The mechanicals’ names in Russian translations of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The mechanicals’ names in Russian translations of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Summary/Abstract: This paper contributes to Shakespearean onomastics by investigating the ways of rendering six names of the mechanicals from A Midsummer Night’s Dream in ten Russian translations. It examines both well-known and little publicized editions of the frequently performed Shakespearean comedy. The research shows that the majority of the names were translated into Russian according to the commentaries provided in the 20th century British annotated editions. Under those interpretations, the mechanicals’ names reflected the occupations or associated qualities. In the analyzed Russian translations, the names were translated in eight, though with occasional inconsistencies in the semantics and register. The translations of Grigoryev, Lozinsky and Soroka showed a trend in applying the adequate equivalents based on the semantics of the occupations.

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