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The text under analysis is a short story "How My Friends Keep Me Going" by an Australian writer of the 20th century, Alan Marshall. It is an example of Belle-Lettres style, and the substyle of emotive prose. The story is written in the 1st person narrative containing 2 short dialogues rendered in direct speech. The “I”-narrator is the protagonist of the story.

The story is written in a humorous tone, and the general mood is facetious ([] шутливый; комический; забавный, весёлый) and slightly sympathetic. The story is tinged with irony, namely the irony of situation (in which the events turn out to be the reverse of what is expected and appropriate). The author's irony is directed at the sort of “friends” whose advice often appears to be not quite helpful.

The title is related to the events of the story, and also conveys ironic suggestions (in this case apart from the irony of situation, verbal irony is employed). It can be translated as: «Как друзья укрепляют мое здоровье». The word combination “to keep going” which is reiterated throughout the text is used in a figurative, contextual meaning. It stands to reason, that this fact should be taken into consideration by the translator.

The author enhances the desired effect with the help of gradation as the compositional stylistic device. The narration is crowned by the inference which is stated in the last sentence: “Keeping going is too dangerous”.

One can identify the following key words which are important for the understanding of the theme and idea of the literary work: to keep going - укреплять здоровье; my friends – мои друзья; to recommend – советовать, рекомендовать; digestive powder - порошок, способствующий пищеварению; liver oil – рыбий жир, etc.

The vocabulary is mostly neutral with the sprinkling of colloquial words (eg.: a chap; to keep going). The contracted forms are used in the dialogues. The syntax of the dialogues is quite simple, the short sentences prevail. These features give the dialogues a lively spoken character. In the target-language text we should employ the compensation technique and use some colloquial forms. For instance in the following sentences: Тебе нужно есть побольше сырой печенки; Не многовато ли?
Besides, in order to achieve the same humorous effect as in the original, the translator might use emphatization: I don’t like the taste of raw liver. - Ненавижу сырую печенку; Well! I must have slept. - Черт возьми! Ну и спал же я!

Moreover, sentence fragmentation is frequently employed in the translation so that the TL text is adapted to the norms of the Russian language.

The cultural element of humour should not be overlooked. In this story the treatment methods and remedies (tonic, raw liver, digestive powders) are not quite typical for the receiving culture. In the given passage we come across a cultural reference concerning hat etiquette of a gentleman which the narrator’s friends used to neglect. Perhaps these details seem more vivid and symbolic in the perception of source text readers. Therefore, the ways of translation may involve compensation and emphatization.

Even though it is important to be aware of cultural differences with regard to humour, in the end, most people laugh about the same things.

To sum up, the highly efficient use of the stylistic devices and the above mentioned peculiarities of the given text enable the author to produce a humorous effect on the reader. Thus, the translator’s strategy should take into account the ways of conveying irony as the dominant of translation.




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