CULTURAL REALIA IN LITERARY TRANSLATION: A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF UZBEK AND ENGLISH TEXTS

Abstract

This article examines the role of cultural realia in literary translation through a contrastive analysis of Uzbek and English texts. Cultural realia, as language units that reflect specific national traditions, customs, and socio-cultural contexts, present significant challenges in translation due to the lack of direct equivalents in the target language. The study aims to identify how such culturally bound elements are represented in source texts and how they are transformed or adapted in translation. The research is based on a comparative and linguocultural approach, analyzing selected literary works from Uzbek and English literature. Particular attention is paid to translation strategies such as adaptation, transliteration, equivalence, and descriptive translation. The findings reveal that cultural realia often undergo semantic and pragmatic shifts during translation, which may lead to partial loss or reinterpretation of the original cultural meaning. The study concludes that effective translation of cultural realia requires not only linguistic competence but also deep cultural awareness. The translator’s ability to balance between preserving the original cultural identity and ensuring comprehensibility for the target audience plays a crucial role in achieving an adequate and meaningful translation.