Analysis of Rudanskiy’s translation.

Stepan Rudanskiy as a translator left a huge literature heritage for the Ukrainian
culture. He manly translated from Polish, Chezh and Greek. I decided to analyze one
of his poems translated from the Polish language called “The black color” (“Chorniy
kolior”).
Щоб співати кольор чорний,
Дала-сь голос свій,
І, тобі їдній покорний,
Я співаю кольор чорний,
Бо то кольор мій!

Життя моє сумне було,

Як і кольор той!
Як згадаю то, що було,
То, що було й не минуло, –
Вмиюся сльозой!..

І тепер я сиротою, –
То єсть певна річ!
Нема серденьку покою,
Воно сумне, як порою
Осінняя ніч…

І чекає життя чорне

Сироту, мене;
Бо як мила не пригорне,
Як гадаю, життя чорне,
Як смерть, не мине.

І по смерті не заплаче
Ніхто в чужині,
Хіба чорний крук закряче,
Чорна хмаронька заплаче
Дощем по мені.

Тяжко, тяжко, що на гробі

До судного дня
Не прийде ніхто в жалобі,
Не подумає на гробі,
Хіба ніч їдна.

First of all, in his translation Rudanskiy used words which do not exist in the
Ukrainian literature language. For example: “кольор”, “їдній”, “закряче”. These
words are rather used in spoken language, but not in literature. However, using
such words in literature in the nineteenth century was popular because of the
popularization of the Ukrainian spoken language among high social classes.
Furthemore, there are some russisms like “сльозой”, “єсть”, “покорний”. But it
 is also understandable as long as the Ukrainian language and culture for a long
time was under influence of Russia. So, as we can see Rudanskiy’s translation is a
mix of the Ukrainian literary language, spoken language and russisms, which was
a usual thing in the nineteenth century, but for a modern reader it seems a little
weird.
2. Analysis of Fedkovych’s translation of the extract from «The taming of the Shrew»
by William Shakespeare.
SCENE II. A bedchamber in the Lord's house.

Enter aloft SLY, with Attendants; some with apparel, others with basin
and ewer and appurtenances; and Lord

SLY

For God's sake, a pot of small ale.

First Servant

Will't please your lordship drink a cup of sack?

Second Servant

Will't please your honour taste of these conserves?

Third Servant

What raiment will your honour wear to-day?

SLY

I am Christophero Sly; call not me 'honour' nor

'lordship:' I ne'er drank sack in my life; and if
you give me any conserves, give me conserves of
beef: ne'er ask me what raiment I'll wear; for I
have no more doublets than backs, no more stockings
than legs, nor no more shoes than feet; nay,
sometimes more feet than shoes, or such shoes as my
toes look through the over-leather.

Lord

Heaven cease this idle humour in your honour!

O, that a mighty man of such descent,
Of such possessions and so high esteem,
Should be infused with so foul a spirit!

SLY
What, would you make me mad? Am not I Christopher
Sly, old Sly's son of Burtonheath, by birth a
pedlar, by education a cardmaker, by transmutation a
bear-herd, and now by present profession a tinker?
Ask Marian Hacket, the fat ale-wife of Wincot, if
she know me not: if she say I am not fourteen pence
on the score for sheer ale, score me up for the
lyingest knave in Christendom. What! I am not
bestraught: here's—

Third Servant

O, this it is that makes your lady mourn!

Second Servant

O, this is it that makes your servants droop!

Lord

Hence comes it that your kindred shuns your house,

As beaten hence by your strange lunacy.
O noble lord, bethink thee of thy birth,
Call home thy ancient thoughts from banishment
And banish hence these abject lowly dreams.
Look how thy servants do attend on thee,
Each in his office ready at thy beck.
Wilt thou have music? hark! Apollo plays,

Music

If you read Fedkovych’s translation, you will see that he totally domesticated his
translation. He changed English names into Ukrainian, geographical names were also
changed (For example, everything was happening in Bukovyna). For me it reminds
Eneida by Kotliarevskiy. Fedkovych hardly followed the original text, but remade it
in Ukrainian style to make it more understandable for the Ukrainian readers.
Moreover, he completely changed the title of the play. «The taming of the Shrew»
(«Приборкання норовливої») Fedkovych changed into «Як козам роги
виправляють». But if you are acquainted with the plot of the play, you will see that
Fedkovych’s title does make sense.
In conclusion I would like to say that Fedkovych wrote a new play based on
Shakespeare’s text than translated it in Ukrainian. Because his “translation” differs a
lot from the original text. I think he remade the Shakespeare’s play because he
wanted to make it more understandable for ordinary Ukrainian people who were not
familiar with England and it’s culture.