W. Saroyan’s “Dear Greta Garbo” from the Perspective of Pre-translation Analysis

Abstract

Pre-translation text analysis is considered a mandatory phase of translation process to achieve an effective result within the scope of cross-cultural communication. It leads to proper understanding of the ST message and reduces the mode of its misinterpretation in the TT. The pre-translation analysis of W. Saroyan’s “Dear Greta Garbo” allows to determine extra-textual environment, the text is created in and intra-textual elements, which put the author’s intention into effect. These key aspects of pre-translation analysis lead to the identification of local and global coherence, which creates mutual understanding of communicants both inside and outside the text. Despite several differences in two versions of the translation by O. Slobodkina and A. Ohanyan, they do not seriously deviate from the ST corresponding units and do not lose the pragmatic/cognitive value of the original. In both versions in terms of communicative/functional aspect of the impact on the Russian speaking readership the situation described in the story is easily revealed: the Russian speaking receptor undergoes definitely the desired impact and the translators achieve basically the translation targeted cognitive and emotional goals.