Translation of body language as a national symbol into Russian and English (On the materials of Russian and English translations of the novel “Blood and sweat” by A. Nurpeisov)

Abstract

The lack of high-quality translations of Kazakh literary works into foreign languages has led to a noticeable decline in interest toward Kazakh literature abroad. This issue has become a pressing concern within the field of Kazakh translation studies. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive analysis of translated texts to determine effective strategies for conveying Kazakh cultural and national features through the target language. This article addresses the issue of translating culturally-specific nonverbal means in literary texts, using the novel “Blood and Sweat” by Abdizhamil Nurpeisov and its Russian and English translations as a case study. The research emphasizes the linguocultural value of nonverbal communication, considering it an integral part of the national semiotic code. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to accurately convey Kazakh cultural realities like gestures to international audiences through translation. Although several dictionaries of Kazakh gestures exist, there is a clear lack of comparative analysis of nonverbal elements in literary translation within Kazakhstani scholarship — thus making this research timely and original. The aim of the study is to identify the strategies and challenges involved in the verbalization and translation of national nonverbal signs — such as gestures and facial expressions — from Kazakh into Russian and English, with a focus on cultural adaptation. Special attention is given to the translation strategies of domestication (adapting for the target culture) and foreignization (preserving cultural uniqueness), along with the use of descriptive and calque translation methods. The methodological framework includes comparative, semantic, and contextual analysis, based on a contrastive study of the original Kazakh text and its Russian and English versions. The paper classifies nonverbal signs, demonstrates how they are transformed in translation, and highlights the complexities arising from the lack of direct equivalents and the influence of the intermediary (pivot) language — Russian. The findings indicate that successful translation of nonverbal elements requires not only linguistic proficiency but also deep background knowledge of the source culture. The study concludes that the proper integration of nonverbal cues enhances the interpretative accuracy of character representation a