CULTURAL UNTRANSLATABILITY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS IN UZBEK AND ENGLISH LITERARY TEXTS

Cultural untranslatability presents a formidable challenge in translation studies, particularly when transferring idiomatic expressions and phraseological units between linguistically and culturally distant languages such as Uzbek and English. This study investigates the phenomena of semantic loss, compensation, and cultural adaptation in the translation of idioms within Uzbek-English literary corpora. Utilizing a comparative corpus-based methodology, this research analyzes source texts from prominent Uzbek literary works and their corresponding English translations. The quantitative and qualitative findings reveal that while absolute untranslatability is rare, functional equivalence often requires creative reallocation of stylistic devices, leading to varying degrees of pragmatic and cultural shifts. The results emphasize the necessity of cognitive-pragmatic frameworks in literary translation to mitigate information loss and preserve aesthetic nuance.