CIVILIZATION MISSION OF TRANSLATION: NORTH-AMERICAN CONTEXT

Abstract

 The article focuses on the problems of social and cultural aspects of the translation process, It has been emphasized that not only linguistic characteristics but social and cultural constituents of the translated text influence its quality. While translating, it is of paramount importance to take into account the extent the culture is involved into the text, and the text is involved into the culture. Language, being a semiotic system, is projecting onto sociocultural and semiotic aspects of translation. The translator should be aware of the culture, customs, traditions, social background expressed both in the source language and the target language as he is presenting to the foreign language audience not only a literary work but also the country of its origin, constructing its image, and the image of its culture In this respect it is important to analyze the role of individuality in translation process. It has been offered to disclose the major stages of a translator’s individuality development process in the creative activity of translating fiction. An American scholar and translator Dr. Michael M. Naydan and f Canadian scholar, translator, and editor Roma Franko have been chosen as a model of a translator in a contemporary translation industry. The choice has been stipulated by a number of reasons: the wide-world recognition of their achievements and their constant striving to popularize the Ukrainian culture in the Anglophone world. The major stages of Michael M. Naydan’s personality as a scholar and as a translator as well as Roma Franko have been considered in the article. Major emphasis is laid on their Ukrainian-English translations which includes prose and poetical works. An attempt has been made to reveal the basic translation tools which they employ to achieve an adequate translation. The article contains the information about the creative activities of Michael Naydan and Roma Franko, offers further perspectives of their study.