The Use of Decompression and Compression in Translation from English into Ukrainian

In the context of globalization and the intensification of intercultural communication, professional translation requires not only an equivalent rendering of content but also the preservation of stylistic and emotional authenticity. A key challenge for the translator is overcoming the structural and lexical differences between English (analytic) and Ukrainian (synthetic) languages. One of the most effective tools for addressing this issue is the use of compression and decompression techniques. Despite the long history of studying linguistic economy, the question of the practical application of these methods within the modern translation paradigm remains under-researched and requires a comprehensive analysis.

The aim of this study is to identify and systematize the characteristics of the use of decompression and compression in translation from English into Ukrainian, as well as to analyze the factors that determine the choice of one strategy or another. The work is based on a comprehensive approach that combines linguistic, functional-stylistic, cognitive, and pragmatic analyses. The study draws on the works of renowned domestic and foreign scholars (V. Matezius, A. Schweitzer, K. Reitz, and others).

The article establishes that compression serves as a means of realizing the principle of linguistic economy, allowing the text to be condensed without losing its semantic integrity. It is realized through ellipsis, syntactic reduction, and substitution. Particular attention is paid to English non-verbal forms (infinitive, gerund, participle) as powerful means of compression.

Decompression, on the other hand, is understood as the process of linearly or vertically expanding a linguistic unit to fill gaps in genetically unrelated languages. The author demonstrates that decompression is necessary when translating non-equivalent vocabulary, concise authorial definitions, and morphological constructions (e.g., converted forms or suffixal derivations such as “-ish”). The primary techniques of decompression identified are addition and descriptive translation.

The study confirms that compression and decompression are interdependent phenomena that ensure the harmonious functioning of the linguistic mechanism in translation. The effectiveness of translation directly depends on the translator’s ability to balance these strategies, taking into account cultural characteristics, stylistic register, and the expectations of the target audience.