Dostoevsky’s landlady: portrayals of a mock German accent in Prestuplenie i Nakazanie (Crime and Punishment) in Russian and translation

Authors

  • Martin Paviour-Smith Massey University Author
  • Peter R. Petrucci Massey University Author
  • Akie Hirata Massey University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v5i1.81

Keywords:

Translation, Accent, Dialect, Stereotyping, Comic Accents

Abstract

This article explores the portrayal of a mock German accent spoken by a Germano-Russian landlady in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. The landlady’s mock accent is a type of fictionalized orality that, poking fun at German second language speakers of Russian, Dostoevsky used to entertain his readers. At the same time, the author’s use of the accent represents a not so subtle statement towards Germans and the German language in 19th century Petersburg. We examine the linguistic features Dostoevsky used to portray the accent and to what extent those features might be representative of a Russian speaker whose first language is German. We then look at three translations of the text – English, Japanese and German – to determine the linguistic strategies used to portray the fictionalized orality of the landlady’s German-accented speech. In the case of the English translation, German code-switching or exaggerated German-like intereference features were freely used to create a stereotypical German accent. The Japanese and German translations were not so straightforward. They relied instead on a translation of stereotypes more than on the language features present in the original work. Research examining fictionalized orality has shown that authors and translators need a sense of linguistic awareness at all levels in order to portray regional and social variation with accuracy and consistency. As this article reveals, the portrayal of mock accents also requires a heightened awareness of stereotypes and language attitudes.

Author Biographies

  • Martin Paviour-Smith, Massey University
    Martin Paviour-Smith is a lecturer in the linguistics programme at Massey University, New Zealand. His doctoral work was on the syntax of Pacific creoles and has since moved into language documentation. His sociolinguistics interests include the discursive construction of gender and sexuality, and identity formation in new media.
  • Peter R. Petrucci, Massey University
    Peter R. Petrucci teaches linguistics courses at Massey University, New Zealand. His research interests include the sociolinguistics of translation, language and the media, and language and identity among transnationals. He has recently published or presented research on Hollywood’s monolingual lens, the sociolinguistics of cinematic discourse, and the role of language in diaspora tourism.
  • Akie Hirata, Massey University
    Akie Hirata received her B.A. in linguistics and psychology, and her M.A. in second-language teaching from Massey University. She has taught Japanese at tertiary level including Japanese language and society. Her research interests broadly include psychological process behind language production, comprehension, and acquisition. She is planning to pursue a doctoral degree in the related field and is currently involved in research examining Japanese and English media releases of the same incidents.

Published

2012-07-12

How to Cite

Paviour-Smith, M., Petrucci, P. R., & Hirata, A. (2012). Dostoevsky’s landlady: portrayals of a mock German accent in Prestuplenie i Nakazanie (Crime and Punishment) in Russian and translation. Sociolinguistic Studies, 5(1), 81-101. https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v5i1.81