Information about the author:
Kajsa Ö. Lindsten
Kajsa Ö. Lindsten, Translator, Göteborg, Sweden.
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Abstract: The article is devoted to some aspects of the translation of Andrey Platonov’s works into Swedish. The work of translating the stories “The Pit,” “Dzhan,” and the novels “Chevengur” and “Happy Moscow” made it possible to identify three main groups of problems that require different approaches and solutions. The first group includes “displacement” techniques when Platonov moves words that are “normally” associated with each other and violates the reader’s expectations. The second group consists of technical concepts and terms that require the translator not only to work painstakingly with dictionaries but also to take into account Platonov’s special attitude to “things.” The third consists of combinations that create a peculiar kaleidoscopic effect, giving rise to a whole string of associations in the reader. In the latter case, the translator often has to abandon attempts to accurately convey all meanings.