Realia, idiom and proverb translation from Russian into English in the film “Brother” by A. Balabanov

Abstract

The present article is aimed at highlighting the key features of the realia, idioms and proverbs translation in the film “Brother” by A. Balabanov. An abundance of translation options performed by professionals, as well as amateurs, testifies to the interest in the Russian film-maker’s creative products felt by Western cinematography lovers. Besides, it gives food for thought to translators and teachers of foreign languages. The authors compare two variants of the film translation into English. They account for the choice of the research material and give a complex definition of “realia” in its linguistic meaning. The methods of translating realities are analyzed, as well as the appropriateness or inappropriateness of omitting some of them. The researchers compare both translated equivalents of idioms, drawing conclusions about their adequacy in English and detecting errors and inaccuracies in the translators’ work. They offer their own translation options. The study involved the method of continuous sampling, alongside with the comparative one. Finally a conclusion is drawn about the strategies (foreignisation or domestication) that were more often used in subtitling, based on the replacement of cultural references with functional equivalents, their omission, or, conversely, their retention. The authors also provide the rationale for the general accuracy of proverb translation and select the most effective translation strategy for the case in question.