INTERTEXTUAL ELEMENTS IN THE EPISTOLARY TEXT: PROBLEMS OF TRANSLATION

Abstract

The article deals with the problems of the translation of intertextual elements in epistolary texts on material of the correspondence of German musicians of the 18th century. The author examines in detail the specifics of intertextual elements, their types and translation possibilities, pointing out a general strategy and specific solutions in translations of the letters of Leopold and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Despite the fact that epistolary texts have a high degree of translatability, it is intertextual elements that constitute the main difficulties in translation, since intertextemes (precedent texts and names, quotations, retelling of conversations and other elements) are often introduced implicitly, and in texts of the 18th century, as a rule, in foreign languages, fragmentary or as an element of word-play. The number and set of intertextual elements in epistolary texts varies and depends on the time the text was created. Intertextual elements occupy an important but small place in the texts of the letters of German musicians of the 18th century: their number is quiet small: foreign inclusions, quotes, self-quotes, intertextemes of biblical origin and friendly (family) communication, individual components of word-plays. Foreign elements are preserved in translation texts in their original language, intertextemes of biblical origin are translated by correspondences, the intertextemes of friendly (family) communication and the components of wordplays due to their weak associative effect require comments. Intertextual elements in ancient epistolary texts in most cases have lost their relevance, they are practically not recognized and do not function in the text as intertextemes, and the translator cannot restore them, only compensate at the expense of comments that preserve, although not in full, the very idea of intertextuality.

Keywords:

intertextual elements, epistolary texts, correspondence of German musicians, Leopold Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, translation problems