Cultural code and ways of its rendering (based on the translation of Abai’s «Wisdom Words» into French)

Abstract

Modern linguistics is characterized by developing interdisciplinary research, among which the problem of the cultural code of the nation is most clearly revealed. The current paper presents the results of the translation analysis of Abai‘s Words of Wisdom rendered from Kazakh into French and taking into consideration the transfer of the Kazakh cultural code into the French language. A number of general and specific hypotheses concerning the possibilities for rendering the cultural code are put forward in the paper. In modern translation theory the problem of the original text and the target text equivalence has always been a cornerstone. The difficulties were caused by a necessity to render the most important semantic and structural features of the source text in the target language, to adapt the text of the translation to a different linguocultural perception as far as it is possible. Without doubt cultural codes are universal for humanity, but their scope and content in each individual ethnic community, in which they are implemented, are nationally and culturally determined. At the same time cultural code can be modified, simplified or complicated in the course of development, inventions, borrowings from other cultures. The way of thinking, the nature of manifestation of feelings, values and attitudes, ideas about the world and oneself, beliefs, opinions and prejudices also undergo transformation.