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Bozorov Z. associate professor Uzbekistan State University of World Languages
Seytkulova A. student
Uzbekistan State University of World Languages
LEXICAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE USAGE OF MEDICAL
TEXTS
Abstract. The text is able to provide information about the classification of transformations, mainly lexical transformations (transcription, transliteration, calque, concretization, modulation, generalization) in translation of medical texts. It analyzes the use of lexical translation and gives explanations of theuse of the most appropriate type of lexical transformations for the given discourse. It also investigates the importance of translating medical documents accurately.
Key words: translation, lexical transformations, transcription, transliteration, generalization, blueprints, modulation, specification, calque.
Transforming medical texts is becoming increasingly prevalent for several reasons. First of all, it can be because of globalization and multilingualism. With advancements in technology and increasing globalization, healthcare professionals and researchers are working in increasingly diverse and multilingual environments. Translating medical texts enables effective communication and collaboration across language barriers, allowing professionals from different regions and linguistic backgrounds to access and exchange knowledge. Furthermore, it may enhance language accessibility. Many medical texts, scientific articles, research papers, and clinical guidelines are originally written in major languages like English. However, not all healthcare professionals and researchers have a high level of proficiency in these languages. Transforming medical texts into different languages, including less widely spoken languages, improves access to valuable information for professionals who are more comfortable in their native languages. Additionally, translating medical texts facilitates international research collaboration and knowledge sharing. It allows researchers and healthcare professionals from different countries and language backgrounds to access and contribute to the global body of medical knowledge. By breaking down language barriers, transformative technologies promote collaboration, innovation, and the dissemination of medical advancements.
According to V. N. Komissarov transformations are divided into three groups:
1) Lexical transformations (transcription, transliteration, calque, concretization, modulation, generalization);
2) Grammatical transformations (transposition, grammar substitution, sentence integration, sentence partitioning);
3) Complex (lexical and grammatical) transformations (antonymic translation, descriptive translation, integral translation).
While translating medical texts lexical transformations are the most appropriate ones that help to enhance the quality of translated documents. Transcription is a method of writing down speech sounds. It is essential to differentiate between a phonetic transcription and a practical transcription. In medicine field, this type of method is really helpful while translating the name of certain drugs, diseases or names that are related to medicine. For example,"cardiovascular disease" -"kardiovaskulyarkasallik". In this example, the English term "cardiovascular disease" is transcribed into phonetic symbols, representing the sounds of the word. The transcription provides a guide for pronunciation. Then, the transcribed term is translated into Uzbek, resulting in "kardiovaskulyarkasallik" in Uzbek script. Abroad, transliteration, defined as writing a word in a different alphabet, is often associated with transcription. However, strictly speaking, the notion of transliteration is based on representing written characters of one language by the characters of another language. For example, "vaccine" - "vaksina", "asthma" - "astma" or "diabetes" - "diabet". Blueprint translation is the translation of a word or a phrase by parts: AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) - OITS (OrtirilganImmunitetTanqisligiSindromi). A calque is a word-for-word translation from one language to another. For example, "heart diseases" -"yurakkasalliklari".
Specification, or substituting words with a wider meaning with words of a narrower meaning. For this type of transformation "osteoporosis" can be as an example which is in Uzbek translation "suyakto'qimasiningyemirilishi". As you see it helps to produce accurate translation with wider meaning. Generalization, or substituting words of a narrower meaning with those of a wider meaning. The English term, "antibiotic" translates into Uzbek as "antibiotiklar". Modulation is a logical development of the notion expressed by the word. For example, the Uzbek term "umurtqa" can be translated both "back" or "vertebra" but with the help of this translation method we will choose "vertebra" because it means exact "umurtqasuyagi". It is essential to note that not all types of transformations are used while translating medical terms. As the most difficult sphere for translators is medicine, they should be careful with the documents that they translate. Translators have the responsibility of accurately translating words into the target language while maintaining the tone, intent, and style of the original text. It is important to translate the meaning rather than focusing solely on individual words, sounds, style, or grammar. Meaning involves a complex arrangement of linguistic elements such as vocabulary, grammar, style, phonology, and usage. Generally, anything that is not relevant to the meaning is not considered part of the translation, although there may be exceptions in cases like poetry where
sounds hold more importance than strict meanings. Meaning can be derived from a single word or a group of words, enabling independent understanding. Therefore, a word represents the smallest unit of meaning, while a sentence represents the largest. It is crucial to approach translation as a form of communication, prioritizing comprehensibility and readability over adherence to outdated notions of correctness. In essence, translation involves conveying the meaning of a source-language text through an equivalent target-language text. Furthermore, translators of medical texts should consistently use specific terms and stylistic elements of the language-specific norms in all parts of the target documents. In order to enhance the quality of the translated documents, the medical translators have to use a lot of tools for translation, such as Monolingual dictionaries in English /English like Oxford and Merriam Webster and Bilingual dictionaries in English/Uzbek in order to select the appropriate medical terms in the Uzbek language. For example, the uzbek term "to'shsuyagi" has the appropriate equivalent in Merriam Webster dictionary "sternum". But if we used wrong method of translation like calque it would be like "chest bone" which is not correct.
Based on the present study's findings, translators need to be trained to work in the medical field before starting their job. The following recommendations are also helpful:
• Medical specialists and Uzbek expert translators could produce an English-Uzbek dictionary that includes medical compounds and abbreviations, which would be a valuable reference for Uzbek translators.
• Using medical dictionaries and other resources to find the definition of a term is an integral part of mastering the correct use of medical terms.
• Medical translation is a sensitive area, and a translator should make sure that he/she chooses an equivalent for the English term in Uzbek.
• Solving the problem should continue beyond the dictionary rather than exceed the written word to lectures, conferences, and even the medical media.
• Medical terminology is not static; it always has new terms that may not have direct equivalents in Uzbek.
• Uzbek expert translators and linguists could set up a special committee. This committee could meet regularly to discuss and create an Uzbek equivalent for each new medical term.
• Further study is needed to investigate how medical terminology in Uzbek and English works. Translating medical terms from English into Uzbek is the main problem in medical texts. The present study attempted to determine how translators can overcome and tackle such translation difficulties. Understanding the meaning of affixes used with medical terms will help a translator tackle the problem of translating medical terms which include affixes. Neologism, non-equivalence, polysemy and terminological inconsistency pose serious translation problems; therefore, the study aims to draw up some strategies to help a translator to deal with these problems. The need for updated English-Uzbek medical
dictionaries negatively influences the work of Uzbek translators in the medical field, as most consult such dictionaries to look for the meanings of medical terms. Translators usually rely on technical dictionaries, computer-aided translation tools (CAT, translation memories, term bases, terminology management systems, cloud-based and server-based translation systems) and websites besides their own knowledge. However, these resources often do not help Uzbek translators as many new technical terms cannot be found in English-Uzbek dictionaries or technological translation supports.
To sum up, translator's knowledge of the subject matter behind the text is critical. Translators are required to have a good understanding of the source language (SL) and proficient use of the target language (TL). The more knowledge a translator possesses about the subject that he/she translates, the more accurate a translation he/she produces.
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2. Merriam-Webster, Newest Edition, 2016.
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