Iryna Haidei
(Kamyanets-Podilsky Ivan Ohiienko National University)
Scientific Supervisor: M.V. Matkovska, Senior Lecturer
TRANSLATION OF SERHIY ZHADAN’S POEM “HEADPHONES” INTO MODERN ENGLISH
In the light of globalisation and the expansion of cultural relations, the role of translation is becoming more important than ever. Contemporary translation of Ukrainian literature opens up a unique world of creativity for foreign readers, creating a bridge between cultures and deepening mutual understanding between national literary traditions.
Our aim is to analyse the translation of a poem by Serhiy Zhadan from Ukrainian into English. When analysing the translation fragments, we will consider in detail the choice of terms, the strategies used, as well as the emotional and stylistic dimension of the original in the English version of the poem. Our analysis is focused on highlighting important aspects of modern translation, such as avoiding literalism, preserving the author’s individual style, and adapting to the specifics of the English audience.
Today, contemporary Ukrainian journalists, writers and poets are appearing on the world literary scene, presenting works on military topics and works about everyday life in Ukraine. An important problem is the search for ways to convey the meaning, truth and existential nature of our country’s political situation. Mark Andrychyk, Willem Blacker, Roman Ivashkiv, Iryna Shuvalova, Nazar Kozak, Elzbieta Perzycka-Borowska, Tetiana Belimova, Ilya Kukulin and others are looking for ways to address this issue.
From a linguistic point of view, the following markers are important for conveying context in translation: 1) the degree of correspondence of the semantics of the target text unit to the source text; 2) the relative frequency of use of the lexical unit by native speakers of the receiving language; 3) peculiarities of the transmission of proper names [3, p.73].
On 26 August 2021, Serhiy Zhadan’s “Player” became the first published text on the pages of the New York Times magazine. The poem was included in the collection What We Live For, What We Die For, which was published in the United States in 2019 by Yale University Press. The analysed poem belongs to the iambic tense. Therefore, when translating it, you need to use somewhat different principles than when working with the translation of rhyming poems.
The collection was translated by the American writer Wanda Phipps and the director, poet, and translator of Ukrainian origin Virlyana Tkach. It is worth noting that the collaboration between Virlyana Tkach and Serhiy Zhadan began in 2002. “… I had no money to pay them, and I encouraged them solely with the prospect of translations into English. I said to Zhadan: “Come and read, and I’ll make you a great translation”.” – Virlyana says in an interview with the УM newspaper[2].
To begin with, we need to emphasise the substitution of concepts in the title of the work. The translators changed “player” to “headphones“. For a better understanding, let’s define the terms for these words. In English, the word “player” has several meanings: 1 – a person who takes part in a game or sport; 2 – a company or person involved in a particular area of business or politics; 3 – a machine for producing the sound or pictures that have been recorded on CDs, etc.; 4 – a person who plays a musical instrument; 5 – an actor. As you can see, the interpretation of the term number 3 is the most appropriate for us. In order not to use an additional meaning in the translation, which could lead to misunderstanding, distortion of information and confusion, the translators decided to replace the word “player” with “headphones”, the meaning of which is generally available and understandable to the English-speaking reader. Therefore, it is used in the following line: “He walks around the city with headphones on” [4]. In Ukrainian dictionaries, there is only one meaning for the term: a small cassette player with headphones. The name of the lyrical protagonist remains unchanged in the poem. Virlyana Tkach and Wanda Phipps used the transcription method. Most of the phrases in the poem are not translated verbatim. In the lines: “Ціле літо просидів у місті./ Коли почались обстріли – здивувався, / почав дивитися новини, потім кинув”, such phrases as “просидів у місті”, “потім кинув” [1] are translated with their respective direct meanings. Serhiy Zhadan used figurative meanings instead. In the same stanza, we can observe a remarkable move of skill on the part of the translators. The modern Ukrainian slang expression “dinosaur” is used to refer to something old, backward. The author of the poem used the phrase “слухати динозаврів”, which means listening to music by famous artists of the past. This was translated into the expression “golden oldie”, which fully conveys the meaning and sense. Also we can observe the shortening of some phrases in the second verse, namely in the lines: “слова та музика кількох геніальних / чоловіків, що марно намагалися нас” [1]. Also in the following lines of the same verse: “from their genius chests” and “and out of their ribcages” [4]. These changes did not affect the meaning of the text, but helped to preserve the rhythm of the poem and strengthen it.
The analysis of the poem “Headphones” by Serhiy Zhadan and its translation into English reveals key aspects of contemporary translation of Ukrainian fiction. Changes in the choice of terms, the use of transcription, transcription and dynamic translation of slang expressions show that translators use modern approaches to preserve the meaning and style of the original. Much attention is paid to reproducing the emotions and atmosphere, ensuring its relevance to readers of different cultures and language communities.
REFERENCES
- Hemiy M. Serhiy Zhadan’s poem “Player” was published in The New York Times. Tiktor Media. URL: https://tyktor.media/novyny/virsh-zhadana-pleier-the-new-york-times/ (accessed 03.03.2024).
- Hotsuliak S. Virlyana Tkach: “Kurbas was criticised for standing upside down on stage instead of wearing trousers”. Ukraina Moloda. 2019. 11 June. URL: https://umoloda.kyiv.ua/number/3468/164/134190/ (accessed 03.03.2024).
- Zasekin S. The Dynamics of Literary Translation in the Context of the “Hypothesis of Novotvorchestvo”. Topical Issues of Foreign Philology. 2015. № 2. С. 71–
- Zhadan S. Poem: Headphones. The New York Times Magazine. 2021. P. 12. URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/26/magazine/poem-headphones.html (date of access: 03.03.2024).