ERGATIVE VERBS IN TRANSLATION: CHALLENGES AND APPROACHES

This article investigates the challenges posed by ergative verbs in translation between English and other languages. Ergativity, which manifests in verbs alternating between transitive and intransitive constructions, presents unique difficulties for translators due to differences in syntactic alignment, valency, and semantic roles across languages. The study analyzes translation strategies for ergative verbs, including literal translation, paraphrase, and syntactic adjustment. Examples from literary and technical texts illustrate how incorrect handling of ergativity can lead to semantic distortion or loss of information. The paper draws on the works of Levin and Rappaport Hovav, Comrie, Dixon, and Crystal to propose integrative approaches for translating ergative verbs effectively. Results indicate that awareness of lexical semantics, argument structure, and constructional patterns is essential for maintaining accuracy and stylistic fidelity in translation.