Transcultural Transformation of Onomastic Metaphor and Metonymy in Humoristic Discourse

Abstract

The paper discusses the problem of transcultural transformation of onomastic metaphor in Russian-Chinese humorous discourse in the light of the synergetic concept of translation space, which serves as the methodological basis of the study. The works of Russian Sinologists and Chinese onomasticians were also used as a theoretical basis for the study. The authors of the paper rely on the idea that in discursive metaphorical field, they are charactonyms having a unique cultural and value potential, that act as the linguistic embodiment of the onomastic metaphor. Onomastic metonymy is also embodied in discursive space. The combined study of both allows us to enhance the understanding of the onomastic metaphor as a motivated anthroponym and the onomastic metonymy as an anthroponym-derived nomination. To date, there is no consensus among scientists about the translation of onyms, including onomastic metaphonyms, into Chinese, which can lead to translation inconsistencies caused by misunderstanding of the author's intentions expressed by charactonyms, and, as a result, to weakening or disappearance of the humorous effect of the translated work. The process of transcultural transformation of onomastic metaphor and onomastic metonymy takes place in the translation space and can unfold in two directions. In the case of a positive development vector in the translation space, there is a synergistic increment of new metaphorical meanings, expanding the metaphorical and metonymic space of the anthroponym, which we consider to be a manifestation of remetaphorization / remetonymization  characteristic of harmonious translation. In the case of a negative vector of development, the metaphorical and metonymic space of the anthroponym narrows, there takes place demetaphorization / demetonymization, which means the emergence of disharmonious translation, weakening the humorous effect of the translated discourse. The material for the analysis in the present study was the humorous story by A. P. Chekhov The Order and its translation into Chinese. As a result of the study, it has been found that during translation, a transcultural transformation of the original onomastic model takes place, which acquires both positive and negative character. In the case of a positive character, there is a harmonious translation with the recreation of the humorous effect of the original.