STRATEGIES FOR RENDERING LINGUOCULTURAL MARKERS OF CONTEMPORARY FRENCH LITERARY TEXTS IN UKRAINIAN TRANSLATION

Abstract

This article examines the implementation of foreignization and domestication strategies in French-Ukrainian literary translation, drawing on a comparative analysis of Leurs enfants après eux by Nicolas Mathieu (translated by I. Slavinska), La carte et le territoire by Michel Houellebecq (translated by L. Kononovych), and L’Anomalie by Hervé Le Tellier (translated by I. Riabchіі). The study focuses on the translation of historically, socially, and culturally marked units, including institutional references, urban spaces, brand names, media phenomena, gastronomic realia, and educational terms. Particular attention is paid to the function of translator’s notes as a form of metatextual compensation that bridges encyclopedic gaps without overburdening the target text.

Methodologically, the research integrates descriptive translation analysis with a functional-pragmatic approach to evaluate the impact of specific translation strategies on the reception of cultural meaning. The findings reveal that foreignization strategies – such as transcription, transliteration, and calque – preserve the cultural alterity of the source text while maintaining its socio-historical embeddedness. Domestication strategies, conversely, prioritize readability and communicative transparency through descriptive translation, functional equivalents, and selective generalization.

The article argues that translators consistently employ a balanced combination of both strategies rather than adhering to a single dominant approach. Such hybridity allows for the retention of culturally salient markers while ensuring accessibility for readers with varying levels of cultural competence. The study contributes to contemporary translation studies by highlighting the interpretative role of the translator and by demonstrating how strategic flexibility supports the faithful transmission of social semantics, cultural identity, and narrative authenticity in modern French prose translated into Ukrainian.