THE TRANSLATION STRATEGIES OF CULTURAL REALIA
Abstract
The translation of cultural realia remains one of the most complex issues in translation studies due to the absence of direct equivalents across languages. Cultural realia represent culture-bound concepts that reflect traditions, social norms, and historical contexts of a particular community (Newmark, 1988). This study aims to examine the main translation strategies used in rendering cultural realia and evaluate their effectiveness in preserving both meaning and cultural identity. A qualitative research methodology was employed, analyzing selected literary and non-literary texts. The findings indicate that borrowing, descriptive translation, adaptation, and functional equivalence are the most frequently applied strategies (Baker, 2018; Venuti, 1995). The results also show that the choice of strategy depends on the target audience, text type, and communicative purpose. The study concludes that successful translation of realia requires not only linguistic competence but also deep intercultural awareness (Katan, 2014).
Keywords
cultural realia, translation strategies, equivalence, intercultural communication, borrowing, adaptation, descriptive translation, localization.How to Cite
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Copyright (c) 2026 Makhsuma Arifovna Ikromova
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