Kak perevodit'? (di V. Nejštadt) [26-02-1934] - [D115]

Concise description of the directive:

At our first conference, the comrades argued that there could be no translation theory. Yet bourgeois theorists have left us with an extensive theoretical literature devoted to literary translation that we should appropriate by applying a critical approach based on Marxism-Leninism. The Translators’ Section at the Organising Committee of the Soviet Writers’ Union set itself the goal of publishing an anthology of theses on the translation of Marxist classics for the Writers’ Congress. At the same time, the Section is now organising the first creative meeting dedicated to literary translation. The issues that will be addressed during the meeting are: the distinction between scientific and literary translation; fidelity (adekvatnost) of the translation; understanding the text (the social identity of the translator); syntax and terminology (in scientific translation); rendering of style and language; rendering of rhythm in poetic translation; the boundaries of untranslatability; and finally, the potential of literary translation performed from literal translation.