This paper analyzes differences and similarities in the usage of passive constructions in German and English and its usage in Novels and their translations
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
2.0 The Science of Linguistics-A general overview
2.1 What is Contrastive Linguistics?
2.2 The Science of Translations
3.0 The English Passive
3.1 Status of the English passive in linguistic theory
3.2 Comparison of English and German passive constructions
4.0 The Use of the Passive in English translations
4.1 The frequency of the passive in comparison
5.0 Conclusion
Research Objective and Core Themes
This paper examines the grammatical phenomenon of the passive voice by comparing its usage and theoretical status in English and German, specifically within the context of literary translation. The research seeks to determine whether significant differences in passive frequency exist between the two languages and how these findings correlate with translation practices in novels.
- Theoretical foundations of contrastive linguistics and translation studies.
- Syntactic and functional analysis of passive constructions in English and German.
- Empirical frequency analysis of passive forms in original literary works versus their translations.
- The impact of narrative technique and genre on the deployment of passive voice.
- The role of cultural context and communicative function in cross-linguistic equivalence.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Comparison of English and German passive constructions
Linguists distinguish between three basic levels on which the passive can be analyzed: syntactic, semantic and functional. Due to the fact that all three levels are closely connected they will be superficially analyzed together.
In German there is a distinction between Vorgangs- und Zustandspassiv. The Zustandspassiv (statal passive) is basically the result of preceding action that can be described in a Vorgangspassiv (processual passive) (Oldenburg, 72). An example would be:
1. Das Fenster wurde von Lena geoeffnet (Vorgangspassiv)
2. Das Fenster war geöffnet (Zustandspassiv)
Summary of Chapters
1.0 Introduction: This chapter outlines the shift towards communicative-based linguistic studies and identifies the passive voice as a key area of study for contrastive analysis between English and German.
2.0 The Science of Linguistics-A general overview: This section provides a historical and theoretical framework for contrastive linguistics and translation studies, detailing how the discipline moved from simple error analysis to modern communicative models.
3.0 The English Passive: This chapter investigates the syntactic and functional status of the passive voice in linguistic theory and provides a detailed comparison between English and German constructions, including intransitive and ditransitive variations.
4.0 The Use of the Passive in English translations: This part applies the theoretical findings to an empirical analysis of novels, examining how passive structures are handled during the translation process between English and German.
5.0 Conclusion: The concluding chapter summarizes the main findings, noting that while similarities and differences are equally distributed, further research is required to draw definitive empirical conclusions regarding usage frequencies.
Keywords
Contrastive Linguistics, Translation Studies, Passive Voice, English Grammar, German Grammar, Syntactic Analysis, Functional Grammar, Literary Translation, Processual Passive, Statal Passive, Information Structure, Equivalence, Linguistic Corpora, Cross-Linguistic Comparison, Narrative Technique
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this linguistic research?
The paper focuses on the grammatical phenomenon of the passive voice and its comparative usage between the English and German languages within the context of literary translation.
What are the central thematic areas discussed?
The core themes include linguistic theory regarding passive constructions, the historical development of contrastive linguistics, the science of translation, and empirical comparisons of sentence structures in novels.
What is the main research question or objective?
The objective is to investigate the similarities and differences in how the passive voice is constructed and utilized in English and German, and to determine if there is a verifiable difference in frequency during translation.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a contrastive analysis method, incorporating syntactic, semantic, and functional examination, alongside a summary of empirical data from existing corpus-based linguistic studies.
What is the significance of focusing on novels?
Novels are selected because they represent a significant portion of the global literary market, and unlike scientific texts, their narrative nature allows for a more varied and complex use of grammatical structures like the passive.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Contrastive Linguistics, Translation Studies, Passive Voice, Syntactic Analysis, and Information Structure.
How does the author distinguish between the German passive types?
The author identifies a distinction between the "Vorgangspassiv" (processual passive), which describes an action, and the "Zustandspassiv" (statal passive), which describes the result of a preceding action.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the frequency of the passive?
The author concludes that there is no sufficient evidence to prove that one language consistently uses the passive voice more frequently than the other, as translation influences and narrative styles significantly impact the data.
- Quote paper
- Sascha Ranke (Author), 2011, The English and German Passive and its Use in the Translation of Novels, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/208736
