TRANSLATION FEATURES OF A.S. PUSHKIN WORKS INTO ENGLISH

ABSTRACT

This article is devoted to the analysis of translations of the novel by A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin". Various approaches to the translations by V.V. Nabokov and J.E. Falen are considered. The peculiarities of the style of the works of each author are revealed. The article can be recommended to foreign students studying Russian classical literature.

Keywords: translation, style features, stanza, rhythm, rhyme, language features, polarity, poetry features, congeniality.

The creativity of A.S. Pushkin always finds a response in the hearts of people. Perhaps this is due to the fact that a real Russian soul is felt in his works. His incredible rhyme mesmerizes and leaves wonderful lines in the minds of the readers.

N.V. Gogol said: "Pushkin is an extraordinary and, perhaps, the only manifestation of the Russian spirit: it is a Russian person in his development, in which he, perhaps, will appear in 200 years."[3, p. 2-5]

The purpose of this work is to identify the features of V.V. Nabokov’s and J.E. Falen’s translations by A.S. Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin" into English. As you know, the works of Alexander Sergeevich are not popular in English-speaking countries, since his works are difficult to translate. This is due to the fact that it is difficult for the translator to convey both the originally intended meaning and the poetic tact and syllable of the original. [6, p. 10-12] The object of this research is the translations by V.V. Nabokov and J.E. Falen of A.S. Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin".

The relevance of this work lies in the fact that it is through the works of A.S. Pushkin, foreigners could completely immerse themselves in the Russian mentality and feel it from the inside. But a poor-quality translation changes the perception of Russia among English-speaking readers of Russian novels, convincing that «all Russian prose writers are unbalanced people, and the heroes of their books are almost maniacs». [1, p. 20-25]

Therefore, there is a need to create a qualitatively new translation, which will combine rhyme and correctly conveyed meaning.

The starting point of "English-speaking Onegiana" is the translation by Henry Spalding, published in 1881. It was after this that numerous attempts to translate this work began. At the moment, there are about 40 translations of the novel "Eugene Onegin" into English, but none of them can claim to be congenial to the Pushkin’s text. Translators found themselves at a crossroad: either to keep the form or the meaning.

Article by O. V. Kopteva “History of the creation of the translation by V. Nabokov's "Eugene Onegin" is devoted to the analysis of the work of V.V. Nabokov. It examines both the motives that prompted him to make the translation, and his own aesthetics as a poet. In this article, much attention is paid to the comments of critics who did not miss the opportunity to speak about this work of V.V. Nabokov: "Wilson was the first to identify Nabokov's literalism with" machine translation "[3, p. 15-17], on which at one time his enthusiasts pinned such immoderate hopes». Such comments were given because everyone expected a verse translation from the famous writer and poet, not an interlinear translation.

In the article by N.V. Bespalova "Features of the translation of a poetic text from Russian into English" examines significant differences between Russian and English, which are an obstacle to a full translation and, therefore, understanding of Russian works.

N.V. Bespalova believes that a translator should convey the peculiarities of one culture by means of poetry in another language, and not just translate lines of poetry [1, p. 20-23].

N.M. Nesterova in her article “A pale list with a living picture: about the English translations of Eugene Onegin” by A.S. Pushkin” insists that there should be a lot of translations of this work. They should complement each other and create a kind of "Pushkin field". The variety of translations is due to the fact that each English-speaking reader has his own taste and idea of what the translation should be [4, p. 16-18].

For this article, the translations of V.V.Nabokov and J.E. Falen were taken. The choice of these particular translations is due to the polarity of the styles of these poets.

V.V. Nabokov was sure that the novel "Eugene Onegin" by A.S. Pushkin cannot be translated into English without preserving its rhyme and meter. So he did it literally.

This translation, together with the author's comments, was released in 1964 and received a lot of criticism. First, the indignation was caused by the fact that Nabokov wanted to fully convey the context of the work, but at the same time he absolutely did not "revive" the characters. Secondly, trying to convey the exact meaning of the lines, he did not even try to correctly structure the sentences. Often he used rare and unfamiliar words that did not fit the meaning.

In 1990, a translation by J.E. Falen was published, which, in P. Palazhchenko's opinion, is a true masterpiee, an ideal version of the English "Eugene Onegin": "When I first read it, I sometimes thought that if Pushkin wrote in English, then his Onegin would sound like that. " [1, p. 20-21]

Many experts consider this translation as one of the best, because Falen managed to preserve various details of Russian life, to convey Pushkin's irony, and to reproduce the general tone of lyrical digressions. J.E. Falen tried to convey not only the meaning but also the rhythmic organization, while preserving the iambics of A.S. Pushkin [7, p. 16-20].

From all of the above, it follows that poets pursued different goals when writing translations, respectively, their works differ from each other.

For the analysis and comparison of translations, three excerpts from the novel "Eugene Onegin" were used. [8, 9]

Translated by J.E. Falen, the first lines of the novel read as follows [9, p. 1]:

My uncle, man of firm convictions…

By falling gravely ill, he's won

A due respect for his afflictions-

The only clever thing he's done.

The same lines, translated by V.V.Nabokov, are presented as follows [8, p. 1]:

My uncle has most honest principles:

when he was taken gravely ill,

he forced one to respect him

and nothing better could invent.

On the example of these excerpts, the difference in the approaches of both poets to their translations is obvious. V.V. Nabokov simply technically translates each word, without trying to preserve the original rhyme [2, p. 14-15]. J.E. Falen, in turn, pays great attention to both the context of the work and the rhythmic structure.

These differences in the work of poets lead to the fact that the work of Falen easily perceived by the reader, in contrast to the translation of Nabokov.

The following excerpt is taken from Tatyana's letter to Onegin.

Let us turn to the translation of V.V. Nabokov [8, p. 6]:

I write to you — what would one more?

What else is there that I could say?

'Tis now, I know, within your will

to punish me with scorn.

But you, preserving for my hapless lot

at least one drop of pity,

you'll not abandon me.

It would seem that this part of the work in the original is very lyrical, touching, it conveys feelings of excitement and shame. It is very important to feel the feelings of the main character, because the emotional state is an integral part of the hero's image. But in the translation of V.V. Nabokov sensual portrait of the heroine is not traced. The reader does not perceive the full picture of the unfolding tragedy, does not sympathize with Tatiana.

J.E. Falen translated the same passage in a completely different way [9, p. 7]:

I'm writing you this declaration-

What more can I in candour say?

It may be now your inclination

To scorn me and to turn away;

But if my hapless situation

Evokes some pity for my woe,

You won't abandon me, I know.

It is in this version of the translation that one can feel the trembling of Tatyana's soul, her ardor, tender love for Onegin. The reader finds himself in the center of the unfolding drama and empathizes with the characters. Most importantly, he does not remain indifferent. This is the absolute advantage of this translation.

The last passage taken for analysis also refers to Tatiana. V.V. Nabokov translated it as follows [8, p. 8]:

I married. You must,

I pray you, leave me;

I know: in your heart are

both pride and genuine honor.

I love you (why dissimulate?);

but to another I belong:

to him I shall be faithful all my life.

Tatiana's speech in the original sounds smoothly, like a tragic song. The reader realizes the loyalty and morality of the main character. He feels her pain, which is caused by the impossibility of the other choice.

But this translation does not trace the depth of all the feelings caused by the forced separation. A text devoid of color does not evoke a response in the hearts of the readers [5, p. 17].

The same passage, translated by J.E. Falen, reads as follows [9, p. 9]:

I married… Now I beg you, go!

I've faith in you and do not tremble;

I know that in your heart reside

Both honour and a manly pride.

I love you (why should I dissemble?);

But I am now another's wife,

And I'll be faithful all my life.

It is here that the intonation, mood and tragedy of the moment are quite clearly captured. The reader lives with the heroes of their difficult break. The sensuality of this scene does not leave him indifferent.

This is the distinctive feature of J.E. Falen's translation.

Undoubtedly, the works of A.S. Pushkin are difficult to translate. It is impossible to recreate the same masterpieces in a foreign language. Any translation includes a whole chain of deviations from the original, since each language has its own characteristics.

The considered translations certainly have their advantages and disadvantages. It is difficult to predict which one will attract the attention of an English-speaking reader.

Based on the analysis presented, it should be concluded that the translation of J.E. Falen is the closest to the original language. It is in it that the same structure, stanza and general mood of the work are traced.

References:

1. Bespalova NV Features of translation of a poetic text from Russian into English // Translation in a changing world: Materials of the International scientific-practical conference. - M .: Publishing Center "Azbukovnik", 2015.
2. Klushina Yulia Igorevna Factors of lacunarity in English translations of "Eugene Onegin" by AS Pushkin // Bulletin of PSTGU. Series 3: Philology. 2011. No. 26.
3. Kopteva Olga Vladimirovna The history of the creation of the translation of VV Nabokov "Eugene Onegin" // Vestnik ChGU. 2009. No. 1.
4. Nesterova N.M. "A pale list from a living picture": about the English translations of "Eugene Onegin" by A. S. Pushkin // Bulletin of the Perm Federal Research Center. 2014. No. 4.
5. Tsvetkova M.V. ENGLISHNESS concept: basic constants // The problem of national identity in the culture and education of Russia and the West. - Voronezh: Ed. Voronezh. Univ., 2000 .-- T. 2.
6. Chukovsky K.I. Collected works in 15 volumes. Vol. 3: - High art. - M .: Terra - Book club, 2001 .-- 688 p.
7. Schweitzer A.D. Semantic-stylistic and pragmatic aspects of translation // Foreign languages at school. - 1971. - No. 3.
8. Eugene Onegin. A Novel in Verse by Aleksandr Pushkin. [Electronic resource]-Access mode: http://nabokov-lit.ru/nabokov/stihi/eugene-onegin/index.htm (date of access: 11.04.21)
9. Oxford world's classics. Alexander Pushkin Eugene Onegin A Novel in Verse Translated with an Introduction and Notes by James E. Falen. [Electronic resource]-Access mode: https://www.rulit.me/books/eugene-onegin-read-250144-1.html (date of access: 13.04.21)