The distinctiveness of the Kazakh national character in English literary translations

Abstract

The study aims to analyse the peculiarities of Kazakh national identity in English translation in fiction. The following methods were used: descriptive, deductive, and comparative. The translation of fiction serves as a key medium in the cultural dialogue, offering an opportunity to present the cultural specificities of Kazakhstan to an English-speaking audience. The study confirmed that the active dynamics of transformations of national colouring are occurring in the process of translation. These changes are explained not only by differences in language structure but also by the translators’ desire to convey cultural nuances in a more accessible form. Successful examples demonstrate that translators actively incorporate elements of Kazakh culture into the English version of the text, making it understandable and attractive to English-speaking audiences by focusing on preserving cultural metaphors and symbols. These elements are key to conveying unique semantic concepts that might otherwise be lost. It was revealed that in the process of artistic interpretation, there are difficulties associated with finding semantic equivalence between Kazakh and English terms. The importance of the translator’s creativity in solving problems related to the representation of national identity is emphasised. The results of the work provide valuable practical and theoretical insights that can serve as a basis for the development of effective strategies for the artistic translation into English of Kazakh works with the preservation and transmission of national identity.