Achieving Equivalence in Slang Translation: The Case of Mario Puzo's "The Godfather"

Authors

  • Aizhan E. Stambekova

    Department of Foreign Philology and Translation Studies, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty City 050057, Republic of Kazakhstan
  • Elmira T. Zhanysbekova

    Department of Foreign Philology and Translation Studies, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty City 050057, Republic of Kazakhstan
  • Karen Bennett

    CETAPS, NOVA University, 1069-061 Lisbon, Portugal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i8.10136
Received: 22 May 2025 | Revised: 20 June 2025 | Accepted: 1 July 2025 | Published Online: 22 August 2025

Abstract

This research explores the translation of slang and taboo language from English into Russian and Kazakh, focusing on Mario Puzo's The Godfather, a novel included among 100 works recommended for translation into Kazakh. By analyzing a parallel corpus of the original and translated texts, the study investigates the methods of achieving equivalence in the translation of slang in literary texts. The comparative analysis is based on the five-level equivalence theory developed by the prominent translation scholar V.N. Komissarov. The study concludes that when translating slang expressions from the original into Russian and Kazakh, the translator must not only be an expert with a deep knowledge of translation theory and the respective languages, but also be able to accurately convey the pragmatic potential of the source text. This is largely achieved by applying the fifth level of equivalence, which ensures the fulfillment of the communicative goal. A comparative analysis of the translations of slang units, conducted with reference to the works of scholars in the field of translation, contributes to the development of the theory, quality, and critique of literary translation. The practical value of the research lies in the potential application of its findings in translation practice, particularly in the translation of fiction and films from English into Kazakh.

Keywords:

Equivalence; Mario Puzo; Literary Translation; Slang; Communicative Purpose; Artistic Devices; Situation Description; Pragmatic Equivalence

References

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How to Cite

Stambekova, A. E., Zhanysbekova, E. T., & Bennett, K. (2025). Achieving Equivalence in Slang Translation: The Case of Mario Puzo’s "The Godfather". Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(8), 1084–1100. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i8.10136

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 8 (August 2025)

Article Type

Article

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Copyright © 2025 Aizhan Stambekova, Elmira T. Zhanysbekova, Karen Bennett

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.