Toponyms in the scientific translation of folk texts

The article discusses the principles and methods of translation of toponyms in folklore texts. Particular problems of the translation of folklore are especially relevant taking into account the growing interest in the publication of archival inedits and newly collected materials on oral folk art, as well as the republishing of previously published texts according to new methods. The features of toponymy in folk narrative texts of different genres are considered. Various ways of transferring toponyms have been studied: the use of established translation equivalents, transliteration, partial translation, calquing. The theoretical basis of the study was the latest Russian-language publications on translation studies, and the material was folklore samples published in the academic bilingual series “Folklore Monuments of the Peoples of Siberia and the Far East”. The research methodology is based on a systematic approach, in which groups of national toponyms and their translation equivalents are correlated and compared as integral systems having mismatched volume and meaning. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the stated topic has not previously become the subject of special study, although interest in the reliable publication of inedites is constantly growing. The scientific publication of folklore texts places high demands on the reliability of the translation. When transferring toponyms, a deep knowledge of the history and geography of the region to which the toponyms belong is necessary. For a large number of national toponyms, there are accepted translation equivalents recorded in dictionaries and maps, and they should be used in all possible cases; if not possible, it is permissible to refer to the methods indicated below. Transliteration / transcription is allowed in cases where there is no translation equivalent; at the same time, the uniform principles for the transmission of letters or sounds of the original toponym must be observed. Partial translation is possible when the toponym contains determinants indicating the type of geographical feature. Calquing – full or partial – is used when the semantics of the toponym is clear and its meaning may be important for the plot of the narrative. In addition, there are always exceptions - toponyms that do not fall into the specified categories. Further study of the topic on a broader basis is promising for maintaining a high level of scientific publications of folklore.

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