literary translation

The subjects of research are Bulgarian translations of “Anthem” by Ferenc Kölcsey, a true national song of Hungarians, which, among other things, lead to the historical characteristics of the text, related to the interpretation and assimilation of nationally coloured vocabulary, drаw paths of translatability. In a similar plan, focused are issues of the historical specificity in translation, which are presented mostly by certain lexical units – historical concepts and proper names (toponyms and antroponyms), related to the important issue of the realities in translation. Phenomena highlighting the specific historical moment (the present) but also the historical distance (the past) and the perspective (the future) are outlined in the meanings of the original text. Problems of foreign national identity stand out – historical and cultural, related to the spirit of the nation, more or less distant in time, which are reflected in the language of translation. The role of the translator is particularly important, he must bring the reader closer to the ideas, themes and the specific imagery of the source text with the means of poetic language. It is also necessary to take into account – especially in new translations – the reception attitudes, background knowledge, accumulated experience, the increased opportunities for expressing unknown aspects and concepts of foreign reality. This is also the way to overcome cognitive and cultural differences in translation.