EXPRESSION OF PROVERBS AND PHRASE IN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF UZBEK WORKS

Abstract

Proverbs and idioms are an integral part of any language, reflecting the cultural, historical, and social values of their people. In both Uzbek and English, proverbs serve as concise expressions of common wisdom, often passed down orally from generation to generation. Accurately translating such expressions poses great challenges due to linguistic, cultural, and contextual differences. This article examines how proverbs and idioms from Uzbek literary works have been translated into English, and examines the strategies used by translators to preserve meaning, cultural relevance, and stylistic features. Proverbs have long been a subject of scholarly interest in English linguistics. Many studies have examined their structure, function, and stylistic features. Comparative studies between English and other languages, including Uzbek, have also identified similarities and key differences in the use and interpretation of proverbs.

Translating proverbs from Uzbek to English requires more than word-for-word substitution; it often involves finding culturally equivalent expressions or rephrasing the proverb to convey the intended meaning. For instance, the Uzbek proverb "Yaxshi ot — yarmi davlat" can be translated literally as "A good horse is half of the wealth," but in English, a closer equivalent might be "A good horse makes a good livelihood." Alternatively, translators might opt for a culturally similar English proverb such as "A good horse cannot be of a bad color," depending on context and purpose.

This article also examines the reverse process — how English proverbs are rendered into Uzbek — by presenting examples from translated English works. For example, the English proverb "Don't count your chickens before they hatch" is often rendered in Uzbek as "Jo‘jani kuzda sanashadi," which, while not a literal translation, conveys the same underlying message and is idiomatically appropriate.

Through detailed examples and analysis, this study highlights the importance of understanding cultural nuance, metaphorical meaning, and contextual relevance in the translation process. The correct and expressive interpretation of proverbs contributes greatly to the accuracy and readability of translated literary texts.