Theory and practice of translation

Original Metonymies and their Translation.
The rendering of metonymy is not always easy because of differences in usage.
So the pink sprigged muslin and the champagne voile ran downstairs in a hurry. (C. Dane).
The metonymies «розовый муслин в цветочках и палевая кисея сбежали по лестнице» are hardly possible in Russian. The following is an acceptable rendering:
Подруги, одна в розовом муслине с цветочками и другая в палевой кисее, быстро сбежали по лестнице.

The addition of a concrete word – подруги – is prompted by the macro context, but the stylistic effect is certainly lost in translation. What is permissible and possible in our language is impossible in another. Still there are cases when the norms of the Russian language permit the use of original metonymies.

There were only four other people in the bar. I knew them all, or knew what they did for a living: timber, flour, textiles, insurance. Timber and Flower were standing at the counter discussing the cost of labour; Textiles at a table on the opposite side of the room was complaining about his garage bills. Insurance was listening patiently. (J.Braine).
В баре было только еще четыре человека. Я знал их всех, вернее знал, чем они занимаются: строевой лес, мука, текстиль, страхование. Строевой лес и Мука стояли у стойки, обсуждая стоимость рабочей силы; Текстиль, сидя у столика в другом конце бара, жаловался на большие счета за гараж. Страхование терпеливо его слушал.


Epithet and its Translation.
Another example of different frequency and different specific weight of a stylistic device is presented by the transferred epithet which is a structural variant of the metaphoric epithet. Its expressive force lies in its peculiar distribution: syntactically it modifies one word whereas logically it refers to another. Thus, syntactically it stands apart from the word to which it is semantically attached. Transferred epithets both trite and original are widely used in English while in Russian they are mainly confined to poetry. Such combinations with transferred epithets as “hasty luncheon”, “quick cigarette”, “accusing finger”, “indifferent shoulder”, etc. have become clichés through their frequent use.
Some models of transferred epithets are more unusual and therefore more expressive but nevertheless are rarely preserved in translation.

…his commanding officer had called him … and sent him on his puzzled way. (M. West).

Командир позвал его … и послал его с поручением, которое совсем озадачило его.

The Russian translation in keeping with the existing norms of valency re-establishes the logical link between the attribute and the modified word but inevitably destroys the stylistic effect.

In the narrow darkness between the doors he drew his pistol. (E.Gardner).

The epithet “narrow” semantically refers to the implied word “interval” (between the doors) which is introduced in the Russian translation.

В узком темном промежутке между дверями он вынул свой пистолет.