Problems Of Adequately Rendering Linguocultural Meaning In The Translation Of Polysemous Idioms

Abstract

This article examines the problem of preserving linguocultural meaning in the translation of polysemous idioms. Phraseological units are important linguistic elements that reflect not only the semantic and structural features of a language but also its national and cultural characteristics. Polysemous idioms pose particular challenges in translation because they express several interrelated meanings, some of which are associated with the historical experience, values, customs, and figurative thinking of a particular nation. The study analyzes the relationship between the semantic structure, figurative basis, connotative features, and linguocultural components of polysemous idioms. It also examines the potential of various translation strategies, including full equivalence, partial equivalence, functional analogy, calque translation, descriptive translation, cultural substitution, and contextual adaptation. Based on English, Russian, and Uzbek linguistic material, the study demonstrates that the extent to which the different meanings of polysemous idioms can be preserved in translation depends directly on their contextual realization. The findings indicate that the adequate translation of a polysemous idiom cannot be reduced to finding a lexical equivalent. Instead, the translator must consider the idiom's actual contextual meaning, figurative basis, stylistic function, and national-cultural component as an integrated whole.

Keywords

polysemous idiom; phraseological unit; translation; linguocultural meaning; cultural component

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