We have to ensure that… A contrastive corpus-based analysis of English situation manipulators and their Polish translation equivalents

Abstract

This article investigates how selected English formulaic sequences, functioning as situation manipulators (SMs) used for the expression of directive stance and belonging to the category of lexical bundles, are translated into Polish. Using parallel and monolingual reference corpora, the study aims to analyse the Polish equivalents of the specific set of SMs found in European parliamentary debates to verify their regularity of use, native-like character, discourse functions and – in selected cases – also their level of formulaicity in contemporary target-language texts. The results show a high degree of variation in the forms, frequencies and the overall currency of the obtained equivalents in native Polish texts. It was found, however, that the manipulative impact of individual SMs was modified rather than entirely changed in translation. The present study demonstrates that the choice of the specific English-to-Polish translation of multi-word items expressing directive stance is subject to the translator’s own judgment of what is equivalent in the specific context, which does not necessarily correspond to what is typical and regular of target-language use.