Translation of Boris Pasternak's novel “Doctor Zhivago” into Swedish

The article is focused on the first translation of Boris Pasternak’s novel “Doctor Zhivago” into the Swedish language. The book was published in 1958 and governed the Swedish reader’s attitude to the Russian author’s oeuvre for a long period. The article presents some reflections on historical, cultural and linguistic study of the novel’s translation. The composition of the translated text has some additional elements: a list of characters, a short glossary of difficult words and the story line description. The analysis of the content-related level reveals some linguistic and cultural aspects of the Swedish translation, which are connected with the translators striving for rendition of the original’s national and cultural components (use of terms of address) and unique imagery (use of various methods of idiom translation). In 2017 a new translation of Boris Pasternak’s novel “Doctor Zhivago” into Swedish is going to be published. That can contribute to the original’s actualization and being in demand in a new historical and cultural period. A comparative analysis of two translations can reveal new trends in perception of Russian literature by Swedish audience.