ONYMIC LEXICON IN THE UKRAINIAN TRANSLATIONS OF A. CONAN DOYLE’S DETECTIVE PROSE
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Abstract
Introduction. The problem of rendering proper names in literary translation is not properly regarded by many linguists. The reason is a considerable number of treatises on this issue. The scholars point out certain methods of proper names rendition such as transcription, transliteration, calquing etc. But in actual practice the problem appears to be much more complicated. The fact that rendering of the source text proper names into the Ukrainian language is being done with considerable variations highlights the need to generalize, systematize and critically analyze the rules of foreign onyms reconstruction by means of Ukrainian graphemes.
Purpose. The present study aims to reveal the specifics of translator’s work with proper names on the material of the Ukrainian translations of A. Conan Doyle’s detective prose.
Results. Conan Doyle’s onomastic space is rich and diverse which is partially determined by the canons of detective genre. Proper names in Conan Doyle’s detective prose perform a number of important functions: they contribute to the narration vividness and characters’ individualization; introduce historical, ethnographic and connotative information into the text; serve as autobiographical markers in the writer’s works; create the author’s individual worldview. Onymic lexicon reflects the writer’s mastery and its translation does not always comply with the target language spelling rules but is often subject to the particular aim of a literary work and in many cases depends on the translator’s creativity, experience and insight.
Originality. The onomastic aspect of A. Conan Doyle’s fiction has not been thoroughly researched so far. The originality of the current treatise is seen in the attempt to fill this gap and make a careful inquiry into the English writer’s onymic lexicon rendition in Ukrainian translations of his prose.
Conclusion. On the basis of the analysis of the author’s detective prose in the interpretation of the Ukrainian translators it is possible to indicate that the process of English proper names rendition in Ukrainian translations is characterized by certain inconsistency and variations. This indicates the insufficient theoretical study of the problem.
Proper names translation is a challenging act for the translators of fiction. The major method the translators resorted to while rendering English proper names into Ukrainian was practical transcription with elements of transliteration. On the whole the Ukrainian translators of Conan Doyle’s detective prose either used to choose one of the possible strategies – orientation towards the norms and rules of the source language (M. Dmytrenko), commitment to the spelling rules of the target language (V. Panchenko, I. Bazylianska, A. Schebets) – or tried to combine both of them (A. Marchenko).
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