UKRAINIAN TRANSLATIONS OF THE NON-LINGUAL NONSENSE IN LEWIS CARROLL’S POEM «THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK»

Abstract

The article presents the results of the analysis of the Ukrainian translation of non-lingual nonsense in Lewis Carroll’s poem «The Hunting of the Snark» by Yury Pozayak. Non-lingual nonsense is a kind of absurd which is viewed as a deviation from ontological norms. A communicatively successful translation of such nonsense relies on the exact reconstruction of the nonsense forms of the original. At the lower levels of interpretation such forms produce a humorous effect caused by the absurdity of the senses these forms activate. At the higher levels of interpretation non-lingual nonsense allows a variety of interpretations in psychological, physiological, philosophical-existential, or other domains.

The depth of such interpretations depends both on the efficiency of the translator and on the general cognitive (ontological and axiological) and emotional experience of the recipient and his or her familiarity with the historical, cultural, social, economic, philosophical background of the original, its genre and intertextual context, and also facts of the author’s life. The exact reconstruction of the nonsense forms of the original leaves all these interpretations open for the recipient.

Сoncept AGONY implied by the translation brings to light M. Gardner’s idea that the poem is an instantiation of existential angst. L. Carroll’s rejection of the religious doctrine of eternal damnation and therefore the rejection of Protestant orthodoxy as a result of his failure to reconcile the tragic deaths of his uncle and nephew with the faith in divine justice. Thus, concept AGONY reflects the mental state of agony experienced by L. Carroll in his inability to find reconciliation between religious faith and common sense. The prospects of the research presuppose application of the developed model of translation analysis to investigate the mechanisms of English-Ukrainian translations of stylistic devices based on violation of the lingual and ontological norms in literary texts of different genres, as well as to consider the impact of ethno-cultural, socio-cultural and ideological factors on the translation.