Some observations on the typological constraints on translation: the case of directed motion constructions

This paper addresses the insights that the typological perspective may offer when lexical items of two languages are analysed and compared in their intensional meaning. Over the last two decades, much research has been devoted to the description of how languages encode motion and on the reasons that affect the lexicalization of manner of motion (see, for example, Talmy 1985/2000, Berman & Slobin 1994, Strömqvist & Verhoeven 2004). We will see syntagmatic differences between a satellite-framed language, English, and verb-framed language, Italian, in the encoding of manner of motion. In this respect, the translator’s awareness of the existence of universal conceptual-semantic concepts (e.g. Stassen 1985:14, Croft 1990:11-12) reveals to be a powerful tool in translation praxis.