The Usage of Heraldic Terms in Works of Fictionof the XIXth and XXth Centuries and Translation Techniques

The article deals with the peculiarities of usage and translation of heraldic terms in fiction. We have picked out for analysis various extracts from novels and stories by American, British and French authors and their translations into Russian. Each except contains one or several special terms, used in heraldry, sometimes making fabulous descriptions of coats of arms. We have shown the means the translators resorted to in overcoming the difficulties: dictionaries often fail to provide certain terms or specific meanings, which may cause mistakes or blunders concerning the blazoning of heraldic achievements. We have noted the most frequent translation methods – neutralization and generalization, rather than exact translation. Some translators omitted or added words or resorted to contextual replacement, calques and explication.