Lexico-Semantic Transformations in Translation of Stories by V.M. Shukshin into English

This article is dedicated to the analysis of a lexico-semantic transformation in translation of fiction. The aim of the paper is to identify frequently and less frequently used translation transformations that we treat as cross-language transformations. These transformations are based on selection of the lexical units in target language closed in sematic meaning to those used in source language. V.M. Shukshin’s texts are used as the linguistic material for the conducted research. The translations are prepared by R. Daglish, L. Michael and J. Givens. The study shows that the most difficult units for translation are those having specific meaning due to cultural factors. Cultural associations in V.M. Shukshin’s texts are based on territorial and ethnographic information. Items actively participate in formation of the cultural code. They can be considered as a marker of cultural feature of a text. Translators’ functions include the pragmatic adaptation of texts and different comments. The phenomenon can be explained by the fact that the translator does not always possess enough background knowledge (as far as dialectal words are concerned) or in other words associative links between the object and the name it identifies. The results of the research explain the necessity of a new approach in professional practice.