The interpretation of Russian realia in translations of works by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Abstract

The article analyses interpretations of realia in the works by Fyodor Dostoevsky and ways to translate them from Russian into English and German. The authors consider literary translation as a basis for adding new words to a standard language. However, the notions of adequacy and equivalence in translation in this case are not applied to the full, because only interpretations and alternative ways of rendering referents can be used. Thus, every case of realia translation must be analyzed individually.

The authors believe that in any case the translator is to take into account the intention of the original text; therefore, the presence of realia in the discourse significantly complicates the search for a solution to the problem which consists in translating a literary work adequately and fully. The search for translation methods is connected with the trial-and-error method. Using the experience of translation and knowledge of extralinguistic factors makes it possible to achieve adequacy in translation.

References

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