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The Translation of Realia: How to render words that mean culture-specific things
Paperback
Series: Translation Studies
Publisher: Bruno Osimo
Published: Apr 4 2026
Pages: 86
Weight: 0.19
Height: 0.22 Width: 5.00 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
What happens when a word carries an entire culture within it?
From national dishes and traditional clothing to historical institutions, local currencies, and unique folklore, every language contains realia-culture-bound terms that lack direct dictionary equivalents[cite: 1]. How can a translator convey both the objective semantic meaning and the subtle cultural sense of these terms without stripping a text of its original flavor or creating an unnatural barrier for the reader[cite: 1]?
Originally written by groundbreaking translation scholars Sergei Vlakhov and Sider Florin, Perevod realij stands as one of the most comprehensive, rigorous, and influential studies on handling cultural specificity in translation[cite: 1]. Now translated, edited, and contextualized by Bruno Osimo, this seminal work is accessible to English-speaking translators, scholars, and students for the first time[cite: 1].
Inside this landmark volume, you will explore:- A comprehensive classification of realia: Clear categorization by geography, history, everyday life, social structure, and political organization[cite: 1].
- Practical rendering procedures: Detailed analysis of transcription, transliteration, calques, semicalques, semantic neologisms, functional analogues, and descriptive adaptation[cite: 1].
- Preserving sense vs. meaning: How to balance precise semantic accuracy (meaning) with stylistic nuance and contextual resonance (sense)[cite: 1].
- Strategic decision-making: Frameworks for choosing between transcription and translation based on text genre, target audience, and the cultural distance between sender and receiver cultures[cite: 1].
- Extensive literary case studies: Real-world examples demonstrating how master translators overcome complex cross-cultural challenges[cite: 1].
Unlike standard translation manuals that treat cultural terms as mere vocabulary gaps, Vlakhov and Florin provide a deep theoretical and methodological framework[cite: 1]. They examine the precise mechanics of how realia function within a literary work-how they carry historical weight, national color, and emotional atmosphere[cite: 1]. This volume equips you with actionable strategies to handle untranslatable words with confidence and precision[cite: 1].
Who Is This Book For?- Practicing Translators: Master practical techniques for rendering culture-bound terms smoothly without losing contextual depth[cite: 1].
- Translation Studies Scholars & Students: Gain access to a foundational European text that shaped modern translation theory[cite: 1].
- Linguists & Semioticians: Examine the intricate relationship between language, culture, referents, and textual meaning[cite: 1].
Whether you are tackling a complex literary translation, researching cultural mediation, or seeking to refine your approach to non-equivalent lexicon, Translating the Culturally Specific provides the essential theoretical foundation and practical toolkit to navigate translation's greatest challenges[cite: 1].
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