Difficulties in Translating Modality Categories in Business Correspondence (based on Polish and Russian materials)
Authors: Martyna Król-Kumor , Irina Rolak 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of the study is to compare those linguistic means expressing modality in Russian and Polish written business texts which may cause difficulties in the translation process due to the close origin of both languages. The object of our study is business letters as a type of business document. According to observations supported by teaching experience, they most effectively enable foreigners learning Russian or Polish to acquire the ability to use various types of modalities. The subject of the study is the identification of linguistic means expressing modality in the original and translated Russian and Polish business texts and typology of these means from the point of view of the sender’s intentions.

Background. The study of modality is a problematic issue for linguists due to the lack of consistency in the theoretical approaches to this phenomenon. Modality has been analyzed, among others, by Bellert (1971), Boguslawski (1971), Jodlowski (1971), Boniecka (1976), Rytel (1982), Holvoet (1989), Koseska-Toszewa (1996), Komendziński (1997, pp. 95–104), Ligara (1997), Korytkowska (1997) and from more recent works we should mention: Tutak (2003, pp. 51–69), Maldžieva (2003), Greszczuk (2006), Malinovsky (2006), Labocha (2019; 2020), Dudek-Waligóra (2017), Heliasz-Nowosielska (2023) and Paducheva (2023). Among the abovementioned studies, there is a lack of solutions for the study of modality in business texts. Broadly speaking, two positions can be distinguished regarding the definition of modality. The first approach treats modality as “expressing the attitude of the statement sender to the transmitted content”, while the second approach sees the essence of modality “in the relationship between the transmitted content and the objective state of affairs” (Labocha 2020, pp. 205–206). In this study, we understand modality as the sender’s expression of the relationship between the content transmitted by them and the objective state of affairs.

Methods. The methodology of the study is constructed of the following components: comparative analysis (V. Zmarzer. J. Wawrzyńczyk), functionalpragmatic analysis (O. Leszczak), observation method (B. Malinowski, M. Weber) and qualitative method, mainly discourse analysis (T. van Dijk, J. Labocha). The research material consists of authentic texts of business correspondence taken from Internet sources and own translations.

Results. The language of business communication, mainly business correspondence, relies on a specific discursive modality, manifested in standard phrases and word combinations. It should be emphasized that the predominant type of modality in this type of communication is the informative, volitional, imperative and obligatory modality. Modality in business letters is verbalized with the help of template constructions, which in the linguistic image of the users’ worldview are associated with official professional discursive activity.

Discussion. Modality as a necessary component of every sentence in business letters is a universal speech category in both Polish and Russian. However, when translating, it is necessary to take into account the discursive peculiarities of each language.