Sovietisms in English Translations of M. Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita

Natalia Kaloch-Vid's research is devoted to a pressing problem - the specifics of cross-cultural translation. According to modern theories (E.E. Davies et al.), the author understands the problem of translation not simply as a linguistic task, but as a work in the field of cultural studies. The focus is on a specific category, “Sovietism”, the difficulty of transmitting them to a foreign language is comparable to the problem of Argo, regional and social dialects. The material of the study was English translation of the novel by M. Bulgakov's Master and Margarita. This novel became the most translated work of Soviet literature. Natalia Kaloh-Vid examines six translations of The Master and Margarita, made between 1967 (the translations appeared in the year of the first publication of the novel) and 2008. A number of translations are provided with historical commentaries by translators, and linguistic-historical notes. The American edition accompanies the text of the famous researcher of creativity Bulgakov E. Proffer. Kaloh-Vid book turns out to be a fascinating journey through time, transporting the reader to Stalinist Moscow. Different groups of Sovietism are transmitted in English translations, identifying two basic strategies between which the translator had to make a choice: either approaching the text to the reader ("adaptation of the novel"), or approaching readers to the text. In the latter case, the translator necessarily had to resort to comments and notes to explain specific Soviet realities. However, N. Kaloh-Vid view is not limited to the consideration of common strategies: the value and special interest of the study lies in the attention to the story of a word that has found a new life or is completely lost in one or another translation. Working with the Bulgakov Thesaurus of Soviets, N. Kaloh-Vid shows how with the help of words Bulgakov draws an image of Soviet society, state, ideology, and to what extent it is possible to draw this image to his translators. Study of N. Kaloh-Vid has both scientific and practical value, contributing to translation reflection and choosing the best translation strategy and tactics.