PROBLEM OF RENDERING NON-EQUIVALENT UNITS IN UZBEK–RUSSIAN–ENGLISH TRANSLATION DISCOURSE (A CASE STUDY OF A. QODIRIY’S “THE SCORPION FROM THE ALTAR”)

Abstract

This article explores the complexities of translating non-equivalent lexical units in literary fiction, using the seminal Uzbek novel The Scorpion from the Altar by Abdulla Qodiriy as a case study. Particular attention is paid to the rendering of culture-specific realia, forms of address, and etiquette formulas in the Russian and English translations of the work. The author analyzes key translation strategies, including transliteration, functional substitution, descriptive translation, and omission. The comparative analysis demonstrates that while neither translation fully conveys the semantic, cultural, and pragmatic potential of the original non-equivalent units, the Russian version more frequently preserves the national color, whereas the English translation tends toward domestication and semantic simplification. The article concludes that the adequate rendering of non-equivalent vocabulary requires deep cultural interpretation aimed at reconstructing the value system embedded in the source text.