The Russian Federation Ministry of Education

III. Lexical Transformations and Methods of Creation of Contextual Substitutes.
4.1. Kinds of Lexical Transformations. Work of a translator on a word and a word-combination doesn’t add up to finding of equivalent or variant correspondence only. It involves also the work on lexical reforms or transformations. There are three kinds of lexical transformations:
1) additions;
2) omissions;
3) substitutes.
3.1.1. Additions. Semantic additions are inadmissible in translation. A translator can do semantic additions, i.e. explanations, only out of TT, in his/her notes that are taken outside of a text by footnotes. However, a translator has sometimes to add some words into the text so as not to break the norms of the Russian language.
# Over the chimney-piece was an old copy of Lawrence’s portrait of Kemble as Hamlet. (Ch.1, p.14). – Над камином висела старая копия портрета Кембла в роли Гамлета кисти Лоренса. (С.18). (Лоренс Томас (1769-1830) – английский живописец-портретист – a footnote is at the foot of the page).
# They opened with a failure and this was succeeded by another. (Ch.9, p.77).
Пьеса, которой они открыли тот сезон, потерпела фиаско, то же произошло и со следующей. (С.63).
# She bustled Julia upstairs. (Ch.10, p.84). – Эви выпроводила Джулию из комнаты и погнала ее наверх. (С.69).
3.1.2. Omissions. Sometimes, a translator can do some omissions if it’s necessary in order to avoid breaking of linguistic or stylistic norms of the Russia language. However, every omission must be justified. It’s not allowed to abuse this rule and omit everything that is difficult to translate.
It is typical of the English language using of paired synonyms. One of equivalent synonyms is omitted in translation as well as semantically surplus words. (The treaty was pronounced null and void. – Договор признан недействительным.).
# …if he had been an actor who loved her so much and had loved her so long… (Ch.11, p.97). – Будь он, скажем, актером и люби ее так давно и сильно,… (С.78).
# …and then went into the bathroom to wash her face and eyes. (Ch.11, p.96). - …и пошла в ванную комнату умыться. (С.78).
# She leant back in the chair and turned her head aside. (Ch.11, p.95). – Она откинулась в кресле и отвернулась. (С.77).