Compression as a translation technique

Abstract

It is well-known that the length of two texts in Ukrainian and English may not be the same. This can be explained by the use of the compressed forms in both languages [1, p.66]. Compression is very common in translating processes and is considered as a whole system of methods/techniques enabling to truncate the text without distorting or destroying its meaning. According to Nigel Armstrong, compression “generally occurs when the segment contains an unnecessary detail that might weary the reader, or information that is difficult to translate concisely because of culture-specific obstacles, or both” [2, p.72]. This transformation of the text can occur for various reasons. Grammar, syntax, choice of words, stylistic or pragmatic aspects, vocabulary, sentence structure – all these factors play a role.