Dostoevsky’s “Demons” in Chinese: Translation of the Title in the Axiological Aspect

The article reveals the fundamental features of the axiological content of F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “Demons” as represented in five of its translations into Chinese. They reflect a controversial interpretation of important aspects of the Russian writer’s work, which is confirmed by the diversity of literary interpretations and translations. Due to the fact that the title of the novel “Demons” is a symbolic metaphor, Chinese translators translate it in different ways, including synonyms: demon, devil, Satan, devil, etc. A comparative analysis of the meanings of these words revealed fundamentally significant semantic nuances. The following Chinese translation options are considered: “Devils,” “Demons,” “Demon-possessed people,” “Cherti,” “Besy.” In general, there is a polyvariance of the translation of the keyword in the novel “Demons.” The analysis shows that the hieroglyph (“魔” devil), borrowed from Buddhism, corresponds to its religious context to the greatest extent, in contrast to the hieroglyph (“鬼” devil), which has a pronounced folklore and mythological character. The choice of the lexeme “魔” (demon) with the addition of the hieroglyph “群” (group), which allows to convey the meaning of plurality, is the most accurate and preserves the symbolic meaning of the word “demons,” which appears not only in the title, but also in the epigraphs and in the text of the novel.