TRANSLATION: SYNTAX ERRORS

INTRODUCTION

Each language has its own grammatical rules. In many cases, they are not the same. For example, in the Spanish language the subject comes before the verb: “Yo amo a mama”. It is a simple sentence; however, in the Lakhota language the subject precedes the verb (Valin, 2001, p.2). However, not only languages have their own rules. Computers also use their own language made up of combinations of 1 and 0. Programming languages include Visual Basic, PHP, Java Script, etc. Each has its own grammatical rules.

Grammar plays an important role in constructing the bases for programming languages. Grammar helps create programming language structure bases in order to develop syntactic specifications that allow the detection of syntax and code errors . This process is possible for syntactic analyzers that function by examining codes that enter into a computer to determine if they are correct. This involves correcting inappropriate formats (for example: someone typed an e-mail address using the word dotcom instead of .com) when these rules have violated syntax or formatted code. This happens in all languages. A syntax error in computer programming has the same result as in human languages.

Syntax errors in programming computers are more visible as all computers use a binary system. For example: 3:50 is different than writing $3.50 . The first one refers to time and the second one refers to money. This example shows that forgetting or ignoring rules of punctuation let syntax errors occur. These brief examples give us an important point of what the syntax really studies. Here are some definitions:

The study of syntax requires knowledge of the rules that govern a sentence (Ide, 2013). This is true, but I would like to add something more: Syntax does not only study the rules of a sentence, but how a sentence is structured, also involves “word–order” and punctuation.

If we take into account the ancient word Greek syntaxis, it means to arrange or set out together. (Valin, 2001, p.1) Arrange what? The answer is obviously. Syntax correlates to create expressions and phrases, but these expressions and phrases have a defined structure according to the language. For example, in the Spanish language, a sentence can have two or more word-orders without changing the sense and meaning of it.

Consider this example:

This sentence presents the following word-order: subject – verb. Direct object – adverb of time.

El avión llega hoy

A sample sentence can be structured in different ways as we read here: Example 1

a) llega hoy el avión

b) hoy llega el avión

c) el avión hoy llega

d) hoy el avión llega

These four sentences mean the same even though the order has changed; the sense is the same. This is because the Spanish language is flexible and allows free syntactical constructions (Ramirez, 1984, p.6). These sentences can be named a “well-formed sentence” or “grammatical sentences” (Valin, 2001).

Consider this example:

Example 2

a) El hoy llega el avión

b) Avión hoy llega el

c) Hoy avión llega el

These three sentences do not make sense even when there are four main categories: subject, verb, object and adverb of time. However, these sub-examples show us that syntactical constructions are not correct; in other words, the Spanish language is a flexible language when it follows the logic of language. (It also means that Spanish is not truly flexible, but has definite rules.) This is what (Valin, 2001, p.3) calls: “ungrammatical sentences” (ill- formed).

The question emerges: Why does the Spanish language allows sentences like: (Example 1): a, b, c, d and not sentences like: (Example 2): a, b, c? The question is not simple to answer. First, we have to understand that the subject (avión in the Spanish language is not recognized by location in the sentence but for its function in the sentence). Second, for a sentence to be considered as an ungrammatical sentence it has to violate some syntactic rules and principles: in this case, the logic of language.

This drives the conclusion that in a language there are possible formats for sentences (grammatical – ungrammatical) and it is grammar that provides the rules that allows separating or distinguishing grammatical sentences from ungrammatical sentences. (Greene, 1980, p. 23). Syntax can be defined as rules that allow the coherent and understandable formation of grammatically correct sentences in language.

SYNTATIC ERRORS IN JOURNALISTIC TEXTS

Mistranslations in journalistic texts also occur when language rules are violated. These errors occur when the translator is unfaithful to the syntax of the source language; but attempts to use word-for-word translation ´process. For example, let us consider this headline translation:

"Charges For Persons Meeting Medical Indigence Criteria May Be Waived Or Reduced."

“Costos A Personas Que Califican Como Indigentes Pueden Ser Reducidos O Anulados.

The error in the following example stems from the fact that, in English, a noun in the subject position (“charges”) is not preceded by an article (“the”). In Spanish, nouns in the subject position have to be preceded by an article (“Los costos”)

Suggested translation

“A Las Personas Que Califican Como Indigentes, Se Les Puede Reducir O Anular Los Costos.”

This is a brief example of how grammatical structures change in different languages. We cannot translate any word or document literally: word-for-word. The main problem in translating journalistic texts is that many translators do not know the syntax of the source language. To understand syntax and explain its structure, it is necessary to define what is (or constitutes) a sentence (Loffredo, 2012, p. 5-6).

Another important thing that translators forget when translating headlines is that each newspaper headlines has its own special rules and regulations. This is the reason why translators find it difficult to translate headlines. As Fairclough (1995) says, "Headlines have distinctive syntactic properties, which make them a grammatical oddity" (as cited by Khodabandeh, 2007, p.).

Others headline mistranslations occur when the writer of the soruce language has made a syntax error. For example,this headline: Hallan frutas con hongos para hacer panetones. This headline says something that is wrong. It should have been written down: Hallan panetones para hacer frutas con hongos. What this sentence really wants to say is that fruits with mushrooms are not good for human comsuption, and not that mushrooms are used for preparing panetones. This example show us that when a writer in the source langauge does not have a high level of understanding syntax, there is a posibility that his/her writing will be misundertood and mistranslated into target languages.

A bad choice of word-order appear in headlines because of mistranslations. This is because sometimes syntactic rules of language are not followed. Problems occur when the word-order is altered or changed. When this happens the sense of the sentence changes and makes readers do not understand what they are reading. For example,this headline: Gianmarco festejará sus 20 años cantando8. If this sentence is translated correctly the result is this: Gianmarco will celebrate his 20 birthday singing. However, what the headline really wants to say is that Gianmarco is going to have a great party for his 20th year of his artistical career. When translating a headline the translator has to take into account what it is written in the text, in this case what the news reports. In this example it can be noticed that if the translator does not choose the correct word-order, the translation can have more than one meaning. For example , in this sentence:

“Gianmarco festejará sus 20 años cantando”

The sentence presents Syntax ambiguity that carries more than four interpretations.

1- Gianmarco is celebrating his 20 birthday

2- Gianmarco has never stopped singing ( he has been doing this activity for 20 years without taking a rest)

3- Gianmarco is celebrating someone’s 20 birthday whose name is not mentioned.

This leads to the conclusion that translation requires a very high level of understanding the source and target level. Not only words, but grammar. This involves syntax and word formation (morfology). Correct choice of word-order is definitely important to avoid Syntax ambiguities.

SYNTAX ERRORS BY USING GOOGLE TRANSLATOR

Automathic translation (google translator) is not a good choice for translating academic papers. The problem is that any document cannot be translated coherent, precissely and correctly by using this kind of translation. For example , in these sentences :

1. El gato comió carne / ate the black cat meat

2. Los niños juegan en el parque/ children playing in the park

All these sentences were translated by Google translator. As I mentioned before syntax studies the rules that govern a sentence, but in adition, studies the function that words have in a sentence. These previous sentences were structured badly. Google translator translated literally with taking into account the word–order or function of words in sentence.

Let us analyse one of the examples

1 El gato comió carne

According to the typical structure of a sentence in spanish language the verb preceeds the subject. This typical structure is subject + verb + complemtent ( sujeto + verbo + objeto + modo + lugar + tiempo). To analyse this sentence I use the syntactical model of Chomsky (Greene , 1890 , p.32)

1. O ( oración ) FS (frase sustantiva) + FV(frase verrbal)

2. FS art (articulo) + S ( sustantiva)

3.FS S

4. FV V(verbo) + FS

5. FV V

6. FV V + adj (adjetivo)

7. S juana, niño, perro, perros, etc,

8 V gusta, golpea, golpear, vino, fue, etc

9. ADJ bueno, desafortunado, etc.

10. ART, un el

1 O FS + FV

2 FS art (artículo) + S (sustantivo)

5 FV V

3 FS S

This is the correct form of the sentence: El gato negro comió carne

10 ART el

7 S gato

8 V comió

7 S carne

Now , we will see the same sentence translated into english by using Google translator

Ate the cat meat

8 V ate

10 ART the

7 S cat

7 S meat

As you can notice , this sentence does not make any sense. Now let’s see the correct version of the sentence in English

10 ART The

7 S cat

8 V ate

7 S meat

As you can notice, no machine translation can replace human translators, even in the most simple example that I have shown , the process of automatic translation is not recommended for real and compentent transaltors.

CONCLUSION

What it is required to correct these problems , especially in syntax , is that translators must take seriously what it really means translation . Translation requires a lot of knowledge not only in culture or ideological aspects , but also in grammatical aspects.

Another point to have in mind , is that before to learn a new language , it is required to have a deep knowledge about the logic of language ( syntax) , the way you speak is the way you write. Any translator can make a precise , coherent and accurate transaltion if he/she does not have a very high knowledge in grammar. For last , grammar is the art of writing well , so it is required that translators must take coruses in grammar.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Greene, J. (1980). Psicolingüística: Chomsky y la psicología. México: Trillas

Hernán, L. (1984). Introducción en la gramática del español contemporáneo. Lima: Ediciones Sagsa.

Ide, A. (2013). Translation, Interpretation and the Misuse of words to start wars and create hate. Retrieved from http://www.arthuride.com/translation-interpretation-and-th…/ Accessed 6 November 2013.

Khodabandeh, F. (2007). Analysis of students' errors: the case of headlines. The Asian ESP journal, 3(1). Retrieved from http://asian-esp-journal.com/April_2007_fk.php Accessed 6 November 2013.

Loffredo, C. (2012). Mastering Grammar: The Sum of All Those Errors: Syntax, Usage, and Mechanics. Bloomington: Author house.

Valin, R. (2004). An introduction to syntax. United Kingdom, UK: The press syndicate of the University of Cambridge.