Authors

  • Sherbek Raimjonov

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71337/inlibrary.uz.ijai.107890

Abstract

This article researches the challenges and importance of translating Uzbek national values and cultural elements into English. It examines the intricate relationship between language, culture, and translation, highlighting how cultural differences can pose substantial challenges to the translation process.

 

 

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UZBEK NATIONAL VALUES AND THEIR EXPRESSION IN ENGLISH

TRANSLATION

Raimjonov Sherbek Abdumuminovich

UBS Master's student

Sherbek17771@mail.ru

Abstract:

This article researches the challenges and importance of translating Uzbek national

values and cultural elements into English. It examines the intricate relationship between

language, culture, and translation, highlighting how cultural differences can pose substantial

challenges to the translation process.

Abstrakt:

Ushbu maqolada o'zbek milliy qadriyatlari va madaniy elementlarini ingliz tiliga

tarjima qilishning qiyinchiliklari va ahamiyati o'rganiladi. U til, madaniyat va tarjima

oʻrtasidagi murakkab munosabatlarni oʻrganib, madaniy tafovutlar tarjima jarayonida qanday

muhim toʻsiqlar yaratishi mumkinligini taʼkidlaydi.

Two languages that reflect the same social reality differ from each other. People living

in different societies see the world in their own way, - said Edward Sapir. This idea of

​ ​ Sapir was later confirmed by Benjamin Lee Whorf. They considered literature and art in

general as a 2-system, that is, they arose from the 1-forming system of language, and as Sapir or

Whorf said, language cannot be without culture. If language is the heart, then culture creates the

continuity of the div and their interaction creates the life energy. That is, a surgeon operating

on the heart cannot do without taking into account the div that surrounds it.

Linguist Roman Jacobson in his article identifies three types of translation:

1. Translation or renaming within a language (interpretation of verbal signs in one

language through other signs);

2. Interlingual translation or translation (expression of verbal signs in another language);

3. Inter-sense translation.

The thesaurus gives a complete synonym or a synonym that is used depending on the

situation, but in both cases it cannot be an absolute synonym. Because a complete equivalent

cannot be included in any category. According to Jacobson, not all poetic translations are

complete translations.

The word “culture” was first used in the book “Primitive Culture” by the English

scientist Edward B. Tylo, published in 1871. According to Tylo, culture includes knowledge,

beliefs, laws, traditions and various customs adopted by different members of society.

Translation is not just an equivalent of a text, it is a difficult and complex process, like

rewriting the original. It is the influence of one culture on another. To understand the activity of

translation, we need to clarify the concepts of culture and language, and to pay attention to the

relationship between language and culture. Linguist Gary Witherspoon has expressed his

opinion on these relationships, writing: “If we look at culture from the perspective of linguistics,

we have a one-sided understanding of culture. If we look at language from the perspective of

culture, we have a one-sided understanding of language.”


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The process of transferring elements of culture to another language environment through

translation is a complex matter. Culture is a complex set of everyday life experiences, which

includes history, social systems, religion, everyday customs and traditions.

Social relationships are also an element of culture. In some cultures, people are

accustomed to living in large families, and this creates the need to address each family member

in everyday communication. Each person is called by his name. Since living in large families is

not so common in Western countries, the English language is somewhat lacking in the ability to

describe words that express address. In some cultures, people address their elders with a certain

degree of respect, such as uncle or aunt. In English, this is not without certain difficulties.

Expressing some formalities is also very complicated, for example, the word "thank you" is

translated differently depending on the situation (for a gift, for a service, for some reason).

Clothing, jewelry, and food items also pose problems in translation. For example, it is

useless to translate the taste of food or its properties to someone who has never tasted it.

Traditions and customs are also part of culture. Whether it's a wedding, a funeral, or a

festival, the history, significance, and underlying symbolism behind it all pose challenges for

the translator. Beliefs and emotions change from culture to culture. In some cultures, white can

symbolize purity, while black can symbolize evil. This means that culture does not only include

concrete things like cities, organizations, schools, but also abstract things like ideas, customs,

family patterns, and languages. In a word, culture means the way of life, the way of life of a

society. It can change and disappear easily. Because it exists only in our minds. Our written

language, the state, buildings, and other human-made things are products of culture. Translation,

of course, is a rewriting of the original text. Rewriting can reflect new ideas, new inventions,

new genres, and the history of translation is the history of literary innovation or the introduction

of the merits of one culture to another. Translation as an activity or as a result of an activity is

an inseparable concept from the concept of culture. There are two examples in history of this,

introducing one culture to another. One is the translation of the sacred book of Buddha, written

in various Indian languages, into Chinese, and the other is the translation of the books of Greek

(Greek) scientists and philosophers from Greek and Syriac into Arabic in order to introduce

them to the Islamic world. The art of translation has played and continues to play an important

role in the development of world culture. Translation is an intellectual creative activity that is

constantly growing, transferring the charm of one language to another and aiming to gain the

respect of readers. The concept of culture is aimed at three types of human activity: personal,

because we think and act individually; collective, because we act as a group; expressive,

because society reflects itself. Language is social, and without it there is no social activity. In

the process of translation, we encounter a foreign culture. For this reason, our success in

translation depends on how well we understand the foreign culture, because translation is an

intercultural phenomenon. Every communication or original message has a practical value. The

translator must know whether the message is a statement of fact, a suggestion, a command or a

joke. For example, “Men bilmayman” (hold) is not only translated as a statement, but can also

mean hesitation (“Ko‘ramiz”) “What gives”

- In American dialect, it gives the meaning of the question “How are things?” This

translation problem is a process of transferring information across linguistic and cultural

barriers. Culture is a way of life and its appearance is unusual for the masses, who use a specific

language to express themselves. We must distinguish the term “cultural” from general and

personal language. Concepts such as “0 ‘lmoq”, “yashamoq”, “yulduz”, “stol”, “oyna” are

general and there is no problem in translating them. But concepts such as “steppe”, “dacha”,


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and “chalets” are specific to a particular culture and create problems in translation. We must

pay attention to the similarity between the purpose and source of the language. Language

consists of various cultural results in grammar (the names of inanimate objects), and forms of

address (sir, janob, xonim ). The more a language becomes a special phenomenon (flora and

fauna), the more cultural features it acquires, and the more it creates problems for translation.

Many cultural customs are described in ordinary language. Edward Sapir calls language a guide

to social reality. Human experience is largely determined by the linguistic norms of a society,

and each system describes a different reality. No two languages ​ ​ that reflect the realities of

the same society are alike. The words used in different societies are also different. For this

reason, language is the heart of culture.

Culture is reflected in language. For example, the Japanese generally do not use the

word “no.” They use other words or phrases to avoid saying “no.” If a Japanese person replies

to your offer with the words, “I need to talk to my wife about this,” this is a rejection. If you

call a Japanese person and ask them to meet at 6 o’clock and they reply, “Yes, at six o’clock?”,

understand that they do not agree to your offer. National customs are things and phenomena

that are unique to them, they cannot be translated, for example, sari, kimono, mahsi, kavish, etc.

These are explained to the reader as if they were cultural terms. If a specific word is not

important, it is simply replaced by another word. When it comes to social culture, it is

important to consider the problems of semantics and the inherent meaning of translation.

The political and social life of the country is reflected in it. For example, the names of

the head of state (president, prime minister) or parliament (national assembly, senate) are very

simple, that is, they consist of international or easily translated words. The names of national

parliaments are not translated: for example, Bundestag (Germany), Storting (Norway), Riksdag

(Sweden), Eduskunta (Finland), Knesset (Israel), Duma (Russia), Oliy Majlis (0 ‘Uzbekistan).

These names are written literally for administrative documents. The names of ministries are

translated literally, depending on their correct description. For this reason, “Treasury” is the

Ministry of Finance; “Home Office” is the Ministry of Internal Affairs; “Guardian of Justice” or

“Ministry of Defense”, “Ministry of National Security”, etc.

Thus, one of the most difficult problems that translation faces is finding the lexical

equivalent of objects or events. The translator compares not only two languages, but also two

cultures. Due to cultural differences, concepts in the target language may not have lexical

equivalents in the target language. This may be due to differences in geography, customs,

beliefs, worldviews, and so on. The translator must find new ways and methods in the target

language to express concepts.

The biggest challenge in translation is distinguishing between cultures. People from a

particular culture view things from their own worldview. Words that seem equivalent to each

other may not actually be equivalent. For example, the word “чо‘чка” has a somewhat negative

connotation in Uzbek. However, “pig” is used in a neutral sense in America. Different cultures

have different orientations. For example, in Uzbek culture, gardening, farming, livestock, and

household scenes play a large role, while in America, there is a strong focus on work, earning

money, sports, and making a profit. Some societies are more focused on technology, some are

less. This difference is reflected in the number of dictionaries that can be used when talking

about a particular topic. Depending on your own preferences, you can use both technical and

non-technical dictionaries when talking. If a text in the source language comes from a highly

technical society, it will not be difficult to translate it into a non-technical society in another


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language. If someone is translating a book about social science related to African culture, in

most cases it will not be difficult to find an equivalent.

It is difficult to translate documents from the Arabic language of the ancient Eskimos, a

desert language that has never seen snow. Since cultures are different, it is often difficult to find

an equivalent. Culture is reflected in the use of words. For example, in America, the word

"sheep" is used to refer to people who act without thinking, are quiet, and are quiet. In

Uzbekistan, the word "paxta" is often used, but this word is not used in Great Britain because

cotton is not grown there.

Translation of fiction is a complex and multifaceted process, which requires taking into

account the differences between languages and cultures, re-creating it using other language

means while preserving the spirit, stylistic and artistic features of theoriginal text. This is

especially evident when translating works from distant cultures.The translation of Uzbek

literature into English is not without such difficulties. On the one hand, there are big

differences between the grammatical structure, lexical composition, and stylistic possibilities

of the Uzbek language and the English language. On the other hand, the lifestyle, values , and

outlook of the Uzbek people are very different from the culture of English speakers. All this has

an impact on the translation process. Therefore, researching English translations of Uzbek

works, evaluating their quality on a scientific basis, and looking for ways to eliminate

shortcomings are of urgent by the authors. Submitted for open access publication under the

terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution importance. The study of Uzbek

novels, which have a strong spirit of nationalism, plays an important role in this regard. After

all, the reflection of national characteristics, realities, and examples of folklore and lifestyle

in prose works has a wider scope than poetry. Gafur Ghulam’s creative work, including his

short story “Shum Bola” (“Naughty Boy”), is one of the bright examples of Uzbek national

literature. This work is based on the writer’s childhood memories and skillfully describes

Uzbek neighborhoods, children’s lives, lifestyle, and psychology of Uzbek families in the 20s

and 30s of the previous century. Therefore, by studying the issues of translation of “Shum

Bola” (“Naughty Boy”) into English, it is possible to shed light on the problems of conveying

the Uzbek national color to foreign readers.

National values play a crucial role in shaping cultural identity, influencing various

aspects of society and individual behavior. Research has shown that a shared national identity is

essential for motivating citizens in democratic societies to pursue social justice goals (Miller &

Ali, 2013). This identity is multifaceted, encompassing national attachment, pride, patriotism,

and civic or cultural conceptions of identity.

Interestingly, the relationship between national identity and social justice varies between

societies, with the key factor being an appropriate balance between the strength of such

identities and their inclusiveness (Miller & Ali, 2013). This balance is particularly important in

diverse societies, where cultural heritage, family values, education, and socioeconomic factors

contribute to complex identities, as seen in the case of Hispanic leaders in higher education and

engineering (Prabhuswamy et al., 2024).

Therefore, national values and cultural identity are deeply intertwined, influencing

everything from social cohesion to economic development. The preservation of cultural

heritage, both tangible and intangible, plays a vital role in fostering identity formation and

societal resilience (Hurova et al., 2024). Moreover, cultural factors significantly impact

consumer behavior in e-commerce, highlighting the importance of understanding and adapting

to diverse cultural contexts in business strategies (Zimu, 2023). As societies continue to evolve,


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maintaining a balance between strong national identities and inclusiveness remains crucial for

social harmony and progress. Cultural heritage and family values play a significant role in

shaping national identity through various mechanisms:

Cultural heritage, including tangible and intangible elements, contributes to a sense of

shared history and collective memory that forms the foundation of national identity. Heritage

sites, traditional practices, and local customs serve as physical and symbolic representations of

a nation's past, fostering a sense of continuity and belonging among its citizens (Spennemann,

2022). The preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, particularly through education and

tourism, can strengthen cultural confidence and national self-confidence (Feng et al., 2023).

Family values, often intertwined with cultural traditions, play a crucial role in

transmitting cultural knowledge and identity across generations. For instance, in immigrant

communities, family milieu has been found to have a significant impact on cross-cultural

adaptation and the maintenance of heritage language and cultural identity (Maloof et al., 2006).

This intergenerational transmission of values and practices contributes to the persistence of

cultural elements that define national identity. Interestingly, the process of shaping national

identity through cultural heritage is not solely top-down but involves active participation from

local communities. Local preservation efforts, often driven by voluntary workers, contribute to

maintaining social institutions vital to local identity, which in turn feeds into the broader

national identity (Mydland & Grahn, 2012). This grassroots approach to heritage preservation

highlights the importance of community engagement in shaping and sustaining national identity.

Moreover, the integration of cultural heritage into creative industries and tourism can

reinforce national identity while also contributing to economic development. The use of

traditional cultural elements in product design and tourism experiences can enhance emotional

connections to local culture and strengthen cultural identity (Feng et al., 2023; Yang et al.,

2022). This economic dimension adds another layer to the role of cultural heritage in shaping

national identity, as it creates tangible benefits associated with cultural preservation and

promotion.

In conclusion, cultural heritage and family values are fundamental in shaping national

identity by providing a shared historical narrative, fostering a sense of belonging, and

facilitating the transmission of cultural knowledge across generations. The interplay between

official heritage management and local community initiatives further enriches this process,

ensuring that national identity remains dynamic and relevant to its citizens. Uzbekistan's

cultural heritage, particularly in the historic cities of Samarqand and Bukhara, plays a

significant role in shaping national values and identity. These World Heritage Sites along the

ancient Silk Road have been strongly influenced by the recent growth of tourism, highlighting

the interplay between cultural preservation and economic development (Allaberganov &

Catterall, 2023).

A key aspect of Uzbek cultural identity is the concept of hospitality, an intangible

cultural heritage shared by both residents and tourists. This shared perception of hospitality

encourages local support for tourism development, demonstrating how cultural values can

positively impact economic growth while maintaining cultural authenticity (Allaberganov &

Catterall, 2023). This aligns with broader research on cultural ecosystem services, which

emphasizes the importance of sense of place and cultural heritage in rural development and

tourism (Csurgó & Smith, 2022).

The preservation and promotion of Uzbek cultural heritage through tourism present both

opportunities and challenges. While it can strengthen cultural identity and social cohesion, there


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is a need to balance economic benefits with the protection of authentic local traditions and

values (Allaberganov & Catterall, 2023; Csurgó & Smith, 2022). As seen in other contexts, the

sustainable management of cultural heritage requires active participation from local

communities and government support to ensure that cultural values are not compromised in the

pursuit of tourism development (Yan & Li, 2023). Overall, Uzbekistan's approach to leveraging

its cultural heritage for tourism demonstrates the complex relationship between national values,

cultural significance, and economic progress in the modern global context.

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текстов) Авторов дис. канд. фил. наук-Ташкент, 2005.

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3. Arnold I. V. Стилистика современного английского языка. - М.: Просвещение, 1190.

4. Axmanova О. S. Словарь лингвистических терминов. Москва. 1966.

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masalalari. - Toshkent 2003.

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8. Boldareva Е. F. Языковая игра как форма выражения эмоций. Авторов, дисс. канд.

фил. наук,- Волгоград. 2002.

References

Akbarova S. А. Лингвостилистические средства и когнитивно-прагматческая значимость художественного портрета (на материале английских художественных текстов) Авторов дис. канд. фил. наук-Ташкент, 2005.

Allomalar, buyuk siymolar, 1-4 kitob. Toshkent, 1995.

Arnold I. V. Стилистика современного английского языка. - М.: Просвещение, 1190.

Axmanova О. S. Словарь лингвистических терминов. Москва. 1966.

Ashurova D. Стилистика текста в парадигме когнитивной лингвистике // Filologiya masalalari. - Toshkent 2003.

Barxudarov L. S. Языки перевод. Москва, 1978.

Barxudarov L. S. Что нужно знать переводчику? Тетради переводчика. Москва. 1978.

Boldareva Е. F. Языковая игра как форма выражения эмоций. Авторов, дисс. канд. фил. наук,- Волгоград. 2002.