Peculiarities of Translating Units of Measurement into English in Mukhtar Auezov's Epic Novel “The Path of Abai”

This study examines the system of translation techniques used in rendering metrological units related to the categories of space and time from Kazakh into English. The research analyzes the difficulties and specific features encountered in translating units of measurement that reflect the nomadic lifestyle of the Kazakh people. The findings demonstrate that the unity of the categories of space and time is manifested not only in the Kazakh language but also in the English language, despite their significant structural differences. The study identifies various ways of conveying the worldview, everyday life, cultural heritage, and history of the Kazakh people to English-speaking readers in a clear and accessible manner. At the same time, it is shown that the national and cultural specificity of the source text cannot always be fully preserved in translation, which may lead to certain semantic discrepancies. The research employs comparative (contrastive), analytical, and interpretative methods. The purpose of the study is to identify the specific features of translating units of measurement associated with the period of nomadic culture into another language. In this regard, determining effective strategies for translating Kazakh measurement terms into English and improving translation quality through a comparative analysis of their semantic and cultural characteristics constitute one of the pressing issues in contemporary Translation Studies and Literary Studies. The results of the research may serve as a theoretical and practical basis for further studies in Translation Studies, Ethnolinguistic, Contrastive and Cognitive Linguistics, Lexicology and Literary Studies.

1. Alekseeva, I.S. (2004) Vvedenie v perevodovedenie (obshhie i leksicheskie problemy). SPb.: Filologicheskij fakultet SPbGU, 352 s. [Alekseyeva, I.S. (2004) Introduction to Translation Studies (General and Lexical Problems). Saint Petersburg: Faculty of Philology, Saint Petersburg State University, 352 p.] (in Russian)

2. Alshinbaeva, Zh.K. (2022) Korkem matindegi frazeologizmderding jetnomadeni semantikasy zhane onyng tilaralyq berilui (qazaq zhane agylshyn tilderi materialdary negizinde): filosofija doktory (PhD) darezhesin alu ushin dajyndalgan dissertacija. Nur-Sultan, 124 b. [Alshinbayeva, Zh.K. (2022) Ethnocultural Semantics of Phraseological Units in Literary Text and Its Interlingual Transfer (Based on Kazakh and English Languages: Dissertation submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Nur-Sultan, 124 p.] (in Kazakh)

3. Artistov, N.B. (1959) Osnovy perevoda. Мoskva: Izdatel`stvo literatury na inostrannyh jazykah, S. 64-67. [Artistov, N.B. (1959) Fundamentals of Translation. Moscow: Foreign Languages Publishing House. Pp.64-67.] (in Russian)

4. Auezov, M. (1975) Abai (Abridged). Moscow: Progress Publishers, 459 p. (in English)

5. Auezov, M. (1989) Abaj zholy. Almaty: Zhazushy. Kn. 1. 608 b. [Auezov, M. (1989) The Path of Abai. Almaty: Zhazushy. Book 1. 608 p.] (in Kazakh)

6. Hermans, T. (2003) Cross-cultural Translation Studies as Thick Translation. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Vol. 66. No. 3. Pp.380-389. (in English)

7. Kashkin, I.A. (1977) Dlja chitatelja-sovremennika: stat`i i issledovanija. Moskva: Sovetskij pisatel`, S. 558-560. [Kashkin I.A. (1977) For the Contemporary Reader: Articles and Studies. Moscow: Soviet Writer. Pp. 558-560.] (in Russian)

8. Keller, T. (2010) Kulturtransferforschung: Grenzgänge zwischen den Kulturen. In: Kultur. Theorien der Gegenwart. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. S.101-114. (in German)

9. Liu, Yang (2025) Translation and English Language Learning: A Study on Its Effectiveness Across Different Levels of Proficiency. Vol. 30. Pp. 18539-18577. (in English)

10. Lörscher, W. (1991) Translation Performance, Translation Process and Translation Strategies. Tübingen: Gunter Narr Verlag, 136 p. (in English)

11. Otebaeva, E.A., Soltanbekova A.A. (2021) Halyqtyq olshem birlikterining jetnomadeni semantikalyq korinisi. Tiltanym, No. 3(83). 89-102-bb. [Otebayeva, E.A., Soltanbekova A.A. (2021) Ethnocultural Semantic Representation of Folk Measurement Units. Tiltanym, No. 3(83). Pp. 89-102.] (in Kazakh)

12. Qartaeva, T. (2019) Manggystau, Ustirt qazaqtarynyng dasturli gidrotehnikalyq bilimi. Otan tarihy, No. 3(87), 205-223-bb. [Kartayeva, T. (2019) Traditional Hydrotechnical Knowledge of the Kazakhs of Mangystau and Ustirt. Otan tarikhy. No. 3(87). Pp. 205-223.] (in Kazakh)

13. Qulmanov, S. (2015) Audarmanyng ozekti maseleleri. Almaty: Palitra-Press, 296 b. [Kulmanov, S. (2015) Current Issues of Translation. Almaty: Palitra-Press, 206 p.] (in Kazakh)

14. Rsalieva, N. (2024) Korkem audarmanyng kelelі maselelerі. (І. Esenberlinnіng «Koshpendіler» trilogijasynyng orys zhane agylshyn tіlderіndegі audarmalary negіzіnde). Almaty: «Sardar G», 256 b. [Rsaliyeva, N. (2024) Problems of literary translation (based on translations of I. Yessenberlin's trilogy “Nomads” in Russian and English). Almaty: “Sardar G”, 256 p.] (in Kazakh)

15. Savory, T. (1957) The Art of Translation. London: Jonathan Cape, 68 p. (in English)

16. Seidimbek, A. (1997) Qazaq alemi: jetnomadeni pajymdau. Almaty: Sanat, 464 b. [Seidimbek, A. (1997) The Kazakh World: Ethnocultural Interpretation. Almaty: Sanat, 464 p.] (in Kazakh)

17. Sırkıntı, H.G. (2025) Turkish-to-English Short Story Translation by DeepL: Human Evaluation by Trainees and Translation Professionals vs. Automatic Evaluation. Marmara University Journal. Vol. 11. Issue 1. Pp.17-42. (in English)

18. Sibagatova, D.E. (2011) O tochnosti vosproizvedenija nacional`nogo kolorita realij v perevodah povesti M. Auezova «Kokserek» na russkij i angliiskij jazyki. Eurasian Journal of Philology: Science and Education. Vol. 132. No. 2, 349-351bb. [Sibagatova, D.E. (2011) On the Accuracy of Reproducing the National Colouring of Realia in the Russian and English Translations of M. Auezov’s Story “Kokserek”. Eurasian Journal of Philology: Science and Education. Vol. 132. No. 2. Pp. 349-351.] (in Russian)

19. Tauuly, A. (2017) Qazaq salt-dasturleri. Almaty: Balausa, 384 b. [Tauuly, A. (2017) Kazakh Customs and Traditions. Almaty: Balausa, 384 p.] (in Kazakh)

20. Zeynalova, H. (2025) Translation Challenges of Cultural Realia in English Literary Texts: Semantic and Pragmatic Aspects. EuroGlobal Journal of Linguistics and Language Education. Vol. 2. No. 1. Pp. 70-78. (in English)

21. Zhabayeva, S. (2023) The Pragmatics of Translating Proverbs and Sayings from Kazakh into English (on the Material of Book of Words by Abai Kunanbaev). Аblai Khan KazUIR&WL Bulletin. Philological Sciences Series. No. 3(70). Pр. 395-406. (in English)