THE HISTORY OF TRANSLATION OF THE YAKUT HEROIC EPIC OLONKHO INTO WORLD’S LANGUAGES

The article gives a brief review of translations of the Yakut heroic epic Olonkho into world’s languages. It studies translations beginning from 1844 up to the present day. In 2005 UNESCO proclaimed the Yakut heroic epic Olonkho a “Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”. However, is Olonkho really known among international community? It is impossible to give a straight answer to this question, for Olonkho is just being translated into other languages (except translations into the Russian). Meanwhile various epics of the peoples of the world had successfully become common property long time ago. For example, it is known that the Finnish epic “Kalevala” has been translated into 65 different languages; translations of the Kyrgyz epic “Manas” has made it known throughout the world, etc. Translation of our epic into other languages is extremely difficult and important work. It can be carried out only by professionals, who, on the one hand,know and understand all the shades of the language, Olonkho is translated into, and on the other hand – all the shades of Olonkho language, which represents the masterpiece of the Yakut language wealth. The most important requirement to translation is maximal approximation of target language to source language, approximation, not adequate translation. The latter is impossible, but translation can be considered as successful if it conveys deep individual conception of epic, preserves all of its unique characteristics, special epic world with its original characters and their actions and deeds. In other words, translation is intended to convey to foreign readers the inner spirit of epic, all of its local color and its real historical and cultural significance.

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