Mahdi Seifollahi

The article delves into the intricacies of translating Mikhail Zoshchenko’s short stories into Persian, with a particular focus on the successful transmission of irony. We examine five stories from his collection of works, specifically “A Dog’s Nose”, “Happiness”, “Dictation Machine”, “Actor”, and “Glass” all translated by Abtin Golkar. Our analysis draws upon the insightful theories of V.N. Komissarov, T.A. Kazakova, and V.S. Vinogradov to investigate the nuances of translation. Literary translation transcends the mere transfer of words; it involves conveying the author’s profound thoughts, concepts, and even the emotional undercurrents that reflect the very soul of their culture. 

Successful translation hinges on faithfully conveying not only the surface meaning but also the underlying stylistic nuances and the author’s intended effect. True literary translation demands a nuanced understanding of the source culture, enabling the translator to bridge the gap between cultures and foster cross-cultural artistic communication. In this process, the translator assumes the mantle of a “second author,” creatively reimagining the original work within the framework of the target language. 

This study aims to contribute significantly to our understanding of literary translation, particularly in the challenging domain of translating satirical and humorous works from Russian into Persian. By meticulously analyzing the translation choices made by Abtin Golkar, we investigate how effectively irony is conveyed in these translations. The article discusses the levels of equivalence of translations of Mikhail Zoshchenko’s satirical short stories and how the choice of equivalents of colloquial words and expressions affects the transmission of the irony of the original text. Through a detailed examination of various levels of equivalence, we aim to provide valuable insights for translators working with satirical literature.