Keywords and Ideology in Translated History Texts: A Corpus-based Analysis

ISSN： 1585-1923

Source： Across Languages and Cultures, Vol.5, Iss.1, 2004-04, pp. : 89-106

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Abstract

This article introduces a corpus-based method for studying the realisation of ideology in translated and non-translated texts. The material comprises Russian-Finnish translations and original (non-translated) Finnish texts on Finnish political history. The analysis is based on a computer application of Firth's concept of keywords - “sociologically important words'. The article focuses on analysing one of the translation-specific keywords - the word ystävyys 'friendship'. The use of this word is analysed in word lists, collocations, word clusters, compounds, and actantial structure of the texts. The results show a clear difference between translations and non-translations in the use of the word ystävyys. The differences are manifest in the use of lexical patterns, such as the word ystävyys frequently collocating with the word ja 'and' or productively building word clusters and compounds in translations, but not in non-translations. The analysis of the keyword ystävyys in larger contexts shows that translations realise an actantial structure where the subject-hero consists of co-operating actors, who are aiming at a common goal of friendship. In non-translations, however, the acting subject functions alone, which explains the less frequent use of the word ystävyys. In contexts where this word occurs, it often takes a negative semantic prosody.