Russian Pratchett (Based on Tranlations of the Novel Mosntrous Regiment)

The article examines two Russian translations of Terry Pratchettʼs novel “Monstrous Regiment”. Unlike works that deal with the adequacy of translation, this study proposes the approach to translation from the point of view of reception: the transformations occurring during the translation of the novel from English into Russian and the differences between Russian Pratchett and the original. The comparative analysis focuses on cases of transcoding of intertextual inclusions, which are an integral part of all the works of the British writer. This comparative analysis of the translations shows that everything irrelevant for the host culture leaves the translation: the mocking tone that permeates the entire text of the original and the very concentration of the comic element, which is an expression of the English sense of humour; precedent texts unknown for the host culture. These “losses” lead in translations to the disappearance of the additional dimensions of Pratchettʼs novel, which, like any postmodern text, is simultaneously focused on all layers – from the intellectual to the general reader. At the same time, the translation retains an important aspect for Pratchettʼs prose, associated with parodying traditional characters and hackneyed plots of fantasy literature. It is the aspect, coupled with the non-trivial development of the plot and the constant play with readers’ expectations, that has brought the writer popularity among Russian fans of the fantasy genre.

Keywords

Pratchett, translation, precedent text, intertextuality, Monstrous Regiment

Received

13.12.2021

Publication date

13.12.2021

Number of characters

30137

Cite

GOST
MLA	Tsvetkova, Marina V, Kulkov, Аleksandr N "Russian Pratchett (Based on Tranlations of the Novel “Mosntrous Regiment”)." Izvestiia Rossiiskoi akademii nauk. Seriia literatury i iazyka 80.5 (2021):71-80. DOI: 10.31857/S241377150017129-4
APA	Tsvetkova M., Kulkov А. (2021). Russian Pratchett (Based on Tranlations of the Novel “Mosntrous Regiment”). Izvestiia Rossiiskoi akademii nauk. Seriia literatury i iazyka 80(5), pp.71-80 DOI: 10.31857/S241377150017129-4

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 292

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Stolyarova, I.A. Nekotoryye osobennosti perevoda komicheskogo v literature zhanra f·entezi: na materiale proizvedeniy T. Pratchetta [Some Features of the Translation of the Comic in the Literature of the Fantasy Genre: Based on the Works of T. Pratchett]. Extended Abstract of Candidate’s Thesis. St. Petersburg, 2009. 24 p. (In Russ.)

2. Demurova, N.M. O perevode skazok Lyuisa Kerrolla [On the Translation of Lewis Carrollʼs Fairy Tales]. Carroll L. Alisa v Strane chudes. Alisa v Zazerkalye [Alice in Wonderland. Alice Through the Looking-Glass]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1978. pp. 315–336. (In Russ.)

3. Fox, K. Watching the English. The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour. Hodder, London, 2004. 424 p. (In Engl.)

4. Khoruzhiy, S. “Uliss” v russkom zerkale [“Ulysses” in the Russian Mirror]. Joyce J. Ulis: roman (chast’ III) [Ulysses: Part 3]. Moscow, ZnaK Publ., 1994, pp. 363–605. (In Russ.)

5. Fetisova, T.A. Fentezi – fenomen sovremennoy kul’tury. Obzor [Fantasy is a Phenomenon of Modern Culture. Overview]. Kulturologiya [Culturology]. 2017, No. 2, pp.179–192. (In Russ.)

6. Monchakovskaya, O.S. Fenomen f·entezi i kriterii otsenki zhanra v epokhu postmoderna [The Phenomenon of Fantasy and Criteria for Assessing the Genre in the Postmodern Era]. Problemy istorii, filologii, kultury [Problems of History, Philology, Culture]. 2008, No. 19, pp.342–349. (In Russ.)

7. Moshkovich, V.V. Adekvatnost i ekvivalentnost kak osnovopolagayushchiye kriterii otsenki kachestva perevoda [Adequacy and Equivalence as Fundamental Criteria for Assessing Translation Quality]. PhD Thesis. Chelyabinsk, 2013. 348 p. (In Russ.)

8. Verbitskaya, M.V., Guseva, A.A. Problema perevoda intertekstualnykh elementov: kategorialnyy podkhod [The problem of Translating Intertextual Elements: a Categorical Approach]. Vestn. Mosk. un-ta. Ser. 19. Lingvistika i mezhkulturnaya kommunikatsiya [ The Bulletin of the Moscow University. Series 19. Linguistics and Cross-Cultural Communication]. 2009, No. 2, pp.9–18. (In Russ.)

9. Ignatovich, M.V. Kulturnaya adaptatsiya intertekstualnykh vklyucheniy pri perevode proizvedeniy angliyskoy literatury XX veka (na materiale romanov T. Pratchetta i ikh perevodov na russkiy yazyk) [Cultural Adaptation of Intertextual Inclusions in the Translation of Works of English Literature of the 20th Century (Based on the Novels of T. Pratchett and their Translations into Russian)]. PhD Thesis. Moscow, 2011. 168 p. (In Russ.)

10. Voskresenskaya, E.G. Imena sobstvennyye v proizvedeniyakh T. Pratchetta kak perevodcheskaya problema [Proper Names in the Works of T. Pratchett as a Translation Problem]. Nauka o cheloveke: gumanitarnyye issledovaniya [The Science of Person: Humanitarian Researches]. 2020, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 42–51. (In Russ.)

11. Gudkov, D.B. Teoriya i praktika mezhkul’turnoy kommunikatsii [Theory and Practice of Intercultural Communication]. Moscow, Gnozis Publ., 2003. 288p. (In Russ.)

12. Vorontsova, I.A. Pretsedentnyye fenomeny v khudozhestvennom tekste: problema interpretatsii i perevoda (na materiale romanov Dzh. Faulza “Kollektsioner” i “Lyubovnitsa frantsuzskogo leytenanta”) [Precedent Phenomena in the Aspect of Intertextual Analysis and Translation (a Case Study of “The Collector” and “The French Lieutenant’s Woman” by John Fowles)]. Vestnik KGU im. N.A. Nekrasova [Bulletin of Kostroma State University]. 2015, No. 3, pp. 131–136. (In Russ.)

13. Karaulov, Yu.N. Russkiy yazyk i yazykovaya lichnost [The Russian Language and Linguistic Personality]. Moscow, LKI Publ., 2010. 264 p. (In Russ.)

14. Oxford Dictionary of English. URL: https://www.lexico.com/definition/monstrous

15. Pratchett, T. Monstrous Regiment. Doubleday, London, 2003. 429 p. (In Engl.)

16. Pratchett, T. Monstryachiy vzvod [Monstrous Regiment]. URL: http://www.pratchett.org/%D0%9A%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B3%D0%B8/%D0%91%D0%B8%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B0/%D0%9C%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D1%8F%D1%87%D0%B8%D0%B9%D0%92%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4/%D0%9C%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D1%8F%D1%87%D0%B8%D0%B9%D0%92%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%A71/tabid/162/language/en-US/Default.aspx (In Russ.)

17. Pratchett, T. Pekhotnaya ballada [Monstrous Regiment]. Moscow, Eksmo Publ., 2013. 448 p. (In Russ.)

18. Pratchett, T. Pravda [The Truth]. Moscow, Eksmo Publ., 2008. 512 p. (In Russ.)

19. Cambridge Dictionary. URL: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ru/%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8C/%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9/solid

20. Laboratory of SciFi & Fantasy. Reviews. Page 1. URL: https://fantlab.ru/work1950 (In Russ.)

21. Laboratory of SciFi & Fantasy. Reviews. Page 2. URL: https://fantlab.ru/work1950?page=2#responses (In Russ.)