On translating lexical units lexical units in the social sphere (family manuals)

Abstract

The article provides a comparative analysis of some lexical units used in the social service. The focus is on the vocabulary of family support (both terms and common lexical units). The social sphere in some countries is connected with the legal system, includes many services, various structures, as well as all kinds of measures and offers. For this reason, when translating specialized texts, it is not only important to know how to translate (translation technique), but also to be aware of extra-linguistic factors, because the translation is not only a language transfer, but also the translation of realities, necessary information, and terminology. The article emphasizes the importance of intercultural aspects when analysing vocabulary through the comparison of social law systems of three German-speaking countries - Germany, Austria, and Switzerland -with those of the Slavic world (Slovakia, Russia, Czech Republic). The research reveals significant differences in the terminology of the countries with German as their official language, especially between Germany and Switzerland, and a high degree of similarity between Slovak and Czech terminology.