Bilingualism in the Author’s Translation of the National Epic: on the Material of “Mastorava”

Abstract

In 1994, the Erzya epic “Mastorava” was published in the Erzya language. The success of this work made us think about the need for its translation into Russian. It was decided to entrust the translation to the author of “Mastorava” - Alexander Markovich Sharonov, who is equally fluent in Erzya and Russian. The relevance of the study is determined by the enduring interest in the phenomenon of bilingualism in the author’s translation of the national epic. A bilingual poet translating his own text is in a more difficult situation than a poet translating interlinear. For the former, hearing the music of both languages, seeks to harmonize it, to make its sounding adequate in the spaces of these languages. He is faced with the task of synchronizing the work of figurative and semantic series, preserving the authenticity of Erzya mythological and folklore images, moving them into the space of Russian images and meanings that instantly begin to appear with the first sounds of the Russian word, and arrange everything so that the national retains its uniqueness. This work is given to a bilingual translator with great effort precisely because he hears and feels both languages, he is aware of the nuances of meanings and semantic nuances. While the interlinear translator exists in the sound and semantic spaces of only one language and does not see the details. The translation of the text of a work of art is complicated by its metaphorical figurativeness, which allows for a variety of perceptions, and hence the difficulty in conveying its meaning, assumed by the author. However, high-quality translation moves a work from one language to another language, from one literature to another literature, expanding, enriching and complicating the scope of its existence. Research methods: descriptive, genetic, comparative.