Linguistic Analysis of the Translation of Part II of Adam Mickiewicz’s Dziady (Forefathers’ Eve) from Polish into Russian (Selected Aspects)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide a linguistic analysis of selected aspects of L.N. Martynov’s translation of Part II of Adam Mickiewicz’s Dziady (Forefathers’ Eve).

The significance of this research lies in the fact that Dziady is a foundational intertext within Polish culture, necessitating its study from various perspectives. Furthermore, Part II of Dziady has received comparatively less scholarly attention than Part III or Mickiewicz’s other works.

L.N. Martynov’s translation is the most widely recognized version and is easily accessible via online resources. This study focuses particularly on word choice and how the translated text is perceived by the target audience. Descriptive and comparative methods were employed in the analysis.

The findings indicate that certain translation strategies employed by Martynov result in a slightly altered image for the reader compared to the original. However, this does not significantly affect the overall reception of this fragment.

It is worth noting that this study examines only a fragment of Part II, specifically the section concerning the souls of deceased children with minor sins. Future research should expand the scope to include a comprehensive analysis of the entire text. A broader perspective would reveal the challenges posed by the full poem’s complexity and allow for a more accurate assessment of how well the translation aligns with the original.