Volume 04 Issue 09-2024
63
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
09
P
AGES
:
63-69
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
ABSTRACT
This scientific article investigates the necessity of adhering to linguistic norms and existing editorial principles when
editing literary translations from foreign languages, taking into account the shared aspects of translation and editorial
criteria. The study focuses on the quality of editing the Uzbek translation of the novel The Alchemist, compared to its
English and Russian versions. It examines issues such as preserving the semantic features of the text during the editing
process and provides suggestions and recommendations for addressing shortcomings that arise in the editorial
process.
KEYWORDS
Editor, revision, original text, translation quality, semantics, equivalent units.
INTRODUCTION
During the period of independence, our country
established friendly relations with various nations on
the socio-political front, gaining recognition on the
global stage. Consequently, literary connections,
influences, typologies, and the promotion of world
literature masterpieces in Uzbekistan have created a
need for reinterpreting and analyzing these works in
the publishing sector. This, in turn, demands highly
Research Article
CONNECTION BETWEEN ARTISTIC EDITING AND ARTISTIC
TRANSLATION
Submission Date:
Sep 08, 2024,
Accepted Date:
Sep 13, 2024,
Published Date:
Sep 18, 2024
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/ajsshr/Volume04Issue09-10
Barno Buranova
PhD., Associate Professor, Department of Uzbek Language and Literature, Journalism and Mass
Communication University of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, 100017, Uzbekistan
Shakhnoza Sultanova
Master’s student, Journalism and Mass Communication University of Uzbekistan,
Tashkent, 100017, Uzbekistan
Journal
Website:
https://theusajournals.
com/index.php/ajsshr
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
Volume 04 Issue 09-2024
64
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
09
P
AGES
:
63-69
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
skilled literary editors with exceptional editing
expertise. As it has been stated, “Uzbekistan
must be
globally competitive in the fields of science, intellectual
potential,
modern
cadres,
and
advanced
technologies.” (Sh., 2017) This places the responsibility
on literary editors to elevate theoretical issues to the
level of international standards.
In the 20th century, significant literary translations into
Uzbek were carried out from Russian and other related
languages, including Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkish, and
Karakalpak, by renowned wordsmiths and scholars
such as Usmon Nosir, Cho‘lpon, G’afur
G’ulom, Oybek,
Mirtemir, Asqad Muxtor, Shuhrat, G’aybulla as
-Salom,
Yanglish Egamova, Qodir Mirmuhamedov, Mirzo
Kenjabek, and Ozod Sharafiddinov. Unfortunately, the
rapid advancement of science and technology in the
21st century has not only positively impacted various
spheres of human life but has also contributed to an
increase in the number of low-quality translations,
especially in literary works. The advent of automatic
and word-for-word translation software has led to
texts that do not conform to the lexical and
grammatical norms of the Uzbek language, producing
works that are alien to Uzbek thought and in need of
serious editorial revision.
As the scientific and literary community knows, the
skill, responsibility, and mastery of the art of editing by
literary editors are of paramount importance when
delivering high-quality translations to a broad
readership. A clear example of this is the novel The
Alchemist, which, in its essence, reflects an Eastern
spirit and became a bestseller among readers in Uzbek,
thanks to the translations by Ozod Sharafiddinov, Aziz
Said, and Ahmad Otaboy. Each version of the
translation from Russian into Uzbek by these authors
exhibits the distinct style of the translator. In the
translation by Uzbek Hero and critic Ozod
Sharafiddinov, the use of artistic-journalistic style,
clarification, and generalization methods are clearly
evident. In Aziz Said’s translation, a poetic approach is
employed, with the main focus on artistic expression.
Meanwhile, in Ahmad Otaboy’s version,
the principles
of literary and artistic editing are harmoniously applied,
with particular attention given to preserving the
semantic features of the text and enhancing the
meaning of lexical units during the translation process.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The need for translation and translated texts has been
a constant across all times and places. With the advent
of the 21st century, the era of information technology
began, leading to a scenario where information
operates beyond borders and time constraints. This
has intensified the demand for translation, which has
evolved to require greater precision and sophistication
in response to contemporary needs. In a globalized era
and information society, translations between
languages necessitate meticulous editing. Translation
principles and theoretical and practical interpretations
Volume 04 Issue 09-2024
65
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
09
P
AGES
:
63-69
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
have been developed by translators, linguists, and
literary scholars. However, when it comes to editing
criteria, there are relatively few scientific studies in this
field.
Notably, scholars such as V.V. Sdobnikov (Sdobnikov,
2018), N.S. Zvereva (N.S., 2009), S.M. Vopiyashina, O.V.
Murduskina (Vopiyashina S.M., 2016), O.G. Shetinkova
(O.G., 2015), A.O. Ilner, and Y.A. Berezovskaya
(Berezovskaya, 2019) have conducted scientific
research on adhering to translation and editing criteria
in the creation of professional editing practices.
According to Professor Khalim Saidov: “Even an
ordinary article should be considered with the same
attention as a literary work. Many journalists approach
editing with the mindset that it is merely a matter of
reworking the material. They begin to embellish and
refine the content, which is not true editing but rather
mere tidying up
—
the aim of which is to 'clean up' the
material. Fine, you may correct sentences, place words
in the right order, replace words with synonyms, and
pay attention to punctuation, but editing does not end
there. Just as in poetry, prose has its own rhythm,
comparisons, nuances, and essentially its unique style.
If you alter this style, transforming the content
inappropriately, the result is worse than failure; the
work is ruined. There are many delicate aspects of
editing like this.”
Thus, one of the most important aspects of editing
translated texts, as highlighted in previous chapters, is
to ensure that the translation is lexically consistent
with the original text. This analysis should be based on
classifying the transformations and transliterations
that occur during the translation process as distinct
linguistic phenomena.
METHODOLOGY
The aim of this article is to examine the interconnection
between translation and editing principles through the
interpretation of Ahmad Otaboy’s translation and
editing of the novel The Alchemist. This study also
involves a comparative analysis of other translations of
the same work. To achieve this goal, the following
tasks have been established:
•
Achieve Functional-Stylistic Compatibility
: Ensure
functional and stylistic compatibility in the process of
artistic editing of translated works.
•
Analyze the Principles of Recreating Artistic Value
:
Analyze the principles of recreating the artistic value of
the original text when editing translations from foreign
languages.
•
Interpret Literary Editing Criteria
: Interpret literary
editing criteria using the example of the Uzbek
translation of Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, in
comparison with its English translations.
Volume 04 Issue 09-2024
66
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
09
P
AGES
:
63-69
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
•
Highlight the Editor’s Skills and Expertise
: Illuminate
the skills and expertise of literary editors in adhering to
principles that preserve the semantic features of the
text during the editing process.
Research Methods used in this scientific article include:
descriptive,
comparative-typological,
statistical,
complex, stylistic, and artistic analysis methods.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
International and interethnic diplomatic relations have
persisted over the centuries, presenting challenges
related to the translation and pronunciation of
geographic place names and terminology associated
with regional and national names. In the process of
editing geographic place names, the methods of
transcription and transliteration are widely used.
Transcription reproduces the pronunciation of a word,
while transliteration restores its graphic form.
In this context, by examining the translations of The
Alchemist into Russian and English, we observed that
the translator and editor, Ahmad Otaboy, primarily
employed transcription and transliteration methods
for the geographic place names or toponyms used by
the author. Using selected excerpts and images from
the text as examples, we will demonstrate analytically
and
comparatively
how
transcription
and
transliteration methods were applied. We aim to
explain how these methods were effectively used, not
merely letter by letter, but with a creative and
individual approach, showcasing the translator's and
editor's skillful handling of the toponyms.
The Russian Version
The Uzbek Version (Translator
and Editor Ahmad Otaboy)
Santyago znal: lyudi nazivayut yego
“
levantinsem
”, ibo s vostoka, ottuda
je, otkuda on zaduval, naletali ordi
yazichnikov.
Yunosha, poka ne
pobival v Tarife
, i ne podozreval,
chto
afrikanskoye poberejye
tak
blizko. Opasnoye sosedstvo — mavri
This wind was familiar to him
—
it
was what people referred to as
the “
Levante wind
,” because it
was the wind that lifted the sails
of ships coming from Levante in
Volume 04 Issue 09-2024
67
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
09
P
AGES
:
63-69
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
mogut nagryanut snova. (Коэльо П.,
1988)
the eastern part of the
Mediterranean Sea.
Although
the young man had not yet
been to Tarif
, he had no doubt
that the
African coast
was very
close. (Coelho P.)
In the given excerpt, place names such as Levante, the
Mediterranean Sea, Tarif, and Africa are mentioned. All
of these are located in the Arab Emirates, and today we
can observe that their transcription and transliteration
have changed, and some names have also been
altered. For example, the Tarif described in the text is
currently referred to as Abu Dhabi Tarif. The addition
of the name "Tarif" was due to it being the former
name, and nowadays it is simply known as Abu Dhabi.
Despite being spelled the same in Russian and Uzbek,
pronunciation, i.e., transliteration, changes due to the
dynamics of accent. In Russian, the stress falls on the
second syllable, and it is pronounced longer. The place
name affected by the transliteration process is
“Levante,” which in Russian is given as “levanta.”
Levante is actually a place name and is now considered
one of the historical place names; additionally, the
word "lavanta" has often been transferred to a popular
fragrant flower.
In the excerpt from the text, we can see that Levante
refers to a type of wind. Ahmad Otaboy’s translation
and editing present a more precise description than
the Russian version: ... “they called it the ‘Levante
wind,’ because it was the wind that lifted
the sails of
the ships coming from Levante in the eastern part of
the Mediterranean Sea.” This suggests that Levante
was historically used as a place name, and it is further
supported by the mention of the ancient tribe of the
Marv, which is specifically highlighted. It is clear that
the Russian version does not specifically mention the
Mediterranean Sea but only uses a word that
expresses the eastern direction: ... “from the east,
from where it blew, hordes of pagans flew in.”
-
... “It
was the wind from the eastern part of the
Volume 04 Issue 09-2024
68
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
09
P
AGES
:
63-69
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
Mediterranean Sea, from Levante, that lifted the sails
of the ships.”
In the editing process, the editor not only used
transliteration and transcription methods but also
provided additional information about the exact
location of the place names to give readers a clearer
understanding. Adding “the Mediterranean Sea”
serves to enhance the reader's perception, indicating
the editor’s strong sense of responsibility towards the
readers and skill in word usage.
Another excerpt from the text shows that the editor
used the transcription method wisely:
The Russian Version
The Uzbek Version (Translator
and Editor Ahmad Otaboy)
Pozavchera ti skazal, chto mne,
navernoye, nikogda ne snilis sni o
dalnix stranstviyax. Tak vot, pyataya
obyazannost kajdogo musulmanina —
sovershit palomnichestvo. Kajdiy iz
nas xot odnajdi v jizni doljen posetit
svyashyenniy gorod Mekku. (Коэльо
П., 1988)
—
The other day, you told me that
you had never dreamed of distant
foreign lands. Know that it is the
fifth obligation for every Muslim to
undertake the pilgrimage. Each of
us is required to visit the holy city
of Mecca at least once in our
lifetime.
(Coelho P.)
In the passage, we can observe that the vowel "a" has
undergone transliteration. Due to the fact that Russian
and Uzbek belong to different language families, such
incongruent phonetic substitutions have occurred. If
we consider the origin and location of the original
toponym, we find that this sacred place, known to all
of humanity, is located in Arabia and is an Arabic
toponym. It is referred to as
ةمركملا ةكم
(Makkat ul-
Mukarramah) in Arabic. As is known, Arabic grammar
uses three primary diacritics to represent vowel
sounds: fatha, kasra, and damma. According to
grammatical rules, vowels are typically expressed as
Volume 04 Issue 09-2024
69
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
09
P
AGES
:
63-69
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
"a," "i," "u," and sometimes "o." It is evident that there
is no Arabic diacritic or letter for the vowel "e," which
means it should actually be pronounced as "Makka."
In the text, place names primarily reflect locations in
Arabia and villages around Spain. The names of
geographic locations often recur, representing two
nations with quite different languages and mentalities,
sometimes even opposing ones. The existence of
various adventures in the narrative naturally requires
referencing different toponyms. Consequently, many
of the place and region names, as well as city and
village names, are presented in an ancient manner.
CONCLUSION
In summary, the editor primarily focused on the
external aspects of toponyms, utilizing transliteration
and transcription methods while providing detailed
information about the etymological origin and
geographical location of the words. This thorough
approach contributed significantly to the translation
becoming a highly readable book.
Overall, while there are numerous studies on
translation theory and practice globally, including in
Uzbekistan, particularly in the fields of comparative
and linguistic studies, scientific research specifically on
the editing of translated texts is almost nonexistent.
This lack of research poses a barrier to improving the
quality of published translations and addressing
various issues that arise in the field.
REFERENCES
1.
(Коэльо П., 1988)
2.
(Vopiyashina S.M., 2016)
3.
(Sh., 2017)
4.
(Sdobnikov, 2018)
5.
(O.G., 2015)
6.
(N.S., 2009)
7.
(Coelho P.)
8.
(Berezovskaya, 2019)
