Specific features in the translation of science fiction (as exemplified by the Italian translation of A. and B. Strugatskii’s short story “Forgotten Experiment”)

The paper examines specific features emerging in the translation of science-fiction works from Russian into Italian. The Italian translation of the short story “Forgotten Experiment” by A. N. and B. N. Strugatskii is used as an example. This short story was not selected randomly, but accurately chosen as the first work by the authors published in Italy in 1961. Some features were identified as specific of sci-fi translation. A certain similarity between sci-fi and technical translation can be observed, for example, in the use of scientific and pseudoscientific terminology, as well as original neologisms and occasionalisms, realia and irrealia (also defined as quasi- or pseudorealia). Other features should be considered too, such as rendering the authors' scientific and philosophical conceptions and writing style. The methods of contextual and comparative analysis were used to locate passages in the text that pose specific translation challenges, while the analysis of translation shifts allowed us to determine how the translator tried to overcome them. It should be noted that, despite the growing academic interest towards science fiction, the combination of Russian and Italian remains unexplored, thus substantiating the novelty of the current study. The results of the contextual and comparative analysis of the Italian translation of the short story “Forgotten Experiment” led us to the following conclusions: despite being made by an experienced translator of literary fiction and poetry such as Raissa Naldi, the translation under study cannot be considered adequate since it does not render properly the previously identified features of sci-fi translation. In particular, too many textual elements were omitted, the terminological system is not uniform, the scientific and philosophical conception and writing style are misrendered. This proves that such features should be taken into consideration when translating science fiction in order to obtain a satisfactory result.

science fiction, science fiction translation, translation shifts, translation adequacy, translation criticism, world building, translating realia, translating neologisms, writing style rendering, comparative analysis