Reproducing Barry Frost's figure of speech in Tess Gerritsen's novel The Apprentice

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the peculiarities of reproducing the speech image of a character using the example of the Ukrainian translation of Tess Gerritsen's novel The Apprentice. It examines the literary and translation principles of character image formation, based on contemporary ideas about artistic image and speech portrait, as well as on the provisions of the descriptive school of translation and Skopos theory. It is emphasized that the character's speech is one of the key components of the artistic image, as it reflects his psychological, social, and individual traits. The scientific novelty of our work lies in the fact that it provides a comprehensive description of Barry Frost's linguistic behavior, considering the stylistic markers that allow for a high-quality reproduction of the original text in Ukrainian.

The object of the study is the policeman's lines in the English-language text and in Iryna Serebriakova's Ukrainian translation. Frost's stylistic speech markers are analyzed in detail: exclamations, elliptical constructions, colloquial vocabulary, accentuation, repetitions, and grammatical simplifications. Attention is paid to how these features are preserved or transformed in translation. Examples are given of the use of functional analogues, modulation, grammatical substitutions, lexical compensatory devices, and calquing.

It is noted that despite the inevitable transformations associated with interlingual differences, Frost's overall linguistic image – emotional, friendly, somewhat confused, but sincere and caring police officer – has been preserved in the translation. The translator managed to recreate the character's personality through the flexible use of various translation techniques and adherence to the stylistic features of his speech.

The conclusions emphasize that the transmission of speech characteristics of characters is an important component of successful translation of works of middle-grade literature, and further research may include a comprehensive analysis of other characters, in particular representatives of the authorities and law enforcement.