Estimation of proximity of graph structures on an example of comparison of poetic translations

A quantitative approach to estimation the quality of poetic translation is considered. The approach is based on Porter's method according to which any translation is characterized by a finite number of indicators reflecting the multi-layered structure of the poetic text. In this case, a linguistic graph G is associated with every indicator. The attribution of such graph vertexes allows to work in a proximity measure between graph G of the original and graph G' of the translation. In development of Porter's method new variants of the proximity criteria G and G' constructed with graph theory application are suggested. The proposed quantitative approach to estimation the quality of translation does not affect its substantive and aesthetic aspects. The estimation of these parties is not a part of paper's task. In total five partial quality criteria are suggested: three of them are connected with structural properties of the original and the translation, and two others - with their symmetry. On such basis two intermediate criteria of structure K_struc and symmetry K_symm are formed. The generalized criterion Q = (⅗)K_struc + (⅖) K_symm after that is introduced. Such a convolution of individual criteria into one criterion makes it possible to compare different translations of the same text among themselves. Let be a quality criterion of i-th translation. If an inequality Q₂ > Q₁ takes place then a second translation is better than a first translation. The developed approach is based on a comparison of the rhythmic fields of the original and the translation which are the starting point for further analysis. Each poetic text is matched with nine characteristics, i.e. nine graph structures. These characteristics are the syllable and tone volumes of lines, the meter, the rhythm, the rhyming method, etc. The vocabulary (composition of significant words, accuracy and poetic licence, quality of rhymes, etc.) and special adaptation of the approach to various rhythmic versions of the meter as characteristics of the verse are not considered. The presentation is accompanied by an analysis of two translations of "Panther" by R. Rilke, made by Karelsky and Elsner.

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