Strategies of rendering English scientific and technical terminology into the Ukrainian language

Abstract

Today we can observe significant transformations in all spheres of modern society, especially in the field of science and technology. Accordingly, there is a growing need for a high-quality translation of scientific and technical literature and an efficient exchange of professional information in order to ensure the maximum level of translation accuracy and adherence to professional ethics standards, which is directly related to the adequate use of professional  terms.  Translation of terminology is one of the most complex issues in linguistics and translation science, therefore, the problem of translation of the terminology used in the field of science and technology is gaining more and more importance nowadays, as terms form a special layer of vocabulary that is rapidly evolving, and therefore require close attention on the interpreter's side. At the present stage of the development of translation studies, issues of translation of English terminological units has become of particular importance, since English is the language of international communication, business, science and technology.

This article aims to determine the specifics of scientific and technical translation at the present stage and outline the most useful strategies for the translation of English scientific and technical terminology into the Ukrainian language.  As to the basic methods of research, we use comparative and descriptive methods that have found practical application in the theory and practice of translation when comparing systems of different languages. 

The term is defined as a word or group of words having a particular meaning, especially in a specific field. Considering the status of the term in the language system, scholars emphasize that, above all, the latter belongs to the general class of lexical units. Even then, a specific characteristic is added to it, which contrasts with the general one. The founder of the terminological school D. Lotte believes that the terms as lexemes, denoting a fixed concept, they are short, devoid of polysemy, synonymy, homonymy.  However, not all terms are short and unambiguous;  some also have synonyms.  Thus, the ambiguity of the term can create inaccuracy in the system. The most significant features of the term are its correlation with the notion of a certain field of knowledge and the obligatory system relations with other similar units of the terminology system, when both unambiguousness and independence from the context are considered as secondary features of the term.

Among the main difficulties in translating English terms into Ukrainian is the discrepancy in terminology, as well as the discrepancy in the lexical-grammatical, morphological and phonetic structure of these languages. The translation of scientific and technical terminology is associated with many difficulties and requires the use of appropriate translation strategies.  The most common strategies for translating terms are transcription and transliteration, loan translation and descriptive translation. These methods of translation provide maximum logic, accuracy, conciseness and objectivity that constitute the universal style features of the scientific and technical field.