DIRECT AND INDIRECT TRANSLATIONS OF PROVERBS IN ABAI KUNANBAEV’S “WORDS OF EDIFICATION”

Abstract

The current paper investigates the translation of proverbs in Abai Kunanbaev’s “Words of Edification” into Russian and English languages, focusing on the strategies used to convey semantic accuracy, cultural meaning and pragmatic intent. In this study, we have used Molina and Albir’s (2002) translational classification to analyze the selected proverbs in Kazakh langauge. As a result, we have identified some applied translation techniques in rendering the source proverbs. These findings indicate that word-for-word translation is the most frequently used strategy in the indirect version. As to the Russian translation, more often employed strategies are established equivalent, modulation and adaptation which align with Russian cultural and linguistic norms. Under certain circumstances, the indirect translation shows semantic shifts, metaphorical loss of meaning because of mediating language rather than the source culture. Yet, applying modulation and borrowing strategies enable to maintain several cultural components and metaphorical traits.