Chapter Fourteen
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the world’, but the first conventional meaning is lost in Polish translation
and only the second one is preserved).
Also novel metaphorical expressions may be preserved in translation,
consider for example the following cases: The bite that heals – Jad, który
leczy (bite does not usually heal), New old Libya – Nowa stara Libia
(something or a country is usually either old or new, but not old and new
at the same time), Roof of the world – Korytarz dachu Ğwiata (in Polish the
word korytarz ‘corridor’ is added, which makes the metaphorical expression
more complex, resulting in a metaphorical cluster or a complex metaphor),
The new oil landscape – Ameryka na áupkowych szczelinach, Mahogany’s
last stand – Mahoniowe ostatki, Our fertilized world – Nasz Ğwiat
przenawoĪony, China’s Ancient lifeline – Kanaá wielki jak mur (in Polish
there is a simile since the Chinese canal is compared to a wall), Maxed out
on Everest – Táok na EvereĞcie (here the meaning of the metaphors in the
two languages is different since ‘maxed out’ means that someone had done
his or her best and in Polish the idea is that there is a crowd of people on
Mount Everest), Rebirth of Gorongosa – Odrodzenie Gorongosy (there is
personification in both language versions), Kinshasa, urban pulse of the
Congo – Kinszasa, miejskie serce Konga (in both language versions there
is personification and alliteration), Untamed Antarctica Wspinaczkowa
Antarktyda (the meaning of these metaphors is different since
‘wspinaczkowa’ is a neologism in Polish and it means that ‘Antarctica is
or can be climbed’), The visual village – Wizualna wioska, Ghost cats –
Koty widma, Kayapo courage – Kayapo wlacza o swoje (here the
conventional metaphor ‘to fight for one’s possession’, ‘walczyü o swoje’
has been used), Yukon Canada’s Wild West – Jukon Dziki Zachód Kanady
(where ‘Wild West’ is used metaphorically since it usually refers to the
western part of the US), Karma of the crowd – Siáa táumu (in Polish the
noun ‘siáa’ – ‘strength’ is used which makes the headline less
metaphorical), Star-eater – Porzeracz gwiazd, The ship-breakers – Morscy
záomiarze, Dogs of war – Psy wojny, Puffin therapy – Maskonur
terapeuta, The wells of memory – Studnie pamiĊci, The hidden world of
the Great War – Ukryty Ğwiat Wielkiej Wojny, The evolution of diet –
Ewolucja diety (there is personification here), The nuclear tourist –
Turysta atomowy, Mindsuckers – Porzeracze umysáów and Carnivore’s
dilemma - Dylemat miĊsoĪercy (this is also personification).
Some novel metaphors in English are not preserved in translation, but
they are paraphrased by everyday expressions, for example: The price of
precious – Cena tego co cenne, Virtually immortal – Praktycznie
nieĞmiertelnie (in addition, the English word play is lost in translation
since ‘virtually’ may refer to virtual reality or it may mean ‘actually’ and