Specifics of P. Low’s pentathlon approach to song translation (based on a musical “Mary Poppins”)

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the particularities of song translation. Approaches to the translation of songs are considered, in particular P. Low’s pentathlon approach, according to which there are five criteria for evaluating song translations. Each of the criteria is described in detail: rhythm, which involves maintaining the exact number of syllables in a line or verse and dictates how the translated text will be sung; rhyme, or repetition of final sounds, words or verses; naturalness, which is achieved through an effective and natural for the target language word order; fidelity to the original text, which is determined by the number of transformations that the text undergoes during translation; and singability is an aspect that determines the compatibility of a given text with a melody. The problem of achieving a satisfactory balance between the elements is highlighted. In this case, Low explains that the specifics of the genre allow for some flexibility in making translation decisions. According to the aims and tasks of the study, the lyrics of the musical film are analyzed against the criteria defined by Low's approach to determine the degree of fidelity to the original text in various aspects, such as rhyme, rhythm, sense and naturalness, and to explain what motivated the translator's decisions. Differences in the types of rhyming used in the source and target text are revealed. An example of onomatopoeia translated by preserving the naturalness of the target text is provided. A method of compensating for a smaller number of syllables by lengthening vowels when performing a song is proposed. The differences characterization between the original and the translated text are explained. The results of the analysis confirm the idea that songs are a specific type of lyrics that require a special approach, and the various semantic sources involved in the songs reveal their full potential when viewed in combination with each other. The particularities of song translation are demonstrated on the examples from the musical "Mary Poppins" (1964) and its Ukrainian dub made by the studio “Tak Treba Production”.