On the Harmony Between the Cognitive Linguistic and Lexical-Stylistic Components in Literary Translation (a Case Study of J. D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”)

Abstract

In this paper we shall focus on the two most well-known Russian versions of J. D. Salinger’s 1951 “The Catcher in the Rye”, produced by Rita Rait-Kovaleva and Maxim Nemtsov. Although Salinger’s magnum opus was rendered into Russian four times within only 12 years (1998–2010), it is in its old, yet still relevant Rait-Kovaleva’s version that Holden Caulfield’s voice resonates with the Russian reader. Moreover, none of the new translations has received enthusiastic reviews from interpreters or critics thus far. Nor has any of those updated and upgraded renditions won recognition of philologists. While Rait-Kovaleva’s “Over the Abyss in Rye” (back-translated) is by default considered more adequate, the comparative linguistic analysis tends to revolve around the single issue of the novel’s stylistically marked language. New versions often draw criticism due to the crude manner in which the outdated teenage slang is conveyed in them. That is especially true for Nemtsov’s version, which provoked furious public response when it came out, which is why we have opted for it to be compared against Rait-Kovaleva’s. No less significant, but more neglected is the question of the novel’s moral and philosophical value and the role it should be assigned in translation. The cognitive analysis of both texts, conducted with due regard to the original’s “stratum of schematized aspects” (R. Ingarden), has revealed conformity of Rait-Kovaleva’s text to the essential messages in Salinger’s novel. This proves she had succeeded in capturing the novel’s unfading merit. This assertion is substantiated by the comparative study of the two renditions, Rait-Kovaleva’s and Nemtsov’s. More importantly, the research has demonstrated the rightful priority the text’s moral and philosophical value should be assigned in translating a classic, which Salinger’s novel definitely is.

Keywords: Salinger, Holden Caulfield, communication effect, invariable moral and philosophical value in literary translation