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Identity styling through code-mixing in journalistic discourse 183
[7] Nixon, który zdobył sobie niezbyt chlubny przydomek – Tricky Dicky – … coś w rodzaju
Rysia Kłamczucha (155); 7
[8] Przystojny John był okazem kogoś, o kim w Ameryce mówi się nie tyle playboy, co
womanizer, czyli pies na kobiety (222). 8
As can be seen above, Ostrowski does struggle to provide the reader with
the exact meaning denoted and connoted by the English terms. He often uses
enumerations, circumlocutions, metaphors or explanations (cf. the recurrence of
the word “czyli” [that is]), or his own peculiar ideas for translating them (cf.
“Rysio Kłamczuch” for “Tricky Dicky”). He sometimes signals that the Polish
translations are not as apt as the English phrases using “coś w rodzaju” [something
like], or “tak zwane” [so called]. As there are evident problems in rendering
the meaning, or the meaning is rendered inaccurately, one can only speculate
why the author has chosen to resort to code-mixing here. One interpretation
could be that he has done it precisely for identity-styling effects.
A borderline case of translated code-mixing is when Ostrowski attempts to
elucidate the meaning, usage or etymology of some English phrasemes or acronyms
(2006: 119, 124, 127, 128, 135, 284):
[9] „Oczywiście ...to jest off” … (z angielskiego: „off the record” – nie do publikacji
w przeciwieństwie do „on the record” – można cytować z nazwiskiem) (119); 9
[10] JDAM, czyli joint direct attack munitions, inteligentna amunicja (135), GPS czyli
z kolei general positioning system (135). 10
There is certainly a reason why English acronyms or idiomatic expressions
should be explained in the text, notably for readers not familiar with specific
technologies. However, the side-lined, “off-the-cuff” way of such explanations
may be either insulting to readers’ intelligence or making them even more confused.
7
8
9
10
Nixon, who was nicknamed scornfully Tricky Dicky – … something like Ricky the liar.
Handsome John was someone who in America is no longer called playboy, but womanizer,
which means a women-chasing dog.
“Of course… this is off” … (from English “off the record” – not to be published as opposed
to “on the record” – may be quoted with the speaker’s name).
DAM, which is joint direct attack munitions, intelligent munitions; GPS, in turn, means
general positioning system.