What is the best translation of “Romeo and Juliet”? Analysis of six translations of the work “Romeo and Juliet” into Russian Paris, a young patrician, his relative.

Yesterday I wanted to read Romeo and Juliet. I love this play very much and I still haven’t bought the book, to my shame, I’m reading it on my computer. There are a great many translations. You can put together a whole collection, but you want to start with the one you like best. Many people like Boris Pasternak's translation. Others consider it not so much a translation as a retelling, they say, it is inaccurate. Very good translation by T. L. Shchepkina-Kupernik. These two were used to dub Franco Zeffirelli's film. But there are also translations by I. Raskovshenko, N. Grekov, D.L. Mikhalovsky, A.L. Sokolovsky, Apollo Grigoriev, A. Radlova, E. Savich, O. Soroki. But no one can say which translation is actually better. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages, inaccuracies and successful lines. So I'll post a mix of what I liked. But I don’t have all the translations, only four.

In two families equal in nobility and glory,
In Verona the lush flared up again
The enmities of days past are bloody discord,
Made civilians bleed.
From the loins of the hostile, under the ill-fated star,
A couple of lovers happened.
According to their terrible fate
The enmity of the fathers died with their death.
The whole course of their love, doomed to death,
And the rage of their loved ones that faded away
Only after the death of the lovers, -
It will probably take you two hours.
If you give us your attention,
We will make up for all the shortcomings with our efforts.
(T. Shchepkina-Kupernik)

The cause of this sorrow is love.
I feel heavy from my own sorrows,
And you want to add yours to them,
Their excess will be strengthened by compassion.
Love is the smoke that rises from sighs;
She is the fire sparkling in the eyes
Lovers; in alarm, this is the sea,
Which their tears feed.
What's next? That is cunning madness,
The bitter bile that suffocates us,
And the sweetness that sustains us.
(D. Mikhalovsky)

Benvolio

At the Capulet party there will be
And your dear Rosaline,
And the first beauties of Verona:
Go there and, with an impartial gaze
Compare her with others who
I will point out, and the white swan is yours
It will turn out to be a simple crow.

Romeo

If they become infected with such heresy
My eyes, then let them die;
Let their tears turn into fire,
Heretics and apostates will be burned!
To have another beauty
More beautiful than my beloved?
No, the sun, contemplating everything in the world,
I haven't seen another one like her.

Benvolio

You haven't seen others with her yet,
She alone owned your gaze;
On the cups of your crystal eyes
Weigh her appearance with the appearance of others -
And you will find very little beauty
The one that has captivated your gaze until now.

Romeo

I'll go there, but not for that
To admire other beauties:
I will admire mine there.
(D. Mikhalovsky)

We don’t foolishly procrastinate, and don’t rush to meet the deadline.
I don't expect any good ahead. Something,
What is still hidden in the darkness,
But it will begin with this ball,
Will shorten my life untimely
Due to some terrible circumstances.
But the one who steers my ship
Already raised the sail.
(B. Pasternak)

She outshone the rays of the torches!
Her beauty shines in the night,
Like incomparable pearls in the Moor's ear.
A rare gift, too valuable for the world?
Like a white dove in a flock of crows -
My beauty is among my friends.
As soon as the dance ends, I’ll seize the moment -
I touch her hand in reverence.
And I loved? No, renounce your gaze:
I haven't seen beauty until now!
(T. Shchepkina-Kupernik)

But what kind of light flashes in that window?
There is a golden east; Juliet is the sun!
Kill the envious moon, O sun;
She is pale with envy, sick,
That you, her maid, have become more beautiful.
Don't serve an envious mistress
Vestals, throw off your green clothes:
Of all people, jesters only wear it.
O my lady, my love!
Oh, I wish I knew who she is!
She spoke. No, he is silent. Well, what then?
After all, the eyes speak - I will answer them!
I am impudent, they are not talking to me.
The most beautiful two stars, to the point
Wanting to leave the sky, they ask
Her eyes will shine until they return.
How! If places were switched
Her eyes and stars? Glitter face
Would eclipse the stars like daylight a lamp,
And the birds, mistaking night for day, sang -
My eyes would shine so brightly in the sky.
She leaned her cheek on her hand.
Oh, I wish I had a glove to touch
Her cheeks!
(A. Radlova)

But what kind of shine do I see on the balcony?
There is light there. Juliet, you are like daylight!
Stand by the window. Kill the moon with proximity;
She's already sick with envy,
That you overshadowed it with whiteness.
Leave to serve the goddess of purity.
The virgin's dress is pitiful and inconspicuous.
He doesn't suit you. Take it off.
Oh dear! O my life! O joy!
She stands there, not knowing who she is.
He moves his lips, but no words are heard.
Empty, there are views speech!
Oh, how stupid I am! Others talk to her.
The two brightest stars, hurrying
They ask you to leave the sky on business,
Her eyes will sparkle for now.
Oh, if only her eyes were real
We have moved to the vault of heaven!
With their shine the birds would sing,
Mistaking the night for a sunrise.
Stands alone, palm pressed to cheek.
What was she thinking about on the sly?
Oh, if only there were a glove on her hand,
Glove on hand!
(B. Pasternak)

Juliet

Romeo! Why are you Romeo?
Oh, renounce your father,
On behalf of; and if you don't want to,
Then swear your love only to me -
And then I won’t be a Capulet.

Romeo

Should I answer or should I still listen?

Juliet

You are my enemy only in your name, but
By yourself you are not a Montague at all.
Montague... but what does this name mean?
It's not an arm or a leg,
It is not a part of any body.
Oh, choose another name for yourself;
What's in a name? Whatever you call the rose -
The aroma will remain the same:
So is Romeo with a different name
It will remain just as perfect.
Part with your name,
Romeo, and in return for this name,
In which there is not even a part of you, all of it
Take me!

Romeo

Catch you up on that.
Just call me your love -
And I will be baptized again
And I will forever lose my name.
(D. Mikhalovsky)

Juliet

I have no control over what I own.
My love has no bottom, but kindness
Like the vastness of the sea. The more I spend
The more vast and richer I become.
(B. Pasternak)

No, execution is not mercy! My heavens -
Where Juliet is. Every dog ​​and cat
Or a despicable mouse, any creature
Here he can live in paradise - see Juliet;
Romeo alone - no! Any fly
More worthy, happier than Romeo:
She can touch without interference
Juliet's hands are a miracle of whiteness,
Or steal the bliss of heaven from sweet lips,
What in virginal innocence is it as if
They blush from mutual touch,
Considering it a sin to kiss each other.
Any fly; but Romeo - no!
Freedom was given to her; and he is an exile.
And you say that death is not exile?
And you haven’t found a more terrible poison,
A knife is sharper, a weapon is more deadly
Exile to kill me! Exile!
Sinners repeat that word, groaning
In hell! How did you get the courage?
You, confessor, are my spiritual father,
Forgiving of sins, my old friend,
And you killed me by saying “exile.”
(T. Shchepkina-Kupernik)

Well, shame on you! Your Juliet is alive,
Because of which he recently died:
Luck! Tybalt attacked you,
And you killed him: luck again!
The law that threatened death has been relaxed -
And only you are expelled: luck again!
Yes, you are showered with a whole pile of blessings!
Happiness caresses you when you are dressed up.
But, like an impolite, evil girl,
You pout for happiness and love.
Come to your senses, otherwise you will die miserably.
(A. Radlova)

Juliet

How! do you want to leave? But far away
Before the day. This is not a morning person
And the nightingale alarmed your timid ears;
He always sings over there at night,
On a pomegranate tree. Trust me,
My dear, you heard the nightingale.

Romeo

It was not the nightingale, but the lark that sang.
Look, my love, how in the east
Clouds move apart from each other
And the bands of envious light
Like a fringe, they cover them.
The night lamps burned out;
It's a fun day on tiptoe,
Looking over the misty peaks
High mountains. I have to leave
To be alive; or stay here yet -
And die.
(D. Mikhalovsky)

How often do people just before death
Felt the fun! Called
His dying lightning. This
Shall I call it fun? Love! Wife!
Death has drunk the honey of your breath,
But she has no power over your beauty.
You are not submissive to her. Beauty sign -
The color of your lips and cheeks is pink;
The pale flag of death is not hoisted here. -
Are you here in a bloody shroud, Tybalt?
Oh, how can I honor you more?
How, with the same hand, I tore
The enemy who ruined your youth?
Forgive me, brother! Juliet, why
Are you still good now? Really?
Has disembodied death fallen in love with you?
And a skinny, vile monster in the dark
Does he keep you here for the pleasures of love?
I'm afraid - and that's why I'll stay with you,
And never from the black palace
I won't leave again. Here, here, with the worms,
I will remain your servants.
Here eternal rest for me will begin.
And here I will shake off the yoke of ominous stars
From a tired neck. - Well, for the last time,
Eyes, look; hands, hug!
You, lips, life's door, kiss
Seal the pact with selfish death! -
Come, bitter and stinking counselor,
My helmsman is hopeless, and break
O sharp stones, thin boat!
I drink to my love!
(A. Radlova)

And I still haven’t decided which one I like better.

“It’s difficult to talk about Shakespeare, all conversations turn out to be unfounded... He is too rich, too powerful. There seems to be nothing in human life that he would keep silent about, that he would not recreate! And with what ease and freedom!”

Conversations with Goethe, J.-P. Eckerman

Use of site materials www.site only possible

with the permission of the author, the official representative of the Juliet Club in Russia.

Volumes of research have been written about Shakespeare, the great playwright and poet who was born, worked and died in England, but with the power of his creations crossed the borders of countries and centuries, and countless hymns have been composed in his honor. Devoting this section mainly to the history of the text of the tragedy "Romeo and Juliet", its publications and translations into Russian and some other languages, we consider it our duty to dedicate our material to the author of the famous play himself. In our section we provide biographical information about the playwright, articles about editions of Romeo and Juliet and research by Shakespeare scholars. Since two spellings of Shakespeare’s name have been established in the Russian language: “William” and “William,” we will use here both forms, found in different authors and inherent in different transcriptions. We do not delve into the notorious “issue of authorship” and the controversy between adherents of Stratfordian and non-Stratfordian views on this issue, presenting the materials mainly in a traditional manner.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in the city of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, a county in the heart of England. It is believed (since the end of the 18th century) that he was born on St. George, April 23. But this date is rather symbolic, because... Shakespeare's exact birthday is actually unknown. However, thanks to the entry in the book of the church of St. Trinity - "Gulielmus filius Johannes Shakspere"- it is known that he received the sacrament of baptism on April 26, 1564. According to church rules, children were usually baptized three days after birth, so in this case the estimated number appears. The earthly journey of the Great Bard ended 52 years later, also in April, 23 or 24 days (according to another version - on the 11th). The inscription on the monument above his grave says: "Obiit anno 1616 aetat" is 53". Shakespeare was buried on April 25, 1616, under the choir of St. Trinity in Stratford. A few years later (probably in 1621) a bust by a Dutch sculptor was erected next to his grave Gerard Jensen / Gerart Jansen (Gerard Johnson) . It is possible that it was created based on Shakespeare's death mask, although the features of both images are not identical. The original feather was placed in the hand of the statue in 1790. In its original design, the bust was multi-colored; the original colors were revived during restoration in 1749. But, as they say, the painted image of Shakespeare did not suit the taste of his famous biographer and commentator Edmond Melon, who found the multicoloredness incompatible with his idea of ​​the great man, so in 1793 the bust was covered with light paint. Its original appearance was restored in 1861 and remains that way to this day.

“The enlightened reader knows that Shakespeare and Walter Scott both presented their gravediggers as cheerful and playful, in order to strike our imagination more strongly by this contrast.” (A. S. Pushkin, “Belkin’s Tales”)

Starting from the 19th century, the texts of Shakespeare's works began to be used as a source of biographical information. The sources of later studies of Shakespeare's life are, in addition to legends and not too numerous references to his contemporaries, official documents and notarized acts. All named sources are verified and compared.

In 1887 "Sketches of the Life of Shakespeare" released James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps,1820-1889 , placing emphasis in his work on the presentation of factual material he carefully collected. The book was preceded by two of his works, published in 1848 and 1881. Features of the approach of the Danish researcher, literary critic George Brandes (1842-1927) was to connect facts from Shakespeare’s biography with his work and with the culture of the Renaissance in general. The result of his in-depth development was the work "William Shakespeare" , published in 1896.

The development of domestic Shakespearean studies was accomplished, to a large extent, thanks to the work of such prominent Soviet and Russian specialists as Mikhail Mikhailovich Morozov (1897-1952) - "Comments on Shakespeare's plays" (1941), "Shakespeare on the Soviet stage" (1947), "Shakespeare", a book in the series "The Life of Remarkable People" (1947); Smirnov Alexander Alexandrovich (1883-1962) - "The Work of Shakespeare", 1934, "Shakespeare", 1963, posthumously; Anikst Alexander Abramovich - (1910-1988) , "First editions of Shakespeare", 1974, "Shakespeare: The Craft of a Playwright", 1974, "Shakespeare's Work", 1963, "Shakespeare" (ZhZL), 1964, a series of educational television programs; Alexey Vadimovich Bartoshevich (born 1939) - “The Poetics of Early Shakespeare”, M., 1987, “Shakespeare Rediscovered”, “Shakespeare W. Comedies and Tragedies” trans. from English O. Soroki., M.: Agraf, 2001., a series of programs and lectures on television, including “Shakespeare. 20th century", "The Man from Stratford". This area of ​​knowledge is further expanded thanks to the diversity of research of the new generation of Shakespeare scholars.

Despite the works of many scientists, it cannot be said that Shakespeare’s biography has been studied thoroughly and there are no blank spots in it. We present here its main milestones. We have prepared and bring to your attention the following

IN 1623 in format folio, or folio(Folio is book size, corresponding to half a regular printer's sheet), The first complete works of the playwright William Shakespeare were published (with the exception of the plays "Pericles" and "The Two Noble Kinsmen"). This project was made possible thanks to the efforts of John Heminge and Henry Condell (John Heminge, 1556-1630 and Henry Condell, died in 1627) , friends and colleagues of Shakespeare. The book is preceded by a message to readers on behalf of Heminge and Condell, as well as a poetic dedication to Shakespeare by the playwright Ben Jonson (Bemjamin Jonson, 1572-1637) , who was at the same time his literary opponent, critic and friend who contributed to the publication "The Great Folio" (The Great Folio of 1623).

History of the text of the tragedy "Romeo and Juliet"

Romeo and Juliet, one of Shakespeare's early lyrical dramas, is generally dated to 1594-95. The earliest dating of the play has arisen in connection with the assumption that work on it may have begun as early as 1591, then been postponed and completed approximately two years later. Thus, 1593 turns out to be the earliest of the dates under consideration, and 1596 is the latest, because the following year the text of the play was already published. It is almost certain that the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet was presented by the troupe of the Lord Chamberlain's Men in 1596, apparently in James Burbage's Theater (then performances could have taken place on the stage of the Curtain Theater, where in 1597 year the troupe played). The role of Romeo in the play was performed by the main actor of the troupe Richard Burbage (1568-1619) , who was 28 years old at the time, most likely played the role of Juliet Robert Gough or Goffe (d. 1624) , a boy actor who often played the leading female roles in Shakespeare's early plays. Famous comedian of the troupe William Kemp (d. 1603) played by Pietro.

To this day, none of the manuscripts that belonged to Shakespeare himself are in possession. The text of the play was first printed in 1597 in the format Quattro, or in-quatro (Quatro - an edition of a single work, the page size of which was equal to a quarter of the printer's usual sheet). The title was proclaimed as follows: "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, excellently presented, as it was many times (with great applause) enacted before the public by the Servants of the Right Honorable Lord Hunsdon." AN EXCELLENT conceited Tragedie of Romeo anf Juliet, As it hath been often (with great applause) plaid publiquely, by the right Honorable the L. of Hunsdon his Seruants. LONDON, Printed by John Danter. 1597. This is the first edition of the tragedy printed John Denter (d. 1599) in a pirate way, without indicating Shakespeare's name, it is customary to call "bad quatro" (Bad Quatro) , because it presents an incomplete version of the text, reconstructed from memory by the actors of the troupe. Although in the text of the first quattro There are many inaccuracies: omissions, repetitions or rearrangements of words or lines, this reconstruction contains notes and stage directions associated with the first productions of the play. None of the plays released in the format quattro, did not contain a breakdown into parts, with the exception of the first quattro"Romeo and Juliet" (on the contrary, in the text folio The acts and scenes of the play are carefully marked). Disadvantages of the first quattro(Q1) should have eliminated the second, "good quattro"(Q2). The new edition of the text of the tragedy in 1599 was presented as a complete replacement of the previous one, and not as an edition of it. The title page says this: “The most excellent and saddest tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Translated, expanded and improved: as it has been repeatedly presented in public by the Servants of the Right Honorable Lord Chamberlain. - THE MOST EXCELLENT AND LAMENTABLE Tragedie of Romeo and Juliet. Newly corrected, augmented, and amended: As it hath bene sundry times publiquely acted, by the right Honorable the Lord Chamberlaine his Seruants. LONDON. Printed by Thomas Creede, for Cuthbert Burby, and are to be sold at his shop neare the Exchange. 1599. The text was printed in the printing house Thomas Creed (1593 - 1617) for publishers and booksellers Cuthbert Burby (d. 1607). It is believed that much of Q2's text was based on Shakespeare's drafts and working notes. All subsequent editions of the play are based to one degree or another on second quattro, including modern ones. Their long series opens:

"Nur ein Werk hat die Liebe selbst geschrieben: es ist Romeo und Julia",

G. E. Lessing, Hamburgische Dramaturgie, 1767-1769

"Only one work describes love itself - this is Romeo and Julia,"

G. E. Lessing, Hamburg Drama

Russian translations of Shakespeare's tragedy

"Translations are what gives every nation the opportunity

draw from the treasures of another, exchange your past,

share your present and forge the future together."

T. L. Shchepkina-Kupernik. About translations of Shakespeare, "Art and Life", 1940

“What motivates a translator when he takes on a work that has been translated many times...? He is motivated, inspired by the desire to find undiscovered treasures in this open country, the desire to see, hear and feel what has been neglected or what has eluded his predecessors "

A. D. Radlova. How I work on Shakespeare translations. Literary contemporary. - L., 1034. - No. 3

History of translations of the play "Romeo and Juliet"

It should be noted that in the 16th and 17th centuries the public became acquainted with Shakespeare not from the originals, but from various adaptations of his plays. This concerned not only the translation of Shakespeare's original into other languages, but also plot changes. Already in 1662 William Davenant (1606-1668) And James Howard presented the play "Romeo and Juliet" in two versions - with a tragic and a happy ending. Thomas Otway (1652 - 1685) wrote a drama based on Shakespeare's play "The History and Fall of Caius Marius" (1680) , the action of which was transferred to the times of ancient Rome. He named Romeo Marius and Juliet Lavinia. The warring parties were the senators Metellus and Marius the Elder, unequal in origin. Otway's adaptation was so popular that it displaced Shakespeare's original from the stage for many years. Other adaptations followed, adapting the content of Shakespeare's play to the style of classicism or romanticism. The most typical examples are the French versions Jean Francois Ducis (1722-1816) "Romeo and Juliet" (Romeo et Juliette, 1772) and Louis-Sebastien Mercier (1740-1814) "The Tombs of Verona" (Les tombeax de Verona, 1782) , Moreover, the happily ending drama in five acts of Mercier was based on Shakespeare’s play indirectly - through alteration "Romeo and Julia" / Romeo und Julie (1768) by the German playwright Christian Felix Weisse (1726-1804) . According to Shakespeare and Weiss Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter (1746-1797) in 1776 he wrote the libretto for the singspiel (musical and dramatic production) George Benda (1722-1795) Romeo und Julie .

The authors freely treated the Shakespearean text, introducing or excluding some dialogue and subplots, changing the ending. In turn, translators in other countries, including Russia, created stage adaptations of French adaptations. This approach to Shakespeare's drama persisted until about the 19th century, when there was a tendency to turn to the original texts. Edition (1748) of the famous David Garric (1717-1779) was already closer to Shakespeare. In Russia and in many other countries, Shakespeare's play about Romeo and Juliet became known from translations of the previously mentioned adaptation by Louis Sebastien Mercier (1782), made in 1790 by V. Pomerantsev and 1827 by A. Rotchev. These versions (with a happy ending) were used for stage productions. Subsequently, translations began to be based on Shakespeare's original.There are a number of Russian translations of Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet". Information about the earliest ones is given according to the list specified in the edition of the collected works of William Shakespeare edited by D. Mikhalovsky (5th edition. St. Petersburg, 1899)

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

1. Romeo and Juliet. Tragedy in five acts by Shakespeare. Translation by I. Roskovshenko.

("Library for Reading", 1839 , vol. XXXIII, N 4, dep. I, pp. 81-228.)

Romeo and Juliet. Separate edition.

Moscow in the printing house of V. Grachev and Comp. 1861 . (In 8th d. l., pp. I-XXVI and 1-158.)

2. Romeo and Julia. Drama in five acts. Op. William Shakespeare. Translation by M. Katkov.

("Pantheon", 1841 , Part I, Dept. I, pp. 1-64.)

Even before appearing in the light of M. Katkov's complete translation, five excerpts from this drama (act I, act V, act II, act V, act III, act III and act V, acts I, II, III and IV) were published in "Moscow Observer" (1838, part XVI, pp. 94-95 and 385-400; part XVII, pp. 458-462; part XVIII, pp. 80-91; and 1839, part I, pp. 16-22); and in “Son of the Fatherland” (1839, volume VII, section I, pp. 15-42) the entire first act from this translation was published.

3. Romeo and Juliet. Drama in five acts by William Shakespeare. Translation by N. Grekov.

("Lamp", 1862 , book IV, dept. I, pp. 5-156.) Reprinted, in corrected form, in 1st and 2nd editions

"The Complete Dramatic Works of Shakespeare" in translations of Russian writers".

Three excerpts from this translation (Act I, Scene I, Act II, Scenes I, III and VI and Act V, Scene III) were published, before the full translation appeared, in the "Library for Reading" (1859, Vol. . CLIII, N 1, department I, pp. 68-80), "Moskovsky Vestnik" (1860, N 52, pp. 851-863) and in the first supplement to the magazine "V-k" for 1861 ( pp. 11-12).

4. Romeo and Juliet. The tragedy of William Shakespeare. Translation by Apollon Grigoriev.

("Russian Scene", 1864 , N 8, pp. 401-460.)

5. Romeo and Juliet. Tragedy in five acts by Shakespeare. Translation by A. L. Sokolovsky.

The Complete Works of Shakespeare. T. III. 1880 .

Also in his edition of all Shakespeare in his translations.

Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare. Translation from English by N. Ketcher.

("Shakespeare", 1866 , part VI, pp. 331-437.) Prose translation.

E Five more translated passages from this tragedy:

1. Scene from Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Julia". Translation**.

("Northern Flowers" 1829 , dept. II, p. 194,) Act II, scene II.

2. Scene from Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Julia". Translation**.

("Northern Flowers" , 1830 , dept. II, pp. 108-123.) Act III, scene I.

3. Scenes from Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Julia". Translation by M.

("Russian World", 1862 , N 13, p. 297.) Act II, scenes I and II.

4. Excerpt from the 2nd scene of the 2nd act of “Romeo and Julia”. Translation by Ustryalov.

("The Works of Heinrich Heine" 1864 , vol. III, p. 233.)

5. Scene from Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Julia". Translation by P. Kuskov.

("Dawn", 1870 , N 10, p. 91.)

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

By 1950, many of Shakespeare's plays had appeared in several Russian translations, individual works had been translated into twenty-seven languages ​​of the peoples of the USSR, more than one and a half million copies of editions of Shakespeare's plays had been published, and an edition of the complete works of Shakespeare had been published in English.

An essay by St. Petersburg philologist Konstantin Vasiliev is devoted to inaccuracies in Russian translations

Shakespeare's plays "Romeo and Juliet"

(Magazine "Siberian Lights", N 11, 2015)

“If we compare at least the opening lines of the play, we see a strong range of translation opinions, and for the Russian reader it remains a mystery: Shakespeare’s character “bites his finger” (“at someone”) or twists a fig, what is the connection with the coal miners, and what is with the wall : who clings to her, who is pulled away from her for some reason, and who is pressed... A literal translation of Shakespeare's text will be absurd: in many cases it is necessary to look for correspondences, come up with Russian wordplay to replace the English one... Shchepkina-Kupernik's translation is more accurate than others, she, for example, correctly conveys the play with the word "wall" in Samson's boast. I undertook to explain the meaning of only a small passage, noting that not all translators understood it, but there are about a dozen such places throughout the work (they were also received by native speakers conflicting interpretations). If my essay fits into your literary pages, you can post it on your website. Perhaps, over time, such explanations will be useful to those who undertake a new translation of the play."

I smeared wormwood on my nipples -
And she sat down with her by the wall of the dovecote,
In the sun. You weren't there that day:
You went to Mantua with your husband.
(What a good memory I have!)
When the child tasted the breasts,
With wormwood, and felt bitterness, -
Poor thing, how wrinkled she is!
She dropped her chest, and at that very moment
Suddenly our dovecote began to shake.
I'll get away quickly - God forbid, just my legs!
Eleven years have passed since then...
She already knew how to stand then.
No, what am I! I could walk and run,
Clinging to something. She
I bruised my forehead the day before
Same day; and my husband is a funny guy
There was a dead man - he picked up the child
And he says: “Your face fell,
But when you become smarter,
Then you will fall backwards. “Is that so, Julia?”
And the fool, I promise you, stopped
Immediately she cried and said, “yes.”
You see how a joke helps.
Even if I lived a thousand years,
I wouldn’t forget this to the death.
"Isn't that right, Julia?" he asked; baby
She held back her tears and said, “yes.”

Signora Capulet

Enough about this, stop it
Please.

Nurse

I'll stop, signora.
But I can't stop laughing
I just remember how, having left my cry,
She said yes, but she had
A huge lump appeared on my forehead -
She hurt herself painfully and sobbingly
I started crying. He says: "In person
You fell, when you grow up,
Then you will fall backwards. Is that right, Juyaya?"
She restrained herself and said, “yes.”

Juliet

You too, please, restrain yourself.

Nurse

OK.
I won't do it anymore. God bless you!
Of the children I fed,
You were the most beautiful of all.
Oh, if only I could wait for your wedding.

Signora Capulet

This is the subject I want
Talk. Juliet, daughter, tell me
Do you wish to get married?

Juliet

To me
He does not dream of this honor.

Nurse

Honor!
If only I were not your nurse
I was the only one, then I would say
That you sucked in the mind with milk.

Signora Capulet

Well, now think about marriage.
There are respectable gentlemen in Verona,
Mothers who are younger
You, Juliet; yes, me too
I was already a mother in those years,
What kind of girls do you remain in?
Here's the thing: young Count Paris
He wants your hand.

Nurse

Ah, Juliet,
Here's a man! such and such a person
What equal cannot be found in the world!
Picture, wax!

Signora Capulet

In Verona flower beds
There is no such flower in the summer.

Nurse

Yes, truly a flower, just as a flower is!

Signora Capulet

What can you tell me, Juliet? Can you
Will you love him? Today we have
You will see Paris at the evening.
Then read the whole book carefully
His faces, look at his features,
What are inscribed by the hand of beauty,
And notice how they all agree
One with the other; and if anything is unclear
You'll see that you can read his eyes -
Then you will understand everything unclear.
For the completeness of that precious book,
Unrelated, she needs a cover
As precise as the depth for a fish,
And outer beauty should
Give a glimpse of beauty from the innermost gaze.
For most it becomes more valuable
The whole book is from the richness of the binding;
The advantages here are shared with her,
In the eyes of the crowd, clasps, gilding;
So exactly everything that the count has,
In alliance with him, you will share in no way
Without losing what she had.

Nurse

Without losing! there is only one profit here -
After all, women get fat from men.

Signora Capulet

Well, speak quickly, Juliet,
How do you like Paris's love?

Juliet

I will look at him to love him,
When love can be aroused,
Moreover, I will let my eyes look,
As much as you like.

A servant enters.

Signora, the guests have gathered, the dinner table is set, they are waiting for you and asking
The signorina and nurse are cursed in the pantry. The turmoil is terrible, I have to go
serve. For God's sake, go quickly. (Leaves.)

Signora Capulet

Let's go now. - Juliet, the Count is already there!

Nurse

Go, my light, to your happy days,
I wish you happy nights.

SCENE IV

Street.
Enter Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio, several
masks and servants with torches.

Should we say something upon entering?
Or just go in, without preamble?

Benvolio

They are no longer in fashion; Cupid,
With a blindfold, with a Tatar bow
Painted, it does not come before us,
Scaring the ladies like a scarecrow crow.
We don't need any prologues
With hesitations, prompted by the prompter.
Let them consider us what they want;
We'll just make them walk to the beat
Yes, and we'll get out of there.

Give me a torch -
I have no time for jumping now; in my heart
So hard; I will carry the torch.

Mercutio

No, my dear, you must dance.

I can't: you're wearing ballroom shoes,
On thin soles; I have the same
Melancholy lies on the heart like lead;
She chains me to the floor
I am unable to move.

Mercutio

Are you in love -
Well, borrow the wings from Cupid
And soar high above the earth.

I was wounded too seriously by his arrow,
To soar on these light wings.
Numb with grief, I can’t
I will rise above the numbing grief,
And I fall under its burden.

Mercutio

Having fallen with this burden, you yourself
You will burden love: it is tender,
Can't stand that kind of pressure.

Is love tender? No, too harsh
Rough, violent and prickly, like a thorn.

Mercutio

When love is so harsh with you,
Then you yourself be harsh with love;
Prick her when she is prickly,
And you will knock you off your feet and conquer love.
Let's put the case on my face,
(Puts on a mask.)
On a mask - a mask. What an image!
Let them laugh at me, what do I care?
Let this hari blush for me
Loose forehead.

Benvolio

Well, what then? Let's knock
Yes, let's go in.

Pass the torch to me.
Let the naughty ones with a cheerful, light heart
They move the soulless reed with their feet,
And I, adhering to the old proverb,
I will shine for you and watch: fun
Cheerful, but I was completely lost.

Mercutio

When you got into the mud, then you
We will pull you out of this swamp,
From this, if I may say so,
Love, where you're up to your neck. Come on,
We walk with fire during the day.

You're talking nonsense.

Mercutio

I say that we are burning in vain
We are our torches, like lamps during the day,
Not moving forward; understand, Romeo,
Our intentions are good
And this makes more than five times more sense,
Than in all our mental abilities.

We go with good intentions
To a masquerade - but there is no point at all.

Mercutio

And why? May I ask?

Last night I had a dream.

Mercutio

Me too.

What did you see in your dream?

Mercutio

Which is very common
Dreamers lie.

But they dream of truths.

Mercutio

Oh, I see that you had
Queen Mab, midwife of sorceresses.
She is very little: all of her
No more than an agate stone
On the sergeant's finger; drives around
On atoms drawn single file,
In your airy cart, over the noses
People who are sleeping. There are spokes in his wheels
Made from spider legs
A tire made from grasshopper wings,
From thin cobwebs - traces,
From the moonlight - clamps,
Whip - made from cricket bone for handle
And the thinnest film for the whip.
Her driver is a tiny mosquito
In a gray caftan; it's much smaller
Those worms that sometimes crawl
On the lazy finger of a girl.
Her cart is an empty hazelnut;
It was created by a skilled squirrel
Or a worm, which is for fairies
Chariots have worked since ancient times.
In such and such a parade, at night,
Queen Mab rushes in the lovers' brains, -
Then they dream dreams of love;
Or jumps on the laps of the courtiers -
And they dream of low bows;
Or the judge has it on his fingers - and to him
Dream about bribes; or I’ll give it to your lips -
And then they dream of kisses;
(But these sponges are often evil Mab
Covers with pimples for addiction
Them for treats); or on the nose of a nobleman
He passes and in his sleep he smells
New goodwill towards him;
And sometimes the priest’s nose will touch him,
With a bristle from a pig's tail - and immediately
He will dream of another arrival;
Sometimes it will go down your neck
In a sleeping soldier - and in a dream
He sees battles, attacks, ambushes,
Spanish blades, feasts and cups
Five feet deep; then again
He will imagine the thunder of drums, -
He will shudder and wake up with a curse
In fright, and having read the prayer,
He'll fall asleep again. She's this Mab
At night he braids his manes
In horses and in dirty lumps
Their hair gets knocked off; if they
Unravel, then big trouble threatens.
She, the witch, crushes those girls
That they sleep on their backs, teaching them in advance
Them to gravity, and makes them
Good wives.

Will you shut up?
Mercutio? After all, you are talking nonsense.

Mercutio

Yes, that's right: I'm talking about dreams,
The fiends of an unoccupied brain,
From nothing conceived to empty
Fantasies. It is thinner than ether;
More changeable than the wind that first
The cold breast of the north caresses,
And suddenly then, angry, he flies
Get away from there, turning your face
To the countries of the dew-moistened south.

Benvolio

And that wind confuses us.
What are we waiting for? Dinner is probably over there.
And we will arrive too late.

And I
I'm afraid it's too early; soul to me
Some premonition is disturbing:
It seems to me that it is hanging over me
There's some kind of threat in the constellations,
That this feast is just a bitter beginning
My destiny, and it will end
An untimely, violent death.
But let him rule my boat,
Who holds its helm in His right hand.
Forward, gentlemen.

Benvolio

Beat the drum.

SCENE V

Hall in the Capulet house.
Musicians on stage. Servants enter.

1st servant

Where is Potpan? Why doesn't he help clean up? After all, his job is to change
plates and wipe tables!

2nd servant

When all the net work lies in the hands of only one or two people and
these hands are not washed, only dirt comes out.

1st servant

Away with those folding chairs, move away that sideboard, and keep an eye on
dishes. - Please save me a piece of marzipan, and be a friend:
the gatekeeper to let Susanna and Lenora through here. - Anton! Potpan!

3rd and 4th servants

Here! Now!

1st servant

They are looking for you, calling you, waiting, demanding you in the hall!

3rd servant

We cannot be both here and there at the same time. Live, guys!
move around. Whoever lives longer will take it all.

Enter Capulet, his uncle, Lady Capulet,
Juliet, the nurse, guests and Romeo, with masks.

Capulet

Welcome, greetings, gentlemen.
All the ladies who are on their feet
There are no calluses, they will dance with you. A,
Madams! let's see which one of you
Refuses to dance; if it becomes
Someone to pretend
I swear she has calluses.
Isn't it true that I cleverly tricked you?
(Mask.)
Hello to you, gentlemen! -
There was a time,
When I’m in the ear of beauties
Whispered captivating speeches,
Under the mask. It's already passed
It's gone, it's gone...
(to Romeo and masks:)
I'm glad to see you, gentlemen.
Well, musicians, let's begin! - I beg
Move apart; girls, dance!

Music. The guests are dancing.

(To the servants.)
Hey you idiots, more light! away
Tables! Extinguish the fire in the fireplace:
And without him it became too hot here.
This is truly what came in handy
Unexpected fun.
(To Uncle)
No, sit down
Sit, my good uncle; dance time
It's gone for you and me. How long ago
Last time we wore masks?

Uncle Capulet

Probably about thirty years old.

Capulet

What are you talking about, that's enough!
It can’t be that long ago; from the wedding
Lucentio has passed twenty-five years,
No more, whenever
Trinity Day. For the last time then
We were wearing masks.

Uncle Capulet

More; his son
Much older: he is thirty years old.

Capulet

Interpret! after all, son two years ago
He also had a guardian.

Romeo
(servant)

Who is this lady
What gave that man your hand?

I don't know, sir.

The lamps dimmed before her;
Like a diamond on a noob_and_anka's earring,
She shines with her beauty in the darkness,
Priceless, accessible only to the eyes,
Not made to have it.
The beauty is surrounded by a crowd:
She's like a white dove there,
When the crows gather around.
Just let her finish her dance -
I'll come up with a rough hand
To touch her divine hands.
Have I ever loved before?
Oh, renounce this, my sight!
After all, these eyes are true beauties
Not seen until this night.

Tybaldo
(listening)

From the voice, it's a Montague. - Boy!
Give me my sword! How! the scoundrel dared
Enter here, under a jester's mask,
So that over our family celebration
It’s impudent and brazen to mock!
I swear on the honor of my family,
I would not consider it a sin to kill him!

Capulet

What are you raging about, nephew?
What's the matter?

Tybaldo

Uncle, this is Montague,
Our enemy, the scoundrel who got here,
To mock our holiday.

Capulet

Romeo - this young man?

Tybaldo

Yes he,
He, the scoundrel Romeo.

Capulet

Calm down,
Leave him alone, don't hurt him; after all, he
He behaves as a nobleman should;
And, to tell the truth, all of Verona
Proud of him as an honest youth
And well-mannered - and I
For all the riches of the city of Verona
I won't allow it in my house
He was offended.
So, restrain yourself, don’t notice him:
I want it that way. When you respect
My desires, then look cheerful
Accept it, don't frown, it's inappropriate
On the holiday.

Tybaldo

It is just appropriate if,
Among the guests, a scoundrel climbed in,
And I don’t want to endure it.

Capulet

You'll get over it! Arrogant boy!
I say you will. - Go,
Who is the boss here: me or you? go!
You don't want to move it!
Oh my God! the commotion you want
Produce among my guests?
Making a fuss? Enough, be a man.

Tybaldo

But, uncle, this is a shame.

Capulet

Go, go
You are a cheeky boy. Ashamed? Indeed?
Your enthusiasm will not lead to good.
Contradict me! You just found the time.
(Addressing the guests.)
Well said.
(to Tybaldo)
Well, go ahead
Baby, don't make any noise, otherwise...
(To the servants.)
Add more candles!
(to Tybaldo)
Well, shame on you!
I will pacify you!
(to guests)
Well, it's more fun
My friends!

Tybaldo

Involuntary patience
And free anger comes into conflict,
And my whole body trembles from them.
Friendly accept I must look -
And to reconcile with impudence for a while;
But my patience will turn into bile!

Romeo
(to Juliet)

When my unworthy hand
I could insult your shrine,
Let my lips, two pilgrims,
To atone for my sweet sin with a kiss.

Juliet

But, pilgrim, there is little guilt
Your hand: piety is visible in it;
Pilgrims are allowed to use their hands
Touch the hands of the saints with prayer,
And they shake each other’s hands themselves,
Shaking hands is kissing them.

But, in addition to hands, they were also given lips.

Oh, if so, then, dear saint,
Let your lips pray, imitating
My hand; give her grace
So that I don’t lose my faith.

Juliet

The saints remain motionless,
At least they send mercy for prayer.

Don't move until you ask
I am merciful with my prayers...
(Kisses her.)
Well, now I have washed away the sin,
Connecting my lips with yours.

Juliet

And on my lips your sin lies.

How cute you are indignant at this!
Give it back if it bothers you.
(Kisses her again.)

Juliet

You, pilgrim, kiss the breviary.

Nurse
(approaching)

Mother is calling you.
(Juliet leaves.)

And who is she?

Nurse

Do not know? My God! mistress of the house;
So kind and so smart
Signora; I fed her daughter
The same one with whom I am now
You said; and I can assure you
That the one who gets it
And he will get good money.

So she's Capulet's daughter? Badly!
Now my whole life is in the hands of the enemy.

Benvolio
(approaching)

Let's go, let's go, the fun is over.

Ended; I'm afraid of it
I part with my peace of mind.

Capulet

No, gentlemen, don't go yet:
What else should I treat you to?
It is forbidden? - So I thank you all,
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, ladies and gentlemen.
Good night! - Torches here!
Now - to bed: I want to sleep. It's too late.

Everyone leaves except Juliet and the nurse.

Juliet

Come here, nurse. Tell -
Who is the gentleman over there?

Nurse

Son and heir
Tiberio.

Juliet

And the one that comes out the door?

Nurse

I think Petruchio is young.

Juliet

And the one who follows him, who
Didn't dance?

Nurse

Don't know.

Juliet

Find out
Who is he.
(The nurse leaves.)
Oh, if he's married,
Then the coffin alone will be my wedding bed.

The nurse returns.

Nurse

He is your enemy Montague's son
The only one; his name is Romeo.

Juliet

Among my only feud
My one and only love has arisen.
I didn’t find out who he was in time;
I saw him at the wrong time!
My love will not lead to good:
I fell in love with my sworn enemy.

Nurse

What? what are you doing there?

Juliet

I remember the poems
Which one taught me
From the cavaliers.
(Behind the stage they call: “Juliet!”)

Nurse

We are going! Now! -
Let's go, it's time, all the guests have left.
(They leave.)

The Choir enters.

The old passion suddenly cooled,
And a new passion replaced it;
The one who captured Romeo's heart
Lost power over this heart;
Her beauty has ceased to be beauty
In his eyes - and he fell in love again.
Juliet captivated his gaze,
He himself is loved - dangerous love!
As the enemy of Juliet's family, he does not dare
Enter her house with recognition as yours;
And has no hope
She wants to meet him.
But time sends them cases,
And the ardor of love gives them courage
For meetings - and a moment of bliss consoles
And it pours sweet joy into the heart.

ACT TWO

SCENE I

The area adjacent to the Capulet Garden.
Romeo enters.

Can I leave when my heart is here?
Come back, heavy dust, find
Your center.
(Climbs over the garden wall.)

Enter Benvolio and Mercutio.

Benvolio

Cousin Romeo! hey Romeo!

Mercutio

I swear he went home
And went to bed.

Benvolio

He ran here
And he climbed over this garden wall.
Call him Mercutio.

Mercutio

I will
Not only to call, but even to conjure.
Romeo! passion, lover, crazy,
Blessed! appear before us in the form of a sigh,
Say at least a rhyme - "blood, love"
At least a word in honor of the chatterbox Aphrodite,
Or give her a funny nickname
Heir and son Cupid,
To the naughty boy who is so clever
King Kofetua shot the arrow
Suddenly he fell in love with a beggar. - He doesn't hear
Doesn't move - the monkey has died!
And I am forced to conjure him.
Appear to us; I conjure you
With the sparkling eyes of Rosaline,
Her brow, purple lips
And the leg, and the trembling thigh,
And everything that is there in the neighborhood -
Appear before us in your image!

Undoubtedly, this play is one of the most difficult works to translate. The most obvious difficulty is created by the poetic rhythm of the work, not to mention other related difficulties. Table 1 will show how different translation authors dealt with this: Pasternak, Mikhalkovsky, Grigoriev, Radlova, Soroka, and Shchepkina-Kupernik.

Table 1

Features of the translation of the work “Romeo and Juliet” by different translators

Analysis of translations based on table 1:

Grigoriev's translation is particularly complex. Clarity was never part of Grigoriev's critical talent. It was not without reason that the extreme confusion and darkness of the presentation scared the public away from his works.

“Rom. What, shall this speech be spoken for our excuse?

Or shall we on without apology?

Ben. The date is out of such prolixity."

"Romeo. Well, how? With an apology speech

Or will we go in without excuses?

Benvolio. The fashion has passed by now,”

“The clear smile of the gray-eyed dawn

The gloomy night drives away and turns golden

Stripes of light from the clouds of the east, "

Grigoriev also tries to follow the original, which sometimes sounds very ridiculous in the original version:

Wife. Nurse, where's my daughter? Call her forth to me.

Nurse. Now, by my maidenhead at twelve year old,

I bade her come. What, lamb! what a ladybird!

“Enter SIGNORA CAPULET and THE NURSE.

Signora Capulet. Nurse, where is your daughter? Call her out!

Nurse. Yes, I clicked; here's my old one

Maiden's honor is a guarantee!

Oh, you little bird!

Oh, you little sheep! Lord have mercy!

Where's the goat? Where are you, Juliet?

Grigoriev's translation does not feel the rhythm of the original. In an effort to maintain the high style of the work, the translator’s text does not feel light, the lines are always different, the rhythm is lost, and in some places it even comes down to the usual translation:

Ben. See where he comes. So please you step aside,

I"ll know his grievance, or be much denied.

Mon. I would thou wert so happy by thy stay

“ROMEO appears in the distance.

Benvolio.

Here he is. You better get out of here...

I’ll find out if it’s not, but I’ll try.

Montagues. God bless you! At least he's with you

He was sincere! Wife, let’s go home!”

In Mikhailovsky's translation one can feel the rhythm of the original:

“Prince.” Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,

Profaners of this neighbor-stained steel-

Will they not hear?

What, ho! you men, you beasts,

That quench the fire of your pernicious rage

With purple fountains issuing from your veins!

“Prince. Rebels, enemies of peace,

Disgracing their swords with blood

Fellow citizen! Hey! - don’t they hear?.. People, animals,

Extinguishing the fire of their enmity

Destructive purple jets

From your veins!

It can also be said that Mikhailovsky does not use words that are too difficult to understand; it is clear that he sticks to the middle:

"Enter Capulet"s Wife, and Nurse.

Wife. Nurse, where's my daughter? Call her forth to me.

Nurse. Now, by my maidenhead at twelve year old,

I bade her come. What, lamb! what a ladybird!

God forbid! Where"s this girl? What, Juliet!"

“Signora Capulet and the nurse enter.

Signora Capulet

Nurse, where is my daughter? Call

Her to me.

Nurse

My innocence at twelve years old

I swear I already called her.

Lamb, fluttering bird!

Oh, Lord, where is she? - Juliet!

A distinctive feature of Radlova's translation is its simplicity and ease. Its translation does not contain any complex structures, there are no sublime words, which provides the maximum opportunity for understanding the original:

“Cap. When the sun sets the air doth drizzle dew,

But for the sunset of my brother's son

It rains downright."

“Capulet. With the sunset the dew falls, But my nephew the sunset is drenched in rain.”

Excessive simplicity and freedom in translation confused critics of that time, for example, even K.I. Chukovsky accused Radlova of comprehensively coarsening her works.

Ben. See where he comes. So please you step aside,

I"ll know his grievance, or be much denied.

Mon. I would thou wert so happy by thy stay

To hear true font. Come, madam, let "s away,"

“Romeo enters.

Benvolio. Here he comes. I'll forgive you, go away

I will find out everything, or all the threads will be tangled.

Montagues. May your game be happy, To find out the truth. Let's go, it's time!

The enormous merit of Boris Pasternak in translating Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet" lies in the fact that, translating primarily for the theater, he decisively broke with literalism, striving for internal rather than external similarity. Take for example the conversation between two servants at the very beginning of Romeo and Juliet. Here is the literal translation: “Gregory, honestly, we will not carry coals.” “No, otherwise we would become coal miners.” “I want to say: if we get angry, we will draw our swords.” “While you are alive, don’t get your neck caught in a noose.” The whole “salt” here is in puns: “Carrying coals” is doing the most pitiful, shameful job for a “noble lackey.” Pasternak superbly recreates the very spirit of these puns pouring in one after another: “Remember, Grigory, don’t hit your face in the dirt. - What are you. On the contrary. Just get caught in the face with dirt. - We’ll give them a bath. - We’d like to get away with it ourselves.” Dialogues of this kind in Pasternak are always lively and clear.

As can be seen from this example, Pasternak follows the path of “free translation”. At first glance, it may seem that he is simply reviving the traditions of the school of those old translators who did not so much strive to recreate the original as retell it in their own words.

“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!”

“But what kind of shine do I see on the balcony?

There is light there. Juliet, you are as clear as day!”

After reading this translation, you will immediately notice that the lush colors of the “elegant Renaissance” have faded somewhat in it. Everything was illuminated with soft, white, daylight. Somehow the stormy, all-consuming flame of Shakespeare's passions softened; but there was more warmth, more sincerity in the feelings of the two young lovers.

The translation also contains deviations from the semantic content of the original. In some cases, he does not modify, but rather simplifies Shakespeare's thought.

"Friar." The grey-ey"d morning smiles on the frowning night,

Check"ring the Eastern clouds with streaks of light;"

“The night is angry, and the day is stealthily

Paints clouds with paint"

Pasternak’s translation preserves Shakespeare’s aphorism and pathos, for example in the words of Romeo:

Love brought me here.

Walls don't stop her.

If Pasternak's translation is more of a free translation, then Shchepkina-Kupernik's translation has a more careful approach: she better preserves the style of the original, uses more appropriate words and comparisons. For example, the famous: “Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, wich mannerly devotion shows in this...” Shchepkina-Kupernik translates the image and sound similar: “Dear pilgrim, you are too strict with your hand, only piety in her...", and Pasternak translates: "Holy Father, shaking hands is legal. Shaking hands is a natural greeting..." Maybe the general meaning is preserved, but there is no music. If Shakespeare says “pilgrim” and we can say “pilgrim” in Russian, then in principle there is no need to replace this word with a synonym. Yes, and I don’t really want to call Romeo a holy father, although “father” here means a monk or priest, but still this word does not sound in relation to a handsome, ardent young man, just as “holy mother” does not sound in relation to Juliet. There is another not entirely successful, in my opinion, place in Pasternak, when Signora Capulet speaks to Juliet about Paris’s matchmaking: “Speak briefly, can you like of Paris” love?” And Juliet replies: “I”ll look to like, if looking liking move..." Shchepkina-Kupernik translates this as follows: "As you look at his love, answer." - “I’ll try to look kindly...” Pasternak translates: “Well, will you take care of his special one?” - “I don’t know yet, I need to do a test...” - it sounds like this is a conversation between two experienced courtesans, which hurts the ear a little. True, one can also find oddities in Shchepkina-Kupernik. Juliet ends the exchange of allegories and kisses in Shakespeare with the words “You kiss by th” book, in place of which in Shchepkina-Kupernik there is “The guilt has been removed from you”, in Pasternak - “My friend, where did you learn to kiss?”, and in Mikhalovsky - “You, pilgrim, kiss according to the breviary.” (perhaps the most correct of the three options).

The translation of Hosea Magpies was made relatively recently. His translation shows how the line between a free translation and the transmission of the original’s thoughts is observed:

“Enter Benvolio and Romeo.

Ben. Tut, man, one fire burns out another's burning;

One pain is lessoned by another"s anguish;

Turn giddy, and be holp by backward turning;

One desperate grief cures with another"s language"

“Enter Benvolio and Romeo.

Benvolio. Give it up. After all, one fire extinguishes another,

And the pain is dulled by other pain,

And grief is drowned out by new misfortune,

And the dizziness stops by spinning backwards.”

Hosea Soroka has the rare gift of turning Shakespeare's original to us with such facets, revealing its hidden meanings to our eyes.

The translator frees and cleanses Shakespeare's text from later sentimental-romantic layers, from pseudo-classical rhetoric - he returns to Shakespeare's poetry the broad and free breath of the era that created him.

“Rom. I must indeed; and therefore came I hither.

Good gentle youth, tempt not a desp"rate man.

Fly hence and leave me. Think upon these gone;

Let them affright them. I beseech thee, youth,

But not another sin upon my head

By urging me to fury. O, be gone!

By heaven, I love thee better than myself,

For I come hither arm"d against myself.

Stay not, be gone. Live, and hereafter say

A madman's mercy bid thee run away."

“I’m going to my death.

Then I came.

Dear young man, don’t tease trouble.

Run away from here. Remember the dead

And be afraid. Oh don't make me angry

And don’t hang a new sin around my neck.

I love you more than myself.

After all, I came here to commit suicide.

Leave without delay, live -

And you will say yourself, saved from death,

That a madman spared you.”

Having analyzed Table 1, it was revealed: Grigoriev is a translator and writer of the old school who preferred free translation. Also in the translation there are complex and sublime words that complicate the understanding of the text. Mikhailovsky, as a translator who knows several European languages, tried to preserve the rhythm and beauty of the original. Radlova, a translator and poet, makes her translation simple and easy. Pasternak broke with literalism, striving for internal rather than external similarity. Shchepkina-Kupernik, as a translator-writer, has a careful approach to the translation of Shakespeare: she better preserves the style of the original, and also selects appropriate words and comparisons. Hosea Soroka, an experienced translator of English-language literature, frees the original from unnecessary rhetoric and layers, which returns broad and free breath to Shakespeare's poetry. Hosea Soroka's translation is a fresh look at old things.

What is the best translation of "Romeo and Juliet"?

1. I like Boris Pasternak's translation more than anyone else.
2. Translations

   Russian translations of the tragedy have appeared since the first half of the 19th century. A poetic translation of scenes from Romeo and Juliet was published in the magazine Moscow Observer M. N. Katkov in 1838.
   The first translation is considered to be that of I. Raskovshenko (1839).
   There are known translations by N. P. Grekov (Svetoch, 1862, 4), A. A. Grigoriev (Russian Stage, 1864, 8), D. L. Mikhalovsky (1888), A. L. Sokolovsky (1894), P. A Kanshina, T. Shchepkina-Kupernik, A. Radlova, Hosea Soroka, A. V. Flori and other poets and translators. The advantages and disadvantages of the most famous translations of the tragedy into Russian can be assessed based on several lines, so the following are the initial and final lines of the play in these translations:

   T. L. Shchepkina-Kupernik (according to the publication of Goslitizdat, 1950):
   In two families equal in nobility and glory, / In magnificent Verona, the bloody discord of days past flared up again / Forcing the blood of peaceful citizens to flow.
   The sad world brings us the luminary of the day / The face hides from grief in thick clouds. / Let’s go, let’s think about everything that happened. / Forgiveness for some, punishment awaits others. / But there is no sadder story in the world, / Than the story of Romeo and Juliet.

   Boris Pasternak:
   Two equally respected families / In Verona, where events greet us, / Are waging internecine battles / And do not want to stop the bloodshed.
   Your approach is shrouded in darkness. / The sun does not appear through the thick clouds. / Let’s go, let’s discuss the losses together / And we’ll accuse or acquit you. / And the story of Romeo and Juliet / Will remain the saddest in the world

   Ekaterina Savich:
   One day, two Verona families, / Having equal merit in everything, / Wash their hands in their own blood, / Keeping prejudices about each other
   The morning brings us a gloomy world, / And the sun is in no hurry to rise. / Let’s go and talk about everything / Who should be brought to justice, who should be forgiven. / There is not and will not be a sadder tune / Than the song about Juliet and Romeo.