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29JEZYKOZNAWSTWO I LITERATUROZNAWSTWO| OMQAOrMMECKME HAYKM
INDIRECT TRANSLATION: THE CASE OF UKRAINIAN LITERATURE
Pliushch B.
PhD student,
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
ABSTRACT
The article is focused on indirect translation as a common phenomenon within the framework of translation of Ukrainian literary prose into other European languages. Analysis of causes and consequences of mediation in translation is offered in the article. Key words: translation, indirect translation, mediating language, translation into a non-native language (L2 translation).
Translation lets us look back while we move ahead. In reverie and raillery.
Marilyn Gaddis Rose
Introduction. Translation has always been known as a way of spreading knowledge about other countries, cultures and worldviews. Thus translation of Ukrainian literature into other European languages can be considered as a tool for shaping Ukraine's image on the international arena. However, the position of the Ukrainian language on the linguistic map of the world represents quite an obstacle to promotion of its cultural products - literary works etc. It is one of the so-called "small" [1, 53] or peripheral languages, among which are Catalan, Chinese, Dutch, Scandinavian languages etc. [6, 141]. Given that the history of translation from Ukrainian is complicated and remains a rare "event" in translation world. A.Lefevere states that "the text of translation has often been called a culture's window on the world" [3, 11] but if we consider a Ukrainian text in translation very often that "window" was covered or even shattered by indirect translation, that is by translation through the mediating language.
Problem statement. This article focuses on the fact that much translation of the Ukrainian literature was (is) not made directly from the source language of the original, but may have passed intermediary third language. This paper aims to analyze the reasons behind the "everlasting" phenomenon of the indirect translation and to investigate possible problems, deficiencies and/ or gains of mediation in terms of rendering the author's style.
Publications analyses. There is little research on indirect translation and thus only a small amount of information about it. Moreover it's very hard to detect a complete textual base (the source text, the mediating translation, the target text etc.) since the participants of the entire process of indirect translation (publishers, translators etc.) tend to conceal its "indirect" nature. J. Spirk in his research on the reception of Czech literature in 20th century Portugal claims that "one of the reasons why indirect translations are not a favourite academic topic consists precisely in the difficulty of establishing the appropriate body of texts" [8, 141]. Analyzing the future research revenues and the contemporary state of indirect translation H. Pieta and A. Rosa state that it "remains one of the most understudied
phenomena in translation studies today" [4] despite the fact that it takes precedence quite often, especially in the case of (semi) peripheral languages. M.Ringmar states: "Indirect translation may be used as a means to control the contents of the target text, e.g. for political or religious reasons. This aspect is likely to have played a role in the frequent use of Russian as a ML in the former Soviet Union" [7, 7]. Russian indeed is the most common mediating language in indirect translations of Ukrainian literature, although there are some examples of English texts that played the role of the source texts for translations of works by Ukrainian authors into other European languages (German, Italian etc.) but those rare examples have never been analyzed before.
Unsolved aspects of the problem. The potential of the research on indirect translation is highly underestimated in terms of its meaning for the dynamics of different phenomena in translation per se and translation studies in general. The translation of Ukrainian literature together with the aspect of its indirect translations is scarcely studied, especially on the international academic arena. Thus this paper aims to analyze the reasons behind the "everlasting" phenomenon of the indirect translation and to investigate possible problems, deficiencies and/ or gains of mediation in terms of rendering the writer's idiostyle. A narrative "Boa Constrictor" (1878) by Ivan Franko and a novel "Tyhrolovy" (1944) by Ivan Bahriany along with their direct and indirect translations served as a data material for study. The works by Ivan Franko (1856-1916) and Ivan Bahriany (1907-1963) represent the Ukrainian prose style at its height and that gave us an impetus to examine the quality of their "presentation" in other languages and thereupon cultures.
In terms of literary translation the style of a writer plays an important role since its preservation is indispensable for a highly valued translation. All too often claims that "the original text has lost many of its qualities in translation" can be attributed to the translator's failure to "recognize" and to "recreate" the style of a writer. Therefore, it is almost impossible to overestimate the function of a translator in the process of translating a work of fiction. However, both the author's idiostyle and the function of the translator gain forced perspective in terms of indirect translation (the translation through the mediating
language). It has been (and still is) common practice in the commercial market, particularly in the case of minority languages considered "exotic target languages" [2, 1], among which Ukrainian, unfortunately, is still reckoned in Europe and the USA. The topicality of this research can by regarded as very high, taking into consideration the small number of research papers concerning the phenomenon of indirect translation in general and the complete absence of scholarly research dealing with the indirect translation of the Ukrainian prose into English (mainly through Russian as the mediating language) as well as into other European languages (predominantly via English). The conducted comparative analysis of the narrative "Boa Constrictor" by Ivan Franko and the novel "Tyhrolovy" by Ivan Bahriany and of their direct (respectively - Russian and English) and indirect (respectively - English and German) translations also contributes to the novelty of this research paper (heretofore, they have never been considered by any translation scholar from this particular vantage point).
All the main tasks of the research (such as the detection of the possible causes for indirect translation in general and of the Ukrainian literature in particular; the singling out of all the characteristic features of Ivan Bahriany's and Ivan Franko's styles; the analysis of the original and the translated texts, aimed to detect the direct and indirect translations' adequacy in terms of rendering the main features of the author's idiostyle; defining the role of the direct translation, which serves as the source text for the indirect translation as well as the character of correlation between them; search for possible alternatives to indirect translation) were fulfilled. This was accomplished with the help of such survey methods as contextual analysis, comparative analysis of the original text and its direct and indirect translations, descriptive method for the description of translation difficulties and the ways of their negotiation, hypothetic analysis for reasoning the possible factors of indirect translation and search for solutions to the problem of interpretation in the process of direct and indirect translation.
As a result of comparative analyses of the mentioned texts, we've been able to outline such main causes of such a longstanding practice of indirect translation as: the "rarity" of the source language; the hostility of some European literature markets (mainly English and German) to the direct translation of foreign literature; internal policy of some publishing houses and states (ideological motives for taking a stand against the direct translation, using relay-language as the language of censorship etc.); unacceptability of L 2 translation (translation into non-native language) as a viable alternative to the indirect translation.
Despite common perceptions that the quality of the indirect translation is based on the quality of the mediating translation, it by no means always depends entirely on its source. This entails both negative and positive (!) correlation between indirect translation and the problem of rendering the writer's idiostyle. For instance, in the indirect German translation of the novel "Tyhrolovy" by Ivan Bahriany the main feature of the writer's style - the author's metaphor - is lost despite its accurate rendering in the direct English translation (mediating translation). For example:
1. Жахливий крик молодоста, що и вхопила зубами смерть [9, 50].
1.1. It was the desperate cry of youth seized by the fangs of death [10, 62].
1.2. Das war der Schrei eines jungen Menschen in den Fängen des Todes [11, 54].
The image of the metaphor is changed as a result of translator's associations implication and standartization of language (in English). Thus жахливий крик молодосп [a horrifying cry of youth] is rendered as desperate cry of youth, which is reminiscent of a commonly used expression - a desperate cry for help. However, the original image of the metaphor wasn't completely standardized in translation into English because otherwise молодеть, яку вхопила зубами смерть would be rendered not as youth seized by the fangs of death, which differs a little from the image of the original metaphor, being at the same time not as common as would be youth in the jaws of death (using the idiom in the jaws of death). Thus the translator into English sticks to the common for the target culture association of death with something animalistic and savage (using fangs instead of jaws) meanwhile creating a fresh image of metaphor. Indirect German translation of the metaphor confirms its mediated nature (in den Fängen des Todes is a literal translation of the fangs of death) as well as proves its tendency to demetaphorization (жахливий крик молодосп [a horrifying cry of youth] turns into der Schrei eines jungen Menschen [a cry of a young man]).
Allusions and realia (as the main constituents of the style, which create irony and humorous effect) on the contrary suffered much more losses in the direct English translation than in the indirect German interpretation. For example, indirect German translation is more accurate in rendering such Soviet realia as ударники - Stachanowarbeiter, партробини-ки - Parteimann, колгоспш колективiзатори - KolchosenOrganisator etc. Mostly it is caused by the impact of factors of place and time as well as by far more scrupulous attitude of the Austrian publishing house to the novel's publication, which can be considered more "reader-friendly" due to its additional materials and artworks.
The ethical and psychological factors are among the main contributors to the potential "inferiority" of any indirect translation (apart from causal relationship between the losses of the direct translation and their multiplication in the indirect translation). A translator, who performs an indirect translation is consciously or subconsciously bound to take more liberties with the source text (mediating translation) of his/ her translation than he/she would take with the original text. This assertion can be justified by consideration of rendering such main features of Ivan Franko's idiostyle as repetitions, alliteration and rich imagery (similes, epithets etc.) in the direct Russian and indirect English translations. Alliteration was poorly rendered in Russian translation and thus almost lost in the indirect English translation, however, there is no objective explanation (except the ethical factor) for the loss of the author's original imagery in the indirect translation (as a result of the descriptive translation) owing to the fact that it was almost perfectly preserved in the direct translation. For example:
2. Само собою розумieться, що таке життя йому швидко збридло i що вш ждав весни, як спасення душi [12, 395].
2.1. Само собой разумеется, такая жизнь ему опротиве-
ла, и он ждал весны, как спасения души [13, 33].
2.2. It stands to reason that he soon got tired of this kind of life and awaited with eagerness the coming of spring [14, 19].
Here the simile is calqued in translation into Russian (bíh ждав весни, як спасення душi - он ждал весны, как спасения души). The reason for such a close and adequate rendering of the poetics of the Ukrainian author in Russian translation is not only the factor of direct translations but also the conceptual similarity of linguistic worldviews (Ukrainian and Russian). As, for instance, in the Arab world the spring and the sun are considered to be a negative concepts due to the difficulties of surviving in the desert. In Ukrainian and Russian traditions the spring time on the contrary has always been associated with the new beginning, with the blossoming of flowers and life. In the indirect English translation this simile is lost through descriptive translation - he awaited with eagerness the coming of spring. Such a loss in translation has no clear justification because the main concept of the original simile is the "saving of the soul" which is an allusion to the Christian aim of the Salvation of the Soul, that was a controversial topic during the Renaissance (the treatise by F. Pucci about the salvation, 1594). Thus it would be acceptable to render the original image of the simile through the calque in the indirect translation (he awaited the coming of spring, as the saving of his soul) because the concept of eagerness, which was used in the descriptive translation, doesn't render the topic of "salvation" and hope that can give power to live. Moreover, eagerness encompasses some pleasant emotions but the main character is desperate in the source text. So the loss of the original image of the simile changes not only the aesthetics of the original work but its emotional context as well.
Thus literary works by Ukrainian authors were very often translated into other languages through the intermediary language - Russian (the narrative "Boa Constrictor" by Ivan Franko). However, in view of legal standards and other factors, the cases of indirect translations were usually concealed. Thus the real number of the indirect translations of the Ukrainian prose remains to be seen. Another intermediary language, used for the translation of the Ukrainian literature, was (and still is) English (the novel "Tyhrolovy" by Ivan Bahriany). The concealment of indirect translation is connected to the legal aspect of translation (UNESCO Recommendation on the Legal Protection of Translators and Translations and the Practical Means to improve the Status of Translators [5]) and the ideological motives. Therefore, we consider undertaking a number of studies aimed at detection of the indirect translations (for their improvement or elimination/ retranslation) to be of utmost importance.
Negative correlation between indirect translation and the problem of rendering the author's idiostyle prevails. In comparison to direct translation, mediated (indirect) translation is more prone to distort the author's idiostyle and the individual outlook as well as the literary work's aura. The indirect translation multiplies the deviations of the first (direct) translation far more often than compensates them.
Conclusion. The given paper emphasizes and defines the difficulties of the literary translation in terms of indirect translation, singles out the role, the causes and the implications of this phenomenon in context of intercultural relations
between Ukraine and other countries. And bringing to a focus the issue of indirect translation as a common practice to translate the Ukrainian literature is of utmost significance. For it can galvanize attention of those not indifferent (and proactive) to the development dynamics of the intercultural relations between Ukraine and other countries as well as offer them a clue to the enhancement of that dynamics (by detecting and improving the already existing indirect translations of the Ukrainian literature, preventing indirect translation of the Ukrainian literature etc.). Highlighting the phenomenon of indirect translation can also be of service to the Ukrainian translators, inducing them to popularize the masterpieces of the Ukrainian literature by contributing to its "correct" representation (in direct translations only!) in the foreign literary markets.
References
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3. Lefevere A. Translating literature: practice and theory in a comparative literature context / Andre Lefevere. - New York: The Modern Language Association of America, - 1994.- 162p.
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5. Recommendation on the Legal Protection of Translators and Translations and the Practical Means to improve the Status of Translators - Mode of access: http: // portal.unesco.org/ en/ev.phpURL_ID=13089&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_ SECTI0N=201.html;
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13. Франко И. Удав. (Boa Constrictor). Повесть. [Пер. А. 14. Franko I. Boa Constrictor and other stories.(Translated Дейча. Послесл. Г.Недилько]. - Симферополь: Крымиздат, from the Russian by Fainna Solasko). - Moscow: Foreign - 1956. - 87 с.; languages publishing house, - 1957. - 294 p.
К ВОПРОСУ О ЛИНГВИСТИЧЕСКОМ СТАТУСЕ КАТЕГОРИИ ПРЕДЕЛЬНОСТИ/ НЕПРЕДЕЛЬНОСТИ В СОВРЕМЕННОМ ФРАНЦУЗСКОМ ЯЗЫКЕ
Аврамов Георгий Георгиевич
кандидат филологических наук, доцент кафедры романской филологии
Южный федеральный университет, Россия
ISSUES QF THE LINGUISTIC STATUS QF THE CATEGORY QF (BQUNDEDNESS/UNBQUNDEDNESS) IN MODERN FRENCH LANGUAGE
Avramov G. G. PhD (Philology), Senior Lecturer of Roman Philology, Southern Federal University, Russia
АННОТАЦИЯ
В статье категория предельности/непредельности рассматривается как ядерный компонент аспектуальной семантики предложения.
ABSTRACT
The article treats the category of boundedness/unboundedness as the core component of aspectual semantics of a sentence in modern French language.
Ключевые слова: Функционально-семантическая категория аспектуальности, предельность/непредельность, видовая семантика
Key words: Functional-semantic category of aspect, boundedness/ unboundedness, aspectual semantics
В последнее время аспектология получила столь бурное развитие, что о ней можно говорить уже как об особой отрасли языкознания со своими специфическими принципами, методами и задачами. Можно говорить о том, что аспектология уже выработала свою аксиоматику, т.е. ряд основополагающих принципов, служащих отправной точкой при изучении категории вида и смежных или сходных с видом явлений в различных языках. Так, признается, что « ФСК аспектуальности является универсальной, несмотря на то, что не все языки имеют грамматически оформленную категорию вида. Однако в содержательной стороне всех языков «некоторая зона смыслов», каким-либо способом выраженная и соответствующая тому, что в славянских языках выражается с помощью видовых форм и способов действия [1, 79].
Судя по тому, что в языке, действительно, «наряду с необходимостью с необходимостью отражать временные границы действия существует необходимость передачи пространственно-временной характеристики действия и состояния [2, 15], категория вида справедливо относятся к числу понятийных категорий, «данных в сознании я являющихся результатом опыта» [3, 13]. В аспектологии соотношение между ФСК аспектуальности как категорией высказывания и видом как категорией грамматической интерпретируется следующим образом: они соотносительны в плане содержания (так как обе выражают видовую семантику), но резко противопоставляются в плане выражения: вид выражает эту семантику посредством парадигматически противопоставленных форм одного глагола, аспектуальность же объединяет все средства выражения видовой семантики -лексические, морфологические, синтаксические (в том числе и средства выражения вида как грамматической категории - в "видовых" языках»). Таким образом, в современном языкознании видовая семантика
рассматривается как универсальная понятийно-языковая категория, присутствующая в любом языке и имеющая своя лексические, грамматические и семантические средства выражения, по-разному комбинирующиеся в различных языках.
Существует, по крайней мере, две точка зрения на семантику вида. Одна из них восходят к акад. В.В.Виноградову, который считал основным значением вида значение наличия/отсутствия внутреннего предела действия [4, 497]. Эта точка зрения принята сейчас большинством отечественных лингвистов. Согласно второй точке зрения [5; 6], семантика вида состоит в наличии/отсутствии признака неделимой целостности действия.
В данной работе принимается трактовка семантики вида, выдвинутая Ю.С.Степановым: «Вид есть грамматическая категория, семантика которой состоит в полагании или снятии понятия внутреннего предела действия, т.е. семантика вида свободно оппозитивна; форма вида в соответствии с семантикой также всегда свободно оппозитив-на: она заключается в противопоставлении, по крайней мере, двух выражений для одного объективного действия" [7, 413].
Такое определение семантики вида позволяет говорить о ней как о семантике сигнификативной, ориентированной не на обозначение предмета действительности (денотата), а на обозначение понятия (сигнификата). Другими словами, вид не предполагает появление предела или его исчезновение в объективной действительности, в обозначаемом процессе, в денотате.
Постулируя свободно-оппозитивный и сигнификативный характер семантики вида как грамматической категории, мы опираемся на положение, выдвинутое многими славистами еще в начале XX в. (Э.Герман, Г.Якобзон, Э.Кошмидер и др. [8]) и развиваемое в последнее время
