create a product requirements document (PRD), which will be used by the
engineering team to build the product, the product marketing manager can be engaged in the task of
creating a marketing requirements document (MRD), which is used as source for the product
management to develop the PRD.
In other companies the product manager creates both the MRDs and the PRDs, while the product
marketing manager does outbound tasks like giving product demonstrations in trade shows, creating
marketing collateral like hot-sheets, beat-sheets, cheat sheets, data sheets, and white papers. This
requires the product marketing manager to be skilled not only in competitor analysis, market
research, and technical writing, but also in more business oriented activities like conducting ROI
and NPV analyses on technology investments, strategizing how the decision criteria of the
prospects or customers can be changed so that they buy the company's product vis-à-vis the
competitor's product, etc.
In smaller high-tech firms or start-ups, product marketing and product management functions
can be blurred, and both tasks may be borne by one individual. However, as the company grows
someone needs to focus on creating good requirements documents for the engineering team,
whereas someone else needs to focus on how to analyze the market, influence the "analysts", press,
etc. When such clear demarcation becomes visible, the former falls under the domain of product
management, and the latter, under product marketing. In Silicon Valley, in particular, product
marketing professionals have considerable domain experience in a particular market or technology
or both. Some Silicon Valley firms have titles such as Product Marketing Engineer, who tend to be
promoted to managers in due course.
The trend that is emerging in Silicon Valley is for companies to hire a team of a product
marketing manager with a technical marketing manager. The Technical Marketing role is becoming
more valuable as companies become more competitive and seek to reduce costs and time to market.

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will be
your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

management • the group of people who control a business including both directors
and high-ranking managers
n. • the act of running and controlling a business or similar organisation
• the act or skill of dealing with people or situation in a successful way

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vis-à-vis • in relation to
blur • to become less clear and sharp
• not to see things clearly
v.
• to make the difference between 2 ideas, subjects, etc. less clear
bear • to deal with a difficult or upsetting situation
• /formal/ be responsible for something
v.
• to support something
• to have especially a bad feeling
domain • an area of knowledge or activity, especially one that somebody is
responsible for
n. • lands owned or ruled by a particular person or government, etc
• public domain- something that is in the public domain or available
for everyone to use or discuss and is not secret

II. Focus:

A. Consulting Business English Dictionaries or Internet Sources to find the Bulgarian for: hot-
sheets, beat-sheets, cheat-sheets, data sheets, white papers.
B. Pay attention to the words in bold. These are abbreviations, commonly used in Business English.
Find the meaning of ROI and N.P.V. Always check the abbreviations you come across before
translating.

95
 SECOND YEAR: TRANSLATING FROM BULGRIAN TO ENGLISH

SECTION ONE: FICTION

UNIT 1

Павел Вежинов
Бариерата

И все по-често нощем започва да ме застига самотата, това най-чуждо и най-непонятно за

мен чувство в досегашния ми живот. Появява се обикновено около полунощ, когато застиват
всички живи и мъртви шумове освен постоянното пукане на панелите като кости на
изстиващ мъртвец. Винаги в такива мигове ме обхваща нелепото чувство за някакво едва
доловимо дихание на хищно животно, но толкова близко и плътно, сякаш съм в огромната
му уста. Ставам и започвам да се разхождам нервно из грамадния хол, който всъщност е
моето работно помещение. Няма спасение. Усещането за самотата не е гъсто и лепкаво, то е
остро и бляскаво като връх на кама. Застига ме съвсем ненадейно, мъчи се да ме притисне в
ъгъла, край глупавата зеленясала амфора или край фикуса, натикан там от моята чистачка.
Едва намирам сили да се изплъзна и да изскоча през вратата, без да изгася зад себе си нито
една светлина. Качвам се в асансьора, смъквам се със затаен дъх от четиринайсетия етаж в
партера. Знам много добре, че в такава нощ бих загинал, докато ме намерят, ако тая
скърцаща катафалка внезапно спре. Качвам се в колата, бързо запалвам мотора. Неговият
тих, ромонещ шум, безкрайно по-приятен от бълбукането на прочутите планински потоци,
мигновено ме съвзема. Усмихвам се на глупостта си, потеглям бавно. И все пак се
чувствувам някак хладно изтръпнал, сякаш са ме извадили от хладилник. Зиморничаво
свивам рамене. И отварям прозореца, за да изветрее вонящото дихание на звяра, което ме е
преследвало до самата кола. Не знам какво става с мен, май нещо съм се невротизирал,
откакто се разведох с жена си.
Гумите пърпорят под мене меко и монотонно, като дъжд. Свивам много остро към алеята,
която ни служи за улица, за да чуя обидения и ободряващ в същото време писък на
спирачките. Фаровете задраскват като с пръст тъмните фасади на блоковете. Някой далечен
полилей, спипан от светлините им, пламва за миг пред очите ми и угасва. Бялва се и изчезва
в небитието тънко дантелено перде. Вече не съм сам, моторът е с мен, напразно ругаят това
търпеливо и непретенциозно същество, че бълвало мръсотии. Е, бълва, разбира се, но поне го
прави с такт и прецизно, не се оригва като хората на кисело вино и чесън.
По това време май че е отворен само нощният ресторант на хотел „София“. Паркирах,
както винаги, на площада и доста разколебан се пъхнах в елегантния асансьор. Бях се
успокоил съвсем, заведението с нищо не ме привличаше. Не съм пристрастен към алкохола,
не обичам празни компании, пияни дърдорковци, ласкатели. И все пак това като че ли е
постоянната ми среда, натам ме тика всекидневната човешка инерция. Минах през
ресторанта, без да посмея да се огледам, и седнах на една отстранена маса. По природа съм
недружелюбен, малко навъсен човек, устните ми са винаги здраво стиснати. Знам, че съм
търсен, но не разбирам защо. Като че ли неприветливите хора, които само от време на време
ще изтърсят някой заядлив парадокс, са много по-силен притегателен център от веселите
дърдорковци, особено около жена ми, която събираше около себе си рояци от хора. А сега,
вместо да се успокоя, изведнъж се почувствувах в някакъв идиотски вакуум.
Поръчах си бял италиански вермут, сладникаво и блудкаво питие, което е по-добре да не
се пие. Но с какво друго да се налива човек в тоя закъснял час? Едва сега предпазливо се
поогледах. Тая вечер ресторантът ми се стори доста празен, поне додето стигаше погледът
ми. Беше непривично тихо, тишината сякаш се бе изпарила между червените кадифени
завеси. В нейната призрачна мрежа безшумно, като паяци, се плъзгаха келнерите, сервираха
мълчаливо и сръчно. Това май че е най-голямото достойнство на ресторанта, иначе

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студеното телешко месо, което си бях поръчал, ми се стори доста жилаво. Изпих още един
вермут, после едно съвсем сухо уиски, само с една малка бучка лед. Започнах да се разгрявам
вътрешно. Както винаги в такива случаи, първо се събужда въображението, протяга тънките
си крилца, сини като на водно конче, и се приготвя да литне. Но не успя тоя път, някакъв
келнер се приближи до мен и каза учтиво:
— Канят ви на голямата маса, другарю Манев.
Не бях видял никаква голяма маса.
— Кой ме кани?
— Големия Жан.
— Пиян ли е?
— Не, ни най-малко…
Въздъхнах притеснено. Големия Жан е моят шивач. Наричат го Големия Жан за разлика
от Малкия Жан, който все още работи като частник. Не може току-тъй човек да обиди
шивача си, особено ако държи да е добре облечен.
— Кажете му, че след малко ще дойда — отвърнах аз.
Доядох, без да бързам, студеното телешко и мрачно се понесох към неизвестната маса.
Да, Жан наистина бе събрал поне десетина души между своите почитатели и клиенти. Като
ме видя, той стана прав в своя безукорно изгладен, хризантемен костюм. Тоя човек, който с
такъв вкус обличаше другите, наистина не знаеше как да облече себе си.

Exercises

I. Translation of metaphors: Find instances of metaphoric expressions in the text and translate them
using the principle of dynamic equivalence (complete disregard of the form of the source expression
and full emphasis on its message)
example: глупавата зеленясала амфора –not stupid – perhaps incongruous (make other
suggestions)

II. Lexical refinement:

Find the connotations of the following words including them in suitable contexts. Translate them:
казвам, приказвам, отказвам, доказвам, разказвам, изказвам, указвам
стигам, постигам, настигам, достигам, пристигам

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is the continuation, conducting your
own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far.

— Няма нужда да ви го представям, всички го знаете.

Едва ли — помислих с досада аз, докато сядах на почетното място до него. Не бях
естраден композитор, за да ме гледат с опулени очи момичетата от модерните кафенета. Все
пак имаше няколко познати, нищо особено, един режисьор от анимационната студия,
барманката на дневния бар. Изобщо, както напоследък се случва, жените бяха повече от
мъжете и по-добре се забавляваха, макар че алкохолът вече бе успял да направи гласовете им
доста кресливи. В края на краищата сам си бях виновен, дори острият кинжал на самотата не
е така страшен, като една леко пийнала, бъбрива и досадна компания.
И все пак можеше да бъде и по лошо — ако бяха съвсем пияни, да речем, или говореха за
коли и футболни мачове. Тия поне бърбореха нещо за филми, макар и български. Животът
ми е пълен с такива празни вечери и ненужни познанства, които понякога ми тежат с години.
Стараех се да гледам само в чашата си, да не поемам реплики, да не се усмихвам, да не
проявявам излишен интерес към нищо и никого. Изобщо хубавичко се наскучах. И тая вечер
навярно щеше да изчезне докрай от паметта ми, ако все пак не се беше случило нещо
особено. Но то се случи малко по-късно и сега, както бях изпълнен с досада, нямах никакво

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усещане, че ме очакват някакви изненади. Само от време на време поглеждах съвсем
дискретно часовника си, който си тракаше все така акуратно, без да се интересува в каква
компания бях попаднал. И когато сам той ме увери, че времето на доброто възпитание е,
кажи-речи изтекло, станах, извиних се и си отидох. Разбрах, че Жан никак не е доволен от
мене, но какво да правя? Щях да му изпратя покана за някоя оперна премиера, той много
обича всякакви премиери.
Навън бе станало доста хладно, вятърът мъкнеше ниско над града жълти разпокъсани
облаци. И катедралата сякаш бе залята с гъст зарзалев сок, кубетата й мътно проблясваха под
небето. Никакви хора не се мяркаха по площада освен тия на паметника, запътени към своята
безкрайна участ. Нямах никаква връхна дреха, затова побързах да се пъхна в колата. И тъкмо
бях потеглил, усетих зад себе си някакво човешко движение. Така се стреснах, че заковах на
място колата. И се обърнах рязко назад с чувството, че в следния миг ще ме сполети
жестокият удар — на обвита в плат метална тръба, както обикновено се случва. Разбира се,
нищо подобно не стана — от задната седалка ме гледаше уплашено женско лице, доста
продълговато, опулено, бледо. Едва повярвах на очите си.
— Какво правите тук? — креснах аз гневно.
Разбира се, не бях толкова ядосан, колкото засрамен от собствения си страх. Но за
ядосване си беше — как тъй ще се пъха без разрешение в колата ми.
— Нищо, чаках ви — отвърна тя уплашено. — Но вие тръгнахте толкова бързо.
— Защо ме чакахте?
— Не ме ли познахте? — попита тя учудено.
— Откъде да ви познавам? — отвърнах аз почти грубо.
Разбира се, това не е най-добрият начин да се разговаря с млади момичета. А тя наистина
беше съвсем младо момиче, около двайсетинагодишно, в тоя момент ми се стори малко
немито и износено.
— Ами ние бяхме заедно в ресторанта… И вие специално ме погледнахте.
Глупости — специално! Може и да съм я погледнал, но сигурно съм си мислил за нещо
друго. И изобщо не обичам ресторантски момичета, тия малки хоботници, които смучат
алкохол много по-добре от организираните хамали. Пък и как да ги види човек, като
непрекъснато са обвити в облаци цигарен дим.
— Е, добре де!… И нима това е причина да се на пъхате в колата ми.
Гневът ми бе преминал, бе се превърнал в леко раздразнение.
— Ами аз ви чаках! — отвърна тя. — Вие нали казахте по едно време, че ще си
тръгвате… А навън ми се стори много студено.
— Откъде разбрахте коя е колата ми?
— Нямаше друго Пежо… Пък и вратата беше отворена.
— Да, добре! И за какво ме чакахте?… Ако ми е разрешено, разбира се, да попитам?
Но тоя вид ирония надали действува на момичета като нея, на младите хоботници, искам
да кажа. Тя само примигна и отвърна простичко:
— Исках да ви помоля да ме заведете до вкъщи… Защото е вече късно и трамваите не
работят.
Е! Не толкова глупав претекст!… Но на такава въдица обикновено кълват по-млади или
доста по-стари шарани от мен.
— Къде живеете?
— Към Централния затвор — отвърна тя сериозно.
Ама пък посока! Пък може да не е претекст! Как се бъхта дотам пеша посред нощ! Това
си е цяло пътешествие.
— Виж какво, мойто момиче — отвърнах аз с доста променен тон. — Вие сама видяхте,
че изпих няколко чаши… Как да се мотая из града в това състояние. Представете си, че ме
срещне някой патрул на КАТ!…
— Вие нали и без това си тръгвахте? — попита тя учудено. — С колата, искам да кажа…
— Е, да, но щях да мина по странични, тъмни улици.

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 — Да, прав сте щом е така! — отвърна покорно тя и посегна към вратата.
Много по-късно, когато това немито и нескопосно момиче по един или друг начин стана
част от живота ми, тая нейна примирена покорност щеше да къса из ден в ден сърцето и
нервите ми.
— Чакайте! — казах аз. — Къде тръгнахте?
— Ами щом е така!
— Ще ви закарам поне до пиацата за таксита.
— Не, няма нужда!
И слезе от колата. Но като видях нейната убита, някак несвястна походка, не разбрах как
съм излязъл навън. Като я настигнах, тя плачеше, безмълвно наистина, но сълзите обилно
течаха по лицето й. Съвсем се обърках. С моето малко хладно и може би отчуждено сърце
все пак не можех да понасям женски сълзи, те винаги ме разстройваха. Изглежда, момичето
не беше това, което отначало помислих.

UNIT 2

Preliminary considerations:
1. What difficulties does a historical text present?
a. Consider how you proceed with the names. Are they names of prominent historical persons?
If so, you need to look up the spelling of the name as it has been traditionally written. Same
applies for tribe and location names. Try the “best guess” search engine.
b. Is “Вергилий” a fictitious character or a historical figure? Is he the one we know, who
wrote the Aeneid? What is the right spelling of his name in English?
c. What stylistic peculiarities abound in the text?
d. Note that this is a play. It has been written to be spoken, therefore rhythm and meter are
important elements. Think of the historical character of the play and match the language
accordingly.

Действие 1

- Ти ли си Вергилий?
- Аз съм.
- Търся човекът, който ще ми предскаже бъдещето, а виждам пред себе си един окаян,
дрипав слепец, който дори не може да види кой съм аз.
- Аз може да съм сляп, но моя Бог Исус, когото още наричат Христос, вижда всичко и ми
явява това, което има да се случи сега и занапред.
- Кажи ми тогава кой съм аз?
- Ти си Кубрат, Ювиги Кан на българите.
- Право рече! Аз съм! Вергилий, народът ми е в опасност. Хазарите прииждат отвсякъде.
Синът ми Баян, моят наследник е ранен. Фанагория е обсадена. Могъщата държава, която
управлявам се огъва под натиска на враговете ни. Идва зима, народът гладува, а Тангра
мълчи. Дошъл съм при теб и твоя бог, за да ми кажете ще пребъде ли във вековете моят
народ или завинаги ще изчезне от лицето на Земята?

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- Мъдър владетел е този, който търси истинния Бог. Ако беше го открил от рано Той щеше
да подложи враговете ти на изтребление.
- Не съм дошъл да ме съдиш. Има кой да ме съди. Казах!
- Този, който ще те съди, ти дори не познаваш. Моят Бог...
- Стига! Сгреших, че те потърсих. Предай на твоя Бог, че Аз, ювиги Кан Кубрат...
- Ето...Виждам, виждам плът от плътта ти ще се издигне над много народи. Виждам го,
ето...на бял кон, горд и величествен, да пресича голямата река. В десницата с изкусен меч, а
в другата държи Светилник, гласът му като мълния пронизва небесата. Той ще се съюзи с
русокосите племена и никой не ще може да се сравни с него. Ето виждам и един цар със
златна мантия и черна брада, а войската му е като води на много реки. ...Но Господ ще
благослови твоя потомък и предаде Брадатия в ръката му, заедно с цялата му войска. Той
ще бъде непобедим, и носи името...Белия Конник.

...АСПАРУХ

- Господи, Христе Боже мой, отвори очите му да види!

I. Focus
A. Consider the possibility of using "thou" instead of “you”.
B. Do you register any biblical references?
C. Translate the collocations: вижда всичко, сега и занапред, Право рече!, прииждат
отвсякъде, огъва под натиска на враговете, ще пребъде ли във вековете моят народ, ще
изчезне от лицето на Земята, истинния Бог, подложи на изтребление, Има кой да ме
съди, Казах!, ювиги Кан Кубрат, изкусен меч,
D.Светилник – consider what kind of light source existed at the time and translate it accordingly.

UNIT 3

Preliminary considerations:

Discuss the narrator: His location in space and time. How does this affect the language of the story,
and the translation of the word "колега” in particular. Consider the opposition to “Dottore" as
suggested in the text. If the Italian “Dottore” is “Доторе” in Bulgarian, then, consequently,
“колега” must be merely transcribed as "kolega", yet an explanation must follow as to its meaning.
Mate, would be an appropriate translation, as in prison mate.

Йордан Костурков
В затвора, или разказ за мен

Сънувам, че съм в затвора. Всичко е както трябва да бъде. Уверявам ви. Защото съм бил
и аз в някой и друг затвор. Не за изпълнение на наказанието, а по друг повод. Единият път

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беше, за да взема два буркана кисело мляко. Към затворите има помощни стопанства и ми
обещаха кисело мляко, обикновено, краве, но много гъсто, направено както трябва.
Докато чаках да го донесат, огледах едно друго. Картините. В затвора има доста картини.
Много от затворниците по различни причини започват да рисуват и това се насърчава. Тук
има и хора, чиято криминална дейност е близка до рисуването и за тях това е едно
професионално облекчаване. Рядко, но в затвора попадат и истински художници.
Всички те си даряват картините на затвора и не си ги прибират, дори когато
изпълнението на присъдата им приключи. Защото има и такива случаи.
Тези, чиито картини, разгледах, не бяха първокласни, с изключение на една. Някой ще
възрази, че е имитация. Да, беше копие, но почти едно към едно на известна картина от
неизвестен за мен художник. Очевидно, тя беше работена от специалист.
В затвора, или както е прието да се говори, в местата за изпълнение на наказанията, се
развиват и други изкуства, но живописта се оказва най-трайното в сравнение с театралните и
музикалните изпълнения (не на наказанията). Ще стане дума по-късно и за това.
Сега за киселото мляко.
Щях да забравя, че докато чаках, се отбих в тоалетната. Добре поддържана, както всичко
в затвора, вътре срещнах един поп. Той бил тук по работа, както ми обясни. Не за
излежаване на наказанието. Възможно беше, не попитах. Освен ако не беше някаква
грандиозна дегизировка. Беше ме страх обаче да се заключа в тоалетната. Защото тя се
обслужваше от друг затворник и ме беше страх от него. Не знам точно от какво.
На вратата (не на тоалетната, на специалната стая, където бях поканен) се почука. Влезе
друг затворник с киселото мляко. Както си му е редът се представи по полувоенному, получи
разрешение, извади бурканите.
Това беше. Обаче тези буркани сам си ги изядох. В къщи жената и детето категорично
отказаха да ядат кисело мляко. От затвора. Мисля, че ги беше страх нещо да не се отровят.
Както мене ме беше страх от тоалетната.
Добре че не донесох нищо друго от помощното стопанство. Например телешко месо. Там
има едно от най-добрите телешки меса в страната. В нашата страна телешкото месо не е
хубаво, всички го знаят, готвиш, готвиш, все е жилаво и кораво. Налага се да се смесва.
Попитах един мой приятел, Заки, арабин (той, между другото, също попадна по-късно в
затвора, ще разкажа и неговата история по-долу), собственик на магазин за месо. И той се
съгласи. “Ваше теле трудно се яде”, каза. Ставало само за кайма, за да го смесва с овчето.
Това телешко не е от “на стария вол от баща му”, както най-често хората смятат, а защото
не е узряло. Никое месо у нас не узрява. Предпочитаме го “прясно заклано”. В затвора,
обаче, има специални охладителни уредби за зреене на месото. Затворът в много отношения
е нещо, на което гражданското общество и култура, индустрията и прочее, трябва да
подражават.
Като стана дума за културни занимания, те са от всякакъв род, но, както отбелязах,
развива се главно изобразителното изкуство. Един мой приятел, поет, ходи и той в затвора,
не защото беше задържан, а за да рецитира на истинските затворници от своята книга.
- Имах голям успех – призна ми той. – Тези хора, първо, са много търпеливи. Разполагат с
предостатъчно време. Изслушват те много добре. Ценят те. Задават въпроси. Много от тях и
да не пишат са родени поети по душа.
В нашите затвори поетите, изглежда, са само по душа. Защото не ми е известно от
затвора да е излязъл някой поет. Може и да има, но това да не е много популярно. Дори сред
поетите-антифашисти няма. Ако не броим Вапцаров, но той всъщност не влиза в затвора, а
направо му изпълняват наказанието, но на друго място. Или един белетрист, също покойник
сега, но не е ясно дали наистина е бил в затвора или белетризира. Белетристите обичат да
белетризират. Защото това им е работата.
Не, нямаме ние такава традиция. Нямаме скандални истории, като тази с Езра Паунд или
Жан Жьоне, когато цялото общество се вдига, за да ги извади от затвора, а те се оказват
творци от световен мащаб, нали така?

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 Но няма да изследвам тук тази проблема. Нали си има професионални изследвачи, както
се казва, това е просто една благодатна тема за дисертация или хабилитационен труд
“Затворът и литературата”.
Както се вижда дотук – ще се види и по-нататък, аз зная що е това затвор, бил съм и
преди там.
А сега бях тук. Вярно, на сън, но в един истински затвор.
Повечето от колегите (ние тук също си викаме “колега”, в нашата страна “колега” е като
в Италия “дотторе”, там пък всеки е доктор) са, естествено, невинни. Какво говоря, всички,
всъщност, са невинни. Като мен, не бях ли и аз невинен? Случайно попадаме ние в затвора,
така е. Затворите са пълни само с невинни хора, а истинските престъпници са на свобода и
заемат достойно обществено положение.
Ето, да вземем за пример Емилия. Емилия е беше, или почти беше бебе. На три годинки е,
а е осъдена на лишаване на свобода и изтърпява наказанието си. Не, Емилия не е дете,
родено в затвора или поне заченато там, каквито легендарни случаи има много. Емилия е
осъдена с присъда и е в затвора, колкото странно и да ви се вижда това. Налага се и на майка
й да влезе в затвора, за да я гледа, защото случаят е уникален и не са предвидени специални
условия за бебета и малки деца. Но това е. Така е. Лежи си Емилия и си излежава
(изтърпява) присъдата или наказанието.
Ако знаех и можех да разкажа цялата история за бебето Емилия, това щеше да е полезно.
Така, както набързо я споменавам, освен че звучи абсурдно, не става ясно и защо я
споменавам. Но бебето Емилия наистина е било осъдено, намерено за виновно и изпратено
на поправителен режим. Единственото, което не мога, е да се направя, че не е така, че няма
такава история, че тя е невъзможна. Но как – прекрасно и в този момент виждам бебето
Емилия – затворничка по всички правила, документирана, включена в списъците и
повиквана. Вярно, майка й също е там, но бебето намира това за естествено, както е
естествена за нея цялата обстановка, както е за нея този живот, животът в затвора.
Тя дори не може да излиза да обжалва. Защото повечето от нас това правят. Обжалват.
Безрезултатно, но така получаваш възможност да излизаш, да ходиш до съда, да си замалко
на свобода, да се връщаш. Водят те в съда с кола, връщат те пак с кола. Цяла радост.
Аз също го правя. Защото съм осъден, изглежда, несправедливо. Доказвам това на съда.
Не, виновен съм бил, да изтърпявам.
Дотук, а и по-нататък, ще повторя, всичко става насън.
Насън срещам в затвора Заки, арабина. Нищо особено, сякаш съм прескочил до
месарницата му. Сега обаче той ножове не държи, нито носи мръсна бяла престилка. Белите
престилки излязоха от мода. Така не се вижда кръв, нито мърсотия. Не само в месарниците.
Заки попаднал невинен, имало недоразумение. Конкуренцията му затворила магазина за
меса. С какво да си гледа децата и жената? Отваря друг магазин. Продава съвсем други неща.
Без бяла престилка. Продава наргилета. Много се търсели, имало доста араби, но и доста
любители на ориенталската култура. Тук го задържат от милицията. С маски, посред бял ден,
с коли, шум, както му е редът. Обвинили го, че в наргилетата принася наркотици. Взели
мостри. Намерили у него също два мобифона (макар и по 20 лева единият), и три банкноти
по сто лева. Питали го къде са останалите. Валутата. Доларите и еврото. И така нататък.
- Ти трябва непременно да обжалваш – съветвам го аз. – Повикай ме за свидетел.
Купувал съм едно-друго от магазина ти.
- Аби можи, ама да са изсмисли, теб да не обвинят.
Прав е. Представете си, че е имало наркотици и в месото. Никой не го е изследвал,
магазинът му вече затворен от конкуренцията.
Така или иначе и той ще обжалва, сигурен съм.
Тъй като познавам нещата отблизо, ще коментирам затворите според
местоположението им. Затворите в провинцията, макар да се славят легендарно в
исторически план, според мен, са за предпочитане. Всичко е някак си по домашному там.
Имаше един затвор – близо до местната винарска изба. Вземаха затворниците под наем,

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фактически, дето се вика, ангария. Не знам каква беше ползата и смисълът, но целият затвор
добре си подпийваше покрай другото. Доста е идилично, но е вярно.
Или женските затвори. Там пък какви са ставали, кой ли знае. Във всеки случай не и аз,
тъй като не съм бил в женски затвор. Само съм минавал покрай тях. Което често е
достатъчно. За да си съставиш представа.
В интерес на истината тук някъде трябва да призная, че в съня ми, не съм се оказал в
затвора случайно. Истината е, че бях извършил престъпление и трябваше да изтърпя. Няма
да разкажа какво, не очаквайте това от мен. Пък и как иначе ще продължавам да обжалвам.
Най-общо престъплението ми е сериозно, но не е нещо свързано с убийства или подобни.
По-невинно и същевременно по-сериозно. Извинявам се, че само го загатвам и не съм по-
конкретен.
Истината е, че аз хем знам какво съм извършил, хем не знам. Има такива мигове в живота
на човека, така е. Особено насън. И затова е трудно да се различи реалност от нереалност.
Затова и всъщност не мога да обясня какво съм направил, макар че, в съня ми, това не
подлежеше на съмнение. Бях извършил някакво престъпление, ако така може да се каже.
Във филмите има много затвори – и български, и американски, и какви ли не. Проблемът
е, че това не са затворите, в които всеки от нас може да се окаже. Както мен. Или Емилия.
Или Заки. Аз нямам нищо общо с филмовите затвори. Те все пак са предмет на изкуството.
Не ми се е случвало никой по никакъв повод да ме заплашва със затвор. Затова и някак си
ми е странно, че се оказах там. В един истински затвор, заради едно истинско престъпление.
Не искам който прочете горното по никакъв начин да се паникьосва да не му се случи
като на мен. Защото бях, но вече не съм. Което не е гаранция, че няма пак да попадна. Не се
притеснявайте, ако ви дойде редът, идете си в затвора. Всички трябва да отидем там.
Особено, ако твърдим, че сме невинни. Затворът му е майката на всичко.
Аз вече съм се събудил и май не съм в затвора. Чакат ме още кой знае колко години на
свобода. Защото не съм си изтърпял наказанието като всички. Мисля си и че затворът е като
вече почти несъществуващите у нас обществени бани (в другите страни, обаче, ги има). Там
всички също бяхме колеги и на всички ни се налагаше да ходим. За да сме, поне замалко, на
свобода.
Ние, аз, бедното бебе Емилия, арабинът Заки, вечните затворници, които не знаем дори
какво е свободата.
Човек, така или иначе, винаги е само на крачка от затвора.

I. Focus on:
A. Find a prison/legal/police argot dictionary. Study the entries to expand your vocabulary
B. You will find difficult collocations and phraseologisms in the text, marked in bold italics, to
translate. Discuss them in groups and reach agreement about the best translation.
C. Propose at least 5 appropriate translations of “колеги”.
D. If the source text deviates from the collocational, lexical, syntactic, metrical, prosodic,
semantic norms of the language, the translated text must do so too.
Ваше теле трудно се яде/ Аби можи, ама да са изсмисли, теб да не обвинят.- try to
render it in broken, pidgin English.

Wrong translation Correct translation

False friends

Collocations

Polysemy

New coinages

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Terminology

Ambiguity

Idioms

UNIT 4

Preliminary considerations
A. What does the title imply? – No Exit! / impasse / deadlock/ cul-de-sac/ dead end/ blind alley
B. What verb tenses have been used and how would you translate them?

Йордан Костурков
България без изход

Баба ми беше в хана, мисля, че се наричаше Кацигра хан, но не съм сигурен, не съм от
този край, пък и тогава, както става ясно, мен не ме е имало. Бяха я докарали с шейна.
Когато паднеше сняг, файтонджиите оставяха файтоните и впрягаха шейни. По улицата
откъм гарата и рано сутрин и цяла нощ, от ранна вечер, фенерите бяха запалени, още не ги
бяха угасили. Тя беше се увила с голям черен, плетен, вълнен шал, този шал после се предаде
по наследство и още е жив и здрав, може да е поне на сто години, нищо му няма.
Баба ми също не беше от този край и мисля, че не е знаела точно къде е или дори защо е
там. Бяха я оставили да чака. Бяха я докарали с влака.
Тя постояла-постояла и въпреки риска да се изгуби, или да не я намерят лесно, тръгнала
да се разтъпче.
Тогава видяла оттатък вътрешния двор, в ниските, по-стари пристройки, килиите. Те не
били предназначени за затворници, сигурно слугите, пък и животни оставали там. И би
трябвало да са празни. Баба ми видяла обаче вътре затворници. Приближила се, разгледала
ги, може би дори се е осмелила да ги попита нещо. Били пленени въстаници. Оставени там,
измъчвани, от време на време изваждали десетина да ги обесят на моста. Но баба ми това не
го била видяла, тя и моста не била видяла, знаела, че е по-нагоре по улицата.
Баба ми не знаела нищо за въстанието, тя беше от друг край, там въстание нямало. Не
знам дали е била грамотна, но и не знам дали изобщо някакви вестници стигали там,
новините се донасяли от уста на уста. Нещо като че ли била все пак подчувала, нещо ставало
нагоре към Панагюрище, Стрелча, Копривщица. Освен това била видяла, че сред турците
има някакво вълнение. Пристигали войски, тях ги видяла, пристигали с влака или на марш.
Говорело се, че се палят градове, села и паланки. Говорело се, че се активирал башибозукът,
както и мохамеданите от родопската яка.
……
Както и да е, нека се заловим за фактите. Когато тя все пак, според твърденията й,
излязла на двора, вероятно за да търси тоалетна, макар че никога пред мен или пред друг
човек не би дори споменала такова нещо (старите хора не ходеха в тоалетната, никога), в
ниската каменно-кирпична постройка, зад решетките на прозорците видяла въстаниците. На

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брой били двайсет-трийсет, по пет-шест се били скупчили на прозорците да гледат кой
идва, кой си тръгва, какво да очакват. Защото то иначе било ясно – чакала ги смъртта. Чрез
обесване. Другите лежали по сламата в килиите, някои ранени, раните им зараснали или
загнояли, гладни и жадни.
Баба не ги заговорила, но те й поискали вода и храна, от всекиго искали. Тя развързала
кърпата си, имаше една такава кърпа от месал май, завързана с много възли, служеше й за
дамска чанта, баба иначе никога не е имала чанта, но е възможно да е имала портмоне, и то
завито в кърпата. Там имала един краешник. Тя сама печеше хляб на фурната, месеше го,
редеше го на дъски, завит с тензух и го носеше, а после опечен го завиваше в черги, да не
изсъхва цяла седмица. Друго нямала, тя така понякога дъвчеше хляб, по малко, така им го
разделила по парче на всяка килия, да им се падне по троха макар, но друго нямала. Бързо се
върнала, защото малко се забавила при детето, както твърдеше, при мен, макар че това беше
напълно невъзможно, взела биреното шише, напълнила го и пак така им дала, по капка,
оставила ги, да не се загуби детето.
Така изчакала майка ми и баща ми (или не се знае кого) да се върнат, обяснила, че е
загубила шишето, че е гладна, да й купели заводски хляб. Майка ми нещо се поусъмнила,
попитала я няма ли пари, имала, но не знаела откъде да купи, а нямала и шише.
Баща ми тогава купил ново шише с бира, изпил я и й го дал да го напълни, майка ми й
донесла заводски хляб, взела и нарязани колбаси, но баба ми не искала, отчупила само хляб.
Не можеше да даде разумно обяснение, защо не е казала на майка ми и баща ми какво е
видяла в задния двор. Възможно ли бе тези затворница да бяха останали там някъде към
петдесет и повече години, да не би да ги връщаха от Диарбекир като Христо Ботев, когото
народът в онези години от време на време твърдеше, че е още в заточение, на сто години
станал, със същата брада. Не бил убит, не бил погребан, турците го били пленили и държали
в Диарбекир.
Но Христо Ботев така и не дойде никога от никъде, а и костите му ги няма, в дух се бе
превърнал.
Нямало ги и въстаниците, когато баба под някакъв предлог пак се върнала, зеели празни
килиите, вътре наистина имало слама, стара, сплъстена. Вратите били увиснали на пантите
си, на прозорците пак нямало стъкла. Неизвестно е за какво са използвали тогава тези
стайчета стопаните на хана, ако е имало стопани, ако това още е било хан в центъра на
градчето, където минавала една от малкото автобусни линии. Турците ли ги били извели, да
ги обесят ли ги закарали, те ли сами се освободили и избягали някъде – в Балкана, в Средна
гора, къде другаде – не и в Родопите, там нямало свободна територия.
Баба ми тогава нищо не могла да разбере, а и не искала с никого да споделя, само с мен,
трийсет години по-късно.
На припек на калдъръма в двора лежали няколко котки. Тогава нямало улични кучета,
изобщо в градовете нямало кучета, само по селата и в покрайнините, и не били улични, а си
имали стопани. Баба ми много обичала котките, подмамила ги, натрошила им заводския
хляб, сипала им вода.
Може и да си е помислила, че въстаниците са вампирясали и са приели образите на котки,
доста котки имало във вътрешния двор на хана.
Баба живееше няколко живота едновременно. Единият, нейният, най-потайният, на жена,
надживяла мъжа си с петдесет години, без спомен за него, без снимка, без никаква вещ.
Другият бил живота на майка й, умряла стогодишна, никой не й помнеше дори името вече. И
най-истинският – този в който спомени, разкази и какво ли не се рееха в пространството, с
което тя общуваше. Някъде в някой от тези нейни животи се бе състояла срещата й с
въстаниците, за която тя беше сигурна, че е истинска.
Наскоро минавах оттам. Вече никакъв хан няма, камък не е останал и то сигурно от много
години, изкопана е една голяма дупка за бизнес център. На улицата имаше табела:
“БЪЛГАРИЯ БЕЗ ИЗХОД”. Ремонтираха я, бяха я означили и сигнализирали. И да исках, не
можех да се опитам и аз като баба да се върна в някое минало, поне в нейното. Някога някой

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може да се сети да постави паметна плоча – върху стената на бизнес центъра, може би, че тук
е бил Кацигра хан, в който са държали пленените въстаници, преди да ги обесят на Стария
мост. То и Стария мост го няма, така че историята стига до своето задънено място, България
без изход.

I. Focus on:

Discuss the bottlenecks written in bold italics. Here are some examples. Fit the phrases from the
text so marked in the table below:

Wrong translation Correct translation

False friends
евентуално eventually possibly
Collocations
жив и здрав Alive and healthy Safe and sound
Polysemy
не беше от този край end parts
New coinages
борец wrestler thug
Metaphors
Се завърна на бял кон Came back on white horse Returned redeemed
Terminology
законопроект Law draft Bill
Ambiguity
Наостри уши Sharpened his ears Cocked/pricked his ears
Idioms
Фасулска работа Beanish work Piece of cake

UNIT 5

Николай Хайтов
Ибрям Али

Мъж и половина, като ти кажат - тоя беше! Ако, че бе разбойник. Виждал съм го много
пъти, като идваше на къшлата ми за хляб, и колкото пъти го виждах, всякога се чудех, а бе
каква е тая пъргава жила! До главата ти дойде, настъпи те, дето се вика, а нито си го усетил,
нито кучетата имат някакъв хабер! В Делисивковия двор четири кучета имаше, а той влезе
през двора, а от двора - в Делисивковата стая, сложи му нажежената пирустия на главата и си
отиде, без куче да джафне. Навърза ги сетне кучетата Делисивко на синджир и ги изтрепа с
чифтето, дето не дали никакъв знак.
Попита веднъж Алито:
- А бе какво ги работиш тия кучета, та не те усещат?
- Мажа се с пърчово мъдо и миризмата се губи!

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 Шегуваше ли се, или истина приказваше - не зная, че той се не смееше никога, за да
познаеш кога се шегува. Лицето му си беше все едно. Само веднъж съм го виждал да скръцне
със зъби, когато го хванаха първия път и ги събраха с майка му, да каже майка му носил ли е
Алито Делисивкови пари в къщи. Майката отричаше, а Фъндъклията - пъдаринът - я улови за
плитките и я удари. Вързан беше Алито с въжета, ала като шавна само - изтръшка тримата
жандари на земята и с коляното си тъй халоса пъдарина, че оня се преметна.
Казваха, че тоя същия пъдарин сетне в общината беше пърлил на Алито врата със слама и
с дърво се мъчил крака да му строши. И за какво беше тая олелия?
За десет лири!
Алито беше аргатин у Делисивка, а на края Делисивко заявява, че Алито му е откраднал
десет лири. Затварят го в общината и – бой, бой, докато кожата му - да прощаваш – смъкнали
отзад. Махни боя, ами го влачиха и в участъците, две ли, три ли недели, докато намерил
веднъж Алито хубава сгода – прекарвали го през реката, а той бутнал стражаря в реката и
хваща балкана.
След бягането на Алито се разбра, че на Делисивка големият син – Марин – задигнал
десетте лири и запрашил с една певачка. Като се върнал и разбрал каква е работата, човек
излязъл и обадил на баща си, че той му е задигнал лирите. Алито беше още в участъка.
Грешката на Делисивка беше, че вместо да пусне Али и да му иска прошка – казал на
Марина да мълчи.
Първата жертва на Алито стана пъдарина, дето искал крака му да строши. Хваща го на
ливадите в Азмака и го убива. След това написва една бележка на Делисивка – сам не
можеше да пише, ами накара един дървар да му напише: ‹‹ Чакай ма! ›› Порязъл си пръстта и
турим отдолу вместо подпис – кървав кръст.
Видял се в тясно Делисивко и нали е чорбаджия, имаше достове големи – дигна цялата
полиция да гони Али. Като не хванаха Али, хванаха майка му, разкарваха я, мъчиха я да го
издаде, докато старата умря. Ако това не беха направили с майка му, Ибряма щеше да върне
каквото имаше за връщане на Делисивка и с това щеше да се укроти, но като затриха майка
му, откачи се и последната кука, дето го държеше със света, овълчи се и стана, дето се вика,
делия. Подпали на Делисивка снопите, изгори му къшлата, наби овчарите и бутна мандрата.
Задели от стадото му двеста овце и през границата го прекара. След това и други започна да
обира, ала сиромаси не закачаше. Пътищата станаха несигурни, властта се видя в чудо и
оцениха главата му пет хиляди на ония, скъпите пари.

I. Compare your translation with the following one. Consider the differences and comment on them.

Ibryam-Ali
by Nikolaj Hajtov (translated from Bulgarian by Michael Holman)

He was a real man, make no mistake about it! A bandit he may have been, but a fine fellow all
the same! We met a good few times, me and Ali. He used to call on me at the sheepfolds, looking
for bread, and the more I saw of him the more I admired him. A game cock if I ever saw one! He'd
come creeping up, and you'd be tripping over him before you knew he was there. And even the dogs
never caught his scent. Delissivko had four guarding his place, but Ali got into the yard, climbed
into Delissivko's bedroom, stuck a red-hot trivet over his head and made off without a woof or a
whine from a single one of them. After that Delissivko chained them up, took his double-barrelled
gun and shot them dead, for not raising the alarm.
Once I asked Ali how he did it:
'How is it the dogs never notice you?' I said.
'I rub myself down with a paste made from billy-goat's balls, ' he told me. 'That kills any smell
I may have!'
Whether he was telling the truth or only joking, I couldn't say, because he never laughed. In
fact you never knew when he was joking and when he wasn't, for his face always stayed the same.

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Only once did I see him show any feeling: when he was caught the first time. They confronted him
with his mother and tried to make her say he'd brought Delissivko's money home with him. She
denied it, and Fandukli the field-keeper grabbed her by the plaits and hit her. Ali may have been
bound hand and foot, but a twist of his body sent three policemen tumbling to the ground and a
crack from his knee up-ended the field-keeper over t'other side of the room.
People said that later, up at the police station, the field-keeper burned Ali's neck with blazing
straw and tried to break his leg with a lump of wood.
And what was all the fuss about?
Ten Turkish liras!
Ali worked as a farmhand for Delissivko, and one day Delissivko announced that Ali had
robbed him of ten liras. Ali got locked up in the police station and was given such a thrashing the
skin hung in strips off his backside - if you'll pardon the expression. The thrashing wasn't all
though - for nearly three whole weeks they dragged him from one police station to the next, till he
got the chance to give them the slip. Just taking him across a river, they was, when he shoved his
escort into the water and made off into the mountains.
After Ali got away it came out that Delissivko's eldest son Marin had pinched the ten liras and
had run off with the songstress from up at the pub. When Marin got back and found out what had
happened he went like a man to his father and confessed it was him took the money. Ali was still
at the police station then, and that's where Delissivko made his big mistake. Instead of letting Ali
go and saying he was sorry, he ordered Marin to shut up and keep quiet.
Ali's first victim was the field-keeper who'd tried to break his leg. He caught him out in the
meadows by Azmak and killed him. Then he sent Delissivko a note. He couldn't write himself, so
he got a wood-cutter to do it for him:
‘Just you wait!' Then he cut his finger and instead of writing his name, he signed with a cross
of blood at the bottom.
Delissivko got the wind up good and proper but seeing as he was rich he had plenty of friends
in high places, and got the whole police force out looking for old Ali. When they couldn't find him
they got hold of his mother. They tortured her and tormented her, but she wouldn't give her son
away and in the end the old woman died. If they hadn't done this, most likely Ali would have made
his peace with Delissivko and called it a day, but when his old mother was killed the final link
between him and the world snapped. He turned wild, like a wolf, and became, as they say, a real
desperado. He set fire to Delissivko's sheaves, burned down his sheepfolds, attacked his shepherds
and destroyed the creamery where the cheese was made. Two hundred head of sheep he stole from
Delissivko and drove them over the border. Later he began stealing from others as well, but never
from the poor. The roads weren't safe. The authorities were at a loss what to do and in the end a
five thousand lev reward was placed on his head. And money was worth something in those days!

II. Continues from the previous text. Translate, minding the above considerations.

Ибрям Али
От Николай Хайтов

Делисивко добави от него си хиляда, ала никой не посмя нито да го дири, нито да го
трепе. Един каракачанин само - лаком за пари - беше се опитал да предаде Алито, но оня го
подуши, хвана го и го съсече. След това го забил в едни мравуняк, та мравките го жив
оглозгали.
Мене по едно време ме виняха, че съм давал хляб. Ами какво ще правиш, ако си на мойто
място – все в балкана, под ножа му! – Ще даваш не, ами хоро ще играеш. А пък и знаехме, че
не беше се родил разбойник, ами го направи Делисивко. На това отгоре Алито имаше хубав
глас и пееше песни като никой друг. Хелем една песен имаше ‹‹ Руфинка болна легнала›› !
Като запееше тая песен и гласът му се проточи над ливадите и нивите, косачите спираха да

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косят, жетварите спираха да жънат, гласа му да послушат. С тая песен той много сърца
разигра, между тях и на Джинкова Фатма от Козлука. Тя го искаше, но баща ù я не даваше за
аргатин. Против бащината воля Фатма щеше да пристане на Алито и си нарекли ден и час,
без сиромашкия Али да знае, че орисницата му е нарекла вместо ‹‹ бяла Фатма с черните очи››
– дървета и камшици по гърба.
Арамия стана Алито, търсеха го под шумка и сламка, ала не забрави онази песен: беха го
чували да я пее в пущинаците и се говореше, че по тая песен старшията от Белица му стъпил
в дирите и го ранил и дори убил. За доказателство старшията му донесе кървавата чанта –
кожена чанта със синьо мънисто, а в нея трийсе наполеона златни. Такава чанта Алито да
зареже! То не можеше да бъде, ако не е висял животът му на косъм!
Тъй разправяше Беличенина, тъй се съгласиха всички. На същата кълка взе че се излегна
и старата лисица - Делисивко: брои на старшията хиляда лева и спокойно заживя. Влизаше,
излизаше от къщи, в черква ходеше, в общината с кюрка се явяваше и хокаше аргатите, като
че нищичко през главата му не беше минало ... Малко по малко взехме и ние, овчарите, да
вярваме, че Алито е наистина погубен от тежката си рана, още повече – никому не беше се
явявал, нито на дървари, нито на овчар.
Тъй вървеше, докато една заран се каза, че Алито влезнал при Делисивка през нощта. И
най-важното – никой не разбра какво го е работил! Рáни Делисивко нямаше, видех го на
двора две недели подир влизането на Али. Ходеше се право, не куцаше, не охкаше, все в
земята гледаше и вече не се чу нито да вика, нито да хока.
Живя около месец с трима души в една стая – двамата пазят, третия – спи, но сам
Делисивко – така разправят – нито вечер не заспал. Дойдело ли време да задреме, сепвало го
нещо, рипвал от кревата и почвал по дюшемето да се влачи и да вика: ‹‹ Тука е! Иде! ››
Викат му аргатите: ‹‹ Няма, чорбаджи, никой няма! ›› Ала той едно си знаел: ‹‹ Тука е! ››
Една вечер казал на аргатите да излезнат малко, риза чиста да си облече. Като се върнали
– обесен!
Една неделя подир Делисивковото погребение стана големият обир и за втори път раниха
Ибрям-Али. Кечо поп Василев ми разправяше – беше се случил и той в обира, че били около
десет души, повечето джамбази, отивали за брави в Карамушица. На Каракулас поспрели да
пият вода и тогава двама с червени шалове изрипнали:
- Горе ръцете и не мърдайте!
Единият държал в ръката си пищов, а другият – бомба. Тоя с пищова бил Алито и той
командувал: да минават касапите един след друг и да си хвърлят парите.
- Тия са - рекъл – пари на сиромасите, дето бадева сте им събирали бравите!
Минали двама, минали пет, а когато минал шестият, вместо да извади кесията, извадил
кама и се хвърлил да убива Алито. Почнало се люта борба, ала никой не смеел да се намеси:
джамбазите се боели от бомбата, бомбаджията – от джамбазите и оставили на двамата борци
да разрешат кой кого ще усмърти. Касапинът скъсва вуркузуна на Алито, вкопчил, да
прощаваш, слабините му и започнал да ги стиска и извива, а пък Алито, като видял, че е на
зле, викнал на помагача си да хвърли бомбата.
- Мятай – рекъл, - свършвай ни двамата!
Метнал другарят му бомбата в двамата борци. Пукнала бомбата, а когато димовете се
разнесли – на земята оня лежал убит, а пък Алито – жив и здрав! В бута само прободен с
едно парче. Втресе ме като видех тая рана – беше десетина дни след обира.

UNIT 6

109
Иван Кулеков
Разни монолози

ДЪВКА
Извинявай, че ще ти дъвча, ама се опитвам да откажа вестниците. Ти опитвал ли си да ги
откажеш? Не е лесно като с цигарите. Сто пъти съм си казвал: преглеждам само заглавията
и - край. Но на другия ден краката пак ме водят към будката. Какво да ти разправям - това са
20 години по един-два вестника на ден, а имаше време, когато заставах пред будката и
поръчвах от всички по един. Като се роди детето, жената вика поне заради него ги откажи,
едно, че ще тровят и него, второ, че нямаме пари за глупости. Тогава започнах да събирам
изоставени вестници по чакалните и излизах на балкона да ги чета. Кога порасна малкото -
така и не разбрах. То реве в креватчето или иска нещо да ми каже, аз му викам ей сега, да
видя спорта и идвам. Пък след спорта подхващах и кръстословицата... Обаче вече ножът
опря о кокал. Главата ми съвсем се изпразни - само някакви голи жени, политици и
футболисти останаха да подскачат из нея като в сферата на тотото. Абе стигнах до там да не
мога да прочета една книга. Ако в първото изречение не пише кой кого и кога е наръгал -
изхвърлям я през прозореца. Дори и да се замисля преди да кажа нещо, най-много да изтърся
"Митничар тараши джип, джипаджии тарашат митничар" или "Топлото поскъпва, да се готви
алото". Едва успях да намеря пътя към поликлиниката. Още щом ме видя, докторът ме
попита четеш ли вестници. Викам му "Падат главите на двама замминистри". Или ти ще
погребеш вестниците, или вестниците ще погребат тебе, рече ми докторът. Тогава се
уплаших и реших - край, скъсвам всякакви вестници! В случай, че пак ми се прииска,
докторът ми предписа да вземам по една дъвка... Извиних ли ти се, че дъвча?... После, като
започнах да чета всичко за болестта си, разбрах, че пристрастяването към вестниците е
характерно за по-изостаналите държави. В Америка например на обществени места било
абсолютно забранено. Когото хванат - на електрическия стол. То затова им дръпна така
икономиката. А тук срещу входа на всяко училище има будка за вестници. И снимките на
премиера и президента - на първа страница. Дори като погледнеш в тоалетните на болниците
- пълно с вестници. Затова сме на това дередже. Да кажем народът заблуден, ами
журналистите, дето по-добре от всички знаят какво са вестниците, излизат полуживи от
редакциите си и пак мушнали вестника под мишницата. Виждал съм разни пропаднали
типове да се събират по десетина души в една стаичка и да си правят вестник с каквото
намерят - новини от радиото, CNN, интернет, клюки, вицове и после си го четат. Много от
тях завършват или в някоя болница, или в някое министерство като прес-секретари. Слава
Богу, че навреме отидох на лекар... Макар че, честно да си призная, откакто започнаха
проблемите в живота ми... Не, не съм посягал към вестник, но не вдигам глава от
телевизора...

I. Lexical refinement
Find the connotations of the following words including them in suitable contexts. Translate them:

гледам, преглеждам, доглеждам, наглеждам, изглеждам, поглеждам, оглеждам, проглеждам,

разглеждам, недоглеждам, отглеждам
скачам, подскачам, надскачам, прескачам, отскачам, изскачам
плаша, изплашвам, подплашвам, наплашвам, уплашвам
хвърлям, подхвърлям, изхвърлям, надхвърлям, захвърлям, отхвърлям, прехвърлям,
разхвърлям

II. Pay particular attention to the expressions in bold. Can they have more than one variant in
English? Find the English equivalent for the 6 out of 49 game.

110
III. The newspaper headlines could either be translated, or similarly striking ones could be
borrowed from English newspapers.

UNIT 7

Preliminary considerations:
Before translating analyse the register of the text and try to render it properly.

Иван Кулеков
Разни монолози

ЮДА
Господи, 2000 години място не мога да си намеря. Не че искам да стоваря всичко върху
твоята глава, но ако не беше ме убедил, че човек трябва да се жертва за хората, нямаше да те
предам. Честен кръст! Но хората не заслужават. Прекалено са елементарни. Наистина си
мислят, че е било заради трийсетте сребърника. Дори не правят простата сметка, че 30
сребърника аз ще ги профукам за една седмица, добре - за един месец, а покрай тебе няма да
остана нито гладен, нито жаден цял живот. А не дай си Боже и нещо по-лошо да ми се случи
- я се разболея, я умра - пак на тебе ще разчитам да ме оправиш. Откъдето и да го погледнеш
- нямам никакъв личен интерес да те предавам. Като добавиш и неизбежните при такива
случаи угризения на съвестта, които човек си навлича като някаква срамна болест - цялата
работа става още по-безсмислена. Обаче върви убеждавай някого, че не е било заради
мангизите. Особено гладните. Те не мислят с главата, а със стомаха си и изобщо през
празния им корем не минава идеята, че човек може да има и други аргументи да те предаде,
освен парите. Хайде, остави ме мене, но това е обидно преди всичко за тебе. Тия типове,
които на думи те боготворят, всъщност си мислят, че щом си се заобиколил с отрепки като
мене, ти не можеш да отличиш доброто от злото. А оттук до заключението кажи ми какви са
приятелите ти, за да ти кажа какъв си ти, има само една крачка. Ей това ме вбесява повече от
всичко.
Сякаш кръстът да си предал Христос може да се носи от всеки. Глупаци! Пак ти казвам,
ако не ти бях повярвал, че в страданието заради другите има някакъв смисъл, никога нямаше
да те целуна.
Обаче като си представих колко нещастници ходят по тая земя, кой предал майка, кой -
приятел, кой - родина, кой - идея, като знам в какъв ад се пържат, си рекох: добре, ще се
жертвам за тях, ще поема този грях, само и само те да могат да си кажат ето, този, който
Христос лично избра за апостол, извърши предателство, какво останало за нас, обикновените
хорица, дето никой не ни обръща внимание.
Съзнавах, че това е единствената утеха, с която милиони ще успокоят болната си съвест и
ще се върнат към нормален живот и не се излъгах. Казано шаблонно - резултатите надминаха
и най-смелите ми очаквания. "Щом апостол Юда, дето, нали, пък аз, дето, нали....." се
оказаха едни вълшебни думички. Имал съм случаи, когато те са помагали на генерали,
предали армиите си, да ядат и пият по три дни и нощи и са заповядвали на цели армии да
предадат своите генерали, за да спасят кожата. Оказа се, че тяхната вълшебна сила крепи
всички семейства по света, или пък вдъхновява министър-председатели, предали народите
си, да се явяват отново на избори. И да ги печелят. Абе не са един или два примера, та да ги
помня. Но ако се интересуваш, учениците ми ги записват и издават. "История на човека",

111
"История на религиите", "История на света" - няма книга, в която да се казва нещо друго.
Изобщо, дето ми пише един български революционер, сега пенсионер: "Апостоле, ако те
нямаше тебе, и нас да ни няма. Юда е българин!"
Сега, моля правилно да бъда тълкуван. Да не излезе така, че като спасих човеците от меча
на съвестта им, съм се водил от чиста любов към ближния! Нищо подобно. Аз не съм
Христос. Не, аз понесох кръста на предателството единствено заради тебе, Господи! И не
толкова, за да те спася от хората - ти и на оня свят нямаш мира от тях - колкото да ти доставя
радост като спася това, което ти сътвори. Нямам предвид разните му там гадини като змии,
гущери и агнета, тях вълци ги яли, ами човека, Господи. Пред него стоеше реалната опасност
да се превърне в хора. Като се отрече от себе си и заедно с всички останали приеме твоите,
без комплимент, прекрасни заповеди за свои, като се съгласи, че е само овчица от стадото,
винтче от механизма, песъчинка от пустинята, атом от всемира и други поетични
идиотщини.
Представяш ли си тези отказали си от собствения си и вживяващи се в твоя образ
актьори, които продължават да бъдат подвластни на инстинктите си за търсене на храна,
чукане и власт, да ти крещят "Бог - това сме ние"?! Водени в кръстоносни походи от страстта
си да убиват, да ти крещят "Бог - това сме ние"? Изтръгвайки ноктите на неправедните,
набивайки ги на кол, изгаряйки ги на клади и в пещи, затваряйки ги в лагери и държави, за да
задоволят потребността си от удовлетворение, да ти крещят "Бог - това сме ние"?
Представяш ли си да се случи подобен ад? Нали тогава всичко, което си създал, отива по
дяволите. А аз, какво, да стоя отстрани и да мрънкам: ами щом така е писано.....
Че това е предателство. Затова те целунах. Някой човек все пак трябваше да напусне
оформящото се стадо, докато не е станал овца, нали? Наистина, това с целувката не беше
най-добрият избор, особено от фройдистка гледна точка, но все пак си беше мой избор.
Какъвто и да е - изборът те отделя. Още повече, че аз избрах да отговарям за себе си. Да
върша добро и зло. Нещо като твоята работа. Нали ти ме сътвори по свой образ и подобие да
творя по твой образ и подобие?
Имам тук едни работи, можеш да хвърлиш едно око: Памела Андерсън, Калашников,
менгеме, Фауст, чушкопек, дузпа, Гуерника, Хирошима... Какво ще кажеш, а? Страшен съм,
нали? Ако не беше ни събрал тогава на вечеря, нищо нямаше да направя. Макар че никак не
ми е лесно да понасям страданието, което ти причиних. Но просто нямаше как. За всичко се
заплаща. Такъв е животът. Особено напоследък.
Днес без пари си умираш като куче и никой не те поглежда. Цената на предателството
пада, курсът на сребърника към долара никога не е бил по-нисък. Ако на времето се бях
сетил да ги вложа в банка... 30 сребърника, по средна лихва 7%, хайде, 6.4 на сто да са, за
2000 години колко прави? Ама на мене тогава акълът ми беше все в спасението на
човечеството. Глупак! Сякаш сега има кой едно мерси да ми каже. Дори учениците ми, тези,
които натрупаха състояние от идеята ми да гледаме себе си, са ме забравили напълно.
Оправдават ми се, че гледат себе си.
Отчаян съм, Господи, и все по-често мисля за въжето. Ако най-после реша да си сложа
примката, то няма да го направя заради тебе, все пак съм видял всичко на този свят и би било
богохулство да се оплаквам от съдбата си, а заради това, че човек винаги, за всяко нещо си
има оправдание.
Извинявай, май не съм съвсем забравен, някой идва... Господи, това ти ли си?!... Защо ме
целуваш?

I. Lexical refinement:
Find the connotations of the following words including them in suitable contexts. Translate them:
трупам, затрупвам, натрупвам, претрупвам, отрупвам
предавам, придавам, продавам, издавам, отдавам, наддавам, раздавам, задавам

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 UNIT 8

Йордан Радичков
Из Ние врабчетата

Сега мога да си призная, че тогава пеперудата ме направи на маймуна, душата ми отиде

чак в петите от умора, но накрая я догоних и я свалих на земята. Тя се бие с крила о земята,
но аз я настъпих и с един удар на човката откъснах главата и. Пеперудата трепна и замря.
Ако ви се случи някога да преследвате хвърковата животинка, помислете си дали да се
залавяте с пеперуда. Това насекомо не хвърчи по никакви правила, ами се щура нагоре и
надолу, наляво и надясно, ще помислиш, че е смахнато, или пък че не знае в каква посока да
върви. Макар че това е само на пръв поглед, защото пеперудата знае много добре накъде
хвърчи. Тя прави тия маневри из въздуха, за да се спасява от преследвачите си. Казах, че
пеперудата много ме измори, но пък още първия ден ме научи как да планирам и да правя
бързи маневри, да бъда сръчен и повратлив в занаята си. Трудните уроци са по-мъдри и по-
благодарни за човека от лесните - това сам съм го изпитал и го зная от опит. Лесният урок се
усвоява с леснина и от него почти нищо не научавате. Трудният урок иска много пот, но пък
като усвоите урока за цял живот ще ви държи влага. Та като откъснах главата на пеперудата,
тя трепна и замря.

I. Below, you are provided with many suggestions, out of which you should either choose the best
one, or provide your own. Check meanings in dictionaries, be careful with word order, phrases and
figurative meanings, collocations etc. Compare your final choices during seminars. Discuss why a
certain choice is better or worse than the others.

Now I can confide confess admit acknowledge that then the butterfly made me into a monkey
out of me then, my soul went to my very heels feet from tiredness exhaustion I got very bone tired
exhausted from the chase but eventually in the end I chased it up caught up with it and forced got it
down on the ground earth. It She was fighting fought fluttering with its wings on against the ground
earth, but I stepped placed set my foot on it and with a blow stroke hit of the my beak bill broke tore
her its head off with a blow stroke hit of the my beak bill. The butterfly shivered shuddered
trembled quivered twitched fluttered and died was grew motionless quiet still. If Should you it ever
happens that you happen to follow chase pursue a flying small animal thing creature being bug,
think yourself whether weather to take up twice before chasing a butterfly. This insect does not fly
by any rules flies haphazardly, but rather flies about up and down, left and right, one you will would
think it is was crazy mad mentally deranged, or it doesn’t didn’t know in what which direction to go
fly. Though This is so only at first glance sight on the face of it though, because for since as the
butterfly knows very well where it flies it’s flying. It does is doing makes is making these
manoeuvres maneuvers in around the air in order to save protect itself from its chasers pursuers. I
said that the butterfly very tired exhausted me very much, but on the my very first hunting day
flying hunting she it learned taught me how to plane glide soar plan and to do make execute quick
manoeuvres maneuvers, to be handy skilful and light heeled winged in my craft, trade, profession,
occupation. The Hard Difficult lessons are wiser full of wisdom and more thankful beneficial for a
man person you than the easy ones – this I have examined experienced lived through this and know
it from trial experience. The easy lesson is acquired learned with ease easily and but from it you
don’t learn almost anything nothing from it. The hard difficult lesson wants requires a lot lots of

113
sweat sweating, but once when you have learned learn assimilated assimilate mastered master the
lesson for all life it you will hold you moisture remember it for the whole rest of your life entire
lifetime. So And when I broke tore the head of the butterfly butterfly’s head off, she it shivered
shuddered trembled quivered twitched fluttered and died was grew motionless quiet still.

UNIT 9

Йордан Йовков
Ако можеха да говорят - По-малката сестра

Васил беше докарал от пазаря две млади кобилки. Отвързаха ги от каруцата и ги пуснаха
в харманя, празен по това време и обграден с висок дувар. И двете кобилки бяха още
неопитомени, току-що хванати с ласо от стадото им, навикнали на свобода, диви. Чичо
Митуш и слугите гледаха иззад вратника и не само се любуваха на кобилките - те наистина
бяха хубави, - но и с опитно око откриваха ту една, ту друга черта от нрава им. Едната беше
червена и се казваше Айа (родена през май), а другата черна, тя нямаше име. Всяка беше
вързана за шията с по едно ново въже, което се влачеше по земята. Нищо друго - ни юлар, ни
юзда, ни хамут не беше слагано на тях. Копитата им не бяха подковани, израснали
прекомерно, спитени. Гъстите им опашки досягаха земята.
Айа беше по-жива, по-буйна. Когато чичо Митуш влезе в харманя, тя се подплаши,
извъртя се и удари на бяг, но срещна каменната стена, започна да се лута и да бие гърдите си
о нея. Чичо Митуш дойде още по-близо, тя се промъкна между него и зида и избяга на
другия край. След това, както правят конете, когато са уплашени, тя се обърна с очи към
опасността, наостри уши, дори пристъпи малко, загледа се и запръхтя силно, като че
хъркаше. Над черните и светнали очи падаше кичур черна грива.

I. Vocabulary build-up:

1. Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Look at the sample search done for
‘харман’. Which will be your final choice for this specific instance? Why? Conduct similar
searches for the words provided.

харман – (кръгло място Българо-английски речник – stack yard

застлано с каменни плочи stack-yard, n. A yard or еnclosure for stacks of hay or grain.
за вършитба; ограден двор threshing or thrashing - ppr. Beating out of the husk or off the ear;
с такова място) beating soundly with a stick or whip.
threshing, n. The act of beating out grain with a flail; a sound
drubbing.
thrеshing-floor, n. [thresh and floor.] A floor or area on which grain
is beaten out.
My choice here would be threshing-ground, as this includes more
area than the floor
кобилка
висок дувар
юлар

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юзда
хамут
червен (за цвят на кон)

2. Find out as many English words for horse colours as you can, try to find their equivalents in
Bulgarian. You may have to check definitions, e.g. for ‘дорест’, in a Bulgarian dictionary
3. Look up ‘neigh’, ‘whinny’ and ‘snort’ for horse sounds.

II. Focus:

How would you translate ту една, ту друга? Find at least 3 suggestions for ‘се любуваха’.
Choose one. Explain why.
The literal translation of the phrases ‘удари на бяг’ ‘обърна с очи’ and ‘наостри уши’ clearly
presents a lexical and stylistic problem in English. Suggest at least two different ways in
which you can convey the meaning of the phrases in English.
The last sentence of the text, ‘Над черните и светнали очи падаше кичур черна грива’.
would not be very acceptable if you preserve the word order in English. Explain why. What
would the normal word order be in English?
Which pronoun would you use for Aya - she or it. Explain why.

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is the continuation, conducting your
own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far.

Докато Айа бягаше насам-нататък, черната кобилка оставаше по-спокойна, по-сдържана.

Но тя винаги отиваше там, дето беше Айа, следваше я, държеше се близо до нея, като че
искаше да я успокои и заварди. Васил беше казал, че двете кобилки били сестри и че Айа е
по-малката. На другия ден ги впрегнаха в каруцата, за да ги научат да теглят. В такова равно
поле, каквото беше полето около чифлика, това не беше мъчна работа. Айа се противеше,
скачаше, разтърсваше глава. Понякога тя се мяташе напред и се изправяше на задните си
нозе или се отпущаше и искаше да легне. Ударите на камшика и виковете на слугите я
подлудяваха. Освен юздите, които държеше чичо Митуш, Айа беше вързана с дълго въже за
врата, това въже го държеше един слуга и с него или я възпираше, или я оправяше в пътя,
когато искаше да кривне настрана. Със също такова въже беше вързана и черната кобила, но
от него не стана нужда. Докато Айа се бъхтеше и мореше, цяла покрита в пот, черната
кобила се покоряваше (за да бъде някак по-леко на Айа), отиваше натам, накъдето отиваше
Айа, спираше се, когато се спреше Айа. Човек би казал, че тя забравяше собствените си
страдания и мислеше само за Айа.

IV. Vocabulary build-up: 1. Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Look up
the alternatives suggested. Which will be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?
Conduct similar searches for the words provided.

ударите на камшика Strikes, strokes, hits, blows, lashes

насам-нататък
заварди
кривне настрана

V. Focus:

D. How would you translate ‘Айа се бъхтеше и мореше’? Find at least three suggestions. Choose
one. Explain why it is better than the others.

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E. The literal translation of the phrase ‘се изправяше на задните си нозе’ clearly presents a
lexical and stylistic problem in English. Suggest at least two different ways in which you can
convey the meaning of the phrase in English in one or two words.
F. The beginning of the sentence ‘Със също такова въже беше вързана и черната кобила’,
would not be very acceptable if you preserve the word order in English. Explain why. What
would the normal word order be in English?

VI. Here is a translation of a student. Compare yours to it. Make the necessary changes in it, as well
as in yours. If asked, be ready to explain why.

Vasil had brought two young mares from the livestock auction. They were untied from the cart
and released in the stack-yard, empty at that time and surrounded by a high wall. Both mares were
not tamed yet, they had just been caught by lasso from their herd, used to the freedom, wild. Uncle
Mitush and servants looked from behind the gate and not only enjoyed the mares – they were really
beautiful – but with a trained eye they found one after another feature of their character. One of
them was red and named Aya (born in May) and the other, black and unnamed. Either had a new
rope fastened on their necks trailing on the ground. Nothing else, neither reins, nor bridles or
harnesses were ever put on them. Their hooves were not shoed, overgrown, deformed. Their thick
tails touched the ground.
Aya was livelier, higher spirited. When uncle Mitush entered the stack-yard she got scared,
turned back and started running but reached the stone wall, began wandering and pushing her chest
in it. Uncle Mitush came closer, she sneaked between him and the wall and run to the other side.
Then, as horses do, when they are scared, she turned to the danger, pointed her ears, even took a
step, stared and snorted loudly as if she snored. А tuft of mane fall under her black shining eyes.
While Aya was running to and fro, the black mare stayed calmer, more collected. But she always
went there where Aya was, she followed her, she kept close to Aya as if she wanted to calm her
down, to protect her. Vasil had said that the mares were sisters and Aia was the little one. Next day
they were harnessed to the cart, so that they can learn how to drag it. In such a plain field as was the
field around the farm it was an easy task. Aia refused, leaped and shook her head. Sometimes she
threw herself forward and pranced or relaxed and wanted to lie down. The blows of the whip and
servants’ cry made her crazy. Besides the rein, held by uncle Mitush, Aia was fastened with a long
rope on her neck and the rope was held by one of the servants and by this rope he stopped her or
made her go the path when she went out of it. The black mare was fastened with a similar rope but
there was no need for it. While Aya raged and got tired, all in sweat, the black mare obeyed (so that
it will be somehow easy for Aya), she went where Aia went, stopped when Aya stopped. A man
could say that she forgot her own suffering and cared only about Aya.

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 SECOND YEAR: TRANSLATING FROM BULGRIAN TO ENGLISH

SECTION TWO: NONFICTION

UNIT 1

СЪВРЕМЕННА БЪЛГАРСКА КУЛТУРА

I. Preliminary considerations.

• The following selection of texts comes from the volume PROART/АРТПРО (Sofia: Delta
Entertainment PLLC, 2007) of collected essays on contemporary Bulgarian culture edited by
Maria Vassileva and Dimitar Kamburov. We could say that they fall under the general heading
of ‘cultural criticism’. In view of their genre, what do you expect in terms of types of
vocabulary used; syntax, register and rhetoric employed?
• Read each excerpt a couple of times and take notes of your initial impressions on the above
question.
• Define the domain to which most of the terms used in each text belong.

„Популярномузикални дейности в България в периода на прехода (след 1989 г.)”

От Розмари Стателова

Социализъм vs. демокрация

Спрямо обекта, върху който разсъждаваме, преходът от социализъм към демокрация бе

също тъй решителен, какъвто бе той, да речем, в аспекта на собствеността. Аз съм от
поколението българи, което в тийнейджърската си възраст преживя непосредствено яркия
ритмоинтонационен преход от „Танго-фантазия” на Йосиф Цанков към „Rock around the
clock” в изпълнение на Бил Хейли. Едното си го свирехме у дома на пианото от спретнато
социалистическо нотно издание, другото го слушахме от малка плоча, пренесена незаконно
от западноевропейска страна. Акробатичния рокендрол го танцувахме по домашните сбирки
на „тайфите”, а на обществените дансинги – танго и румба. Властите контролираха
забавлението с решителност, сходна с тази, с която следяха кой какво има, учи/работи,
печели/харчи. „Хванете се!” – ни викаха, когато при публично танцуване момчетата и
момичетата се пущаха от хвата, за да порипат временно разделени, преди отново да се
съберат в двойка. И ние се хващахме, защото освен да танцуваме, искахме също да следваме
и въобще да просперираме в живота.
„Седни!” – крещяха 30 години по-късно милиционери на юношите, наскачали прави
между редовете на концертни зали, в които гърмеше звукът на първите ни хевиметъл банди.
Сега обаче младите вече не се подчиняваха и не сядаха въпреки съвсем реалната заплаха от
пердах. И не толкова заради настъпващата от Съветския съюз Перестройка. Просто
тийнейджърите през 1985 г. бяха вече друго поколение [...]

II. Focus:

• How many different tenses are used in Bulgarian? What kind of actions do they refer to? Which
tenses in English would convey such types of actions?
• In English, what is the difference in the usage of ‘subject’ and ‘object’?
• What are the possibilities for translating ‘ярки’ when attributed to rhythm and intonation?

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• In what contexts (situations) are you likely to encounter words and phrases, such as тайфа,
пущам се, хват, порипвам, пердах? Which English correspondences are you going to choose and
why?
• Consider the applicability of the following terms: score, sheet music, vinyl record, Perestroika,
transition.

III. Further: Work in a similar manner with the passage below, conducting your own consultation
with dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far.

Постоянно актуален спор

Може да се каже, че той се води “открай време” и касае възпитанието на гражданите:

следва ли те да се забавляват тъй, както всекиму е угодно, или – по думите на Атинянина из
книга Втора на „Закони” на Платон – за прекрасна ще бъде призната само музата, „която
дава наслада не на първия срещнат (курсивът мой – Р. Ст.), а на най-добрите хора, получили
най-добро образование” (Платон 1972: 124). Различните обществени устройства се отнасят
по различному към проблема, който социализмът – поради силно-възпитателния уклон а
своята идеология – третира по Ленински. Знаем как беше казано в беседата на вожда с Клара
Цеткин – че пролетариатът заслужава нещо повече от хляб и зрелища. Те са много, подобни
изявления. Ето например едно твърдение в американски всекидневник, изказано през 20-те
години на 20-ти век. Джазът – тогава в стил диксиленд, тъкмо е подал глава от ъндърграунда
и Америка (би трябвало да) е щастлива, че чрез чувството за суинг, струящо от тази
тогавашна „музика за сватби и погребения”, е открила своя (или един от своите – все едно)
звукоритмичен маркер. Но не – местните „атиняни” са обезпокоени що за шум и врява
вдигат все пак тези бендове! Та, пише един от тях във вестника (разказвам по памет), че
въпросната музика е всъщност сибирско изобретение. Там, за да гонят мечките, биели
непрестанно по медни плоскости. Откъдето бил дошъл и бийтът на джаза, чиято
полиритмичност била просто хаос.
Защо пишат така? Ами защото – ръка на сърце – никак не е трудно да се открият, тъй
като сe чуват надалеч, всякакви „своеволия” на „първия срещнат”, извършвани под звуците
на веселящата музика. Нека го наречем стихиен произвол, който (е възможно) случайната
единичност да прояви и с това да деструктурира ситуацията, организирана от популярната
музика. Известната триада от възбудители секс, наркотици и рокендрол например може да е
видоизменена у нас в по-кроткото съчетание от „бира, секс и рокендрол”, но дори и така
резултатът не изключва – съм писала през 1993 г. в книгата си „Обърнатата пирамида”, - а
предвижда агресия, видяна като трансгресия на нормата. И тази трансгресия на нормата не
следва да се елиминира при едно изграждане на теоретичен модел на популярната музика,
предизвикваща корпоралната виталност. Което е и основанието да я типологизираме като
другата музика. Друга не защото е художествено непременно по-неразвита, а защото е
отворена за възможно най-масово социално участие. Зовът тук е към всекиго. А всеки, това е
метафора, която обема целия ужас на културата пред неизвестното... (Стателова 1993: 9, 30)

Литература
Платон. Сочинения в трех томах. Т. 3, Ч. 2. Москва, 1972
Стателова, Розмари. Обърнатата пирамида. Аспекти на популярната музика. София:
издателство „Едем”, 1993

IV. Focus
• Find the cited text by Plato in an English authorized translation and replace accordingly. Do not
translate. (Hint: run a Google search for Plato laws book 2. When you are in book 2, run a
search for key words to locate text portion)

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• Consider translating вожда с Клара Цеткин. Is it a definite unique leader, and if so, should you
use a capital letter. Would the English (or intended) reader be aware of who Клара Цеткин.was,
is that so important to the text as to require a footnote?

V. After you have produced your own draft, have a look at the authorized translation of one of the
above passages, provided at the end of this section. What differences and similarities do you see
between the two versions? Would you change anything in either of the two versions as a result of
the comparison? Why?

„Митологеми и реалности в очакване на продуцента”

От Александър Янакиев

Във форума на Media Times Review участникът „финли” пише на 27.09.2006: „Бг киното
омря отдавна, а за мъртвите с любов и умерзение.” В Мрежата има и по-грамотно написани
мнения, но смисълът на много от тях е един и същ.
От началото на промените у нас повечето видни в миналото кинематографисти повтарят
заклинанието „българското кино умря”. За съжаление им пригласят и не малка част от по-
младите автори, дори и тези, които работят достатъчно активно. Тази формула – без
доказателства и аргументи – устойчиво се е набила в съзнанието на широката публика.
Каквито и факти да се привеждат, ефектът е минимален. Въпреки всичко това ще се опитам
за пореден път да представя фактите за развитието на киното в България през последните две
десетилетия – процес, който има своята специфика и, естествено, не прилича на онова, което
се е случвало в годините на социализма.
Друга популярна теза е, че в миналото са създавани изключително добри филми, докато
съвременните опити са под всякаква критика. Носталгията и филтърът на паметта често
изважда наистина стойностни произведения отпреди 20-30-40-50 години. Докато днешните
опуси често не се гледат „по принцип”.
Отново ще се позова на мнения в Интернет. В техническия сайт www.hardwarebg.com
през пролетта на 2007 г. се оформя една от най-обстойните и активни полемики за нашето
кино. Темата на форума е „Старото българско кино – сладък спомен от миналото или
неразбрана действителност”. Участниците са предимно компютърни специалисти на 30+, т.е.
хора с добри финансови възможности и отворени към новостите по света. Но от друга
страна, повечето (но не всички) търсят в изкуството отмора и развлечение като компенсация
за изключително напрегнатата си работа. Между мненията ми се стори интересен постингът
на “Valeri” от 02.04.2007: „Знам, че българското кино е мъртво. Умря не последните 1-5-10
години, умря си още преди това. Защо умря? Защото не произвежда конкурентна
продукция. Едно време нямаше база за сравнение. „На всеки километър” и „Тримата от
запаса”, а веднъж седмично бонус – „Студио Х”. Нямаше начин да не ти харесват
българските и руските филми, просто защото друго нямаше. Когато начинът се появи,
нещата се промениха. Що така бре?”
Надали нещата са толкова лесни за обяснение.

VI. Focus:

• Which of the possibilities given you can use in the context in which the Bulgarian word is used?
Justify your choice. Change the word class where necessary.

заклинание A. charm: 1. The power or quality of attracting: allure, allurement, appeal, attraction, attractiveness, call,
charisma, draw, enchantment, enticement, fascination, glamour, lure, magnetism, witchery. Informal pull.
2. A small object worn or kept for its supposed magical power: amulet, fetish, juju, periapt, phylactery,
talisman. 3. An object or power that one uses to cause often evil events: evil eye, magic, spell. Slang
whammy.
B. mantra - a commonly repeated word or phrase; "she repeated `So pleased with how its going' at
intervals like a mantra"; catchword, motto, shibboleth, slogan - a favorite saying of a sect or political

119
пригласям
group
1. echo, reecho, reflect, resound, reverberate
2. Phrasal Verb: chime in- 1. To interrupt the speech of others, especially with an unwanted opinion. 2. To

формула
join in harmoniously. 3. To go together harmoniously; agree.
formula, recipe, thesis, statement, saying
популярен popular, famous, wide-spread, widely-circulated
теза thesis, statement, stance, stand, position
спомен memory, memento, recollection, reminiscence, remembrance
стойностен costly, inestimable, invaluable, precious, priceless, worthy

• How can you preserve the illiterate nuances of the forum entry „Бг киното омря отдавна, а за
мъртвите с любов и умерзение”? Have you come across the phrase “с любов и омерзение”
before? Hint: it has wide circulation as a translated from English title of a book by an American
writer.
• Discuss possibilities for English correspondences to the following phrases, which are almost
cliché phrases and you are likely to encounter them often: от началото на промените у нас;
се е набила в съзнанието; широката публика; за пореден път; Едно време нямаше база
за сравнение.
• Where in the text do you note shifts in tenses used?

„Лачените обувки на незнайното българско кино”

От Антония Ковачева

Нищо не започва от днес

През 1976 г. в София, на симпозиум за българското кино, проведен от Международната
федерация на филмовите критици, избухна скандал. „България е малка и тиха страна. Най-
добре е тя да прави малки и тихи филми, непретенциозни, но сочни като зелена ябълка”,
заяви от трибуната американецът Гидеон Бахман, специалист по европейско кино и близък
приятел на Фелини. На нас, тогавашните студенти, той ни беше особено симпатичен. Но
„тихи и непретенциозни” прозвуча арогантно. С още свежите инстинкти на млади зверчета,
родени в клетките на цирка, усетихме, че вместо да помогне, мистър Бахман оплеска нещата.
Въпреки че скочиха срещу американеца, официозните филмови кръгове тихомълком вкараха
конструкцията „малко, тихо и непретенциозно” в идеологическа употреба. Експонираха я
успешно върху миналото на българското кино, оставиха я като етикет на неговото бъдеще.
Въпреки че не отговаря на действителността, тя се репродуцира и до днес.
Митът за тихото покорство на българското кино в бурите на 50-те и 60-те се подхранваше
успешно чак до падането на Берлинската стена. Ала достойната истина се пази непокътната в
инкриминираните български ленти, които бяха публично показани в самата България с 30
години закъснение – през 1988. В тях е може би първият неприкрито дисидентски филм в
целия комунистически лагер („Животът си тече тихо”, 1957, реж. Бинка Желязкова), рано
скопената българска нова вълна („Понеденик сутрин”, 1966, реж. Ирина Акташева и Христо
Писков), репресираният философско-алегоричен филмов модернизъм („Привързаният
балон”, 1967, реж. Бинка Желязкова), интелектуалната карнавалност на потисканото
авторско кино („Лачените обувки на незнайния воин”, реж. Рангел Вълчанов, готов за
заснемане през 1963, но допуснат до реализация чак през 1979). Заедно с останалите спрени
ленти те доказват, че българските филми са говорили за драмите на времето с
проницателността и таланта на екранните творби от вътрешността на континента. Но
цензурата в България е прекършвала всяко свободомислие по-систематично, безогледно и
коварно от всички комунистически режими в Централна и Източна Европа.

VII. Focus

120
• What does the title of the essay allude to? Has the title been translated and gained currency in
English already? Make sure you preserve the metaphoric line from the title that runs as a thread
throughout the essay.
• Before you embark on translating the text in its entirety, make a list of the terms used and check
their correspondences. Examples: нова вълна – New wave (cinema), карнавалност – carnival
or carnivalesque (?); авторско кино – author’s cinema or auteur cinema (?); etc.
• What is the difference between ‘block’ and ‘bloc’ in English? Give examples of phrases
(contexts) in which we use each.
• Which of the possibilities given you can use in the context in which the Bulgarian word is used?
Justify your choice. Change the word class where necessary.

избухна 1. To release or cause to release energy suddenly and violently, especially with a loud noise:
blast, blow1 (up), burst, detonate, explode, fire, fulminate, go off, touch off.
(скандал) 2. To come open or fly apart suddenly and violently, as from internal pressure: blow (out),
burst, pop. Slang bust.
3. To become manifest suddenly and in full force: break out, burst (forth or out), erupt, flare
(up).
4. To be or become angry: anger, blow up, boil over, bristle, burn, flare up, foam, fume, rage,
seethe. Informal steam. Idioms: blow a fuse, blow a gasket, breathe fire, fly off the handle,
get hot under the collar, hit the ceiling / roof, lose one's temper, see red.
5. To increase or expand suddenly, rapidly, or without control: mushroom, snowball.
6. To cause to be no longer believed or valued: debunk, deflate, discredit, puncture. Informal

тихомълком
shoot down. Idioms: knock the bottom out of, shoot full of holes.
in a clandestine manner; stealthily; sneakily; surreptitiously; quietly;
безогледен Ruthless: without mercy or pity; "an act of ruthless ferocity"; "a monster of remorseless cruelty";
pitiless, remorseless, unpitying; merciless, unmerciful - having or showing no mercy; "the
merciless enemy"; "a merciless critic"; "gave him a merciless beating"
Relentless: 1. Firmly, often unreasonably immovable in purpose or will: adamant, adamantine,
brassbound, die-hard, grim, implacable, incompliant, inexorable, inflexible, intransigent, iron,
obdurate, remorseless, rigid, stubborn, unbendable, unbending, uncompliant, uncompromising,
unrelenting, unyielding. Idioms: stubborn as amuleox. 2.Existing or occurring without
interruption or end: around-the-clock, ceaseless, constant, continual, continuous, endless, eternal,
everlasting, incessant, interminable, nonstop, ongoing, perpetual, persistent, round-the-clock,

коварен
timeless, unceasing, unending, unfailing, uninterrupted, unremitting.
Cunning: 1. attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness; "a cute kid
with pigtails"; "a cute little apartment"; "cunning kittens"; "a cunning baby"; cute; attractive -
pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm; 2. marked by skill in deception;
"cunning men often pass for wise"; "deep political machinations"; "a foxy scheme"; "a slick
evasive answer"; "sly as a fox"; "tricky Dick"; "a wily old attorney"; foxy, guileful, knavish,
crafty, sly, tricksy, wily, dodgy, tricky, slick; artful - marked by skill in achieving a desired end
especially with cunning or craft; "the artful dodger"; "an artful choice of metaphors"; 3. showing
inventiveness and skill; "a clever gadget"; "the cunning maneuvers leading to his success"; "an
ingenious solution to the problem"; ingenious, clever; adroit - quick or skilful or adept in action or
thought; "an exceptionally adroit pianist"; "an adroit technician"; "his adroit replies to hecklers

проницателен
won him many followers"; "an adroit negotiator"
Having or showing a clever awareness and resourcefulness in practical matters: astute, cagey,
canny, knowing, perspicacious, shrewd, slick, smart, wise. Informal savvy.

• What is the difference in Bulgarian between “официозни” and “официални”?

• Paraphrase and explain “експонирам”, without using a loan word in Bulgarian.
• The authorized translation of the above passage employs the phrase ‘to make a mess of things’
for the English rendering of “мистър Бахман оплеска нещата”. Are there any other
possibilities? Why?
• Which correspondence (modified if necessary) to the stock phrase “не отговаря на
действителността” would you choose: ‘does not correspond to reality’; ‘clashes with reality’;
‘is not true’? Something else? Justify your choice.
• What is the meaning of “спрени” in the phrase “спрени ленти”?
• What qualities are emphasized in the image the phrase “зверчета в клетка” evokes: the ‘bestial
features’, their ‘youthfulness’ or something else? What does “зверчета” refer to from the
previous sentences? What bearing would these considerations have on your translation choices?

121
VIII. Further: Work in a similar manner with the passage below, conducting your own consultation
with dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far.

[...] „Маймуни през зимата” можеше да завърши с финалния акорд на овдовялата

бременна Тана (жената от третата новела, която има всичко, към което героините от другите
две истории са се стремели, но не може да зачене). Тогава фаталистичният кръг на
невъзможното щастие щеше да се затвори. Вътре в него щяха да останат безстопанствена
циганка, запиляла се по магистралите, захвърлила бебето си полудяла от самопрезрение
интелектуалка и самотна богаташка, тънеща в лукс. Но вместо в кръг на безнадеждност
Милена Андонова подрежда трите трагични истории в лъч на надежда...
Българското кино обу отново лачените си обувки и тръгна с тях към своите зрители. Дали
ще бъдем разпознати пак като филмова общност и същевременно отличени от другите по
фестивалните екрани, където твърде дълго липсвахме – ще покаже бъдещето. Важно е да
бъдем разбрани навън.
Но по-съществено е, че възвърнатата диалогичност на родното кино, отварянето му не
само към мрачните страни на живота, а и светлите територии на неговия дълбок смисъл, е
единственият мост към доверието и интереса на родната публика. И не само на нея.

„Българската литература след 1989: преходи и преводи, разходи и разводи”

От Димитър Камбуров

[...] В полето на актуалната българска дискурсивност с авторитет и мрачно очарование се

ползва и противоположната теза – тази за смъртта на българската литература. Заявена от
Александър Кьосев още през 1989 година, тя беше аргументирана с помощта на чук през
новото хилядолетие. Да се твърди, че нещо, което го има по силата на наличните книги,
автори, издателства, критика и читатели, всъщност не съществува, е, разбира се, метафора.
Тя предполага да се припише на живота достойнство и ценност отвъд простото животинско,
биологично съществуване, отвъд голото живеене. Когато А. Кьосев и други отнемат
жизнения статус на съвременната ни литература, а комай и на българската литература
въобще, те всъщност не й признават живота като достойнство; казано в Аристотеловите
термини, актуализирани напоследък от Агамбен, българската литература може да пребивава
в голия живот на
, но не и в политическия, социалния, т. е. „добрия живот” на .
В подобен жест има нещо романтическо, нещо по ницшеански пост-романтическо и
ресантиманно, което се потвърждава и от самата намеса на чука в заглавието на Кьосев. В
такъв замах има и нещо възрожденско, ботевско – както в будителството на одрямалата
пишман-ербап литературна гилдия, предала унесения в масмедиална робска люлка смълчан
и намръщен народ, така и в личната индулгенция на преквалифицирани литератори, които се
разправят с „глупците” и „идиотите” от някогашната обща литературна маса, която я
обявяват за вампирясало гробище. Подобен жест е управляван от също тъй антропоморфното
метафоризиране на живота, само че този път от позицията на висока, елитарна, интимно-
философска претенция за смислен живот, за живот, който заслужава да се живее1.
_________
1
Такъв подход заслужава специален анализ в светлината на Агамбеновия коментар на
актуалните политически измерения в третирането на голия живот, за какъвто тук нямаме
време; все пак да отбележим, че в грижата и посветеността на достойния живот антисемитът,
концлагерният идеолог, расистът и поддръжникът на евтаназията споделят с радетеля за
смъртта на една национална литература общ структурен мотив, характеризиращ модерната
епоха и конституиращите я роли.

IX. Focus:

122
• How would you translate the title of the essay, so as to preserve its symmetrical phrasing and
alliterativeness?
• Before translating this text, give the gist of its argument in your own words and paraphrase the
major points which are being made.
• What does the emphasized phrase ‘с помощта на чук’ allude to? Where else in the text do you
find reference to it? In your view, is it necessary to include a footnote/endnote reference to this
phrase? Give your reasons.
• There are several phrases in the above text which refer to terms used by Aristotle (and more
recently used by Agamben, for instance, ‘голото живеене’ and ‘добрия живот’. What kind of
strategy would you employ in order to give their correspondences in English?
• What other terms pertaining to literary theory/criticism do you identify in the passage? What are
their English equivalents?
• In what contexts are you likely to encounter words, such as одрямал, пишман-ербап,
литературна гилдия, робска люлка, смълчан и намръщен народ? What kind of discourse do
they gesture at? How can this rhetorical gesture be suggested to an English-speaking audience?

X. After you have produced your own draft, have a look at the authorized translation of one of the
above passage, provided hereafter. What differences and similarities do you see between the two
versions? Would you change anything in either of the two versions as a result of the comparison?
Why?

TRANSLATED EXCERPTS FOR COMPARISON

Dimitar Kamburov
‘Bulgarian Literature Post 1989 – Transitions and Translations, Spends and Separations’

(authorized translation by Lyubov Kostova)

[…] The opposite statement is regarded with authority and somber enchantment in the area of
current Bulgarian discourse – that of the death of Bulgarian literature. Proclaimed by Alexander
Kyosev as early as 1989, it was then supported with the argument of the hammer during the new
millennium. To claim that something that exists by virtue of available books, authors, publishers,
critics and readers does not exist in fact, is naturally a metaphor. It assumes attributing life the
dignity and value beyond the simple animalistic, biological existence, beyond bare living. When A.
Kyosev and others deprive our contemporary literature of its vital status, and as a matter of fact that
of Bulgarian literature in general, they actually deny life of its value in the first place. Or speaking
in Aristotelian terms, recently updated by Agamben, Bulgarian literature could be present in the
bare life of
 but not in the political or social life, or otherwise “proper life” of . There
is something romantic about this gesture, something Nietzscheanly post-romantic and
ressentimentic which is reinstated by the hammer in the very title by Kyosev. There is also
something of the Revival in this sweep, or of Botev – both in the awakening of the sleepy quasi
literary guild, which has betrayed the hushed and frowning people slumbered by the mass media
slaving lullaby, and also in their personal indulgence of retrained men of letters, who deal with the
“fools” and “idiots” of the once general literary mass by proclaiming it to be a vampire-filled
graveyard. A gesture of this type is led by an equally anthropomorphic metamorphosis of life only
this time from the position of a high, elitarian, intimately-philosophical pretence of a meaningful
life worth living.

Rosemary Statelova
‘Popular Music in Bulgaria during the Period of Transition (after 1989)’

123
(authorized translation by Lyubov Kostova)

Why would they say that? Well, truth be told, since they could be heard from quite a distance, it
wasn’t too hard to find the ‘frivolities’ of ‘every Tom, Dick and Harry’ under the influence of the
merry music. Let’s call this elemental outrage which (possibly) the accidental singularity may
manifest and so deconstruct the situation organized by popular music. The notorious triad of
excitement agents sex, drug, rock-n-roll in Bulgaria perhaps will be transformed to the more settled
combination of ‘beer, sex, rock-n-roll’ but even so the results do not exclude, I wrote in my book in
1993 called “The Upside-Down Pyramid”, and indeed implies aggression which may be considered
a transgression from the norm. And this transgression is not to be eliminated when building the
theoretical model of popular music causing corporal vitality. Which is also the reason for it to be
typologised as the other music. Other not because it is necessarily less artistically evolved, but
because it is open to opportunities for truly mass social inclusion. The call here is to all. And all is a
metaphor which envelopes the entire horror of culture on the verge of the unknown… (Statelova
1993: 9, 30)

UNIT 2

Изследвания върху фитопланктона на язовир Stouden Kladenets

Introduction
Важното значение на фитопланктона като един от ключовите индикатори за оценка на
екологичния статус на стоящите води е световно известно и широко прието (Beshkova et al.,
2007). Наблюдаването на фитопланктонната структура дава възможност да бъде оценена
рецентната ситуация и да се предвидят евентуалните промени в екосистемите в техни много
ранни етапи (Stoyneva & Michev, 1996).
Сравнителните изследвания на фитопланктона в езера с различен трофичен статус, както
и продължителните изследвания на фитопланктона в едно и също езеро, показват как
трофичните промени влияят върху неговия видов състав, сезонна сукцесия и продуктивност
(Trifonova, 1989). Подобни сравнителни изследвания върху структурните параметри и
количественото развитие на фитопланктона са рядкост за езерата и язовирите в България.
Към тях се отнасят проучванията на езерото Сребърна Srebarna Lake (Stoyneva, 1998b), някои
крайбрежни езера lakes from the Bulgarian Black Sea coast (Stoyneva, 2000a; Kalchev et al.,
2002), високопланинските езера в Рила (Beshkova, 2000; Naidenow & Beshkova, 2000; Kalchev
et al., 2004) и някои язовири (Kalchev & Botev, 2005; Beshkova & Saiz, 2006).
Относно фитопланктона на язовирите данните са още по-оскъдни и редуцирани най-вече
до съобщения за видовия състав и/или доминантните видове (Beshkova et al., 2007). Обзорът
на наличните резултати показа, че нивото на проученост на фитопланктона в язовирите на
България от гледна точка на Европейската директива (2000) EU Water Framework Directive
(EU, 2000) е незадоволително. Съществуват данни за 28 от общо 120 язовира, които
подлежат на категоризация според Министерство на околната среда и водите (Beshkova et
al., 2007).

124
I. Vocabulary build-up: 1. Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Look at the
sample search done for ‘язовир’. Which will be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?
Conduct similar searches for the words provided.

язовир Българо-английски речник – reservoir, artificial lake, dam lake;

reservoir 1. a natural or artificial place where water is collected and stored for use, esp. water
for supplying a community, irrigating land, furnishing power, etc.
2. a receptacle or chamber for holding a liquid or fluid.
3. Geol. See under pool 1 (def. 6).
4. Biol. a cavity or part that holds some fluid or secretion.
5. a place where anything is collected or accumulated in great amount.
6. a large or extra supply or stock; reserve: a reservoir of knowledge.

наблюдаването
—Syn.5. store, pool, fund, stockpile, hoard.
Българо-английски речник: наблюдение – observation; surveillance; superintendence;
supervision; control;

фитопланктон
Also check: Watching; observing, monitoring
Phytoplankton - the aggregate of plants and plantlike organisms in plankton. Cf. zooplankton.
рецентната This means a period leading up to and including the present
трофичен Trophic - of or pertaining to nutrition; concerned in nutritive processes.
сукцесия succession, n.
1. the coming of one person or thing after another in order, sequence, or in the course of events:
many troubles in succession.
2. a number of persons or things following one another in order or sequence.
3. the right, act, or process, by which one person succeeds to the office, rank, estate, or the like, of
another.
4. the order or line of those entitled to succeed one another.
5. the descent or transmission of a throne, dignity, estate, or the like.
6. Also called ecological succession. Ecol. the progressive replacement of one community by

видов състав
another until a climax community is established.

II. Focus:

A. How would you translate ‘важното значение’? The literal translation ‘the important
meaning/significance’ is obviously unacceptable. Find at least two suggestions
B. стоящите води presents another problem. Find the right word for water that is not running or
moving; does English have a plural of water and, if so, how and in what sense is it used? Is
waters acceptable here? Why/why not?
C. The literal translation of the phrase ‘към тях се отнасят’ clearly presents a lexical and stylistic
problem in English. Suggest at least two different ways in which you can convey the meaning of
the phrase in English.
D. The first sentence of the last paragraph, beginning ‘относно фитопланктона на язовирите
данните са още по-оскъдни’ would become too long and complicated if you preserve the word
order in English. Explain why. What would the normal word order be in English? Do you really
need ‘относно’? Can you do without it?
E. Check the accepted name of ‘Министерство на околната среда и водите’

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is the continuation, conducting your
own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far.

Язовир Студен кладенец спада към слабо проучените язовири. В ранния етап от неговата
експлоатация са изследвани само зоопланктона (Naidenov, 1962, 1964) и зообентоса
(Dimitrov, 1962). Следва дълъг период, в който язовирът не е проучван до 1993 г., когато в
басейна на река Арда започва да действа плътна мрежа за хидробиологичен мониторинг с
около 150 места на пробовземане. Ограниченията на този мониторинг се изразяват в това, че
пунктовете са разположени предимно в речните участъци. Не се провежда рутинен
мониторинг на биологичните елементи в язовирите „Кърджали”, „Студен кладенец” и
„Ивайловград”. Станциите за физикохимичен мониторинг в тях са локализирани само при
125
стената и опашката им. Съставът и структурата на фитопланктона в язовир “Студен
кладенец” не са били досега обект на самостоятелно проучване.
Нашите изследвания имаха за цел да поставят начало на мониторингови проучвания на
фитопланктона на язовир “Студен кладенец”, като важен биологичен елемент при оценка на
качеството на водите. Беше анализиран видовият състав, структурата, разпределението и
количественото развитие на фитопланктона. Тези изследвания са част от мониторинговите
проучвания за качеството на повърхностните води на басейна на река Арда по проект
PHARE/BG 2003/005-630.05.

IV. After you have produced your own draft, have a look at the translation of the above passages,
provided at the end of this section. What differences and similarities do you see between the two
versions? Would you change anything in either of the two versions as a result of the comparison?
Why?

Introduction
Phytoplankton’s importance as one of the key indicators for assessing the ecological status of
stagnant water is well-known and widely recognised all over the world. (Beshkova et al., 2007).
The monitoring of the phytoplankton structure enables the assessment of the present situation and
the prediction of possible changes in the ecosystems at very early stages (Stoyneva & Michev,
1996).
Comparative research of phytoplankton in lakes of different trophic status, as well as the study
of phytoplankton in one and the same lake over a period of time, show how trophic changes
influence its species composition, seasonal succession and productivity (Trifonova, 1989). Such
comparative studies of the structural parameters and quantitative development of phytoplankton are
rare for Bulgarian lakes and reservoirs. Some of them are research of Srebarna Lake (Stoyneva,
1998b), of some lakes from the Bulgarian Black Sea coast (Stoyneva, 2000a; Kalchev et al., 2002),
of high mountain lakes in the Rila Mountantains (Beshkova, 2000; Naidenow & Beshkova, 2000;
Kalchev et al., 2004) and of some reservoirs (Kalchev & Botev, 2005; Beshkova & Saiz, 2006).
Data about reservoir phytoplankton are still scantier and reduced mostly to information about
the species composition and/or dominant species (Beshkova et al., 2007). The survey of available
data showed that, from the perspective of the EU Water Framework Directive (EU, 2000), the level
of research on the phytoplankton in Bulgarian reservoirs is unsatisfactory. There are data for 28 out
of a total of 120 reservoirs to be categorised according to the Ministry of Environment and Water
(Beshkova et al., 2007).
The Stouden Kladenets Reservoir falls within the group of scantily researched reservoirs. In the
early stage of its exploitation there was research only of the zooplankton (Naidenov, 1962, 1964)
and zoobenthos (Dimitrov, 1962). A long period of research inactivity followed until 1993, when a
hydrobiological monitoring network started functioning, covering the river Arda basin, with about
150 sampling points. The limitations of this monitoring lie in the fact that sampling points are
mostly in the river sections. No routine monitoring of the biological components has been done for
the Kurdjali, Stouden Kladenets and Ivailovgrad reservoirs. The stations for physicochemical
monitoring there are located only at the dam walls and rear ends. The composition and structure of
the Stouden Kladenets reservoir phytoplankton have not been the sole objects of research so far.
Our research aimed at setting up monitoring studies of the Stouden Kladenets reservoir
phytoplankton as an important biological component for water quality assessment. The species’
variety, structure, distribution and quantitative development of the phytoplankton were analysed.
This research is part of the monitoring studies of surface water quality in the Arda river basin, under
PHARE/BG 2003/005-630.05 project.

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 UNIT 3

Смяна на ръководния екип в Пежо

В-к “Пари”

Фредерик Сен-Жур напуска от 1 януари. Предлага му се почетно изгнание

Христо Мишков

От 1 януари функциите на генерален директор на Peugeot ще сe изпълняват от Жан-

Филип Колен, а досегашният лидер Фредерик Сен-Жур става съветник по стратегически
въпроси при шефа на цялата групировка Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) Кристиан Страйф. Новите
функции на Сен-Жур не са особено ясни. Официално той изглежда повишен, но след 17
години начело на Peugeot назначението като “съветник” звучи по-скоро като изпадане в
немилост, подхвърли в. Le Monde. Всъщност нищо чудно да става дума за "почетно
изгнание" - елегантно отстраняване от оперативното ръководство със запазване на
авторитета и отчитане на заслугите. Подобни прийоми се използват в почти всички
административни системи – аристократични, номенклатурни, корпоративни. Те са част от
игрите на властта. Случва се и видните заточеници да се върнат на бял кон. Краткото
официално съобщение не дава подробности нито за причините за кадровата рокада, нито за
целите, които се преследват с нея. Така се отваря терен и за разнообразни тълкования в
медиите.

Равносметката

Общата равносметка от 17-те години, в които Peugeot бе ръководена от Сен-Жур, е

положителна. Фирмата набра скорост след трудностите от 80-те, лансира забележителни
модели, разшири гамата си, тръгна към световна експанзия. В последните години обаче
пазарния й дял в Европа спадна. Това не е криза и не е вменено като вина на Сен-Жур. По-
скоро в коментарите се говори за необходимост структурите да бъдат разтърсени, за нужда
от свежа кръв и динамизиране. Зад кадровата рокада се виждат и някои по-съществени
структурни и личностни разминавания.
Кристиан Страйф, който пое групировката през февруари, ограничава самостоятелността на
двете подразделения. Разработката на новите модели ще е обща и е пряко под негово
ръководство. За Peugeot и Citroen остава да се концентрират върху комерсиализацията и
продажбите. Това до голяма степен променя и отговорностите и изискванията към техните
директори. Бившият шеф на Citroen Клод Сатине напусна още през зимата. Сен-Жур се
задържа, но в някои публични изказвания се дистанцираше от идеите на шефа си. Той имаше
достатъчно опит и авторитет да го прави, докато Кристиан Страйф всъщност е нов в
автомобилния бизнес. Такъв е и новият шеф на Peugeot Жан-Филип Колен.

I. Preliminary considerations
a. Check the spelling of the names of Фредерик Сен-Жур, Кристиан Страйф, Клод Сатине
and Жан-Филип Колен - try the web site of Peugeot-Citroen.
b. Look up the official job descriptions of the latter.

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 c. Why do you think the names Peugeot and Citroen and Le Monde have not been written in
the Cyrilic alphabet in the source text? Do you often see this phenomenon in the media?
d. “Да се завърне на бял кон” : is it a metaphor or an idiom. Should it be translated or must
an equivalent idiom be found?
e. “Рокада” is a term from chess. Is it appropriate to use in English as well?
f. Here are some collocations. Find appropriate collocations in English:

изпадане в немилост
отчитане на заслуги
набирам скорост
лансирам нови модели
разширявам гамата
пазарен дял
тръгвам към световна експанзия

II. Translate the text doing your best not only to make it grammatically correct but also
succinct. Pay special attention to S-V-O word order in English.
III. Now compare your translation with the translation by a native speaker of English:

Management-team change at Peugeot

Frederic Saint-Jour to go into honourable exile on 1 January.

From 1 January, JFK will take over as Peugeot's general director, and current chief executive
F.S.J. will become strategic adviser to the P.C. group head, C. Streif. S.J.'s new functions are not
particularly clear. Formally he has been promoted, but the French daily Le Monde suggests that,
after 17 years at the head of Peugeot, the new position of adviser sounds more like a fall into
disgrace.
It is hardly surprising that this is an honourable exile, an elegant removal from operational
management - it preserves his prestige and acknowledges his contribution. Such moves are common
in all administrative systems - aristocratic, public-service and corporate alike. They are part and
parcel of power games. But it can also happen that eminent exiles return in triumph. The brief
formal statement gives no details about the reasons for the managerial changes, nor about the aims
pursued. This provides scope for various interpretations in the media.

Bottom line
The bottom line of Saint-Jour's 17-year reign at Peugeot is positive. The company picked up
speed after the difficulties of the 80s, launched outstanding models, widened its range and
embarked upon global expansion. Its market share in Europe has diminished over the last few years,
though.
This is not a crisis and is not being blamed on Saint-Jour. Rather, pundits are commenting on
the need for structural change, fresh blood and dynamism. Behind the top-level managerial changes
some major structural and interpersonal differences can also be discerned.
Christian Streiff, who took over the group in February, is restricting the autonomy of the two
sub-divisions. The development of new models will be a joint operation under his direct control,
while Peugeot and Citroën are left to concentrate on commercialisation and sales.
This to a great extent changes the responsibilities of, and demands on their directors.

I. Compare the original and the translation:

• What happened to the original text?
• What happened as regards meaning, sound, form?
• What happens when you work with someone else’s words?

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 • Is it possible to truly translate a text? Think of all the different applications of translation
that you use in your everyday life.
• Should the translator be visible or invisible?

II. Adhering to the stylistics of the proposed translation, proceed translating the rest of the article.

Енархията

Зад промяната има и една типично френска интрига. Колен е инженер и “човек от
терена”. Той е специалист по електроника, тръгнал е отдолу и е преминал през IBM, Valeo,
Thompson. В PSA той дойде през 2004г. и се занимаваше с доставките, където опитът му в
електрониката е особено ценен. Има реноме на действен лидер и “убиец на разходи”. Сен-
Жур е от съвсем друга закваска. Произхожда от банкерско семейство и е “енарх” –
възпитаник на административната академия ЕНА, която формира висшите кадри на
френския елит. Днешните френски архонти са ограничен, високообразован, специално
подготвен в изкуството на управлението кръг. Смята се също, че са свързани помежду си.
Външните за този кръг пък са враждебни към него. Тази игра е в основата на много френски
интриги– както в администрацията, така и в бизнеса.

Автомобилите
Има и друга, може да се каже глобална, интрига. Сен-Жур има огромен опит и е
авторитет в автомобилния бизнес. Въпреки аристократичната си сдържаност изглеждаше и
запален по колите – от онези, които на английски се определят като CarGuy. Автомобилите
се нуждаят от ентусиазъм, той трябва да се изявява във фирмата. Иначе се получават скучни
коли, заяви той в интервю за в. Пари. Страйф и Колен идват отвън. Те имат различен опит,
който днес може да е по-ценен от този на типично автомобилните специалисти. И по света
има подобна тенденция. Ford и Chrysler също привлякоха лидери, натрупали опит в други
отрасли. За тях автомобилите са просто бизнес, в който може по-смело да прилагат
мениджърски рецепти за оптимизиране на структурите и съкращаване на разходи. Така или
иначе, за Peugeot започва нова ера.

I. Some useful words and phrases:

Supplies; fieldwork; reputation; efficient; cost killer; stuff; enarch; reserve; keen on; manifest;
boring; fields; cutting expenses.

II. Retranslation
a. Study the original closely.
b. Translate
c. Translate the translated text back into the original (consider to what extent memory plays
part in the translation & foreign language performance in general)

UNIT 4

These are examples of colloquial Bulgarian – find their closest equivalents in English.

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1. Може ли малко да се изсветли или по някакъв друг начин да се подобри картината? Че
това ми прилича на бой на негри в тъмна нощ.
2. Образованието ни е един много болен въпрос, а никой нищо не прави.
3. Слушай сега - тия ги приказвай на старата ми шапка, ти да не мислиш че съм вчерашен.
4. Мъчи се момчето ми година две на инвалидния стол и това беше, отиде си с отворени
очи. Ама нищо не можеш да направиш. Бог дал, бог взел!
5. На тоя ще му бия дузпата, щот вече не мога да го търпя.
6. Гледай го тоя колко е прост бе! Виж му акъла, па му крой гащи!
7. Взех едни пари назаем ама само си вкарах автогол. Сега до гроб ще трябва да ги
връщам.
8. Стана му кофти от това, че го изработиха и след малко се измъкна по чорапи.
9. Той стана доцент, без да си мръдне пръста, ама професор ще стане кога цъфнат
налъмите.
10. Нападнаха ни по никое време и ни свариха по бели гащи.
11. Тоя е голям Марко Тотев, бе – к’вото направи все е в негова вреда.
12. След първоначалните затруднения всичко тръгна по мед и масло.
13. Щом пазаруваш от бутика и то на килограм, значи си надвил на масрафа си.
14. Ама ти от вчера си на тая работа бе и взе да даваш акъл. Кога стана циганин, кога ти
почерня врата бе!
15. К’во си направила - манджа с грозде! Къде си видяла патладжан на скара с портокалови
корички!!
16. Айде сега не ми пробутвай пиле за кокошка. Такива на мен не ми минават!
17. Да уточним нещата и да стане ясно защо аз смятам, че е време прокуратурата да сложи
в тигана по-едрите риби, да не се занимава с цацата.
18. Тоя пич е голямо перде, не му пука от нещо.
19. Айде сега, бийте се, бе, не се карайте!
20. Живот си живее той! Вилата му като селска гимназия, къщата му по-голяма от
Бъкингамския дворец, а той нищо не работи и само се разкарва по халат из двора!
21. Сега не го искат за зет, пък после ще се натискат за него, ама ще имат да вземат.
22. Тръгнаха да го съдят за кражбата, ама той сух излезе от водата и сега ни се надсмива.
Тъпи сме ние, тъпи, нищо че имаме по две висши. Тъпи, та чак вдлъбнати!
23. Хайде и да се върнете с много пари. – Чул те господ!
24. Ама виж го ма, върви като че е глътнал бастун, как го прави, а?
25. Не го слушай тоя келеш ами ела с мен, щото мен тук и кучетата ме познават!
26. Тая мели като воденица цял час, ама кой я слуша.
27. Това ще го направя със затворени очи.

UNIT 5

Bulgarian proverbs and adages: translate them first periphrastically, then find their exact matches in
English.

Вода гази жаден ходи. Евтин на брашното, скъп на триците.

Грижи се за стотинките, а левовете ще се Дават ли ти - еж, гонят ли те - беж!

130
грижат сами за себе си!
Ако го боли, както го мързи, отдавна да е
умрял.
Парен каша духа.
Де го чукаш - де се пука.
Като няма акъл, крака има.
Ако работата беше хубаво нещо и дядо
владика щеше да работи.
За една бълха не изгаряй цялата черга!
Търкулнало се гърненцето и си намерило
похлупака.
Дяволът не е толкова чер, колкото го
описват.
Апетитът идва с яденето.
Бабини деветини.
Устата му още на мляко миришат.
Ако има грешка, има и прошка.
Без наука няма сполука.
Живее само да яде, а не и да работи.
Последната хапка е най-сладка.
Услуга за услуга.
Сговорна дружина планина повдига.
Блага дума железни врата отваря.
Това да не е боднеш пръчка, пиеш вино.
В него хляба, в него и ножа.
Гладна мечка хоро не играе.
Помогни си сам и Господ ще ти помогне.
Голям залък лапни, голяма дума не казвай.
Аз ги отказвам (цигарите), те не се отказват
от мене.
Бърза като теле пред майка си.
Гузен негонен бяга.
Да би мирно седяло, не би чудо видяло.
Ако искаш да вземаш, научи се да даваш.
Да ме опази Господ от приятелите ми, а от
враговете си сам ще се пазя.
С питане и до Цариград се стига.
Клин клин избива.
Ден година храни.
Орташката работа вълци я яли.
Бели кахъри.
Всичко, що хвърка, не се яде.
Добра дума железни врата отваря.
Под вола теле търси.
Докато гонеше дивото, изтърва питомното.
От всяко дърво свирка не става.
Глас народен - глас божи.
Денят се познава от сутринта.
Рибата се вмирисва откъм главата.
Ако е гарга - рошава да е!
Дума дупка не прави, но за дума се гони до
дупка.
Една лястовица пролет не прави.
Ако младостта знаеше, ако старостта
можеше!
Бързата кучка - слепи ги ражда.
Луд умора няма!
Една шугава овца цяло стадо ошугавява.
Кучето скача според тоягата.
Счупи - купи.
Желязото се кове докато е горещо.
Морето не е до колене.
Едно си баба знае, едно си баба бае.
Последна дупка на кавала е.
Прати го за зелен хайвер.
Живее на широка нога.
Времето е пари.
Старата любов ръжда не хваща.
Хвани единия, удари другия.
Ум царува, ум робува, ум патки пасе.
Два пъти мери, веднъж режи.
За всеки влак си има пътници.
Бели пари за черни дни.
За вълка говорим, а той в кошарата.
Веднъж стомна за вода, дваж стомна за вода,
докато се счупи.
Рано пиле, рано пее.
Нова метла чисто мете.
За умрелите или добро, или нищо.
Вятър го вее на бял кон.
Око за око, зъб за зъб.
Захванало пилето да учи кокошката как се
снасят яйца.
И вълкът сит, и агнето цяло.
На страха очите са големи.
Кажи ми какви са приятелите ти, за да ти
кажа какъв си.
Краят увенчава делото.
Вместо вежди да направи, очи извади.
Казана дума - хвърлен камък.
Казвам ти дъще сещай се снахо.
Всеки ден не е Великден.
Каквото повикало, такова се и обадило.
Не питай старило, а патило!
Камъкът си тежи на мястото.
В нужда се другар познава.
Капка по капка вир става.
Като две капки вода.
Видяла жабата, че подковават вола и тя
вдигнала крак.
Когато цъфнат налъмите.
Умря с отворени очи.
Който бърза, далеч не стига.
С единия крак в гроба.
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Присмял се хърбел на щърбел.
Ако искаш да познаеш човека, дай му власт.
Който копае гроб другиму, сам пада в него.
По дрехите посрещат, по ума изпращат.
В царството на слепите едноокия е цар.
Който се смее последен, най-добре се смее.
Удари го през просото.
Болен здрав носи.
От трън, та на глог.
Всяка жаба да си знае гьола.
Сърдит Петко, празна му торбата.
Ако не щеш мира, на ти секира!
Не всичко, което блести, е злато.
Откъдето дошло, там отишло.
Пари при пари отиват.
Щом си се хванал на хорото, ще го играеш.
Човек знае и две, и двеста.
Всяко начало е трудно.
Подадеш ли си кутрето - ще ти отхапе
ръката.
Гарван гарвану око не вади.
Ако имаш две ризи, дай едната на ближния
си!
По-добре в село чорбаджия, отколкото в град
кюмюрджия.
Не по врат, а по шия.
На бодлива крава, Бог рога не дава!
След дъжд качулка.
Тихата вода е най-дълбока.
Това, което човек сам си направи, цяло село
не може да му го направи.
Удавник и за сламка се лови.
На триците - скъп, на брашното - евтин.
Утрото е по-мъдро от вечерта.
Храни куче да те лае.
На крива ракета Космоса и пречи!
Човек предполага, Бог разполага.
Широко му около врата.
Който търси намира.
Гледа като теле в железница.
Крушата не пада по-далеч от дървото.
Всеки си е башка луд.
Кръвта вода не става.
Лесно е да кажеш, мъчно е да докажеш.
Вълкът козината си мени, но нрава - никога
Лице невиждано, скоро се забравя.
Между два стола човек на земята пада.
Приятел в нужда се познава.
Мокър от дъжд се не бои.
Власите накрай Дунава се давят.
Мързи го, та го боли.
Върви му като на бито куче тояга.
Днешната работа не я оставяй за утре.
Мята се като риба на сухо.
На вълка му е дебел врата, защото сам си
върши работата.
Гладна кокошка просо сънува.
Не е луд, този който яде баницата, а този,
който му я дава.
Обичат се като куче и котка.
Всяко зло, за добро.
Приятелството си е приятелство, но сиренето
е с пари.
Облякъл се Илия, погледнал се - пак у тия.
Всяко чудо за три дни.
От работа не се хубавее, а се гърбавее.
Смирена глава сабя не я сече.
По-добре късно, отколкото никога.
Рибата още в морето, той приготвил тигана.
И на гърба си има очи.
Сирoмах човек - жив дявол.
Я камилата, я камиларя.
Сит на гладен не вярва.
Хубавият кон и под скъсан чул се познава.
Царят дава, пъдарят не дава.
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 SECOND YEAR: TRANSLATING FROM ENGLISH TO BULGARIAN

SECTION ONE: FICTION

UNIT 1

Read the passage below at least two times.

Ayn Rand
From Atlas Shrugged

She sat at the window of the train, her head thrown back, one leg stretched across to the
empty seat before her. The window frame trembled with the speed of the motion, the pane
hung over empty darkness, and dots of light slashed across the glass as luminous streaks,
once in a while.
Her leg, sculptured by the tight sheen of the stocking, its long line running straight, over
an arched instep, to the tip of a foot in a high-heeled pump, had a feminine elegance that
seemed out of place in the dusty train car and oddly incongruous with the rest of her. She
wore a battered camel’s hair coat that had been expensive, wrapped shapelessly about her
slender, nervous body. The coat collar was raised to the slanting brim of her hat. A sweep of
brown hair fell back, almost touching the line of her shoulders. Her face was made of
angular planes, the shape of her mouth clear clear-cut, a sensual mouth held closed with
inflexible precision. She kept her hands in the coat pockets, her posture taut, as if she
resented immobility, and unfeminine, as if she were unconscious of her own body and
that it was a woman’s body.
She sat listening to the music. It was a symphony of triumph. The notes flowed up, they
spoke of rising and they were the rising itself, they were the essence and the form of upward
motion, they seemed to embody every human act and thought that had ascent as its motive. It
was a sunburst of sound, breaking out of hiding and spreading open. It had the freedom of
release and the tension of purpose. It swept space clean, and left nothing but the joy of an
unobstructed effort. Only a faint echo within the sounds spoke of that from which the music
had escaped, but spoke in laughing astonishment at the discovery that there was no ugliness or
pain, and there never had to be. It was a song of an immense deliverance.

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will
be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

slash to cut or try to cut something violently with a knife, sword, etc.
to greatly reduce an amount, price, etc especially in newspapers, advertising,
v.
streak a coloured line, especially one that is not straight or has been made accidentally
a part of someone’s character that is different from the rest of their character
n. a period of time during which you continue to be successful or to fail
long, straight flash of lightning, fire, light
sculptured cut or formed from wood, stone, clay, etc.
having a smooth, attractive shape
adj.
slant to slope or make something slope in a particular direction
to provide information in a way that unfairly supports one opinion, gives an
v. advantage to one group, etc.

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III. Focus

Pay attention to the phrases in bold. Think about the most suitable phrases in Bulgarian.
Be very careful while translating the sentence in bold. Mind the subordinate structures that
may lead to misunderstanding.
Some of the words in the text can be used in collocations. Study the ones bellow and translate
them into Bulgarian: a mean streak, to be on the losing streak, a sculptured face, a sweep
of one’s sword, the wide sweep of lawn, the broad seep of history.

IV. Translate the following sentences into Bulgarian consulting the exercise above and your
dictionaries.

1. The leopard’s claws slashed through the soft flesh.

2. His serious nature was lightened by a streak of mischief.
3. Celtic are on a six-game winning streak
4. The researchers were accused of slanting their findings in favour of their own beliefs.

V. Let’s continue working with a text by the same author. What issues – similar or different –
arise from the initial reading of the passage below?

The band of crossties swept in wide curves around granite corners, clinging to the
mountainsides of Colorado. Dagny walked down the ties, keeping her hands in her coat
pockets, and her eyes on the meaningless distance ahead; only familiar movement of straining
her steps to the spacing of the ties gave her the physical sense of an action pertaining to a
railroad.
A gray cotton, which was neither quite fog nor clouds, hung in sloppy wads between sky
and mountains, making the sky look like an old mattress spilling its stuffing down the sides of
the peaks. A crusted snow covered the ground, belonging neither to winter nor to spring. A
net of moisture hung in the air, and she felt an icy pinprick on her face once in a while, which
was neither a raindrop nor a snowflake. The weather seemed afraid to take a stand and clung
noncommittally to some sort of road’s middle; Board of Directors’ weather, she thought.
The light seemed drained and she could not tell whether this was the afternoon or the evening
of March 31. But she was very certain that it was March 31; that was a certainty not to be
escaped.
She had come to Colorado with Hank Rearden, to buy whatever machinery could still be
found in the closed factories. It had been like a hurried search through the sinking hulk of a
great ship before it was to vanish out of reach. They could have given the task to employees,
but they had come, both prompted by the same unconfessed motive: they could not resist the
desire to attend the run of the last train, as one cannot resist the desire to give a last salute by
attending a funeral, even while knowing that it is only an act of self-torture.
They had been buying machinery from doubtful owners in sales of dubious legality, since
nobody could tell who had the right to dispose of the great, dead properties, and nobody
would come to challenge the transactions. They had bought everything that could be moved
from the gutted plant of Nielsen Motors. The Nielsen had quit and vanished, a week after the
announcement that the Line was to be closed.
Atlas Shrugged
By Ayn Rand

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VI. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use
the empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which
will be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

band • a group of musicians that play especially pop-music

• a group of people formed because of a common belief or purpose
n.
• a range of numbers within a system
• a range of radio-signals
• a flat, narrow piece of something with one end joined to the other to form a circle
• a narrow area of light, colour, land, etc. that is different from the areas around it
cling • to hold someone or something tightly because you do not feel safe
• to stick to someone or something, or seem to surround them
v.
• to stay close to someone because you do not feel safe
• to continue to believe or do something, even though it may not be true any longer
strain • to injure a muscle or part of your body by using it too much or making it work hard
• to try very hard to do something using all your strength or ability
v.
• to cause difficulties
• to pull hard at something or push hard against something
sloppy • careless
• (clothes) loose-fitting, untidy, or dirty
adj.
• expressing feelings of love too strongly and in a silly way
• not solid enough
pinprick • a very small area or dot of something
• a very small hole in something, similar to one made by a pin
n.
• something that slightly annoys you
drain • to make someone feel very tired and without any energy
• to make the water or liquid in something flow away
v.
• to use too much of something, especially money, so that there is not enough left
• to be reduced until there is none left

VII. Focus

Pay attention to the word crossties. It is an American word meaning

a transverse, a beam or rod that supports the road
rails (British)
When translating a text consider the source, i.e. whether it is British or American and find
the proper meanings.
Pay attention to the expression Board of Director’s weather. A literal translation seems
inadequate. Think about the possible equivalents in Bulgarian.
Focus on the last paragraph. Compare They had been buying ….. to They had bought…..
What is the type of action in each one. How do we render the difference in Bulgarian?

VIII. Translate the following sentences into Bulgarian consulting the vocabulary exercise and
your dictionaries.

1. The birds have a distinctive blue band round their eyes.

2. She wore a slim gold band on her finger.
3. Passengers clung desperately onto the life- boats.
4. The smell of cigarette smoke clung to her clothes
5. He clung to the hope that she would be cured
6. You’ll strain your eyes trying to read in this light.
7. Bill choked and gasped, straining for air.
8. The incident has strained the relations between the two countries.
9. I felt that my patience was being strained to the limit.
10. His written reports are incredibly sloppy

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11. The film is a sloppy romance.
12. The swimming pool is drained and cleaned every winter.
13. Working with children all day really drains you.
14. When the verdict was read out, all the colour drained from Zelda’s cheek.
15. Sally felt her anger drain away.

IX. Look up the fixed phrase take a stand from the text. Consider the examples below and
translate them into Bulgarian.

Take the money and run!
Take the dog out for a walk!
Take this book to the librarian!
Take me to the hospital, please! I’ve broken
my leg!
I take it that you have finished the job
successfully?
You must take into account the fact that she’s
very young.
We succeeded in taking the enemy town.
She took the compliment with a smile.
He took revenge on her.
Do you take milk in your coffee?
He took a French leave.
She took her own life.
Take your ID card with you as you may be
asked to provide it.
These stairs will take you up to the attic.
His statement took me by surprise.
The car took the corner at top speed.
Take a U-turn at the next crossing.
Most leathers take a high polish.
It takes courage to do that.
The red sweater took her eye.
She took a seat.
The machine takes a lot of room, it’s too big.
He took ten minutes to solve the problem.
He took a long walk in the afternoon
Take the next street on the right.
She took a picture of the children playing.
Students usually take notes at a lecture.
She took an oath not to tell anyone.

UNIT 2

I. Upon your initial readings of the text below consider the following questions:

Does it sound ‘spoken’ or ‘written’ in mode? How can you tell?

Is the tone serious or funny? Why?
Which features of the text (words, phrases, grammar forms, etc. used) account for these
impressions?
What is the intended audience of the text? How can you tell?
What is the bearing of the above questions on your target text in Bulgarian?

J. K. Rowling
From Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were
perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved
in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.

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 Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big,
beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley
was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very
useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors.
The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy
anywhere.
The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest
fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone
found out about the Potters. Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for
several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and
her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. The Dursleys
shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The
Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This
boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing
with a child like that.
When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was
nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would
soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most
boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming
Dudley into his high chair.
None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.
At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek,
and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and
throwing his cereal at the walls. "Little tyke, " chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He
got into his car and backed out of number four's drive.
It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar -- a cat
reading a map. For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen -- then he jerked his
head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but
there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of
the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove
around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the
sign that said Privet Drive -- no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs. Mr.
Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town
he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.
But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in
the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of
strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who
dressed in funny clothes -- the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some
stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a
huddle of these weirdoes standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together.
Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had
to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it
struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt -- these people were obviously
collecting for something... yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later,
Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.

Exercises

II. Vocabulary builder: In view of the above impressions, what are the translation possibilities
for the following words and phrases?

137
a drill • a. an implement with cutting edges or a pointed end for boring holes in hard
materials, usually by a rotating abrasion or repeated blows; a bit. b. the hand-
n. operated or hand-powered holder for this implement. c. a loud, harsh noise made
by or as if by a powered tool of this kind.
• a. disciplined, repetitious exercise as a means of teaching and perfecting a
skill or procedure. b. a task or exercise for teaching a skill or procedure by
repetition: conducted an air-raid drill; a drill for learning the multiplication tables.
• the training of soldiers in marching and the manual of arms.
a tyke a small child, especially a boy; a mongrel or cur.
n.
a weirdo Slang., a person regarded as being very strange or eccentric; a deranged,
n. potentially dangerous person.
a huddle • A densely packed group or crowd, as of people or animals; 2. in Football. A
brief gathering of a team's players behind the line of scrimmage to receive
n. instructions for the next play. 3. A small private conference or meeting.
a tabby cat It is a cat with a distinctive coat that features stripes, dots, or swirling patterns.
Tabbies are often mistakenly thought of as a breed of cat, while tabby color is
n. found in many breeds of cat, as well as among the general 'moggy' (mixed-breed
or mongrel) population.
beefy similar to, or tasting like beef; containing beef; strong or muscular; sturdy; robust;
adj. used of people as well as to describe wine
tawny (owl) brownish-yellow; tan; may be used to describe the colour of lions (then it is
adj. sandier) or aged port.
to crane over to reach forward with head and neck, in order to see better; as, a hunter cranes
v. forward before taking a leap.
to peck • hit lightly with a picking motion [pick, beak]
• eat by pecking at; of birds [pick up]
v.
• kiss lightly [smack]
• eat like a bird [pick at, peck at]
• bother persistently with trivial complaints;[nag, hen-peck]
to chortle To laugh quietly; to chuckle
v.
to jerk • to give a sudden quick thrust, push, pull, or twist to.
• to throw or toss with a quick abrupt motion.
v.
• to utter abruptly or sharply: jerked out the answer.
to have a
to have a fit of bad temper; to throw a fit; regionally knows as hissy, hissy fit.
tantrum Usually associated with childish behaviour.
phr.
privet • Any of several shrubs of the genus Ligustrum, especially L. vulgare or L.
ovalifolium, having opposite leaves and clusters of white flowers and widely used
n. for hedges.
• Any of several similar or related plants.

III. Focus:

One aspect of the text is its ‘easy-going’ converse nature, not only in terms of it sounding as if
a story is told, but also through uses of vernacular forms.
After you locate the meaning of the following phrases: ‘thank you very much’, ‘the getups
you saw on young people’, ‘the nerve of him’, ‘her good-for-nothing husband’, etc. think
of where you are likely to encounter them.
Who is likely to say/use these expressions?
Whose point of view do you think they express in the text?
Along the same lines, consider phrases like: ‘The Dursleys shuddered to think’, ‘with
hardly any neck’, ‘had nearly twice the usual amount of neck’. Are there any other phrases
which seem to fall into the same category?

138
 Which phrases do you find funny? Why are they funny?
The text abounds in contracted forms. Why are they used? Can you see ways in which you
could preserve their function in your target text?
Imagine you have never heard the proper names used in the text above translated in
Bulgarian. What choices do you have as strategies for approaching them?
In the sentence ‘because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as
it was possible to be’ ‘unDursleyish’ is a modifier coined specifically for the purposes of the
text. What are its functions? How can you convey these functions in Bulgarian?

IV. Reading (and thinking) further

A. There is a succinct essay which treats comparatively the proper names in Harry Potter
in their English, Bulgarian and Hungarian versions. This essay mostly discusses the
appropriacy and motivation of translators’ choices in a dozen examples of translated proper
names. Since it is available in an online archive, you can read it. What strategies for proper
names rendering in translation does it identify?
Ралица Стефанова „Един поглед към Хари Потър на три
различни езика” в Литературен вестник брой 27,
10.09.2003
(http://www.slovo.bg/litvestnik/index.php?pd=2003-09-10,
downloaded 15 September 2008)

B. In one of the 2005 issues of The Lion and the Unicorn journal, there is an article by
Gillian Lathey which addresses a number of interesting and challenging aspects of the
unprecedented process of translation the Harry Potter books underwent. After you have
finished drafting your own Bulgarian version of the opening chapter above, read the short
passages from the essay.
While the essay addresses the books as a whole in a number of different languages, it also
comments on findings from a seminar, which discussed the first chapter in a range of
translations. Which of the points raised in this account resonate with the issues you considered
as well with regard to the excerpt above and its rendering in Bulgarian?

C. Is there anything that you would like to edit or modify in your versions as a result of
getting familiarized with the discussion below?

Tone and Humor—A Decidedly British Story

[…] General comments by seminar participants on the translation of the humor,
vernacular style, and cultural content of Rowling’s text indicated a range of approaches to the
task. Orna Granot wrote retrospectively: “One direct result of the seminar is that I actually sat
down and read the Hebrew translation of Gili Bar Hillel. I enjoyed it very much. Some parts
are better than others but the main light atmosphere of the writing is maintained.” Gaby
Thomson, who worked in the seminar with German speaking delegates, reported on the
consensus of the group that the first chapter (translated into German by Klaus Fritz) was “well
done overall” but “loses its Britishness.” She commented particularly on the phrase at the end
of the opening sentence: “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet drive, were proud to
say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much” . A tag taken from spoken
language that emphasizes the Dursleys’ smugness—a reader can picture the pair of them
saying “thank you very much” with their noses in the air—is typical of the effect Rowling
creates by using such idiomatic phrases. In his translation, Fritz replaces “thank you” with an

139
intensifier, “sehr stolz sogar” (very proud indeed). Gaby’s verdict was that as a result of this
and other changes “the flavor of the original is gone.”

Names
Proper names in the book also convey tone and humor, and Rowling’s delight in linguistic
play is evident in her inventions. I will limit remarks to two examples that were discussed in
some detail in the seminar.
Returning to the opening line of Rowling’s text, there is, straightaway, a question mark
hanging over the translation of “Privet Drive.” Rowling establishes the Dursleys as
conventional, middle-of-the-road Englanders who live in the suburban conformity that is
instantly familiar to most British readers. That the word “privet” alone conjures up such a
setting is demonstrated perfectly at the beginning of Michael Frayn’s marvelous novel Spies
(2002). The narrator, a middle-aged Englishman out walking with his adult daughter in
Germany, becomes aware of an unsettling, pungent smell that he cannot quite place; nor does
he recognize the German word for the shrub, “Liguster, ” which his daughter names as its
source. Some time later the narrator, a professional translator who admits that he should have
known better, suddenly recalls the name “privet” and all the associations of a wartime
childhood it holds for him. He laughs at the name of a plant: “so commonplace, so despised
and ridiculed, so associated with the repression and concealment of all the wild feelings it
seems to have released in me”. “Privet, ” then, is to an English reader both ridiculous and
resonant with the orderliness and repression of a suburban English childhood of the 1940s,
‘50s, and ‘60s. Like so many features of the Potter books it represents a return to the England
of the mid-twentieth century. Whether English child readers appreciate every reference of this
kind or not, the effect is cumulative in representing the Dursleys as archconformists and
figures of fun. So how had translators addressed the ironic resonance of “Privet Drive” in the
editions we had to hand? The most obvious choices were to leave the street name in English,
as Jean-François Ménard does in the French translation, or to use the botanical equivalent, for
example “Ligusterweg” (literally: “privet way”) in the German version by Klaus Fritz. Given
the Latinate nomenclature of the plant world, it is no surprise to find “Gestationis
Ligustrorum” in the Latin version, too.
Either way, the social associations of Privet Drive are lost. Japanese proves to be
particularly interesting in this and other instances, because of the two language modes open to
the translator. These are hiragana, the customary script combined with Chinese characters,
and katakana, used to represent sound phonetically in onomatopoeia, new words, or foreign
words. As Yukie Ito informed us, the name “Privet Drive” in the Japanese translation is
simply a katakana or phonetic equivalent that will no more convey a sense of the suburban
milieu to the Japanese reader than the strategy of leaving the name untranslated does in the
French edition. The most radical change in social status, however, occurs in the Russian
translation by I. V. Oranskii. Roehampton MA student Jane Grayson has pointed out that in
Russian it is not possible to leave “privet, ” since the Russian transliteration of the word
means “hello.” Oranskii, translator of the first Russian edition, resorted to “Praivet Drive”
(“Private Drive” in English), thereby at a stroke elevating the status of the suburban setting to
that of the private estate.

from Lathey, Gillian. “The Travels of Harry: International Marketing and the Translation of J.
K. Rowling's Harry Potter Books”. The Lion and the Unicorn. Volume 29, Number 2, April
2005, The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 141-151.

Exercises

140
V. Task: In view of our discussion so far, translate independently the passage below from
Chapter 6: ‘The Portkey’ of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

It was chilly and the moon was still out. Only a dull, greenish tinge along the horizon to
their right showed that daybreak was drawing closer. Harry, having been thinking about
thousands of wizards speeding toward the Quidditch World Cup, sped up to walk with Mr.
Weasley.
"So how does everyone get there without all the Muggles noticing?" he asked.
"It's been a massive organizational problem, " sighed Mr. Weasley. "The trouble is, about
a hundred thousand wizards turn up at the World Cup, and of course, we just haven't got a
magical site big enough to accommodate them all. There are places Muggles can't penetrate,
but imagine trying to pack a hundred thousand wizards into Diagon Alley or platform nine
and three-quarters. So we had to find a nice deserted moor, and set up as many anti-Muggle
precautions as possible. The whole Ministry's been working on it for months. First, of course,
we have to stagger the arrivals. People with cheaper tickets have to arrive two weeks
beforehand. A limited number use Muggle transport, but we can't have too many clogging up
their buses and trains - remember, wizards are coming from all over the world. Some
Apparate, of course, but we have to set up safe points for them to appear, well away from
Muggles. I believe there's a handy wood they're using as the Apparition point. For those who
don't want to Apparate, or can't, we use Portkeys. They're objects that are used to transport
wizards from one spot to another at a prearranged time. You can do large groups at a time if
you need to. There have been two hundred Portkeys placed at strategic points around Britain,
and the nearest one to us is up at the top of Stoatshead Hill, so that's where we're headed."
Mr. Weasley pointed ahead of them, where a large black mass rose beyond the village of
Ottery St. Catchpole.
"What sort of objects are Portkeys?" said Harry curiously.
"Well, they can be anything, " said Mr. Weasley. "Unobtrusive things, obviously, so
Muggles don't go picking them up and playing with them ... stuff they'll just think is litter...."

UNIT 3

I. While getting ready to begin translating the text below, make sure that you read the text out
loud at least once.

D. H. Lawrence (1914)
From Odour of Chrysanthemums

The small locomotive engine, Number 4, came clanking, stumbling down from Selston
with seven full wagons. It appeared round the corner with loud threats of speed, but the colt
that it startled from among the gorse, which still flickered indistinctly in the raw afternoon,
outdistanced it at a canter. A woman, walking up the railway-line to Underwood, drew back
into the hedge, held her basket aside, and watched the footplate of the engine advancing. The
trucks thumped heavily past, one by one, with slow inevitable movement, as she stood

141
insignificantly trapped between the jolting black waggons and the hedge; then they curved
away towards the coppice where the withered oak-leaves dropped noiselessly, while the birds,
pulling at the scarlet hips beside the track, made off into the dusk that had already crept into
the spinney. In the open, the smoke from the engine sank and cleaved to the rough grass. The
fields were dreary and forsaken, and in the marshy strip that led to the whimsey, a reedy pit-
pond, the fowls had already abandoned their run among the alders, to roost in the tarred fowl-
house. The pit-bank loomed up beyond the pond, flames like red sores licking its ashy sides,
in the afternoon’s stagnant light. Just beyond rose the tapering chimneys and the clumsy
black headstocks of Brinsley Colliery. The two wheels were spinning fast up against the sky,
and the winding-engine rapped out its little spasms. The miners were being turned up.
The engine whistled as it came into the wide bay of railway-lines beside the colliery,
where rows of trucks stood in the harbour. Miners, single, trailing, and in groups, passed like
shadows diverging home. At the edge of the ribbed level of sidings squat a low cottage, three
steps down from the cinder track. A large, bony vine clutched at the house, as if to claw down
the tiled roof. Round the bricked yard grew a few wintry primroses. Beyond, the long garden
sloped down to a bush-covered brook-course. There were some twiggy apple trees, winter-
crack trees, and ragged cabbages. Beside the path hung dishevelled pink chrysanthemums,
like cloths hung on bushes. A woman came stooping out of the felt-covered fowl-house half-
way down the garden. She closed and padlocked the door, then threw herself erect, having
brushed some bits from her white apron.

Exercises

II. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use
the empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which
will be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

gorse Any of several spiny shrubs of the genus Ulex, especially U. Check Bulgarian
europaeus, native to Europe and having fragrant yellow
n. flowers and black pods. Also called furze, whin. equivalent
A thicket or grove of small trees or shrubs, especially one How many words in
maintained by periodic cutting or pruning to encourage
suckering, as in the cultivation of cinnamon trees for their Bulgarian can you think of
bark. that describe types of
coppice Synonyms: brush, copse, thicket, brushwood brushes and thickets?
Related words: brake - an area thickly overgrown usually with
n. one kind of plant; canebrake - a dense growth of cane
(especially giant cane)
underbrush, undergrowth, underwood - the brush (small trees
and bushes and ferns etc.) growing beneath taller trees in a
wood or forest
Choose two different words
spinney a copse that shelters game in Bulgarian for spinney
n.
and coppice
1. To split with or as if with a sharp instrument.
2. To make or accomplish by or as if by cutting: cleave a path
to cleave through the ice.
3. To pierce or penetrate: The wings cleaved the foggy air.
4. Chemistry To split (a complex molecule) into simpler
molecules.

1. A whim; a freak; a capricious notion, a fanciful or odd Which sense of the word is
conceit.
whimsey The whimsies of poets and painters." Ray. used?
n. Men's folly, whimsies, and inconstancy. Swift. What is the significance of
2. (Mining) A whim. [1913 Webster] the year of dictionary
Whim

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 1. A sudden turn or start of the mind; a temporary entry?
eccentricity; a freak; a fancy; a capricious notion; a humor; a
caprice.
Let every man enjoy his whim. --Churchill.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Mining) A large capstan or vertical drum turned by horse
power or steam power, for raising ore or water, etc., from
mines, or for other purposes; -- called also whim gin, and
whimsey.
Whim shaft (Mining), a shaft through which ore, water, etc.,
is raised from a mine by means of a whim. [1913 Webster]
1. having a tone of a reed instrument What is the name for the
reedy wheezy or noisy - full of or characterized by loud and
nonmusical sounds; 2. resembling a reed in being upright and plant reed in Bulgarian?
adj. slender
reedlike and lean, thin - lacking excess flesh;
1. Any of various deciduous shrubs or trees of the genus Check Bulgarian
alders Alnus, native chiefly to northern temperate regions and
having alternate simple toothed leaves and tiny fruits in equivalent
n.
woody, conelike catkins.
Taper Which sense is used in this
1. A small or very slender candle.
2. A long wax-coated wick used to light candles or gas lamps. combination with
3. A source of feeble light. ‘chimneys’?
4. a. A gradual decrease in thickness or width of an elongated
tapering object. b. A gradual decrease, as in action or force.
v. intr.
(chimneys) 1. To become gradually narrower or thinner toward one end.
2. To diminish or lessen gradually. Often used with off: The
storm finally tapered off.
v. tr.
1. To make thinner or narrower at one end.
2. To make smaller gradually.
headstocks A nonmoving part of a machine or power tool that supports a In relation to a mine plant,
n. revolving part, such as the spindle of a lathe. what is ‘headstocks’?
colliery A coal mine and the associated processing facilities, such as
n. the breaker (for crushing the coal) and sorting machinery.

III. Two important things to keep in mind

When texts contain a number of references to specific plants, trees, animals, etc., make sure to
check their precise Bulgarian equivalents. Very often this is best done via their Latin names
and species.

Words or expressions often slightly (sometimes even more dramatically) modify the senses
and contexts in which they are used over time. Keep in mind the period to which your source
text dates.

IV. Focus:

What is ‘hips’ in the context of railway tracks?

Pay attention to the phrases in italics.
The text contains a number of verbs that refer to (or directly resemble) sounds or noise, such
as: to clank, to thump, to rap out, to whistle. What kinds of sounds do these verbs describe?
Find more of them. Which Bulgarian verbs describe the corresponding types of sound?
There are several groups of related in meaning (not synonymous) words in this text. Identify
them first and think of the overall idea/feeling/image they convey. For example, there is a
group of adjectives that are related to a sense of desolation, i.e. dreary, forsaken, marshy,

143
reedy, stagnant, etc. Can you expand the list? What other related groups of words do you
identify in the passage?
Similarly to the above, a closer look at the stylistics of the text reveals related pairs of images,
such as ‘bony vine – twiggy apple trees’ and ‘ragged cabbages – dishevelled
chrysanthemums’. How would you translate them to preserve the relation? Can you identify
other pairs following a similar pattern of a varied repetition?
Patterns and repetitions seem to feature prominently in the above text. Sometimes they are at
the level of sounds, i.e. alliteration and assonance, or at the level of morphology and syntax.
Ex. ‘a bush-covered brook-course’. What is their function? Is it related to the overall effect of
the text? How can they be preserved in the text’s rendering into Bulgarian?
Note the use of syntactic means for the achievement of rhythm. Such as: ‘Miners, single,
trailing, and in groups…’
Upon completion, read the Bulgarian target text aloud and compare its rhythmic quality to the
source text in English.

V. Task: Work on your own with the text below. To what extent are the issues a translator is
faced with here similar to the ones discussed above? What other considerations emerge?

He put hand on the lever. The little engine strained and groaned, and the train rumbled
towards the crossing. The woman again looked across the metals. Darkness was settling over
the spaces of the railway and trucks: the miners, the grey sombre groups, were still passing
home. The winding-engine pulsed hurriedly, with brief pauses. Elizabeth Bates looked at the
dreary flow of men, then she went indoors. Her husband did not come.
The kitchen was small and full of firelight; red coals piled glowing up the chimney mouth.
All the life of the room seemed in the white warm hearth and the steel fender reflecting the
red fire. The cloth was led for tea; cups glinted in the shadow. At the back, where the lowest
stair protruded into the room, the boy sat struggling with a knife and a piece of white wood.
He was almost hidden in shadow, only his movement seemed visible. It was half past four.
They had but to wait the father’s coming to begin tea. As the mother watched her son’s sullen
little struggle with the wood, she saw herself in his silence and pertinacity, she saw the father
in her child’s indifference to all but himself. She seemed to be occupied by her husband. He
had probably gone past his home, slunk past his own door, to drink before he came in, while
his dinner spoiled and wasted in waiting. She glanced at the clock, and took the potatoes to
strain them in the yard. The garden and the fields beyond the brook were closed in uncertain
darkness. When she rose with the saucepan, leaving the drain steaming into the night behind
her, she saw the yellow lamps were lit along the highroad that went up the hill away beyond
the space of the railway-lines and the field. Then again she watched the men trooping home,
fewer now, and fewer.
Odour of Chrysanthemums
by D. H. Lawrence

UNIT 4

144
Jane Austen
From Sense & Sensibility

Chapter 1
[…] No sooner was his father's funeral over, than Mrs. John Dashwood, without sending
any notice of her intention to her mother-in-law, arrived with her child and their attendants.
No one could dispute her right to come; the house was her husband's from the moment of his
father's decease; but the indelicacy of her conduct was so much the greater, and to a woman in
Mrs. Dashwood's situation, with only common feelings, must have been highly unpleasing; -
but in HER mind there was a sense of honour so keen, a generosity so romantic, that any
offence of the kind, by whomsoever given or received, was to her a source of immoveable
disgust. Mrs. John Dashwood had never been a favourite with any of her husband's family;
but she had had no opportunity, till the present, of showing them with how little attention to
the comfort of other people she could act when occasion required it.
So acutely did Mrs. Dashwood feel this ungracious behaviour, and so earnestly did she
despise her daughter-in-law for it, that, on the arrival of the latter, she would have quitted the
house for ever, had not the entreaty of her eldest girl induced her first to reflect on the
propriety of going, and her own tender love for all her three children determined her
afterwards to stay, and for their sakes avoid a breach with their brother.
Elinor, this eldest daughter, whose advice was so effectual, possessed a strength of
understanding, and coolness of judgment, which qualified her, though only nineteen, to be the
counsellor of her mother, and enabled her frequently to counteract, to the advantage of them
all, that eagerness of mind in Mrs. Dashwood which must generally have led to imprudence.
She had an excellent heart;-her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings were strong; but
she knew how to govern them: it was a knowledge which her mother had yet to learn; and
which one of her sisters had resolved never to be taught.
Marianne's abilities were, in many respects, quite equal to Elinor's. She was sensible and
clever; but eager in everything: her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation. She was
generous, amiable, interesting: she was everything but prudent. The resemblance between her
and her mother was strikingly great.
Elinor saw, with concern, the excess of her sister's sensibility; but by Mrs. Dashwood it
was valued and cherished. They encouraged each other now in the violence of their affliction.

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: Following the patterns established with previous texts, undertake an
exploration of the vocabulary relevant for the above text, as it suits your needs. Bear in mind
that in 19th century prose we often encounter specific uses of words and phrases, which might
have limited current circulation. Organise your vocabulary findings in table format.

II. Focus:

What are your first impressions of the text after the initial couple of readings?
One of the key features which mark Austen’s writing is irony. Describe your understanding
of ‘irony’ in your own words, giving examples both in English and Bulgarian before you read
the definition provided below.
What linguistic, rhetoric and stylistic features may ‘carry’ or ‘perform’ irony?

Irony

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 One of the most widely circulated references to irony comes from the 1994
film directed by Ben Stiller, Reality Bites, in which one of the characters
Lelaina, played by the actress Winona Ryder, asks, assuming there is no
answer, ‘Can you define "irony"? Her best friend in the film, Troy Dyer,
responds however, ‘It's when the actual meaning is the complete opposite from
the literal meaning’. Indeed, irony conveys a subtly humorous perception of
inconsistency, in which a seemingly straightforward statement or event is
undermined by its context so as to give it a very different significance. In other
words, we can have both - either a statement or a situation, in which the
meaning is contradicted by the appearance or the presentation of an idea. There
are three kinds of irony commonly recognized: verbal irony, irony of situation
and dramatic irony. Additionally, variations of these include structural irony,
tragic irony and cosmic irony.

Consult dictionaries of literary terms and literature course books to find out more about
varieties of irony and examples thereof. Which types of irony do you detect in the text above?
Who appears to be ironically detached? What bearing will these considerations have on your
rendering of Austen’s text in the target language?

The following text provides examples of irony. Do not overlook the ironic overtones and try
to keep them in the Bulgarian translation.

David Lodge
From Changing Places

It would be natural, but incorrect, to assume that Morris Zapp has suffered no such qualms
on his flight. A seasoned veteran of the domestic airways, having flown over most of the
states in the Union in his time, bound for conferences, lecture dates and assignations, it has
not escaped his notice that airplanes occasionally crash. Being innately mistrustful of the
universe and its guiding spirit, which he sometimes refers to as Improvidence ('How can you
attribute that, ' he will ask, gesturing at the star-spangled night sky over the Pacific, 'to
something called Providence? Just look at the waste!), he seldom enters an aircraft without
wondering with one part of his busy brain whether he is about to feature in Air Disaster of the
Week on the nation's TV networks. Normally such morbid thoughts visit him only at the
beginning and end of a flight, for he has read somewhere that eighty per cent of all aircraft
accidents occur at either take-off or landing - a statistic that did not surprise him, having been
stacked on many occasions for an hour or more over Esseph airport, fifty planes circling in the
air, fifty more taking off at ninety-second intervals, the whole juggling act controlled by a
computer, so that it only needed a fuse to blow and the sky would look like airline
competition had finally broken out into open war, the companies hiring retired kamikaze
pilots to destroy each other's hardware in the sky, TWA's Boeings ramming Pan Am's,
American Airlines' DC 8s busting United's right out of their Friendly Skies (hah!), rival
shuttle services colliding head-on, the clouds raining down wings, fuselages, engines,
passengers, chemical toilets, hostesses, menu cards and plastic cutlery (Morris Zapp had an
apocalyptic imagination on occasion, as who has not in America these days?) in a definitive
act of industrial pollution.
By taking the non-stop polar flight to London, in preference to the two-stage journey via
New York, Zapp reckons that, presumably, he has reduced his chances of being caught in
such an Armageddon by fifty per cent. But weighing against this comforting thought is the
fact that he is travelling on a charter flight, and chartered aircraft (he has also read) are several

146
times more likely to crash than planes on scheduled flights, being, he infers, machines long
past their prime, bought as scrap from the big airlines by cheapjack operators and sold again
and again to even cheaper jacks (this plane, for instance, belonged to a company called Orbis;
the phoney Latin name inspired no confidence and he wouldn't mind betting that an ultra-
violet photograph would reveal a palimpsest of fourteen different airline insignia under its
fresh paint) flown by pilots long gone over the hill, alcoholics and schizoids, shaky-fingered
victims of emergency landings, ice-storms and hijackings by crazy Arabs and homesick
Cubans wielding sticks of dynamite and dime-store pistols. Furthermore, this is his first flight
over water (yes, Morris Zapp has never before left the protection of the North American
landmass, a proud record unique among the faculty of his university) and he cannot swim.
The unfamiliar ritual of instruction, at the commencement of the flight, in the use of inflatable
lifejackets, unsettled him. That canvas and rubber contraption was a fetishist's dream, but he
had as much chance of getting into it in an emergency as into the girdle of the hostess giving
the demonstration. Furthermore, exploratory gropings failed to locate a lifejacket where it was
supposed to be, under his seat. Only his reluctance to strike an undignified pose before a
blonde with outsize spectacles in the next seat had dissuaded him from getting down on hands
and knees to make a thorough check. He contented himself with allowing his long, gorilla-like
arms to hang loosely over the edge of his seat, fingers brushing the underside unobtrusively in
the style used for parking gum or nosepickings. Once, at full stretch, he found something that
felt promising, but it proved to be one of his neighbour's legs, and was indignantly withdrawn.
He turned towards her, not to apologize (Morris Zapp never apologized) but to give her the
famous Zapp Stare, guaranteed to stop any human creature, from University Presidents to
Black Panthers, dead in his tracks at a range of twenty yards, only to be confronted with an
impenetrable curtain of blonde hair.
Eventually he abandons the quest for the lifejacket, reflecting that the sea under his ass at
the moment is frozen solid anyway, not that that is a reassuring thought. No, this is not the
happiest of flights for Morris J. Zapp ('Jehovah', he would murmur out of the side of his
mouth to girls who inquired about his middle name, it never failed; all women longed to be
screwed by a god, it was the source of all religion - 'Just look at the myths, Leda and the
Swan, Isis and Osiris, Mary and the Holy Ghost' - thus spake Zapp in his graduate seminar,
pinning a brace of restive nuns to their seats with the Stare). There is something funny, he
tells himself, about this plane - not just the implausible Latin name of the airline, the missing
lifejacket, the billions of tons of ice underneath him and the minuscule cube melting in the
bourbon before him - something else there is, something he hasn't figured out yet. While
Morris Zapp is working on this problem, we shall take time out to explain something of the
circumstances that have brought him and Philip Swallow into the polar skies at the same
indeterminate (for everybody's watch is wrong by now) hour.

Exercises

I. Translate the text into Bulgarian trying to find the exact equivalence in style and register.

II. Differentiate between the meaning of the following words: assume, suppose, presume.
What are their Bulgarian equivalents in these sentences:
1. It is a totally wrong idea to assume that the two countries are similar.
2. The kidnapped persons are presumed dead.
3. What do you suppose he will do?
4. In this paper, we assume that the null hypothesis is true.
5. We presume that all work will be done by the deadline.
6. Kids are supposed to be naughty.

147
III. Translate the following expressions:
dead in the water, dead to rights, dead tired, a living death, dead and buried, dead as a
doornail, dead beat, dead drunk, dead duck, dead end, dead from the neck up, dead
heat, dead ahead, dead letter, dead loss, dead on one's feet, dead ringer, dead weight.

IV. Words and expressions to explore and translate:

innately – congenitally, inherently the essential character of something or somebody
star-spangled - spangled with stars
kamikaze - a member of a special corps in the Japanese air force charged with the suicidal
mission of crashing an aircraft laden with explosives into an enemy target, esp. a
warship
fuselage - the complete central structure to which the wing, tail surfaces, and engines are
attached on an airplane
insignia - a badge or distinguishing mark of office or honor
schizoid - Psychol. of or pertaining to a personality disorder marked by dissociation,
passivity, withdrawal, inability to form warm social relationships, and indifference to
praise or criticism
palimpsest - a parchment or the like from which writing has been partially or completely
erased to make room for another text.

148
 SECOND YEAR: TRANSLATING FROM ENGLISH TO BULGARIAN

SECTION TWO: NONFICTION

UNIT 1

Read the text below at least two times by way of preparation for translating it.

‘The hunt for the odourless pig. Regulating America's big farms’

IN TWO long buildings in Carroll county, Indiana, some 8, 000 pigs are doing what they
do best: eating, defecating and squealing. Cute, they are. Tasty, they will be. But livestock
operations like this one are increasingly under scrutiny. Above the pigs' heads are
instruments measuring dust and noxious fumes. Farther east, in Randolph county, the local
planning commission will vote next month on whether to limit the expansion of pig farms.
As America's pig, cattle and poultry farms have become bigger and more efficient, so
have fears of the effect on their surroundings. Some 450, 000 of America's 1.3m livestock
farms qualify as “confined feeding operations” (a poultry farm, for example, with more than
30, 000 hens). About 19, 000 farms are designated as “concentrated animal feeding
operations”, with more than 100, 000 hens, 700 dairy cows or 2, 500 pigs. The question is
how best to police these enormous flesh generators.
The huge farms have not carried on with total impunity—they have been regulated by the
Clean Water Act's permit system for polluters since the 1970s. Last year, however, in
response to a court decision, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was forced to limit
the number of farms covered by its rules on permits and manure management. Some states
are therefore stepping forward to create their own guidelines.

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will
be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

some 1. being an undetermined or unspecified one: Some person may object.

2. (used with plural nouns) certain: Some days I stay home.
adj. 3. of a certain unspecified number, amount, degree, etc.: to some extent.
4. unspecified but considerable in number, amount, degree, etc.: We talked for
some time. He was here some weeks.
5. Informal. of impressive or remarkable quality, consequence, extent, etc.: That
was some storm.
pronoun
6. certain persons, individuals, instances, etc., not specified: Some think he is
dead.
7. an unspecified number, amount, etc., as distinguished from the rest or in
addition: He paid a thousand dollars and then some.
adverb
8. (used with numerals and with words expressing degree, extent, etc.)
approximately; about: Some 300 were present.
9. Informal. to some degree or extent; somewhat: I like baseball some. She is
feeling some better today.
10. Informal. to a great degree or extent; considerably: That's going some.
cute 1. attractive, esp. in a dainty way; pleasingly pretty: a cute child; a cute little
apartment.
adj. 2. affectedly or mincingly pretty or clever; precious: The child has acquired
some intolerably cute mannerisms.
3. mentally keen; clever; shrewd.

149
scrutiny 1. a searching examination or investigation; minute inquiry.
2. surveillance; close and continuous watching or guarding.
n. 3. a close and searching look.
noxious 1. harmful or injurious to health or physical well-being: noxious fumes.
2. morally harmful; corrupting; pernicious: a noxious plan to spread dissension.
adj.
designate 1. to mark or point out; indicate; show; specify.
2. to denote; indicate; signify.
v. 3. to name; entitle; style.
4. to nominate or select for a duty, office, purpose, etc.; appoint; assign.
manure 1. excrement, esp. of animals, or other refuse used as fertilizer.
2. any natural or artificial substance for fertilizing the soil.
n.
step 1. make oneself visible
2. take action
forward
phr. v.

II. Focus:

In the first sentence the literal translation of doing what they do best: may present problems;
think how to avoid repetition; eating, defecating and squealing are nouns; think of using
another part of speech in translation
Above the pigs' heads are instruments – pay attention to the translation of ‘are’ and
‘instruments’, ‘instruments’ is a false friend. Look up the meanings of tool and instrument
The literal translation of the sentence structure ‘As America's pig, cattle and poultry farms
have become bigger and more efficient, so have fears’ clearly presents a grammatical and
stylistic problem in Bulgarian. Suggest at least three different ways in which you can
convey the meaning of the structure in Bulgarian within the sentence.

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is the continuation, conducting
your own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far.

As officials work to set rules, the main concern has been to protect water supplies by
dealing with waste properly. But there is another obvious problem: farms stink. The rise of
mega-farms and the relentless expansion of America's suburbs mean that residents are
encountering the pungent aromas of the countryside as never before—and are starting to
sue. Quite apart from the nasal discomfort, the olfactory factor can depress property prices.
To gather proper data and fend off arbitrary penalties under the Clean Air Act and other
laws, livestock producers are now paying for a national study of emissions. The study, led by
Purdue University, Indiana, and overseen by the EPA, is proceeding well, despite a few
hitches. (Pigs in Missouri chewed through some equipment.) Albert Heber, of Purdue, is also
looking into ways to lessen the stink—by modifying animal diets, for example, or by
biofiltration. To test the technology, he has graduate students sniff samples of smelly air from
plastic bags. The able-nosed and strong-willed get $30 a session, and earn it.

IV. Pay attention to the words in bold. Why do you think they are highlighted as requiring
translator’s attention? Note the use of odour (neutral word, used for both pleasant and
unpleasant smells). List at least four words for pleasant, and four for unpleasant smells. Check
if ‘smell’ itself is neutral, associated with pleasant, or unpleasant sensations.

V. Try to detect and preserve the irony of ‘pungent aromas’

150
 UNIT 2

Read the text below at least two times by way of preparation for translating it.

‘Bulgaria - I predict this place is going to be a big hit’

A museum about the blind visionary Baba Vanga is opening up Bulgaria's south west to
tourists.

Robert Nurden reports

(The Independent on Sunday, Sunday, 17 August 2008)

A pair of bright green carpet slippers lies abandoned in the hearth. In the dimly lit room
you can make out a Russian samovar, a Vietnamese mask, a saucer of soil from Jerusalem and
an elegant Viennese chandelier.
The artefacts make for a strange collection, but there again you wouldn't expect the owner
of this house to show off their plasma-screen telly. Baba Vanga is one of Bulgaria's most
treasured possessions, a blind visionary who held communists, kings and capitalists in thrall
with her predictions.
Her request – she died aged 85 in 1996 – that her gifts should be left to the state and that
her Petrich home, situated in the south-west of the country, be turned into a museum came to
fruition this summer. Thousands from all over the world have already made the pilgrimage,
not put off by the fact that Bulgaria is now the bad boy of the EU after being rapped over the
knuckles for corruption.
The story goes that when Baba Vanga was young, a tornado lifted her out of a field as she
was tending sheep. When she returned to earth, the sand had blinded her but she had been
given paranormal powers. This latter-day Nostradamus is said to have correctly foretold the
date of both her own and Stalin's deaths, the sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk,
Chernobyl and 9/11.
People queued outside her house for weeks, waiting to talk to her. Among her visitors
was Neshka Robeva, trainer of the golden girls of Bulgarian gymnastics through the 1980s.
Ironically, given the Communist Party's contempt for all things superstitious, she was one of
President Zhivkov's most trusted advisers.
Tzvetia, our guide, couldn't wait to show us Rupite, the main source, she said, of Vanga's
mystical powers and now her burial place. Encased in the crater of the defunct Kozhuh
volcano, it was where she performed her last readings. Her New Age followers have turned it
into a peaceful sanctuary to the memory of Bulgaria's remarkable state-sponsored prophetess.
This multi-ethnic region has long been a pit of intrigue. Petrich itself has an unfortunate
reputation for being a hangout for hired killers, illicit traders and traffickers of all sorts. But
the curtain is being yanked back to reveal all sorts of other surprises. Thracian treasure is
regularly unearthed from burial mounds. It's just a question of whether the archaeologists or
the looters get there first. Sometimes, they're one and the same people.
Sneakily, the country for years kept its best red wines for home consumption. They are a
revelation, silencing those sniggers about undrinkable plonk. Two of them have a peculiar
provenance. From 1948 to 1989 a narrow stretch of land between capitalist Greece and

151
socialist Bulgaria was patrolled by gruesome border guards. Otherwise devoid of human
beings, the area became an environmental wilderness for migrating birds where vines were
planted in sandy soil under a scorching sun.
Here the indigenous Melnik grape flourished. It produced a rich red that was one of
Winston Churchill's favourite tipples and which is said by the locals to go very well with
kebapches and chopska sallad. In the Second World War he had crates of this wine shipped to
Whitehall. The main winery in the district, Damianitza, has cleverly marketed the historical
link with its "Churchill's Wine". In 1998 it gave its finest wine the name No Man's Land, a
cabernet sauvignon/merlot blend, reflecting its unusual terroir.
Tzvetia parked the car and we looked out over the neat vineyards and beyond them south
to the looming Vrondu mountain in Greece and west to Belasitsa and Macedonia. The land
lay still and white hot. Beside us stood a rusting watchtower, as if plucked from a Cold War
movie. Communist graffiti had been scratched in the metal and a door swung in a rare breath
of wind. "As recently as 2001 on this same spot I was challenged by Bulgarian soldiers with
Kalashnikovs, " said Tzvetia. "Instead of guarding the border they'd been told to protect the
grapes. I guess that's some kind of improvement."
Melnik, beloved of oenophiles, was a must. Tucked into a narrow gorge, its picturesque
houses restored to their 19th-century glory, it is surrounded by tortured sandstone crags. We
entered a cool, dark cave and the temperature plummeted from 40C to 10C. We tasted early
Melniks straight from the barrel.
In Sandanski we stopped to look at a forlorn statue of Spartacus, the slave liberator who
hails from these parts. "It's sad. We've forgotten all about him, " said Tzvetia. "One day we
may remember him again."
More recently, Yane Sandanski himself was a freedom fighter who led the struggle for
Macedonian independence. Then, in this land of unacknowledged heroes, on the way home
we encountered another superstar staring at us from a billboard. Bulgarian footballer Dimitar
Berbatov, whose home town is nearby, was advertising some bank or other. I don't suppose
even Baba Vanga could have predicted that.

I. Focus

Outline in your own words the gist of the text (in, say, three sentences). Compare your gist
version to that of somebody else in class. To what degree are they different or similar?
Idiom translation. What are the closest expressions in Bulgarian for the following idioms in
English. Give more than one variant if possible. Paraphrase the idioms in English and
explain the possible differences they would induce in the text if used instead of the
original expressions
hold somebody in thrall
be rapped over the knuckles for
9/11
a pit of intrigue
can’t wait to do sth
Read the text and find the realia (cultural words) such as “Baba”. Give their Bulgarian
equivalents. To what degree are they translatable? Where is translation loss likely to
occur?

152
 UNIT 3

I. Preliminary considerations:

In names of French and German origin (any foreign name, actually) we need to find out how
they are pronounced in their source language and transcribe them in the Cyrillic. Therefore
basic linguistic knowledge of the main European languages is recommended to all
philologists. Sometimes it is necessary to know the country of origin of a person (e.g. Jose) in
order to transcribe their names correctly (as Хосе or Жозе).

II. Transcribe the following names in the Cyrillic: Jacques Chirac, Jürgen Peters, Schröder,
Steingart, Baverez

III. Read the following text at least two times, getting ready for working with it.

‘Politicus: France and Germany find reform doesn't get easier’

by John Vinocur
Is it possible for France and Germany to reform — despite the word's new certification as
both terrifying and a vote-loser — and stop what is seen in some places as their decline as
poles of allegiance and emulation in Europe?
The presumptive answer is mostly yes, say the countries' most aggressive heralds of
decline, depending on the price in comfort the two societies and their politicians are willing to
pay. But as President Jacques Chirac of France acknowledged last week (he could have been
speaking for Germany, too), a national undertaking that requires leaving a cozy, risk-averse,
statist couch for a more open, more competitive, more growth-oriented world is a very
awkward business.
In Chirac's case, this statement followed a sharp defeat in regional elections that was
mostly a protest vote against his government's tentative jabs at reducing the enormous cost of
the French public sector's overhead. The French president was asked on television how he
could unhook the concept of reform from the people's belief that it really meant sacrificing the
benefits they liked the most.
"By using the word less, " he said.
Jürgen Peters, the head of the German metal workers' union, said at a rally over the
weekend in Cologne, "We're fed up with so-called reforms that we pay for and serve other
people's interests."
In his view, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's reform policies really come down to smaller
unemployment payments, more money spent on the dentist, higher costs for medicine, and
cuts in pensions.
On parallel rails, political will and reality on each side of the Rhine meet here. If the
French and German reform efforts persist, however faint compared with the temblors of the
Thatcher or Reagan scales of societal change, they point in the direction of more difficulties at
the polls and perhaps in the streets for Chirac's neo-Gaullists and Schröder's Social
Democrats, which face 13 elections in Germany's regions in the coming months.
That almost certainly means either watering down, slowing or masking any reform
process. And this at a time when the European Union has singled out both France and
Germany for failing to put into effect the economic modernization directives (followed to the
letter by Spain and Portugal) that are supposed to return Europe to global competitiveness.

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 Chastened by the elections, Chirac has told the nation that a mix of planned potions for
change will be diluted. But the president's swerve was hardly precedent-setting: already last
August, following a few days of antireform strikes, the government announced it was
abandoning a plan to cut 30, 000 jobs in 2004 from a public sector that represents 44 percent
of overall state expenditure.
In Germany, where some taxes have been lowered and some suppleness brought to the
labor market (but without a spurt of economic growth), speculation is now ablossom that
jagged-edge reform measures are over and done. The r-word, it is said, should be used by the
government only in connection with feel-good areas like research, vocational training and
innovation. The line among Social Democrats is that if the Legislature in the country's biggest
state, North Rhine-Westphalia, falls in 2005 after 39 years with an SPD hand on power,
Schröder goes, too, in 2006.
All this is far, very far, from the kind of grand, bold politics and dramatic change that is
being demanded by the German and French critics who describe their countries as being
locked in decline.

IV. Terminology. Where would you look up the Bulgarian correspondences of the following:
Public sector’s overhead, Temblors, Metal worker’s union, Legislature

V. Focus

Think of the verb "to reform". Is it transitive or intransitive? How would you translate it? To
reform themselves, or others?
In the first sentence, which word does the noun ‘word’ refer to? It is said that this ‘word’ has
a new certification as terrifying and is a vote-loser?
Which are ‘the poles of emulation’ in Europe?
Pole is polysemic. Which meaning is implied here?
What is meant by “awkward business”. Which phrase best expresses the same notion in
Bulgarian?
What is a “metal workers’ union”
Whish city is Cologne? What is the traditional name for this city in Bulgarian. Suggest an
alternative spelling for the same city, as known in Germany.
Consider the phrase ‘the temblors of the Thatcher or Reagan scales of societal change’. What
does the metaphor suggest?
You may find it useful to consider the meanings (and collocations) of the word “scales” listed
below:

SCALE [skeil]
I. 1. блюдо на везна
(pair of) scales везна, везни
the scale s Везни (съзвездие и знака на зодиака)
to hold the scales even съдя / решавам безпристрастно
to tip/turn the scales прен. накланям везните, решавам въпроса
to swing the scales in favour of накланям везните в полза на
to throw into the scales прибавям като фактор / довод (в спор и пр.)
to turn the scale (s) at ..., to go to scale at ... тежа ...
to go to scale сn. тегля се, меря се (за жокей)
II. 1. тегля, претеглям
2. тежа
3. сn. to scale in/out тегля се преди / след надбягвания (за жокей)

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 III. 1. люспа (и зоол.), коричка, корица (и на рана)
2. обвивка на листна пъпка
3. тех. котлен камък, накип, окисна корица, обгар
4. зъбен камък
the scales fell from his eyes прен. той прогледна, видя / разбра истината
to remove the scales from someone's eyes отварям на някого очите за истината,
разкривам / казвам някому истината
IV. 1. чистя люспите на (риба)
лющя (се) (и за мазилка) (и с off)
2. тех. образувам накип / обгар / котлен камък
3. чистя котлен / зъбен камък
V. 1. скала, стълбица (на термометър и пр.), линия, размерения на линия, линеал
2. таблица
scale of wages надничен блок, таблица за работната заплата
3. мащаб, размер
drawn to scale по възприет мащаб
on a large/grand/vast scale в голям мащаб
on a small scale в малък мащаб, скромно
scale model модел по мащаб, мащабен модел
economies of scale икономии, постигнати поради по-голямо количество на
производство и пр.
in scale съразмерен
out of scale несъразмерен
4. муз. гама
5. мат. система на изчисление (и scale of notation)
6. прен. (обществена) стълбица
high/low in the social scale с високо / ниско обществено положение
at the top/bottom of the scale на най-горното / най-ниското стъпало, на върха /
дъното
VI. 1. катеря се / покатервам се по, изкачвам, достигам (връх и пр.)
2. определям по таблица, свеждам към / определям мащаб
3. съизмерим съм (за величина)
4. меря, измервам
5. to scale down/up намалявам / увеличавам пропорционално

Consider the phrase “to follow to the letter”. Find the contextually appropriate meaning (as it
is used in the text) in the following dictionary entry for letter:

LETTER
I. 1. буква
dead letter мъртва буква (и прен.)
2. печ. шрифт, излята буква
black letter старинен готически шрифт
3. писмо, послание
by letter писмено
blind letter писмо без / с непълен / неточен адрес
letters patent свидетелство за патент
4. юр. буква, отделна част от текст в закон и пр.
to the letter буквално, точно, безусловно, безпрекословно, напълно, съвършено от
край до край

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 in letter and in spirit по форма и по същество
5. инициал на училище и колеж
to win one's letter сп. спечелвам правото да членувам в спортна организация / да
нося инициалите
6. pl. книжнина, литература, начетеност, ученост
man of Letters учен човек, писател
arts and Letters изкуство и литератора
II. v надписвам, обозначавам с букви, щемпелувам
III. n наемодател, човек, който дава (нещо) под наем

VI. Now that you have gained some experience with the challenges the text presents, continue
working with the passage below. Which strategic steps based on your translation so far can
you apply hereafter?

‘Politicus: France and Germany find reform doesn't get easier’

by John Vinocur
(continued)

This week, the fastest-rising book on the main German nonfiction best-seller list, at No. 5,
is called, in rough translation, "Germany, the Decline of a Superstar." The author, Gabor
Steingart, says Germany as an economic power has been spinning downward as if steered by
"a robot's hand, " without effective political control, since the late 1970s. It follows a spate of
books in France last fall that focused on the argument that the country was a diminishing
force in Europe. Now, Nicolas Baverez, the author of the most notable of the French books,
"France in Free Fall, " has returned to his theme with new intensity in two major articles.
For Steingart ("Deutschland, Der Abstieg eines Superstars"), apart from the radical reform
of the German tax, labor and social welfare systems, the country cannot regain its lost
standing without confronting existential structural problems. He believes political leadership
in Germany is made ineffective and tortuous by an "anti-Führer" package of constitutional
constraints from the postwar period. He considers that German reunification turned western
Germany into "the colony of East" because it pours an average of 4 percent of its gross
national product into maintaining living standards in the former East Germany.
But he turns much of his fire on Germans' lack of willingness to deal with reality.
Germans, in the face of recent history, he writes, hold their hands in front of their eyes in
refusing to admit that the German Model has disappeared. The political class recognizes it,
says Steingart, a journalist at Der Spiegel newsmagazine, but the country's continuing fearful
gaze has blocked a meaningful change in its politics.
"People hear, smell and feel the country in decline, but maybe half of them think things
will get better on their own, " he insisted. "In truth, the only thing left to do now is lose your
illusions."
Baverez ("La France qui Tombe"), an economist, historian and lawyer, who is sometimes
described as a French nationalist, attacked Chirac in time for the elections for avoiding the
most urgent reforms, and in a long, separate article in the current issue of the review
Commentaire said the failure of the French-German couple signified the eventual "takeover"
of the EU by Britain.
Baverez believes Germany's situation is a more positive one than that of France, an idea
that Steingart - who has not read Baverez - shares to the extent he thinks the critical role of the
press in Germany is far stronger.
The essence of France's current negative exceptionalism, Baverez contended in a recent
telephone conversation, was in its homogeneity. That meant "a political class, left or right,

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that is completely fused with the highest level of the bureaucratic establishment. It's a total
monopoly and it extends to culture and the media."
Extrapolating from Baverez's view, this signified that most change in France was
perceived as a universal and indiscriminate threat because virtually everyone's self-interest,
through unions, state benefits and the vast public sector, was wired into the system.
How do you tell this to voters? You just go ahead in goading, Baverez believes, asking
whether reform is possible because the question has nothing to do with either denigrating or
demoralizing a country, any more than talking of decline suggests it is in the grip of moral
decadence.
"Optimism or pessimism, " Baverez wrote, arming himself for more battles, "are both
foreign to political and historical judgments."

Exercises

I. Focus on:

A. False friends! Beware! - Moral decadence, The critical role of the press
B. Mind the collocations! - Mostly "yes”, It’s an awkward business, Sharp defeat
C. Hark! Polysemy! – Pole, Poles of allegiance, Scale, to the letter, SDP hand on power,
The line among Social Democrats, Come down to
D. New coinages – watch out! - r-word (f-word)
E. Metaphors - Tentative jab at, Water down, A mix of planned potions for change will
be diluted, Jagged-edge reform measures, Locked in decline, Wired into the system

II. Translator’s competence:

1. Grammatical competence the linguistic skill to understand and express accurately the
literal meaning of utterances
2. Sociolinguistic competence- the ability to judge the appropriateness of utterances to a
context, in terms of status of the participants, purposes of the interaction and norms and
conventions of interaction
3. Discourse competence- the ability of perceiving and producing a coherent and cohesive
text in different genres and discourses
4. Strategic competence – the ability to perceive and repair potential breakdowns in
communication and enhance the effectiveness of communication between source language
producer and target text receiver
Which of these did you apply in your work on the text above? Describe the specific instances
in detail and illustrate your point.

III. Reading (and thinking) further:

One of the most stimulating challenges a translator is faced with when working in the field of
journalism are headlines. Find the best translations of the following article headlines, paying
scrupulous attention to intertextual references and set phrases, collocations and proverbs they
employ. Some hints are provided.

Headline Where to look? What is hidden Suggestions in

behind the headline? Bulgarian
Of banks and men Think of a famous novel of a
similar title.
The thin green line

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Thy kingdom gone Part of a prayer
Home truths
Hall of shame One sound has been changed to
suggest the opposite meaning
Damoclean days
Obama fatigue
Make love—and war The motto of the Hippies revisited
The hand that feeds them Part of a proverb
A hair of the dog On the morning after
Saved by a (judicial) whisker
Divorce without borders
Jobs’s job
You only list twice
ArmaGordon A Biblical place name
More U-turns, please
Crude and oily
Hear no evil
Many happy returns?
Rags to riches
Twin twisters
Look for the silver lining Embedded proverb
Raising the bar
The trials of Anwar
Balkan end-games
Summer of discontent
Land of the rising price Allusion to a phrase that describes
a country
Discord as the band plays on
For whom the road tolls
Fair or foul?
Falling short
The fall of the House of
Clinton
All at sea

UNIT 4

I. Read the following excerpt from an article by Simon Frith which originally appeared in a
‘Time Out’ magazine issue in 1978. It is an attempt to provide a comprehensive analysis of
disco not only as a music genre but also as a (sub)cultural phenomenon.

‘The Infinite Spaces of Disco’

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 […] Popular music has always been dance music; disco is nothing but dance music. It has
no rock’n’roll connotations; of the dance floor it is utterly meaningless, lyrically, musically
and aesthetically. Every disco sound is subordinate to its physical function; disco progress is
technological progress. The end doesn’t change but the means to that end, the ultimate beat,
are refined and improved – hence drum machines, synthesizers, 12’’pressings. And disco is
dance music in the abstract, content determined by form. Popular dance music of the past, in
the 1930s say, was a form determined by its content. The content was developed by dance hall
instructors and sheet music salesmen and band leaders whose rules of partnership, decorum,
uplift and grace, can still be followed in ‘Come Dancing’: the music strictly subordinate to the
conventions of flounce and simper. In contrast, when Boney M, German manufactured black
American androgynes, sing for our dancing pleasure, ‘Belfast’, it means nothing at all. Any
two syllables arranged and sounding just so would do and how we dance to them is, of course
entirely our own affair. There are no rules in disco, it’s just that individual expression means
nothing when there’s nothing individual to express. I trace disco back to the twist, the first
dance gimmick to be taken seriously and the first dance step to be without any redeeming
social feature. I blame disco on Motown, the first company to realize that if the beat is right,
soul power can be expressed without either the passion or emotion that made it soul power in
the first place.
Disco is nothing like muzak. Muzak’s effect is subliminal; it’s purpose is to encourage its
hearers to do anything but listen to it. Disco’s effect is material; its purpose is to encourage its
hearers to do nothing but listen to it. Not even think.
Disco music is disco music only in discos. These days there are CP discos, anti-fascist
discos, students’ discos, youth club discos, cricketers’ discos, punk discos and reggae discos.
The disco form can be used by anyone who’s got a record player, records and a large enough
room. But a proper disco exists only to be a disco and the records it plays exist only to be
played by it. The Musicians’ Union hates discos because they put live musicians out of work.
I hate discos because they seem like such a soft way of making money: a DJ doesn’t do
anything except buying records and put the needle on them – I can do that too. The whole
enterprise is parasitic: if there is such a thing as disco creativity it happened in secret studio
places before. The best discos are the best just to the extend to which nothing unexpected
happens – feet never falter, taste is never threatened, offence is never taken because never
given. If you want a surprise don’t go to the disco.

I. Focus:

Underline expressions which make use of terms pertaining to popular music and subculture.
What are their equivalents in Bulgarian? How many of them have wide currency up to this
day?
The essay makes references to a number of social and cultural phenomena of its day (circa
1978). Which of them (if any) in your view will need further explanation (in footnotes or
endnotes) for audiences today?
What are the characteristic features of this essay in terms of register (field, mode and tenor)?
Which expressions suggest it?
Upon completing your translation draft, consider the degree to which your target text is
similar to the original text in terms of register.

[…]
As a rock writer, I’ve always been a frustrated DJ rather than a musician. ‘Hey you’, I’ve
wanted to shout, ‘Listen to this!’ The model was John Peel, music lover and eclectic. I
certainly didn’t fancy the provincial DJs I knew – big, hearty philistines who knew nothing

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about the records they played but enjoyed the patter and had dreams, like Albert Finney in
‘Gumshoe’, of moving from master of ceremonies to master of comic routine. But this was a
doomed approach anyway, survival from dance hall days. Real disco DJs aren’t entertainers at
all, have nothing to do with music. They’re technologists, men (very few women) of the
future: their job is to play the audience. It’s a job I want again. By 1984 it’ll be probably
called ‘consumption-coordinator’.
Discos are where people dance and dancing can be anything from the shuffle to a pre-
rehearsed and elaborate routine to a straight display of cartwheels. What disco dancing isn’t
is: a) musical interpretation and b) self-expression. The opposite of disco dancing is what
Legs and co. do on ‘Top of the Pops’ – i.e. choreographed responses to the ‘meaning’ of the
song. What they do is so embarrassing that I usually turn the picture off, but I turn it back
again for the rest of the show because, at an admittedly low level, it does reveal the difference
between the Anglo-Collective disco style – all those dumpy little boys and girls looking
nervously at each other – and the American-Individual style (on the clips from ‘Soul Train’) –
all those intense boys and girls determinately at their own feet. Most disco dancing has little
to do with elegance, grace or agility, which is OK by me because if it did I wouldn’t do it.
Rock music, dance music, has always been a form of sexual expression – girl meets boy
physically. The social problem has been the control of this expression – hence the moral about
rock’n’roll, Elvis’s hips etc. Disco’s greatest achievement has been to develop a form in
which sexuality is expressed and controlled simultaneously. Critics have missed the point of
the standard formula – machinery plus orgasmic sighs. The problem is not that the sighs are
fake, but that it wouldn’t make any difference if they were real! Disco isn’t a frustrating music
– preventing the climax from occurring – but a music of control - preventing the climax from
being disruptive. It’s a noisy form of some Eastern mystical discipline and the only puzzle to
me is why disco is so important an aspect of gay culture. I’m not gay, so I can’t say, except
that it seems as if disco stylization allows gays public displays that are sexual without
apparently being offensive to the usual custodians of public morality.
The only thing to say about disco music as music is that it has given extraordinary
opportunities to pop’s previously second class citizens – it’s session singers, engineers, Bee
Gees. The technicians, in other words, who always could produce any sound to order but not
to know what to do with them. They know now.
Previous popular music has only reflected the world, in various ways; the pint of disco,
however is to replace it.

from Frith, Simon. “The Infinite Spaces of Disco”, published in Time Out 416, reprinted in
Broughton, Frank (ed.) Time Out Interviews 1968-1998. Norfolk: Penguin Books, 1998. pp.
102-103.

Exercises

II. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use
the empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which
will be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

hearty Synonyms: warm; cordial; bold; zealous; sincere; willing; also, energetic;
adj. active; eager; as, a hearty welcome; a hearty handshake;
philistine n. (capital letter) 1. a member of an Aegean people who settled ancient
Philistia around the 12th century BC
adj. 2. (sometimes not cap) uncultured, ignorant, crass, tasteless, bourgeois,
uneducated, boorish, unrefined, anti-intellectual, lowbrow, inartistic
to shuffle 1. walk by dragging one's feet; "he shuffled out of the room"; 2. move about,
move back and forth; "He shuffled his funds among different accounts in

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v. various countries so as to avoid the IRS" 3. mix so as to make a random
order or arrangement; "shuffle the cards" [syn: ruffle, mix]
a cartwheel 1. a wheel that has wooden spokes and a metal rim
2. acrobatic revolutions with the body turned sideways and the arms and legs
n. outstretched like the spokes of a wheel
3. a dollar made of silver
dumpy 1. short and thick; as e.g. having short legs and heavy musculature; "some
people seem born to be square and chunky"; "a dumpy little dumpling of a
adj. woman"; [syn: chunky, low-set, squat, squatty, stumpy] 2. short and fat [syn:
podgy, pudgy, tubby]
agility the gracefulness of a person or animal that is quick and nimble [syn:
n. legerity, lightness, lightsomeness, nimbleness]
disruptive characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination; "effects of the
adj. struggle will be violent and disruptive";
custodian one having charge of buildings or grounds or animals [syn: keeper, steward,
n. superintendent]

III. Focus:

Paraphrase the expression ‘to play the audience’ and explain how it fits Frith’s argument.
In the phrase ‘elegance, grace and agility’ there is a triple repetition with variation as the
nouns occupy overlapping semantic fields. How would you distinguish between them using
three synonyms in Bulgarian?
‘Consumption-coordinator’ is a phrase coined for the purposes of the essay. What possibilities
there are for similarly coining an original word combination in Bulgarian?
In the sentence ‘The technicians, in other words, who always could produce any sound to
order but not to know what to do with them’, note the expression ‘to do something to order’.
Given the overall drift of the passage and bearing in mind that ‘pint’ is largely used as ‘a unit
of volume or capacity’ (0.473 liter for liquids in the US, for instance), how do you understand
the phrase ‘the pint of disco’?

UNIT 5

Writers on Writing

The following selection of texts comes from The New York Times column series ‘Writers on
Writing’ in which a number of established as well as up and coming writers were asked to
reflect on their life and professional experience as writers between 1999 and 2001. The series
has been exceedingly popular for reasons which the column editor John Darnton, a writer
himself, phrases as follows:
The series has been exceedingly popular. One reason might be that the writing stands above
the ordinary fare of a daily newspaper. Another is probably the subjects, which tend toward
the personal and wander over the private range of the imagination. And a third reason, I
believe, is that many people have a secret urge to become writers themselves. All of out lives

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are stories. How many times have you heard someone say that she has a good book inside her,
if only she could get it out?
Which reminds me of a saucy remark from a friend of my son’s, an English teenager smitten
with premature wit. Lent my first book for a plane ride home, he sent back a postcard in a
hand that fairly chuckled: “I though your book was good”, he wrote. “They say everyone has
a great book inside him. I look forward to yours.”
(Darnton, John, Writers [on Writing]. Collected Essays from The New York Times. New
York: Times Books, 2002 pp XIII-XIV)

I. After you read each text several times in order to get ready for translating it, but before
actually embarking on the process of translation, consider the following questions:

Who are the writers of these essays? Have you read (know of) anything else written by them?
What is each writer in this series writing about?
What is (are) the main point(s) about the process of writing, the writing profession, literature,
creativity, etc. each writer is making? You can take down some notes on the points that you
discern before beginning to translate the passages.
Are there any stylistic or structural features in each essay that strike you? Any uses of stylistic
or rhetorical devices, such as repetitions, motifs, metaphors, similes, etc.?
In your overall impression, how does each text feel to you? Do you hear or see it? Does it feel
more spoken or written?
Which linguistic features in each of the English texts in this series account for its perceived
‘spoken-ness’ or written-ness’?

‘Directions: Write, Read, Rewrite. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 as Needed’

By Susan Sontag

(The New York Times, December 18, 2000)

Reading novels seems to me such a normal activity, while writing them is such an odd
thing to do. . . . At least so I think until I remind myself how firmly the two are related. (No
armored generalities here. Just a few remarks.)
First, because to write is to practice, with particular intensity and attentiveness, the art of
reading. You write in order to read what you've written and see if it's O.K. and, since of
course it never is, to rewrite it — once, twice, as many times as it takes to get it to be
something you can bear to reread. You are your own first, maybe severest, reader. "To write is
to sit in judgment on oneself, " Ibsen inscribed on the flyleaf of one of his books. Hard to
imagine writing without rereading.
But is what you've written straight off never all right? Yes, sometimes even better than all
right. And that only suggests, to this novelist at any rate, that with a closer look, or voicing
aloud — that is, another reading — it might be better still. I'm not saying that the writer has to
fret and sweat to produce something good.
"What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure, " said Dr. Johnson, and
the maxim seems as remote from contemporary taste as its author. Surely, much that is written
without effort gives a great deal of pleasure.
No, the question is not the judgment of readers — who may well prefer a writer's more
spontaneous, less elaborated work — but a sentiment of writers, those professionals of
dissatisfaction. You think, "If I can get it to this point the first go around, without too much
struggle, couldn't it be better still?"

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 And though the rewriting — and the rereading — sound like effort, they are actually the
most pleasurable parts of writing. Sometimes the only pleasurable parts. Setting out to write,
if you have the idea of "literature" in your head, is formidable, intimidating. A plunge in an
icy lake. Then comes the warm part: when you already have something to work with,
upgrade, edit.
Let's say it's a mess. But you have a chance to fix it. You try to be clearer. Or deeper. Or
more eloquent. Or more eccentric. You try to be true to a world. You want the book to be
more spacious, more authoritative. You want to winch yourself up from yourself. You want to
winch the book out of your balky mind. As the statue is entombed in the block of marble, the
novel is inside your head. You try to liberate it. You try to get this wretched stuff on the page
closer to what you think your book should be — what you know, in your spasms of elation, it
can be. You read the sentences over and over. Is this the book I'm writing? Is this all?

Exercises

I. Vocabulary build-up.

flyleaf technically, a binders blank sheet in addition to the front endpaper, What is the term in
n. but may also be used of the endpaper itself. Bulgarian?
straight off Without delay: directly, forthwith, immediately, instant, instantly,
adv. now, right away, right off, straightaway. Idioms: at once, first off.
1. extremely impressive in strength or excellence; "a formidable ‘Formidable’ and
opponent"; "the challenge was formidable"; "had a formidable array
of compositions ... ‘intimidating’ both share
formidable 2. inspiring fear; "the formidable prospect of major surgery"; "a features in common and
adj. tougher and more redoubtable adversary than the heel-clicking, have slightly different
jackbooted fanatic"- G.H.Johnston; "something unnerving and
prisonlike about high grey wall" senses. Which pair of
words in Bulgarian
intimidating daunting: discouraging through fear might capture this
adj. combination?
upgrade 1. To raise to a higher grade or standard: upgrading their military
v. tr. defenses.
2. To improve the quality of (livestock) by selective breeding for
desired characteristics.
3. Computer Science. a. To replace (a software program) with a
more recently released, enhanced version. b. To replace (a hardware
device) with one that provides better performance.
1. To exchange a possession for one of greater value or quality; trade
v. intr. up.
a winch 1. A stationary motor-driven or hand-powered machine used for What is the term
n. hoisting or hauling, having a drum around which is wound a rope or
chain attached to the load being moved. equivalent in Bulgarian?
2. The crank used to give motion to a grindstone or similar device. How can you use it as a
1. To move with or as if with a winch. verb in the context here?
tr.v.
1. deplorable: of very poor quality or condition; "deplorable housing
conditions in the inner city"; "woeful treatment of the accused"
2. miserable: characterized by physical misery; "a wet miserable
weekend"; "spent a wretched night on the floor"
3. miserable: very unhappy; full of misery; "he felt depressed and
miserable"; "a message of hope for suffering humanity"; "wretched Try to translate each
wretched prisoners huddled in stinking cages" quoted phrase.
4. despicable: morally reprehensible; "would do something as
despicable as murder"; "ugly crimes"; "the vile development of
slavery appalled them"; "a slimy little liar"
5. hapless: deserving or inciting pity; "a hapless victim"; "miserable
victims of war"; "the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily

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 pathetic"- Galsworthy; "a pitiful fate"; "Oh, you poor thing"; "his
poor distorted limbs"; "a wretched life"
elation A lifting up by success; exaltation; filling with pride of prosperity.
n. “Felt the elation of triumph.” Sir W. Scott.

II. Focus

In order to get an idea as to how to translate the phrase ‘armored generalities’ please consider
the sense in which the two words are used:

armor
1. A defensive covering, as of metal, wood, or leather, worn to protect the body against
weapons.
2. A tough, protective covering, such as the bony scales covering certain animals or the
metallic plates on tanks or warships.
3. A safeguard or protection: faith, the missionary's armor.
4. a. The combat arm that deploys armored vehicles, such as tanks. b. The armored vehicles of
an army.

generalities
ideas or statements that emphasize vague or imprecise characteristics rather than the specific
details of a subject

Informally, to sweat is synonymous to fret or worry about, as in the example Don't sweat
the details. Can you think of a similarly informal, somewhat tautological phrase in Bulgarian
to convey the ring of ‘to fret and sweat’ from the text?

How would you describe the tone of voice of Sontag as conveyed by the length of her
sentences, syntax structure, levels of concreteness and abstraction in the words she uses? Does
your translated version reveal a similar tone of voice?

‘To Invigorate Literary Mind, Start Moving Literary Feet’

By Joyce Carol Oates

(The New York Times, July 18, 1999)

Running! If there’s any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the
imagination, I can’t think what it might be. In running the mind flies with the body; the
mysterious efflorescence of language seems to pulse in the brain, in rhythm with our feet and
the swinging of our arms. Ideally, the runner who’s a writer is running through the land- and
cityscapes of her fiction, like a ghost in a real setting.
There must be some analogue between running and dreaming. The dreaming mind is
usually bodiless, has peculiar powers of locomotion and, in my experience at least, often runs
or glides or “flies” along the ground or in the air. (Leaving aside the blunt, deflating theory
that dreams are merely compensatory: you fly in sleep because in life you crawl, barely;
you’re soaring above others in sleep because in life others soar above you.)
Possibly these fairy-tale feats of locomotion are atavistic remnants, the hallucinatory
memory of a distant ancestor for whom the physical being, charged with adrenaline in
emergency situations, was indistinguishable from the spiritual or intellectual. In running,
“spirit” seems to pervade the body; as musicians experience the uncanny phenomenon of

164
tissue memory in their fingertips, so the runner seems to experience in feet, lungs, quickened
heartbeat, an extension of the imagining self.
The structural problems I set for myself in writing, in a long, snarled, frustrating and
sometimes despairing morning of work, for instance, I can usually unsnarl by running in the
afternoon.
On days when I can’t run, I don’t feel “myself”; and whoever the “self” is I feel, I don’t
like nearly so much as the other. And the writing remains snarled in endless revisions.
Writers and poets are famous for loving to be in motion. If not running, hiking; if not
hiking, walking. (Walking, even fast, is a poor second to running, as all runners know, what
we’ll resort to when our knees go. But at least it’s an option.)
The English Romantic poets were clearly inspired by their long walks, in all weather:
Wordsworth and Coleridge in the idyllic Lake District, for instance; Shelley (“I always go
until I am stopped and I never am stopped”) in his four intense years in Italy. The New
England Transcendentalists, most famously Henry David Thoreau, were ceaseless walkers;
Thoreau boasted of having “travelled much in Concord, ” and in his eloquent essay
“Walking” acknowledged that he had to spend more than four hours out of doors daily, in
motion; otherwise he felt “as if I had some sin to be atoned for.”
My favourite prose on the subject is Charles Dickens’s “Night Walks, ” which he wrote
some years after having suffered extreme insomnia that propelled him out into the London
streets at night. Written with Dickens’s usual brilliance, this haunting essay seems to hint at
more than its words reveal. He associates his terrible night restlessness with what he calls
“houselessness”: under a compulsion to walk and walk and walk in the darkness and pattering
rain. (No one has captured the romance of desolation, the ecstasy of near-madness, more
forcibly than Dickens, so wrongly interpreted as a dispenser of popular, soft-hearted tales.)
It isn’t surprising that Walt Whitman should have tramped impressive distances, for you
can feel the pulse beat of the walker in his slightly breathless, incantatory poems. But it may
be surprising to learn that Henry James, whose prose style more resembles the fussy
intricacies of crocheting than the fluidity of movement, also loved to walk for miles in
London.

III. Vocabulary build-up.

exhilarating 1. making lively and cheerful; "the exhilarating effect of

mountain air"
adj. 2. elating: making lively and joyful
efflorescence 1. Botany A state or time of flowering; anthesis. Which of the many
2. a. A gradual process of unfolding or developing. b. The
(of language) highest point; the culmination. (Bloom) senses of the word
n. 3. Chemistry a. The deposit that results from the process of do you think are
efflorescing. Also called bloom. b. The process of efflorescing. attributed to
c. A growth of salt crystals on a surface caused by evaporation
of salt-laden water. language in the essay
4. Pathology Redness, a rash, or an eruption on the skin. above?
a feat 1. A notable act or deed, especially an act of courage; an
exploit.
n. 2. An act of skill, endurance, imagination, or strength; an
achievement.
3. Obsolete A specialized skill; a knack.
Synonyms: achievement, exploit, masterstroke
uncanny Of a mysteriously strange and usually frightening nature: eerie,
unearthly, weird. Informal spooky.
adj.
restlessness 1. the quality of being ceaselessly moving or active; "the
restlessness of the wind"
n. 2. a lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay

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 3. fidget: a feeling of agitation expressed in continual motion;
"he's got the fidgets"; "waiting gave him a feeling of
restlessness"
4. inability to rest or relax or be still
to patter 1. To make a quick succession of light soft tapping sounds: Given the
Rain pattered steadily against the glass.
v. 2. To move with quick, light, softly audible steps. onomatopoeic
qualities of patter,
which would be a
suitable word in
Bulgarian in relation
to rain?
a dispenser 1. a container so designed that the contents can be used in Thinking about
prescribed amounts
n. 2. a person who dispenses Dickens as a writer,
how would you
describe him as a
‘dispenser of
popular, soft-hearted
tales’?
forcibly 1. Effected against resistance through the use of force.
2. Characterized by force; powerful.
adv.
incantatory using spells or verbal charms spoken or sung as a part of a ritual
of magic; also: a written or recited formula of words designed to
adj. produce a particular effect
compulsion 1.urge, need, obsession, necessity, preoccupation, drive
2. force, pressure, obligation, constraint, urgency, coercion,
n. duress, demand
desolation 1. the state of being decayed or destroyed [devastation, ruin] Again, with
2. a bleak and desolate atmosphere [bleakness]
n. 3. sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned reference to Dickens,
[forlornness, loneliness] in which sense is the
4. an event that results in total destruction [devastation] word used in your
view?

IV. Focus:

Consider this widely used example to differentiate between the uses of –ed and –ing forms:
‘His boring lecture very nearly put me to sleep’ vis-à-vis ‘I was so bored by his lecture I very
nearly fell asleep’. How would you translate these sentences into Bulgarian? In both cases,
even though the first describes the quality of the lecture and the second the state of the person,
who suffers from boredom?
Along similar lines, consider the phrases ‘deflating theory’ and ‘haunting essay’ from the text.
Before looking for possible translation correspondences, consider briefly who is haunted by
the essay and who is the theory deflating for.
Decide in what sense ‘snarl’ is used in all instances. Try to preserve the threefold repetition.
In your view, which aspect of hallucinatory is used here: characterized by or characteristic of
hallucination in relation to memory? Consider the entire sentence.
Which sense of the word ‘fussy’ and ‘intricacies’ is emphasized in the combination ‘the fussy
intricacies of crocheting’ as a description to Henry James’s style?

‘Quick Cuts: The Novel Follows Film Into a World of Fewer Words’
By E. L. Doctorow

166
(The New York Times, March 15, 1999)

Movies began in silence. The early filmmakers learned to convey meaning apart from the
use of language. For the most part the title cards of the silent films only nailed down the
intelligence given to the audience nonverbally. (Young couple on porch swing at night. He
removes a ring from his vest pocket. He gazes into her eyes. Title card: "Milly, will you be
my wife?")
In the modern audible feature film, especially as made by Hollywood, spoken dialogue
tends more and more to function as the old title cards of the silents. The genre of the film is
indicated with the portentous opening credits. The beginning shots site the film and identify
its time period. A given scene is lighted, and the camera is positioned to create mood or
inform the audience as to how it is to regard what it is seeing, how serious or unserious the
story may be, how objectively we may regard the characters, how intimately we are being
asked to share their adventures.
The film stock is color coordinated with its subject. The actors are dressed, and their hair
is cut or coiffed, to indicate age, economic class, social status, education and even degree of
virtue. They're directed to demonstrate their characters' states of mind with bodily attitudes,
gestures, facial expressions and the movements of their eyes. Given all this, the weight of the
scene is carried nonverbally. What is seen and felt is a signifying context for any words
actually spoken. In some of today's film dramas, 95 percent of a scene's meaning is conveyed
before a word is uttered; 98 percent if you add music.
Of course recent filmmakers -- Eric Rohmer, for example, or Louis Malle -- have made
highly verbal films. As a generalization, the assemblage of visual effects that make of
dialogue a capstone is less true of comedy. The art of the television sitcom, for example, is
highly verbal. Its standing sets, and its inclination to celebrate character, provide the impetus
for wordplay, gags and verbal economies that can verge on the aphoristic. On the other hand
the sitcom's mostly interior scenes and its limited scope for camera setups suggest it is closer
to a filmed stage play than it is to movies.
In the 1930s and 40s, when stage plays and books were a major source of film scripts, the
talkies were talkier (as adaptations of Shakespeare are still). Films of that period were, by
comparison with today's products, logorrheic. Even action films, the Bogart film noir, the
Errol Flynn swashbuckler, abounded with dialogue. Now, after a century of development, the
medium of film generates its own culture. Its audience is as schooled in its rhythms and
motifs and habits of being as Wagnerians are in der Nibelungen. Films work off previous
films. They are genre referential and can be more of what they are by nature.

V. Vocabulary build-up.

to make something certain or final. My uncle has been

meeting people all over the state to nail down support
to nail sth down for his senate campaign.
phr.
a capstone 1. The top stone of a structure or wall. Capstone publications
2. The crowning achievement or final stroke; the
n. culmination or acme. The top group of joint
doctrine publications in the
hie-rarchy of joint
publications. Capstone
publications link joint
doctrine to national strategy
and the contributions of other
government agencies,

167
 alliances, and coalitions. See
also above-the-line
publications; below-the-line
publications; joint
publication; key-stone
publications.
Dictionary of Military and
Associated Terms. US
Department of Defence 2005.
a gag 1. Something forced into or put over the mouth to
prevent speaking or crying out.
n. 2. An obstacle to or a censoring of free speech.
3. A device placed in the mouth to keep it open, as in
dentistry.
4. a. A practical joke. b. A comic effect or remark.
5. The act or an instance of gagging or choking.
impetus 1. An impelling force; an impulse.
2. The force or energy associated with a moving body.
n. 3.
a. Something that incites; a stimulus.
b. Increased activity in response to a stimulus: The
approaching deadline gave impetus to the investigation.
logorrhea excessive and often incoherent talkativeness or
wordiness
n. med. pressured speech; excessive and rapid speech, seen
in certain mental disorders.
a coif 1. A coiffure.
2. A tight-fitting cap worn under a veil, as by nuns.
n. 3. A white skullcap formerly worn by English lawyers.
tr.v. 4. A heavy skullcap of steel or leather, formerly worn
under a helmet or mail hood.
1. To arrange or dress (the hair).
2. To cover with or as if with a coif.
portentous 1. Of the nature of or constituting a portent; foreboding:
“The present aspect of society is portentous of great
adj. change” (Edward Bellamy).
2. Full of unspecifiable significance; exciting wonder
and awe: “Such a portentous and mysterious monster
roused all my curiosity” (Herman Melville).
3. Marked by pompousness; pretentiously weighty.
intelligence 1. the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit
from experience
n. 2. secret information about an enemy (or potential
enemy); "we sent out planes to gather intelligence on
their radar coverage"
3. news: information about recent and important events;
"they awaited news of the outcome"
4. the operation of gathering information about an
enemy

VI. One of the features of the text above is the use of terms which belong to film industry.
Find out the terminological equivalents used in Bulgarian.

feature film; title cards; silents; talkies; standing sets; film noir; opening credits; shots;
film stock; signifying context; sitcom; genre referential

How would you convey terms which do not necessarily have currency in Bulgarian?
Swashbuckler, for example, is a term that developed in the 16th century to describe rough,
noisy and boastful swordsmen. It is based on a fighting style using a side-sword with a

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buckler in the off-hand, which was filled with much "swashing and making a noise on the
buckler". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swashbuckler

‘Gag’ is also used as a term here. Consider its synonyms below and try to find
correspondences in Bulgarian for each specific situation listed.

Synonyms: joke, jest, witticism, quip, sally, crack, wisecrack, gag. These nouns refer to
something that is said or done in order to evoke laughter or amusement. Joke especially
denotes an amusing story with a punch line at the end: told jokes at the party. Jest suggests
frolicsome humor: amusing jests that defused the tense situation. A witticism is a witty,
usually cleverly phrased remark: a speech full of witticisms. A quip is a clever, pointed, often
sarcastic remark: responded to the tough questions with quips. Sally denotes a sudden quick
witticism: ended the debate with a brilliant sally. Crack and wisecrack refer less formally to
flippant or sarcastic retorts: made a crack about my driving ability; punished for making
wisecracks in class. Gag is principally applicable to a broadly comic remark or to comic by-
play in a theatrical routine: one of the most memorable gags in the history of vaudeville.

‘Stock’ has over 18 senses and specific uses. In which one do you think it is used here in
combination with ‘film’?

VII. Focus:

Before translating the sentence ‘The film stock is color coordinated with its subject’, consider
the meaning of ‘color coordinated’: matched in color and pattern so as to be pleasing to the
esthetic sense; as in ‘His shirt and tie were color coordinated’.
From your background knowledge of essay writing and paragraph structure, what is the
function of the opening sentence in a paragraph?
In which sense is ‘attitudes’ used in the text?

1. personal view of something: an opinion or general feeling about something; a

positive attitude to change
2. bodily posture: a physical posture, either conscious or unconscious, especially while
interacting with others
3. challenging manner: an arrogant or assertive manner or stance assumed as a
challenge or for effect (informal); a streetwise teenager with attitude
4. aviation orientation of aircraft's axes: the angle of an aircraft in relation to the
direction of the airflow or to the horizontal plane

What strategies are you going to use so as to ‘translate’ the proper names used in the essay
above?

‘Inventing Life Steals Time; Living Life Begs It Back’

By Gish Jen

(The New York Times, December 4, 2000)

To write is to understand why Keats writes of living "under an everlasting restraint, never
relieved except when I am composing." It is to recognize Kafka's longing to be locked in the
innermost room of a basement, with food anonymously left for him. It is to know why Alice
Munro describes the face of the artist as unfriendly; and it is to envy Philip Roth, who, rumor

169
has it, has sequestered himself in a cabin in the Berkshires. He is writing, writing, people say,
writing without distractions, only writing. To which the news part of us asks: Is that a life?
Can you really call that a life? That is our sanity speaking. But another part, the writer part,
answers, yes.
One must live in order to have something to write about. That's the commonplace wisdom,
and to be engaged with the world is no bad thing; it is essential. Still the bulk of everyday life
comes as an interruption. Some people maintain that everything becomes material, but in truth
it does not. It is entirely possible, for starters, to have too much of one kind of material; ask
anyone in a menial job. But this is the stuff of another essay.
Allow me to claim that at 45, a mother of young children, I have a life that is mostly not
material, that I simply live. Writing competes with that life and shortens its run. I struggle not
to hurry my time with my children; I endeavor to lose myself with them even as I squeeze
every last minute out of the rest of the day. I calculate; I weigh; I optimize. That I may lose
myself again in my work, I map out the day, the route, the menu. I duck, I duck. I hoard the
hours and despair in traffic jams. Worse, I keep an eye on my involvements. I give myself
freely enough to others, but only so freely. I wonder if writing is worth this last price in
particular.
Art is selfish, Cynthia Ozick has said. Lyndall Gordon has brought us face to face with the
coldbloodedness of Henry James and T. S. Eliot; Ms. Ozick has deemed the work worth it.
Faulkner proclaimed the writer's only responsibility to be to his art. He famously claimed that
if he had to rob his mother, he would not hesitate, and that "the `Ode on a Grecian Urn' is
worth any number of old ladies."
We might wonder today if it is worth any number of young men; but let's not. For the
central question is: Even if a certain ruthlessness were necessary and justified in the case of
Henry James, say, would it be justified for the rest of us?
I know I will indeed quit writing before I put live humans on the altar; I am sorry enough
to be short with people, sometimes, or intermittently available. But I do not know what is
right. When people talk about being between worlds, they generally mean cultural dislocation
of a geopolitical sort. Writers, though, are also caught between worlds. We may profess
clarity about our allegiance, but novelists particularly cannot escape a concern with the moral.
In truth, the possessed — of any stripe probably — are as inwardly divided as the
dispossessed.

VIII. Vocabulary build-up.

sequestered 1. cloistered: providing privacy or seclusion; "the cloistered academic world

of books"; "sat close together in the sequestered pergola"; "sitting ...
adj. 2. kept separate and secluded; "a sequestered jury"
commonplace 1. Commonly encountered: average, common, general, normal, ordinary,
typical, usual..
adj. 2. Being of no special quality or type: average, common, cut-and-dried,
formulaic, garden, garden-variety, indifferent, mediocre, ordinary, plain,
routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, stock, undistinguished, unexceptional,
unremarkable.
3. Without freshness or appeal because of overuse: banal, bromidic, clichéd,
corny, hackneyed, musty, overused, overworked, platitudinal, platitudinous,
shopworn, stale, stereotyped, stereotypic, stereotypical, threadbare,
timeworn, tired, trite, warmed-over, well-worn, worn-out.
to lose oneself Become deeply absorbed or involved in, as in Doctors are notorious for
losing themselves in their work. This expression alludes to becoming so
phr. absorbed as to forget oneself.
to duck 1. to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away: "Before he
could duck, another stone struck him."
v. 2. submerge or plunge suddenly
3. dip into a liquid: "He dipped into the pool" [dip, douse]

170
 4. avoid or try to avoid, as of duties, questions and issues; "He dodged the
issue" [hedge, fudge, evade, put off, circumvent, parry, elude, skirt, dodge,
sidestep]
hoard A hidden fund or supply stored for future use; a cache.
1. To gather or accumulate a hoard.
n./ v. 1. To accumulate a hoard of. 2. To keep hidden or private.
ruthlessness, n. 1. pitilessness: mercilessness characterized by a lack of pity
2. cruelty: feelings of extreme heartlessness
allegiance Faithfulness or devotion to a person, a cause, obligations, or duties:
constancy, faithfulness, fealty, fidelity, loyalty, steadfastness.
n.
intermittent Happening or appearing now and then: fitful, occasional, periodic,
periodical, sporadic. Informal on-again, off-again.
adj.
profess 1. To affirm openly; declare or claim: "a physics major [who] professes to
be a stickler when it comes to data" Gina Maranto.
v.tr. 2. To make a pretense of; pretend: "top officials who were deeply involved
with the arms sales but later professed ignorance of them" David Johnston.
3. a. To practice as a profession or claim knowledge of: profess medicine.
b. To teach (a subject) as a professor: profess literature. 4. To affirm belief
in: profess Catholicism.
5. To receive into a religious order or congregation.
1. To make an open affirmation.
2. To take the vows of a religious order or congregation.
v.intr.

stripe 1. a. A long narrow band distinguished, as by color or texture, from the

surrounding material or surface. b. A textile pattern of parallel bands or
n. lines on a contrasting background. c. A fabric having such a pattern.
2. A strip of cloth or braid worn on a uniform to indicate rank, awards
received, or length of service; a chevron.
3. Sort; kind: "All Fascists are not of one mind, one stripe" Lillian Hellman.

IX. A different way of acquiring a sense of translation possibilities for words and phrases is to
see them used in other contexts. Read through the brief quotations from fiction below and
translate them. Which of them suggest similar uses of the words in the essay and which are
different?

That was true everywhere in the world, but it was especially true in Packingtown; there
seemed to be something about the work of slaughtering that tended to ruthlessness and
ferocity - it was literally the fact that in the methods of the packers a hundred human lives did
not balance a penny of profit.
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Here, against a hoarding of decaying timber, he is brought to bay and tumbles down,
lying gasping at his pursuer, who stands and gasps at him until the woman comes up.
Bleak House by Charles Dickens

But the rather prominent eyes and the impulsive stammering manner, which seemed to
indicate a torrent of ideas intermittently pressing for utterance and always checked in their
course by a clutch of nervousness, drew no pity, as in the case of a more imposing personage,
but a desire to laugh, which was, however, entirely lacking in malice.
Night and Day by Virginia Woolf

All men recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to, and to
resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable.
Walden & on the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau

171
X. Students working with the above text in previous years, have noted a particular difficulty
with regard to the meaning of the phrase ‘to be short with people’. Below is the list of
dictionary entries for ‘short’ as well as idiomatic uses of phrases employing the word ‘short’.
Which sense of the word informs the meaning of the phrase in the text?

Short
1. Having little length; not long.
2. Having little height; not tall.
3. Extending or travelling not far or not far enough: a short toss.
4. a. Lasting a brief time: a short holiday. b. Appearing to pass quickly: finished the job in a
few short months.
5. Not lengthy; succinct: short and to the point.
6. a. Rudely brief; abrupt. b. Easily provoked; irascible.
7. Inadequate; insufficient: oil in short supply; were short on experience.
8. Lacking in length or amount: a board that is short two inches.
9. Lacking in breadth or scope: a short view of the problem.
10. Deficient in retentiveness: a short memory.
11. a. Not owning the stocks or commodities one is selling in anticipation of a fall in prices. b.
Of or relating to a short sale.
12. a. Containing a large amount of shortening; flaky: a short pie crust. b. Not ductile; brittle:
short iron.
13. a. Unstressed; unaccented. Used of a syllable in accentual prosody. b. Being of relatively
brief duration. Used of a syllable in quantitative prosody.
14. Slang Close to the end of a tour of military duty.

Idioms for short:

As an abbreviation: He's called Ed for short.
in short: In summary; briefly.
short for: An abbreviation of: Ed is short for Edward.
short of: 1. Having an inadequate supply of: We're short of cash. 2. Less than: Nothing short
of her best effort was required to make the team. 3. Other than; without resorting to: Short of
yelling at him, I had no other way to catch his attention. 4. Not quite willing to undertake or
do; just this side of: She stopped short of throwing out the old photo.
the short end of the stick: The worst side of an unequal deal.

XI. Focus:

What does ‘material’ in the second and third paragraph refer to?
Is the phrase ‘[I try] not to hurry my time with my children’ related to the above ‘to be short
with people’, in your view?
The following title from The Washington Post issue of February 16, 2001 by Pamela
Constable might suggest ways of translating the phrase ‘but only so freely’ from the text: “In
Pakistan, a Press Only So Free; Newspaper Vandalized, Journalists Jailed for Printing Letter
Offensive to Muslims”
In the lines ‘Ms. Ozick has deemed the work worth it’ and “the `Ode on a Grecian Urn' is
worth any number of old ladies.”: What does ‘the work’ refer to? What does ‘it’ refer to?
Who wrote ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ and how has this title gained currency in Bulgarian?
Explain in your own words your understanding of ‘cultural dislocation of a geopolitical sort’
before you translate it.

172
In view of the two preceding paragraphs, in which the author mentions Henry James and T. S.
Eliot, who are ‘the possessed’ and ‘the dispossessed’? What do they possess?
Related to the different senses of ‘stripe’, what does it mean of be ‘the possessed of a certain
stripe’?

UNIT 6

E. Whalen, Editor Bird Press

FOREWORD (to the book POWER VERSES FORCE - AN ANATOMY OF

CONSCIOUSNESS)
The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior by David R. Hawkins

IMAGINE-WHAT IF you had access to a simple yes-or-no answer to any question you
wished to ask? A demonstrably true answer. Any question. Think about it.
There's the obvious: "Jane is seeing another guy." (Y/N?) "Johnny is telling the truth
about school." (Y/N?) But it's only a short step to: "This is a safe investment." (Y/N?) or
"This career is worthy of my pursuit." (Y/N?)
What if everyone had such access?
Staggering implications suggest themselves immediately. Think again. 2 What would
happen to our ponderous and all-too-often flawed judicial system if there were a clear,
confirmable answer to the proposition, "John Doe is guilty as charged." (Y/N?)
What would happen to politics as we know it if all of us could ask the question,
"Candidate X honestly intends to fulfill this campaign promise." (Y/N?) -and all of us got the
same answer? (2) And what would happen to advertising, period?
You get the idea. But the idea gets bigger, fast. What happens to nationalism ("Nation X is
in fact dedicated to the overthrow of Democracy.")? To government ("This bill does in fact
protect the rights of citizens.")?
What happens to "The check is in the mail"?
If, as has been said, man learned to lie an hour after he learned to talk, then a phenomenon
such as we are discussing would be the genesis of the most fundamental change in human
knowledge since the beginning of society, the transformations it would wreak – in fields
from communications to ethics, in our most basic concepts, in every detail of daily existence
would be so profound that it is difficult even to conceive what life would be like in a
subsequent new era of truth. The world as we know it would be irrevocably changed, to its
very roots.

I. Vocabulary build-up: Identify the sense in which the word is used in the text above. Use the
empty space to suggest correspondences in Bulgarian in each of the senses listed. Which will
be your final choice for this specific instance? Why?

staggering tending to stagger

stagger v.i.
adjective 1. to walk, move, or stand unsteadily.

173
 2. to falter or begin to give way, as in an argument or fight.
3. to waver or begin to doubt, as in purpose or opinion; hesitate: After staggering
momentarily, he recognized that he had to make a decision.
–v.t.
4. to cause to reel, totter, or become unsteady: This load would stagger an elephant.
5. to shock; render helpless with amazement or the like; astonish: The vastness of
outer space staggers the mind.
6. to cause to waver or falter: The news staggered her belief in the triumph of justice.
7. to arrange in a zigzag order or manner on either side of a center: The captain
staggered the troops along the road.
8. to arrange otherwise than at the same time, esp. in a series of alternating or
continually overlapping intervals: They planned to stagger lunch hours so that the
cafeteria would not be rushed.
implication 1. something implied or suggested as naturally to be inferred or understood: to resent
an implication of dishonesty.
2. the act of implying: His implication of immediate changes surprised us.
3. the state of being implied: to know only by implication.
4. Logic. the relation that holds between two propositions, or classes of propositions,
in virtue of which one is logically deducible from the other.
5. the act of implicating: the implication of his accomplices.
6. the state of being implicated: We heard of his implication in a conspiracy.
7. Usually, implications. relationships of a close or intimate nature; involvements: the
religious implications of ancient astrology.
period n. 1. a rather large interval of time that is meaningful in the life of a person, in history,
etc., because of its particular characteristics: a period of illness; a period of great
profitability for a company; a period of social unrest in Germany.
2. any specified division or portion of time: poetry of the period from 1603 to 1660.
3. a round of time or series of years by which time is measured.
4. a round of time marked by the recurrence of some phenomenon or occupied by
some recurring process or action.
5. the point of completion of a round of time or of the time during which something
lasts or happens.
6. Educ. a specific length of time during school hours that a student spends in a
classroom, laboratory, etc., or has free.
7. any of the parts of equal length into which a game is divided.
8. the time during which something runs its course.
9. the present time.
10. the point or character (.) used to mark the end of a declarative sentence, indicate an
abbreviation, etc.; full stop.
11. a full pause, as is made at the end of a complete sentence; full stop.
12. a sentence, esp. a well-balanced, impressive sentence: the stately periods of
Churchill.
13. a periodic sentence.
14. an occurrence of menstruation.
15. a time of the month during which menstruation occurs.
wreak v 1. to inflict or execute (punishment, vengeance, etc.): They wreaked havoc on the
enemy.
2. to carry out the promptings of (one's rage, ill humor, will, desire, etc.), as on a
victim or object: He wreaked his anger on the office staff.
conceive, v –v.t. 1. to form (a notion, opinion, purpose, etc.): He conceived the project while he
was on vacation.
2. to form a notion or idea of; imagine.
3. to hold as an opinion; think; believe: I can't conceive that it would be of any use.
4. to experience or form (a feeling): to conceive a great love for music.
5. to express, as in words.
6. to become pregnant with.
7. to beget.
8. to begin, originate, or found (something) in a particular way (usually used in the
passive): a new nation conceived in liberty.
9. Archaic. to understand; comprehend.
–v.i.
10. to form an idea; think (usually fol. by of).
11. to become pregnant.
irrevocably From irrevocable, adj. not to be revoked or recalled; unable to be repealed or annulled;
unalterable: an irrevocable decree.

174
II. Focus:

F. In the first sentence of the second paragraph, There's the obvious: think how best to
translate There’s (its common sense in such contexts is there exists)
G. "The check is in the mail" - you should not translate this literally, but rather translate what
it means. "The check is in the mail" is usually a lie in order to shift the blame from the
user to the mail service: ‘I sent the check by mail two days ago. Why you haven’t received
it? The mail is to blame, not me.’
H. In the first sentence of the last paragraph, beginning with‘If, as has been said’, ‘would be
the genesis’ clearly presents a problem. In Bulgarian a verb form is more suitable.

III. Work in a similar manner with the passage below, which is the continuation, conducting
your own consultation with dictionaries and following the steps we have used so far.

kinesiology: -n. The study of muscles and their movements, esp. as applied to physical
conditioning. [Gk. kinesis, movement ( kinein, to move) +-logy.)1
The study of kinesiology first received scientific attention in the second half of this
century through the work of Dr. George Goodheart, who pioneered the specialty he called
applied kinesiology after finding that benign physical stimuli for instance, beneficial
nutritional supplements--would increase the strength of certain indicator muscles, whereas
inimical stimuli would cause those muscles to suddenly weaken. The implication was that at a
level far below conceptual consciousness the body "knew, " and through muscle testing was
able to signal, what was good and bad for it. The classic example, cited later in this work, is a
universally observed weakening of indicator muscles in the presence of a chemical sweetener;
the same muscles strengthen in the presence of a healthful natural supplement.
(3) In the late seventies Dr. John Diamond refined this specialty into a new discipline he
called Behavioral Kinesiology. Dr. Diamond's startling discovery was that indicator muscles
would strengthen or weaken in the presence of positive or negative emotional and intellectual
stimuli, as well as physical stimuli.' A smile will make you test strong. The statement, "I hate
you, " will make you test weak.

IV. Here is a translation of a student. Compare yours to it. Make the necessary changes
in it, as well as in yours. If asked, be ready to explain why.

ПРЕДСТАВЕТЕ СИ -Какво щеше да стане, ако имахте достъп до обикновен отговор

“да или не” на всеки въпрос, който сте искали да зададете ? Истински отговор, който
може да ви се демонстрира. На какъвто и да е въпрос. Помислете върху това.
Ето и очевидните отговори:” Джейн се вижда с друг”(Да/Не?) “ Джони казва
истината за училище” (Да/Не?) Но тези отговори изискват малка крачка преди това: “
Това е сигурна инвестиция” (Да/Не?) или “ Заслужава ли си да преследвам такава
кариера” (Да/Не?).
Какво щеше да стане, ако всеки имаше този достъп?
Незабавно се налагат изненадващи заключения. Помислете какво щеше да стане с
нашата флегматична и много често корумпирана съдебна система, ако съществуваше
ясен, достоверен отговор на твърдението: “ Джон Доу е доказано виновен” (Да/Не?)
Какво щеше да стане с политиката, която познаваме, ако всички ние можехме да
зададем следния въпрос: “Възнамерява ли кандидат Х честно да изпълни обещанието
от кампанията си?” (Да/Не?)- и ако всички получим еднакъв отговор?
И какво щеше да стане с предизборната реклама?

175
 Добивате представа за това. Но тази представа става бързо по-обширна. Какво става
с национализма(“Нация Х всъщност е отдадена на отхвърлянето на Демокрацията”) А с
правителството(“Този законопроект всъщност защитава правата нас гражданите”)?
Какво става с “ Чекът е в пощата”?
Както бе казано, ако човек се науава да лъже час след като се е научил да говори, то
тогава явление като това, което обсъждаме, би се превърнало в произхода на най-
съществената промяна в познанието на човек от началото на общественото му
развитие, а трансформациите, които ще предизвика в сферите от комуникациите до
етиката, в най-основните ни понятия, във всеки един детайл от ежедневното ни
съществуване биха били толкова дълбоки, че дори е трудно да се предположи как ще
изглежда живота в една последвала ера на истината.Светът такъв, какъвто го
познаваме, би бил необратимо променен, както и самите му основи.
Кинесиология: Изучаването на мускулите и техните движения, особено
приложено за физическо риспособяване.{От гр.език kinesis, движение; kinein, движа
се+logy, наука}.¹
Науката кинесиология получава първото си научно внимание през втората половина
на века с труда на д-р Джордж Гудхарт, който пръв нарича специалността приложна
кинесиология след като открива, че доброкачествени дразнители, например полезни
хранителни добавки, биха повишили силата на конкретен индикаторен мускул, докато
вредни дразнители биха отслабили тези мускул внезапно. Заключението е, че на ниво
далеч под концептуалната съзнателност човешкото тяло “знае” и чрез тестване на
мускулите е способно да сигнализира какво е полезно и вредно за него. Класическият
пример, както е цитирано по-късно в този труд, е универсално наблюдавано отслабване
на индикаторните мускули при наличието на химичен подсладител; съответно същите
мускули стават по-силни при наличието на здравословна природна добавка.
³ В края на 70-те д-р Джон Даймънд обновява тази специалност и я превръща в нова
дисциплина, която нарича Поведенческа Кинесиология. Стряскащото откритие на д-р
Даймънд е, че индикаторните мускули ще станат по-силни или ще отслабнат при
наличието на положителни или отрицателни емоционални и интелектуални дразнители,
както и физически дразнители. Заради една усмивка ще покажете високи резултати при
тестване. Заради изречението: “ Мразя те”, ще покажете ниски резултати при тестване.

V. And here is the edited translation of the student. Compare your outcome to it. Consider
which of the changes were mandatory (had to be made) and which – optional (for better
effect).

ПРЕДГОВОР
ПРЕДСТАВЕТЕ СИ -Какво щеше да стане, ако имахте достъп до обикновен отговор “да Deleted: Истински отговор ,
или не” на всеки въпрос, който сте искали да зададете ? Отговор, чиято истинност може който може да ви се
да се демонстрира. На какъвто и да е въпрос. Помислете върху това.
демонстрира.

Съществуват очевидните:” Джейн се вижда с друг”(Да/Не?) “ Джони казва истината за Deleted: Ето и

училище” (Да/Не?) Но от тях е само малка крачка до: “ Това е сигурна инвестиция” Deleted: отговори

(Да/Не?) или “ Заслужава ли си да преследвам такава кариера” (Да/Не?). Deleted: тези отговори
Ами ако всеки имаше такъв достъп?
изискват малка

Незабавно възникват зашеметяващи възможности. Помислете какво щеше да стане с Deleted: преди това

нашата флегматична и много често корумпирана съдебна система, ако съществуваше ясен, Deleted: Какво щеше да стане ,

достоверен отговор на твърдението: “ Джон Доу е виновен по обвинението” (Да/Не?) Deleted: този
Какво щеше да стане с политиката, която познаваме, ако всички ние можехме да зададем Deleted: се налагат
следния въпрос: “Възнамерява ли кандидат Х честно да изпълни обещанията от изненадващи заключения.

кампанията си?” (Да/Не?)- и ако всички получим еднакъв отговор? Deleted: доказано
Deleted: обещанието

176
И какво щеше да стане с предизборната реклама?
Добивате представа, нали. Но тази представа бързо се разширява.. Какво става с Deleted:
национализма (“Нация Х всъщност се е посветила на отхвърлянето на Демокрацията”) А с Deleted: за това.
правителството (“Този законопроект наистина защитава правата на гражданите”)? Deleted: става бързо по-
Какво става с “ Чекът е изпратен”? обширна

Ако, както е казано, човек се науава да лъже час след като се е научил да говори, то тогава Deleted: е отдадена
явление като това, което обсъждаме, би породило най-съществената промяна в познанието Deleted: всъщност
на човек от началото на общественото му развитие, а трансформациите, които ще Deleted: с
предизвика в сферите от комуникациите до етиката, в най-основните ни понятия, във Deleted: в пощата
всеки един детайл от ежедневното ни съществуване биха били толкова дълбоки, че дори е
трудно да се предположи как ще изглежда живота в една последвала нова ера на истината.
Deleted: К

Светът такъв, какъвто го познаваме, би бил необратимо променен, до самите си основи.

Deleted: б

Кинезиология: Изучаването на мускулите и техните движения, особено приложено за

Deleted: ако
Deleted: се превърнало в
физическо приспособяване.{От гр.език kinesis, движение; kinein, движа се+logy, наука}.¹
Науката кинезиология първо привлича научното внимание през втората половина на
произхода на

века с труда на д-р Джордж Гудхарт, който пръв нарича специалността приложна
Deleted: както и

кинесиология след като открива, че доброкачествени дразнители, например полезни

Deleted: му

хранителни добавки, биха повишили силата на конкретен индикаторен мускул, докато Deleted: получава

вредни дразнители биха отслабили тези мускул внезапно. Заключението е, че на ниво Deleted: то си

далеч под концептуалната съзнателност човешкото тяло “знае” и чрез тестване на

мускулите е способно да сигнализира какво е полезно и вредно за него. Класическият
пример, както е цитирано по-късно в този труд, е универсално наблюдавано отслабване на
индикаторните мускули при наличието на химичен подсладител; съответно същите
мускули стават по-силни при наличието на здравословна природна добавка.
³ В края на 70-те д-р Джон Даймънд обновява тази специалност и я превръща в нова
дисциплина, която нарича Поведенческа Кинезиология. Стряскащото откритие на д-р
Даймънд е, че индикаторните мускули ще станат по-силни или ще отслабнат при
наличието на положителни или отрицателни емоционални и интелектуални дразнители,
както и физически дразнители. Заради една усмивка ще покажете високи резултати при
тестване. Заради изречението: “ Мразя те”, ще покажете ниски резултати при тестване.

177
Reference books

Here is just a short list of dictionaries that students can use while working with the English
Practicum in Translation. However, they are at liberty to chose other dictionaries more
suitable to the specific text they work on.

Общи речници

Тълковни, синонимни, фразеологични

Soanes, Catherine and A. Stevenson. Oxford Dictionary of English. Revised Edition. 2005.
ISBN-13: 978-0-19-861057-1. On-line resources at http://www.oed.com/
Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged with CD-ROM. ISBN: 978-0-
87779-302-1. Online resources at: http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/07words.htm
Rundell, Michael and Gwyneth Fox. Macmillan English Dictionary. British English.
Paperback with CD-ROM. B2-C2. Advanced.
Rundell, Michael and Gwyneth Fox. Macmillan English Dictionary - American English. B2-
C2. Advanced. On-line resources at: http://www.macmillandictionaries.com/home.htm
Greenbaum, S. and J. Whitcut. Longman Guide to English Usage. Harlow, England:
Longman, 1988.
Cowie, A. P. and R. Mackin. Oxford Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Advanced. Oxford: Oxford
University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-431285-1
Jalal, Ayesha. Cambridge International Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1997.
Toby, Jennifer (Ed) Oxford Idioms Dictionary for Learners of English. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2001.
Lea, Diana (Ed). Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2002.
OUP. Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University
Press. 2000.
Pointon, G. E. (Ed.) BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names. 2nd edition. Oxford:
Oxford University Press. 1983.
Roach, P. and J. Hartman (eds.) English Pronouncing Dictionary 15th edition. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press. 1997.
Upton, C., W. A. Kretzschmar Jr. and R. Konopka. The Oxford Dictionary of Pronounciation
for Current English. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2001.
Urdang, Laurence (Ed.) Dictionary of Differences. London: Bloomsbury Press. 1989.
GABEROFF. Съвременен тълковен речник на българския език. ISBN 9549607135
Андрейчин, Л. Български тълковен речник. София: Наука и изкуство, 2002.
Нанов, Л. Български синонимен речник. София: Наука и изкуство, 1987.
Нанов, Любен и Ани Нанова. Български синонимен речник. Хейзъл. ISBN 9548283328
Пашов, П. Правоговорен и правописен речник на българския език. София: СУ
„Климент Охридски”, 2002

Английско-български

Ранкова, М и др. Английско-български речник, Т. 1-2. София: Наука и изкуство,

1987 – 1988.
Bojanova, S. et al. English- Bulgarian Dictionary. Sofia: Gaberoff, 2001.

Българо-английски

178
Atanassova, T. Bulgarian-English Dictionary, 2 ed. Sofia: Nauka I izkustvo, 1980.
Атанасова т. и др. Българско-английски речник, Т. 1-2. София: Наука и изкуство,
1987 – 1988.

Специализирани речници
Английско-български

Английско - български речник: Хотелиерство, туризъм и кетъринг. Пловдив: Летера.

ISBN 9545163968
Балканджиева, Благовеста. Английско-български речник по търговско право. Софи – Р
ISBN 9549615456
Балканджиева, Благовеста. Европейско право: Английско-български речник. София:
Абагар. ISBN 9544276513
Бизнес речник: Английско-български/ българско-английски + CD. PONS.
ISBN 9548278502
Георгиев, Владимир. Английско-български военен речник - всички термини на НАТО.
София: Труд. ISBN 9545282886
Геремезов, Данчо Петров. Английско - български терминологичен речник за
мироопазващи операции. Военно издателство. ISBN 9545093498
Петкова, Вяра. Английско-български морски речник с колокации. Стено.
ISBN 9544492712
Семерджиев, Стефан и колектив. Английско-български политехнически речник, второ
издание. София: издателство „Техника”, 1995.
Тодорова – Пери, Надежда съст. Кратък английско-български селскостопански речник.
София: Академично издателство „Проф. Марин Дринов”, 2002.
Филипова, Мария и колектив. Английско-български речник строителство и
архитектура, София: Държавно издателство „Техника”, 1990.
Яблански, Цанко и колектив. Английско-български речник по животновъдство. София:
Земиздат, 1993.
Spasov, Dimiter. A Dictionary of English Phrasal verbs. Naouka I Izkoustvo, Sofia, 1994

Българо-английски

Балканджиева, Благовеста. Българско-английски юридически речник. Софи – Р.

ISBN 99548516961
Балканджиева, Благовеста. Българско-английски речник по право, финанси и търговия
София: Абагар. ISBN 9789544277642.
Великова, Галина. Българско-английски морски речник. Стено. ISBN 9544492720
Тодориев, Симеон и колектив. Кратък българо- английски политехнически речник,
второ издание. София: издателство „Техника”, 1995.

Комбинирани

Вълков, Калчо. Леко огнестрелно оръжие - английско-български и българо-английски

военно-технически речник. София: Труд ISBN 954528529X
Гърнев, Николай и Цвета Хайтова. Речник по счетоводство: Английско - български/
Българско – английски, СМ Publishing ISBN 9844830902

179
Кръстева, Добринка. Английско - български/ Българско - английски речник
Одит, счетоводство, данъци, финанси, право. София: Сиела ISBN 9546496693
Кръстева, Добринка. Английско-български и българско-английски речник по
застраховане, банково дело, борсова търговия и европейска терминология, част I.
София: Сиела. ISBN 9546499757

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