FRENCH-SPEAKING TRANSLATIONS OF SHEVCHENKO’S POETRY: PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Background. Contemporary translation studies are increasingly attracting the attention of Ukrainian philologists, which is in line with post-structuralist trends in interdisciplinary studies in the humanities. The symbolic figure of Taras Shevchenko can become a model for conceptualising the image of Ukraine abroad, taking into consideration the exceptional role of his work in the formation of Ukrainian literature, and therefore the problem of reception and interpretation of his work through translation seems extremely relevant. The purpose of our article is to highlight the problem of reception and interpretation of Taras Shevchenko's poetry in the French-speaking cultural space in order to identify problems and perspectives for further analysis.

Methods. A diachronic translation analysis of translations of Taras Shevchenko's poetry into French with a comparative study of diasporic and national translation traditions in the broader socio-cultural context was carried out.

Results. It has been established that the representation of Shevchenko's literary works is associated with two main vectors – diaspora and Soviet as well as some synthetic projects. The first vector is characterised by the need for uncensored reception, but the aesthetic function of such publications is mostly inferior to the informative one, which does not contribute to the involvement of a wide range of recipients. Instead, Soviet-era editions of Shevchenko's works, also with a limited audience, are characterised by a more perfect adherence to the rhythmic and melodic structure of the original text, although their reception in literary and socio-cultural discourse is reduced in accordance with the semiotic context of Soviet ideology.  The newest editions of Shevchenko's poems edited by T. Syrochuk and D. Chystiak present uncensored  versions of the translations from the original, but it is important to preserve the figurative and symbolic level of the works and an adequate reception of the writer's worldview, as well as to establish appropriate promotion mechanisms for introducing them to the broader French-speaking cultural context. 

Conclusions. It should be concluded that a fundamental edition of Shevchenko's works in French is yet to come. It should be based on the best of E. Guillevic’s translations, with a critical reconsideration of the diaspora editions edited by A. Zhukovsky, as well as the Soviet editions and the publication edited by T. Syrotchuk. At the same time, it is necessary to emphasise the need to prepare such a publication at the international level, with the involvement of a renowned French poet to translate and edit the book and to ensure its promotion in a prestigious poetry series, so that Shevchenko's name can be properly introduced into the French-speaking cultural context.

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