French translations of “Eugene Onegin”: on the conveyance of stylistic patterns

Abstract

This research is dedicated to the topic of multivariate translations. Leaning on the text corpus that contains 16 French translations of A. S. Pushkin's novel “Eugene Onegin”, analysis is conducted on the peculiarities of conveying certain characteristic stylistic patterns in French texts alongside other stylistic techniques of the original, as well as changes in translations depending on the poetic form chosen by the translator. The selected extensive material trace traces the evolution of translators’ approach towards the stylistics of Pushkin's text over time. The article focuses on the chapters III and VIII of the novel. Comparative analysis demonstrates the dependence of the stylistic aspect of translation on the poetic form chosen by the translator. Prose translations provide more accurate stylistic equivalents than translations of the verses. Poetry translations are divided into two groups: 1) accurate compliance with the of Onegin’s verse; 2) departure from the rhyme pattern of the original. The frequency of transmitting stylistic techniques of the original in both groups does not demonstrated significant systematic differences. The author determines the consistencies in conveying certain stylistic patterns in various French translations. Periphrases, comparisons, inversions, and metaphors most of the time receive stylistically accurate equivalents in all translations; while metonymy and polysyndeton with conjunction “and” do not. The scientific novelty lies in examination of the text corpus that contains virtually all existing full translations of the novel “Eugene Onegin”.