Speaking names of the characters in A.N. Ostrovsky’s play “Guilty Without Guilt” in Gen Jizhi’s translation

Abstract

The article is devoted to the adaptation of A.N. Ostrovsky’s play “Guilty Without Guilt” in the translation by Gen Jizhi, titled “A Mother’s Heart”. The focus is on the function of "speaking" names in Ostrovsky’s play and their artistic adaptation by the translator, who takes into account Chinese cultural values. Gen Jizhi’s translation is characterized by fidelity to the original and a creative approach to rendering the characters’ names, using domestication strategies to turn Russian names into culturally comprehensible images. The article provides a detailed analysis of the transformation of the main character’s name – "Liubov Ivanovna Otradina" – and her pseudonym – "Elena Ivanovna Kruchinina" – into their Chinese versions: He Aigu (何爱姑) and Gu Yanlian (顾艳莲). Special attention is paid to the symbolic meaning of the lotus image in the heroine’s name. The meanings of the surnames "Murow" and "Neznamov" are also considered. The analysis concludes that the adaptation of characters’ names in Gen Jizhi’s translation ensures not only phonetic and semantic correspondence with the original but also enriches the work with cultural associations and symbols meaningful to the Chinese audience. This approach helps to eliminate barriers to perception, allows a deeper exploration of characters’ traits and moral values, and demonstrates the translator’s high level of cultural competence.