Explication as a means of language and cultural adaptation in the process of fiction text translation

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to identify a range of possible ways of explication in the translation of a literary text, their study and systematization taking into account the general strategy of the translator. The task of the research is to consider and analyze the application of explication in Ukrainian translations of G Wells’s novel “The Invisible Man” performed by M. Ivanov and O. Didyk using the method of contextual, comparative and, in some cases, component analysis. The undertaken analysis of scientific theories testifies that the reasons that prompt the translator to apply explication can be external and internal. One of the factors at the junction of internal and external causes is the role of the translator as a mediator in the process of interlingual communication. Based on comparative analysis, we concluded that M. Ivanov’s translation decisions quite specifically and adequately reflect the versatility and complex intertwining that are characteristic of G. Wells’ reproduction of the picture of what is happening. However, it is not always possible to prioritize the decision of M. Ivanov, as very often the translator deviates from the original and applies a paraphrase. O. Didyk’s translation is dominated by a position with a focus on the recipient culture. The practical significance of the study is in the possibility of using the conclusions and recommendations in the practice of literary translation and editing of translated texts, as well as in assessing the quality of translation.