Besides its various interpretations, the term equivalence was used by Vinay and Darbelnet (1958/1995) to refer to one of several translation procedures. It is a kind of oblique translation, which means that it does not rely on the use of parallel categories existing in SL and TL (1958:46-47). According to the two Canadian authors, equivalence implies the maintenance in the TL of the SL situation by using utterly different structural and stylistic means. It involves the message as a whole and not only parts of it. Most equivalences are set phrases, clichés, idiomatic phrases, reflex formulae, etc. Proverbs, for example, illustrate very well the way in which the whole message is affected.
The following examples will be mainly taken from Ion Creangã’s Memories of My Boyhood because of the language he uses, i.e. Moldavian speech patterns in the last century.He expresses, himself in colloquial and local speech and among the lexical problems special mention should be made of Creangã’s use of numerous terms related to rural life and activities (such as names of tools belonging to a primitive agricultural system or to handicrafts), to coinage, weights and measures, to church service, religious rites, superstitions or social standing ,all these requiring English equivalents.
While reading the English version of Ion Creangã’s stories we can notice that the translators have tried to find the exact English equivalents for the numerous proverbs and sayings, though transferring the idea on a different plane. As for those that were typically local, Ana Cartianu and R.C. Johnston chose to translate them, in order to preserve their original freshness.
Here there are a few examples from Ion Creangã , Amintiri din copilãrie – Memories of My Boyhood :
– “Acuş ieu varga din coardã şi vã croiesc de vã merg peticile”.
“Just let me get that stick from behind the rafter and I’ll beat you black and blue”.
– “Si dupã ce ne culcam cu toţii, bãieţii ca bãieţii (…).”
“When we had all gone to bed, children will be children (…).”
– “Vãzînd eu cã mi-am aprins paie-n cap cu asta, am şterpelit-o de-acasã (…).”
“Seeing that he was going on at me in this fashion, I slipped out of the house (…).”
-“Si sã nu-mi uit cuvîntul!”
“But I mustn’t lose the thread of my story!”
– (….) curat Ucigã-l crucea l-a colãcit sã vie şi sã-şi facã budihacea casã la noi in sat.”
“None else but Old Nick could have hidden the monster come and build his house in our village.”
– “(…) Smãrãndiţa a mîncat paparã.”
“Little Smaranda got a good hiding.”
– “Mãi!!! s-a trecut de şagã, zic eu, in gîndul meu.”
“My word, this is past a joke I said to myself.”
– “Decît codaş in oraş,
Mai bine-n satul tãu fruntaş.”
“Better a fish in a little pond than a small tiddler in the ocean”.
– Si vorba ceea: lucrul rãu nu piere cu una cu douã.”
As the proverb has it: A bad penny always turns up.”
– “Vai de mine şi de mine, copila mea au strãpuns-o turcii.”
“Woe is me, woe is me, my child has been stabbed to death by the Turks.”
Other examples:
“Cine-a cunoscut, “Who has ever known
Cine mi-a vãzut Who has seen my own
Mîndru ciobãnel, Shephard fine to see,
Tras printr-un inel?” Slim as a willow tree?”
(Mioriţa – translated by W.D.Snodgrass )
“Stejar în port, oţel in braţ, isteţ cît vrei; însã copil din flori, biet Stoicea.”
“In stature like an oak, his arms like steel, as clever as you could wish; yet born under the rose, poor Stoicea.”
(Gala Galaction – Moara lui Califar- Califar’s Mill )
“Si ia mai du-te dracului odatã!” se înfurie iarãşi ţiganul.”
“Leave me alone and be damned!” the gypsy flared up again.”
(Gib Mihãescu – Troiţa – The Roadside Cross )
“Miluieşte-mã pe mine pãcãtosul şi întunecatul cel înfundat în pãcate multe (…).”
“Have pity on me, the wretched and sinful, weighed down by much wrong-doing”.
(Gib Mihãescu – Troiţa – The Roadside Cross)