PROBLEMS OF TRANSLATING CULTURE-SPECIFIC ITEMS IN J.K.ROWLING’S NOVEL HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE

Abstract

This article examines the peculiarities of translating culture-specific items in J.K.Rowling’s novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone into Russian. It explores the theoretical foundations of the concept of culture-specific items (realia), analyzes the main types of such items presented in the novel, and discusses the methods used to render them in Russian. Particular attention is paid to translation techniques such as transcription, calquing, descriptive translation, and functional substitution. The study identifies the main difficulties encountered in translating both national-cultural and author-specific culture-specific items and considers the possibilities of preserving the cultural specificity of the original text. It is concluded that the successful translation of culture-specific items requires not only linguistic competence but also cultural competence on the part of the translator, enabling them to preserve the author’s intent and the national and cultural flavor of the literary work.