How is the translation of English fairy tales born in the aspect of intercultural communication

Shmakova Anastasiia Valerievna Postgraduate student, the department of Theory and Practice of Foreign Languages, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 141431, Russia, g. Moscow, ul. Sinyavinskaya, 11 k 16, kv. 408 malenkirai1995@mail.ru Other publications by this author

The relevance of the research topic is due to the increased interest in fairy tales within various directions and approaches, which is associated with the loss of low-quality stigma in children's literature compared to works intended for adults. Within the framework of translation theory, the main attention is paid to the peculiarities of the transfer of linguistic and stylistic features of children's literature and other translation difficulties. Due to the fact that translation is a means of intercultural communication, this aspect is also considered separately. The question is raised about the peculiarities of the transmission of the national and cultural identity of children's literature in connection with the age characteristics of the addressee.

The subject of the study is the general trends in the treatment of elements of foreign culture when translating English fairy tales into Russian.

The work uses such scientific research methods as linguistic and cultural analysis of a work of art, comparison of the original text with the translation.

According to S.G. Ter-Minasova, reading foreign literature always leads both to acquaintance with foreign culture and to conflict with it ^{[11, p. 23]}. Translation is a means of intercultural communication. Translated literature allows you to expand the range of reading for those people who do not speak a foreign language at a sufficient level. It is through the translated text that acquaintance with a foreign culture is carried out. Interestingly, L. Venuti, who pays great attention to the transparency of translation, believes that "when translating, the source text is far from being reproduced, but rather transformed through interpretation, reflecting what is understandable and interesting to the addressee. Transformation occurs even when the translator strives to ensure strict formal and semantic correspondence" ^{[20, p. 193]}.

An important position of the modern theory of translation is the position that the so-called "untranslatable" can be translated at the level of the work as a whole. The translator is able to convey the content by other means, to preserve the impression received when reading the original. Thus, S. Vlakhov and S. Florin cite numerous ways of handling elements that cannot be formally transmitted in another language ^[3]. "Untranslatability" is due to the close relationship between language and culture, the peculiarities of historical and cultural development and thinking of different peoples, reflected at the verbal level. A.Y. Aristov identifies three types of nationally colored elements that can occur in a literary text: precedent phenomena that do not require clarification due to widespread use; less common precedent phenomena, for which commentary is desirable, as a rule, at the connotative level; other culturally marked phenomena that require disclosure of their meaning ^{[1, p. 6]}. Universals are also found in different cultures. In addition, certain cultural elements are now becoming known outside of their native culture due to their acquisition of world significance, strengthening international ties, facilitating access to information, etc. Nevertheless, all this primarily affects the level of knowledge about other cultures of the adult audience.

The significant influence of the children's addressee on the translation is emphasized by A.Y. Isakovskaya. Due to age-related psychological characteristics and narrow horizons of children, there is a need for significant cultural adaptation of foreign texts. This process is carried out through the adaptation of the author's message, its correlation with the plot-plot structure of the work, changing the portrait and speech characteristics of the characters, processing and partial transformation of the conceptual sphere of the original, which is expressed in the adaptation of elements reflecting the national identity of the fairy tale ^{[5, p. 5]}.

J. House notes the existence of a trend of significant adaptation of children's literature within the framework of smoothing the cultural barrier. At the same time, the researcher adheres to the position that when translating, an important task is to introduce children to elements of another culture, to develop a natural interest in everything new. The transfer of culture and the embodiment of intercultural communication in a real form is encouraged ^{[15, p. 23]}. E. Goodwin also notes that cultural and intercultural socialization begins from childhood. Translated children's literature provides ample opportunities to broaden one's horizons and form an idea of various places and cultures of other peoples. The result is the provision of intercultural dialogue ^{[14, p. 1]}.

The degree of transformation in different translations varies under the influence of ideological, social, cultural and other factors. In some cases, it is not a translation, but a retelling or arrangement of the original work. O.I. Kostikova notes that the tradition of significant adaptation of fairy tales in linguistic, cultural and social aspects remains in the past. Currently, translators mostly adhere to the strategy of preserving the original as much as possible. At the same time, this coup does not mean the refusal to create a translation that is interesting for the addressee. Excessive difficulty of perception can lead to non-fulfillment of some of the functions of fairy tales, which should not only broaden children's horizons, but also entertain ^{[6, pp. 110-111]}.

The existence of a paradox in the translation of children's literature is particularly emphasized in the work of E. O'Sullivan. Despite the desire to acquaint children with the literary heritage of another culture and, as a result, with its realities, traditions, peculiarities of mentality and other characteristic features, many features are adapted in translation. The main reason is the complexity of the perception of elements that differ significantly from the native culture. As a result, the translation is to ensure a balance between two opposite processes. The decision is made on the basis of the image of the reader of the work created by the translator, the supposed ability to realize information about another culture ^{[18, p. 64]}.

Thus, the opinions of researchers on the problem of translation for children are reduced to finding a balance of "one's own" and "someone else's", which is determined by the image of the reader of a particular work: his interests, erudition, the ability to understand the previously unknown. The cultural adaptation of fairy tales at the present stage is connected precisely with the orientation towards the child and ensuring the accessibility of the text, designed not only to reveal the uniqueness of someone else's culture, but also to guarantee enjoyment when reading or listening. Fairy tales have a significant linguistic and cultural layer, as they are designed to socialize children, introduce them to their native culture.

The transfer of the national and cultural identity of the text is included in the requirements for the adequacy and equivalence of the translation. In the theory of translation, the question of the translation transformations necessary to achieve them is considered in detail ^{[2, 4, 10]}. Researchers can offer different classifications, but in general the same techniques are distinguished: transcription, transliteration, calcification, functional analogue, replacement, compensation, generalization, descriptive translation, etc. They are actively used in translating elements into Russian that emphasize the national and cultural originality of English fairy tales. It is also necessary to point out such a way of handling nationally-marked elements as omission. N.K. Garbovsky notes the relevance of omissions in the case of low significance of nationally-colored elements. Their loss does not lead to substantial losses, whereas preservation, in turn, significantly makes the text heavier ^{[4, p. 486]}.  As noted earlier, a certain cultural adaptation of fairy tales is typical. From the point of view of intercultural communication, this process is aimed at preventing possible cultural shock. At the same time, smoothness of translation is achieved.

Let's consider the peculiarities of the transfer of national and cultural identity when translating the collections of fairy tales by R. Kipling "Pack from the Magic Hills" and "Gifts of Fairies" into Russian.

It is difficult not to agree with Y.L. Shapiro's remark that the Russian reader is best known for such children's works by R. Kipling as fairy tales from two "Jungle Books" and "Just Fairy Tales". They are published as whole collections, and in various abbreviated versions; the most popular fairy tales are also found separately. They are published under different names and in different translations. At the same time, the authorship of R. Kipling belongs to a number of other children's works, including the collections "Pack from the Magic Hills" and "Gifts of Fairies". Despite their lesser fame, there are also their translations into Russian ^{[13, p. 198]}. The choice of researchers of various aspects of translation is often inclined in favor of the most popular texts that have made a significant contribution to the development of literature. As a result, fairy tales from the collections "Pack from the Magic Hills" and "Gifts of Fairies" were practically not subjected to separate analysis in Russian linguistics and translation theory.

By the time of the creation of fairy tales from the collections "Pack from the Magic Hills" and "Gifts of Fairies", R. Kipling's literary manner, according to A.G. Manuelyan, had undergone a number of changes. They differ from the writer's early fairy tales by a more complex structure and less lightness ^{[9, p. 109]}. It should be pointed out that for all children's British literature, including the fairy-tale genre, it is typical to turn to images and means characteristic of adult fiction. The circle of children's reading includes many works addressed to adults. At the same time, children's books are also interesting for adults ^{[12, p. 38]}. R. Kipling himself described the fairy tales from these collections as follows: "The finished work should be a rather interesting study of early English history" ^{[7, p. 173]}; "My idea is to describe the part of Sussex that is in front of my eyes in such a way that one day the history of our wonderful land became interesting for children" ^{[7, p. 183]}; "... English history is full of pure gold" ^{[7, p. 236]}. The works were created slowly, R. Kipling turned to various sources to reveal the peculiarities of English history and culture.

The author's idea determines the high level of inclusion of culturally colored elements in the texts of fairy tales. Many of them are already found in the headlines ("Pack from the Magic Hills", "Sword of Wieland", "Old Men in Pevensey", "Centurion of the Thirtieth Legion", etc.). In the first sentence of the first fairy tale from the collections "The Sword of Wieland" is called one of the famous works of W. Shakespeare – the comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream". It was her home production that caused the children's characters to get acquainted with Puck, the oldest spirit of England, which led to further acquaintance with the history of the region ^[19]. Numerous geographical objects, historical and legendary personalities, mythical creatures, precedent phenomena, etc. are mentioned in fairy tales. They contribute to the creation of a vivid picture and have a fairly high plot significance, which follows from the words of the writer himself.

In accordance with the current trend of preserving national and cultural identity in children's literature, onomastics is preserved in a form close to the original, that is, it is transmitted through transcription, transliteration or a traditional version, for example, Oxford, Hastings, Bob Brigandine, St. Magdalene Tower, etc. Many English realities remain – pounds, feet, counties, Saxons, etc. In the translation of fairy tales, there are elements that create a sense of "alienness" that could be eliminated when choosing a different strategy. So, there are unadapted stable turns: "... and his one single talk was how Tom, Dick or Harry had stolen this or t'other secret art from him" ^[16] – "He had one conversation – how Tom, Dick or Harry stole some secret craft from him" ^{[7, p. 28]}. The calcification of the expression preserves the national and cultural identity, although it does not fully convey the meaning of people as a whole embedded in it. However, its components are typical English names that allow you to understand the meaning of the context, which allows the translator to make a choice in favor of this treatment of the unit.

As a result, readers get acquainted with the elements of foreign culture, intercultural communication is carried out. In the modern translation, there is no plot or ideological adaptation associated with the need to bring the text closer to the native culture. At the same time, cultural adaptation is made in a number of moments, and it can be directed both at the reader of any age, and specifically at the child reader.

A number of culturally colored elements are lost in translation: "Bath Oliver biscuits" ^[16] – "crispy cookies" ^{[8, p. 19]}. The characters snack on Batsky cookies "Oliver", the recipe of which was created in. Oliver of Bath in 1750 This type of cookie has gained high popularity in the country. The product name has no plot significance, it is unknown to the Russian audience and does not cause any associations, which encourages the use of descriptive translation. Such a choice is rational when targeting the Russian-speaking reader as a whole.

Individual elements are subject to linguistic and cultural substitution: "... it was Midsummer Morning" ^[17] – "... today is just the morning of Midsummer Day" ^{[7, p. 4]}. The summer solstice holiday in the UK falls on June 24. Its counterpart in the Slavic tradition is Midsummer Day (Ivan Kupala), which falls on July 7. Transformation leads to a change in the chronotope of fairy-tale events, but at the same time causes associations in the addressee associated with the traditions of the festival, creates a magical atmosphere. Such a replacement is more connected with the child reader, since at an older age the concept of the summer solstice and the calendar holidays associated with it do not create special difficulties in perception among different peoples.

The rapprochement of the two cultures is also possible through clarifications and comments: “If Merlin himself had helped you, you couldn't have managed better!" ^[16] – "Yes, the wizard Merlin himself helped you, and it wouldn't have turned out better" ^{[8, p. 21]}. Merlin is an iconic mythological figure associated with the legendary King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. When translating, the word "wizard" is added before the name, clarifying the essence of the phrase at a level accessible to children. For adults, such a comment is not required, since the figure of Merlin is well known outside of England.

Thus, it can be concluded that in the process of translating English fairy tales, a balance is being sought between introducing children to another culture and the need to adapt the material for ease of perception by the audience. When translating for children, translation transformations are actively used, bringing culturally colored elements closer to familiar ones or simplifying their understanding, which is not always required for an adult audience. The way of handling labeled elements depends on their plot and ideological significance, cultural value and level of fame, the context of use, the chosen translation strategy and other factors.

The scientific novelty of the work consists in the analysis of material that was previously practically not considered in studies devoted to the peculiarities of translating English children's literature into Russian. Attention is paid to the addressee factor when choosing a strategy for transmitting the national and cultural identity embedded in the text.