METAPHORICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE IMAGE OF 草 (GRASS) IN THE RUSSIAN TRANSLATION OF “THE WATER MARGIN” BY SHI Shi NAIAN
Abstract
10.18522/1995-0640-2026-1-109-119
This study examines the metaphorical representation of the image 草 (grass) in the Russian translation of the classical Chinese novel “The Water Margin” by Shi Naian, translated by A.P. Rogachev. Using the Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP), 87 metaphors containing the “grass” component were identified in the first 70 chapters of the text. The analysis systematized four key translation strategies: literal translation of the metaphor focus, conversion-based translation, and their combinations with semantic interpretation. The findings demonstrate that applying these strategies minimizes the loss of metaphorical content and achieves a cognitive effect equivalent to that of the original text. This research fills a gap in the study of the translation legacy of “The Water Margin” and proposes an interdisciplinary methodology integrating cognitive linguistics and translation studies for the analysis of Chinese classical texts.
Key words: metaphorical representation, translation strategies, the image of grass, metaphor, Russian translation, intercultural communication, “The Water Margin”
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