Volume 15, Issue 6 (2025)
LRR 2025, 15(6): 105-135 |
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Dastamooz S, Noujavan Z. Challenges of Literary Translation from Russian Language to Persian Language: Based on the Translation of Alexander Pushkin's Play by Mikhail Bulgakov. LRR 2025; 15 (6) :105-135
URL: http://lrr.modares.ac.ir/article-14-64962-en.html
URL: http://lrr.modares.ac.ir/article-14-64962-en.html
1- Associate Professor, Department of Russian Language, Faculty of Literature, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran , s.dastamooz@alzahra.ac.ir
2- Master's Student in Russian Language Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2- Master's Student in Russian Language Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract: (2764 Views)
Literary translation is an intercultural and interlinguistic discourse, one of the most difficult of which is the translation of classical plays. In this research, we are trying to provide solutions in the field of translation of classic Russian plays by analyzing the challenges in the translation of Alexander Pushkin's play written by Mikhail Bulgakov, a famous writer of the first decade of the 20th century Russia. In other words, the purpose of this research is to investigate and analyze the linguistic challenges faced by the translator when translating classical Russian plays. What are the most important challenges facing the translator in the process of literary translation? What methods should the translator use in dealing with specific realities of the source language? In this research, library research method and descriptive and analytical sample mining are used. The results of the research indicate that the translator of the play needs to know the realities of the source language in order to be able to find an accurate equivalent for them. The translator must have a good understanding of the speech situations in the writing and try to create the same effect as the source text on the reader of the target text. In addition, the translator must have the ability to analyze the discourses in the play and recognize the purpose of each of the characters in the discourse process in order to be successful in translating the illocutionary functions of the syntactic structures. The results of this research can be effective in the accurate translation of literary works, especially the translation of classical plays from Russian language to Persian language.
1. Introduction
The historical play "Alexander Pushkin," by the esteemed Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov, depicts the final days of the renowned poet Alexander Pushkin. This play was translated into Persian and published by Bouka in Tehran in 2021, marking the first such translation from Russian to Persian. The translation faced numerous challenges typical of literary works. This research aims to identify and explain the difficulties encountered in translating "Alexander Pushkin" at various linguistic levels, including vocabulary, phrases, and sentences. The main research question addresses the challenges in literary translation, particularly plays, from Russian to Persian, and how to maintain the original text's essence. The study posits that translating plays between Russian and Persian involves complex cross-linguistic and cross-cultural discourse. Using library research and descriptive-analytical methods, it suggests strategies for translators to address these challenges, emphasizing the need for thorough research on the work, accurate identification of linguistic units, and discourse analysis to achieve precise translation.
Research Question(s)
What challenges do translators face in literary translation, especially in translating plays from Russian to Persian?
How can translators provide an accurate translation while preserving the original text's essence despite these challenges?
2. Literature Review
There have been various studies on the characteristics and difficulties of literary translation, in which the principles and methods of drama translation have also been discussed: see (Ремчукова, Недопёкина, 2020), (Кононенко, 2020), (Рафаель, 2019), (Модестов, 2009), (Чуковский К. Гумилев И., 1919), (Казакова, 2001). In addition, the research shows that various studies have been done on the play "Alexander Pushkin" by Mikhail Bulgakov. See (Словьева, 2016), (Иваншина, 2012), (Masako, 2014), (Урюпин, 2015).
The innovation of the present article lies in its analysis of the challenges specific to translating Alexander Pushkin's plays for the first time, as well as its examination of the broader issues involved in literary translation. Furthermore, it proposes solutions to address these challenges.
3. Methodology
In this research, translation is regarded as an interlingual and intercultural discourse. BarKhudarov (1975) defines translation as the process of transferring a verbal work or text from one language to another while preserving its original content. Translating "realities" constitutes a significant aspect of conveying the national and historical characteristics of each nation when moving between languages. The term "realities" was introduced in the 1930s by Bulgarian scholars Valakhov and Florin in their work titled "Untranslatables in Translation." Other translators also consider various equivalents such as untranslatable terms, exoticisms, nativisms, and more (Ilyushkina, 2015, p. 23). Valakhov and Florin categorize realities as a specific group of linguistic tools, defining them as: "Realities are words or phrases that denote objects, phenomena, and topics specific to the life, culture, or development of a nation, which are unfamiliar or unknown to other nations, and for which an exact equivalent cannot be found" (Valakhov, Florin, 1986, p. 45).
BarKhudarov suggests that realities are words, concepts, or situations absent from the practical experiences of speakers of another language (BarKhudarov, 1975). Therefore, translators must acquaint themselves with the narrative timeframe, as well as the author's feelings, perspectives, circumstances, and society. They must possess a thorough understanding of the contexts surrounding the time of writing and be capable of accurately representing them. Furthermore, any work translated from one language to another is rooted in a specific cultural, social, and historical system. Thus, familiarity with the cultural, social, and historical realities of a language is essential for translators.
According to Rafael Gómez Tirado (2020), successful interlingual communication necessitates not only linguistic and grammatical knowledge but also an understanding of the linguistic-cultural context of texts, as the importance a particular community attaches to a phenomenon or reality is always reflected in language (Rafael, 2020). Translating the specific realities of Russia during Alexander Pushkin's lifetime is considered a significant challenge in translating his works. Overall, this study focuses on translating Alexander Pushkin's plays into Persian, exploring and explaining issues related to the translation of realities, idioms, colloquial expressions, specific structures, and other challenges in literary translation, especially in drama. Here goes the text for your methodology.
4. Results
The translation of a play represents a complex interlingual and intercultural discourse, requiring the translator to possess a thorough command of both the content and subtexts of the play. A translator must have a precise understanding of analogous discourses in the target language to offer successful equivalents based on functional-cognitive analysis of translation units in the source text. Translation units within a play encompass not only individual words but also idioms, and sometimes even entire sentences are considered translation units.
In this study, it became evident through examples from Alexander Pushkin's plays that one of the most challenging aspects of translating these works is rendering the realities specific to Pushkin's era: titles, positions, and epithets from the nineteenth century; specific names of individuals and geographical locations; socio-economic realities; idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms; religious and historical concepts, and more.
Additional challenges include dealing with specialized syntactic structures that serve secondary functions, as well as translating particles and interjections. Examination and analysis of examples demonstrated that a literal translation approach is not always suitable for conveying these realities. Footnotes play a crucial role as a communicative bridge between the translator and the reader, especially when dealing with archaic Russian terms. The play translator must ensure that the translated work is comprehensible to the reader, director, and ultimately the audience.
To achieve this goal, specific strategies can be employed. For instance, when translating terms related to military equipment and specific objects, the translator should provide explanatory footnotes. When translating diminutive or augmentative forms of specific Russian names, footnotes should clarify these forms to prevent confusion among Persian-speaking readers unfamiliar with Russian conventions.
Given that Russian is an inflected language, translators should transliterate uninflected Russian words or adjust transliterated words to adhere to Persian language rules during translation. In the translation of vulgarities, a literal equivalence is inappropriate; instead, a translation that respects the functional-cognitive meaning of the source text should be provided. When translating historical realities, attention should be paid to contextual hints in the original text, with necessary explanations provided in footnotes.
As mentioned, syntactic structures with secondary functions, as well as particles and interjections, present further challenges in literary translation, each constituting a translation unit in itself. Accurately translating these units requires discourse analysis of the source text and a precise understanding of their functional-cognitive meaning. A literary translator who successfully navigates these challenges will undoubtedly achieve a successful translation
1. Introduction
The historical play "Alexander Pushkin," by the esteemed Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov, depicts the final days of the renowned poet Alexander Pushkin. This play was translated into Persian and published by Bouka in Tehran in 2021, marking the first such translation from Russian to Persian. The translation faced numerous challenges typical of literary works. This research aims to identify and explain the difficulties encountered in translating "Alexander Pushkin" at various linguistic levels, including vocabulary, phrases, and sentences. The main research question addresses the challenges in literary translation, particularly plays, from Russian to Persian, and how to maintain the original text's essence. The study posits that translating plays between Russian and Persian involves complex cross-linguistic and cross-cultural discourse. Using library research and descriptive-analytical methods, it suggests strategies for translators to address these challenges, emphasizing the need for thorough research on the work, accurate identification of linguistic units, and discourse analysis to achieve precise translation.
Research Question(s)
What challenges do translators face in literary translation, especially in translating plays from Russian to Persian?
How can translators provide an accurate translation while preserving the original text's essence despite these challenges?
2. Literature Review
There have been various studies on the characteristics and difficulties of literary translation, in which the principles and methods of drama translation have also been discussed: see (Ремчукова, Недопёкина, 2020), (Кононенко, 2020), (Рафаель, 2019), (Модестов, 2009), (Чуковский К. Гумилев И., 1919), (Казакова, 2001). In addition, the research shows that various studies have been done on the play "Alexander Pushkin" by Mikhail Bulgakov. See (Словьева, 2016), (Иваншина, 2012), (Masako, 2014), (Урюпин, 2015).
The innovation of the present article lies in its analysis of the challenges specific to translating Alexander Pushkin's plays for the first time, as well as its examination of the broader issues involved in literary translation. Furthermore, it proposes solutions to address these challenges.
3. Methodology
In this research, translation is regarded as an interlingual and intercultural discourse. BarKhudarov (1975) defines translation as the process of transferring a verbal work or text from one language to another while preserving its original content. Translating "realities" constitutes a significant aspect of conveying the national and historical characteristics of each nation when moving between languages. The term "realities" was introduced in the 1930s by Bulgarian scholars Valakhov and Florin in their work titled "Untranslatables in Translation." Other translators also consider various equivalents such as untranslatable terms, exoticisms, nativisms, and more (Ilyushkina, 2015, p. 23). Valakhov and Florin categorize realities as a specific group of linguistic tools, defining them as: "Realities are words or phrases that denote objects, phenomena, and topics specific to the life, culture, or development of a nation, which are unfamiliar or unknown to other nations, and for which an exact equivalent cannot be found" (Valakhov, Florin, 1986, p. 45).
BarKhudarov suggests that realities are words, concepts, or situations absent from the practical experiences of speakers of another language (BarKhudarov, 1975). Therefore, translators must acquaint themselves with the narrative timeframe, as well as the author's feelings, perspectives, circumstances, and society. They must possess a thorough understanding of the contexts surrounding the time of writing and be capable of accurately representing them. Furthermore, any work translated from one language to another is rooted in a specific cultural, social, and historical system. Thus, familiarity with the cultural, social, and historical realities of a language is essential for translators.
According to Rafael Gómez Tirado (2020), successful interlingual communication necessitates not only linguistic and grammatical knowledge but also an understanding of the linguistic-cultural context of texts, as the importance a particular community attaches to a phenomenon or reality is always reflected in language (Rafael, 2020). Translating the specific realities of Russia during Alexander Pushkin's lifetime is considered a significant challenge in translating his works. Overall, this study focuses on translating Alexander Pushkin's plays into Persian, exploring and explaining issues related to the translation of realities, idioms, colloquial expressions, specific structures, and other challenges in literary translation, especially in drama. Here goes the text for your methodology.
4. Results
The translation of a play represents a complex interlingual and intercultural discourse, requiring the translator to possess a thorough command of both the content and subtexts of the play. A translator must have a precise understanding of analogous discourses in the target language to offer successful equivalents based on functional-cognitive analysis of translation units in the source text. Translation units within a play encompass not only individual words but also idioms, and sometimes even entire sentences are considered translation units.
In this study, it became evident through examples from Alexander Pushkin's plays that one of the most challenging aspects of translating these works is rendering the realities specific to Pushkin's era: titles, positions, and epithets from the nineteenth century; specific names of individuals and geographical locations; socio-economic realities; idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms; religious and historical concepts, and more.
Additional challenges include dealing with specialized syntactic structures that serve secondary functions, as well as translating particles and interjections. Examination and analysis of examples demonstrated that a literal translation approach is not always suitable for conveying these realities. Footnotes play a crucial role as a communicative bridge between the translator and the reader, especially when dealing with archaic Russian terms. The play translator must ensure that the translated work is comprehensible to the reader, director, and ultimately the audience.
To achieve this goal, specific strategies can be employed. For instance, when translating terms related to military equipment and specific objects, the translator should provide explanatory footnotes. When translating diminutive or augmentative forms of specific Russian names, footnotes should clarify these forms to prevent confusion among Persian-speaking readers unfamiliar with Russian conventions.
Given that Russian is an inflected language, translators should transliterate uninflected Russian words or adjust transliterated words to adhere to Persian language rules during translation. In the translation of vulgarities, a literal equivalence is inappropriate; instead, a translation that respects the functional-cognitive meaning of the source text should be provided. When translating historical realities, attention should be paid to contextual hints in the original text, with necessary explanations provided in footnotes.
As mentioned, syntactic structures with secondary functions, as well as particles and interjections, present further challenges in literary translation, each constituting a translation unit in itself. Accurately translating these units requires discourse analysis of the source text and a precise understanding of their functional-cognitive meaning. A literary translator who successfully navigates these challenges will undoubtedly achieve a successful translation
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