DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2706-6185/56/40-44
Gunay Abdullayeva
Azerbaijan State Agrarian University
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3138-0687
gunaywamsaddinkizi@gmail.com
Konul Tagiyeva
Azerbaijan State Agrarian University
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7909-246X
tagiyeva.konul87@gmail.com
Shahnaz Alakbarova
Azerbaijan State Agrarian University
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3589-7367
shahnazmammadova1983@gmail.com
Nurana Musayeva
Azerbaijan State Agrarian University
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1935-2281
nuranemusayeva35@gmail.com
Sevinj Mahmudova
Azerbaijan State Agrarian University
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7690-7184
sevinc.020ss@gmail.com
The Limits of Equivalence in Literary Translation
Abstract
This article is devoted to the study of the problem of equivalence in literary translation and the mechanisms of transferring national and culture-specific lexical units into the target language. Although translation in the era of globalization serves as one of the main means of bringing different languages and cultures closer together, the complete preservation of semantic integrity, stylistic features, and emotional impact in the translation of literary texts is not always achievable. Expressions bearing strong national coloring, phraseological units, and lexical items closely tied to cultural context pose particular challenges in the translation process.
The main aim of the study is to conduct a comparative analysis of selected excerpts from the Koroglu epic and their translations into Azerbaijani and English in order to determine the extent to which semantic, stylistic, and cultural adequacy is ensured. The research demonstrates that in the translation process, conceptual and functional equivalence is prioritized over formal and morphological correspondence, and in a number of cases equivalence can only be achieved in a relative sense.
Special attention is given to A. Chodzko’s translation strategies, the ways of rendering emotionally expressive elements, and the influence of cultural and religious realities on language. The findings of the study indicate that adequacy in literary translation is not limited to lexical correspondence alone, but requires a comprehensive consideration of semantic, stylistic, and cultural factors.
Keywords: literary translation, equivalence, translation adequacy, national and cultural lexis, phraseological units, Koroglu epic, comparative analysis