Preservation of the synaesthetic element as a specific type of metaphor in the English and French translations of I.S. Turgenev’s novel "A Nest of Gentry"
DOI: 10.23951/1609-624X-2025-3-52-61
The article examines the preservation of synesthesia, a specific type of metaphor, in the English and French translations of I.S. Turgenev’s novel "A Nest of Gentry". As a literary device that generates figurative meaning, synesthesia is integral to the expressive structure of this literary work. The objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the translators in conveying this expressive element in the English and French versions of the novel. The material of the study includes six English and three French translations of the novel "A Nest of Gentry" by W. Ralston (1869), M. Hapgood (1903), C. Garnet (1917), B. Isaacs (1947), R. Freeborn (1970), M. Pursglove (2016), as well as C. Sollohoub (1862), M. Lichnevski (1927) and F. Flamant (1982). The methodological foundation of this study is comprised of a range of general scientific and specialized methods, including logical approaches (such as analysis, comparison, abstraction, and generalization), a functional method aimed at identifying elements of the linguistic repertoire within spoken language, and component analysis intended to examine the content components of linguistic structures. The objective of this study is to identify and analyze convergent examples of the synaesthetic element reconstruction within the text of the novel. For each original expression that falls within the category of imagery-creating means, multiple translation alternatives are documented in the translations and evaluated against the original expression based on selected criteria for assessing translation quality—namely, adequacy and convergence. The application of these criteria is essential for comparing the original expression with specific translation solutions: a translation is considered adequate if it faithfully reproduces the semantics of the original statement, thereby focusing on the reconstruction of the substantive component of the original means of expression. Convergence, on the other hand, is defined as the preservation of the functional aspect of the expression; in the context of synesthesia, this pertains to the figurative attribute of the original expression. The object of this study is the reconstruction of synesthesia in the English and French translations of the novel, while the subject pertains to the evaluation of the effectiveness of translation strategies concerning synesthesia in terms of the equivalence of tropes across the compared languages. The analysis of the reconstruction of synesthesia in the English and French translations of I.S. Turgenev’s novel "A Nest of Gentry" encompasses the following aspects: the selection of translation strategies employed by translators to convey synesthesia, considering the linguistic differences and cultural nuances of the languages in question; the retention or loss of imagery in the translations; and the impact of the chosen translation solutions on the reader’s perception. The study’s results reveal that all nine translators of I.S. Turgenev’s novel The "A Nest of Gentry" into English and French encounter specific challenges in conveying synesthesia. In some instances, translators present inadequate or divergent translation solutions, resulting in either a partial or complete loss of imagery and emotional impact from the original text. The selection of linguistic means in the translations depends on the translators’ understanding of the implicit meaning of the source expression, while the consistency in the choice of linguistic units by certain translators often appears to be mere coincidence. Evaluating the success rate of synesthesia reconstruction in the English and French translations indicates that only four out of the five selected instances of synesthesia underwent reconstruction. Considering the overall number of analyzed translations, the study examined a total of forty-five reconstructions, of which sixteen were identified as coherent. This finding represents only 35 % of the total number of translations reviewed. The most effective translation solutions are provided by B. Isaacs, who achieved successful reconstruction in three out of five instances. R. Freeborn, M. Lichnevski, and F. Flamant successfully reconstructed two out of the five analyzed synesthesia. Both R. Freeborn and F. Flamant made one error in translation that involved a distortion of meaning. In contrast, K. Garnett, M. Pursglove, and F. Hapgood managed to reconstruct only one of the five expressions without committing any translation errors. Notably, K. Garnett demonstrates a tendency to operate at the pragmatic level of translation, prioritizing the preservation of the original meaning while avoiding attempts to imitate the author’s literary style and minimizing comprehension errors.
Keywords: reconstruction, means of creating imagery, metaphor, synesthesia, convergence, divergence, coherence, adequacy, I.S. Turgenev “A Nest of Gentry”, translation, English, French
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Issue: 3, 2025
Series of issue: Issue 3
Rubric: COMPARATIVE LINGUISTICS
Pages: 52 — 61
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