Peculiarities of Transferring Proper Names in the Process of Audiovisual Translation (based on the material of the cartoon series “Smeshariki”/”Kikoriki”)

The article discusses the issue of translating proper names from Russian into English in the animated series “Smeshariki / Kikoriki”, which came out in Russia between 2003 and 2012. The introduction provides a detailed description of proper name translation as a realia category and its significance in contemporary translation studies. The purpose of this research is also outlined as well as its novelty within the scientific paradigm. A brief overview of relevant literature sources on the issue is provided. The main part of the article presents the findings of a linguistic and cultural analysis that examines the specific features and methods used in translating proper names during the process of dubbing audio-visual content. Strategies for preserving, adapting, and omitting different types of onomastic units are discussed. Also, considered are translation techniques. Non-standard translation ways are looked at along with examples of their use in the dubbed versions of the animated series. The preservation strategy of proper names is found to be the most effective, as demonstrated by more than half of the examples cited in the article. Such statistics are explained by the significance of proper names in the plot structure of the animated series. The translator’s goal is to preserve the authors’ original meaning and intention as well as the national and cultural aspects of the work. This could enrich the background knowledge of viewers from the target language culture. In the final section of the article, the authors conclude that in order to achieve a successful and accurate translation of proper names, it is essential to consider various factors that affect the choice of a particular translation method. These are all possible limitations in audiovisual translation, lack of a unified strategy, existence of a dictionary equivalent for a translated proper name, level of visualization and significance of a proper name within the plot, educational level and age group of the audience as well as professionalism and creativity of the translator.