Issues of Preserving Artistic Imagery and Tone in Translation

Literary translation is not merely the process of rendering words from one language to another, but a complex creative act aimed at preserving the author's artistic intent, imagery, stylistic devices, and tone. In this context, not only the external form of the text (lexical and grammatical units) is important, but also its inner substance – aesthetic impact, emotional depth, semantic richness, and stylistic nuance. This is particularly true in the translation of poetic or dramatic works, where imagery and tone are key literary components requiring the translator’s deep philological knowledge and creative skill. This article examines the challenges and strategies involved in preserving artistic imagery and the original tone in literary translation, especially when translating into the Uzbek language. It analyzes how to convey the semantic load of images, maintain stylistic devices such as metaphor, epithet, and personification, and retain the musicality of the text – including rhythm, intonation, pause, and other phonetic elements – within the stylistic system of the target language. It concludes that preserving imagery and tone in translation is not merely a linguistic issue but also a matter of intercultural understanding and poetic aesthetics. The findings demonstrate the translator’s role as both an interpreter and a re–creator of the literary world in the target culture.