Russian Pratchett (Based on Tranlations of the Novel “Mosntrous Regiment”)

Abstract

The article examines two Russian translations of Terry Pratchettʼs novel “Monstrous Regiment”. Unlike works that deal with the adequacy of translation, this study proposes the approach to translation from the point of view of reception: the transformations occurring during the translation of the novel from English into Russian and the differences between Russian Pratchett and the original. The comparative analysis focuses on cases of transcoding of intertextual inclusions, which are an integral part of all the works of the British writer. This comparative analysis of the translations shows that everything irrelevant for the host culture leaves the translation: the mocking tone that permeates the entire text of the original and the very concentration of the comic element, which is an expression of the English sense of humour; precedent texts unknown for the host culture. These “losses” lead in translations to the disappearance of the additional dimensions of Pratchettʼs novel, which, like any postmodern text, is simultaneously focused on all layers – from the intellectual to the general reader. At the same time, the translation retains an important aspect for Pratchettʼs prose, associated with parodying traditional characters and hackneyed plots of fantasy literature. It is the aspect, coupled with the non-trivial development of the plot and the constant play with readers’ expectations, that has brought the writer popularity among Russian fans of the fantasy genre.