THE DIFFICULTY OF TRANSLATION OF SET PHRASES AND IDIOMS IN ENGLISH

Abstract

In this article we will discuss the difficulty of translation of set phrases and idioms in English and useful aspects of using them in oral speech. Generally speaking, the more difficult an expression is to understand and the less sense it makes in a given context, the more likely a translator will recognize it as an idiom.

Because they do not make sense if interpreted literally, the highlighted expressions in the following text are easy to recognize as idioms assuming one is not already familiar with them. Provided a translator has access to good reference works and monolingual dictionaries of idioms, or, better still, is able to consult native speakers of the language, opaque idioms which do not make sense for one reason or another can actually be a blessing in disguise.

Keywords

misinterpreted, confusion, monolingual dictionaries of idioms,, culture-specific,