German culinary realities and ways of translating them into Azerbaijani (based on the works of G. Mann and G. Böll)

Abstract

This article analyzes German culinary realities and their translation into Azerbaijani based on the works “The Loyal Subject” by G. Mann and “Through the Eyes of a Clown” by G. Böll. Culinary realities are understood as lexical units that reveal a close connection with a particular culture. They reflect national, social, and historical characteristics and often have no direct equivalents in the target language. The study focuses on translation problems caused by the cultural specificity of realities, as well as the question of adequate translation solutions. Drawing on linguistic theory, the author distinguishes between such concepts as “method,” “strategy,” and “means” of translation. Particular attention should be paid to the classification of translation methods proposed by W. Koller, which serves as a kind of analytical tool for evaluating textual material. Numerous examples from original works and their translations vividly demonstrate how German culinary realities can be conveyed into Azerbaijani using various translation methods, such as borrowing, calquing, choosing the closest equivalent in meaning, explication, and adaptation. The author concludes that culinary realities, despite their apparent ordinariness, pose a serious challenge for translators and require a clear and balanced strategy. The article emphasizes the importance of national cuisine as a bearer of cultural identity and notes the need for careful, contextually appropriate rendering of culinary realities in literary translation.