Cross-cultural semantic and pragmatic challenges in the translation of proverbs: a comparative study of English and Uzbek

Abstract. This study investigates the semantic, cultural, and pragmatic challenges involved in the translation of proverbs between English and Uzbek. Proverbs, as metaphor-rich and culturally grounded expressions of collective wisdom, pose unique difficulties for translators due to their condensed form, figurative language, and culture-specific references. The paper identifies key translation issues such as lexical non-equivalence, culture-bound imagery, metaphorical loss, and contextual ambiguity. It analyzes various translation strategies, including equivalence, literal translation, paraphrase, cultural substitution, and omission and evaluates their application through case studies drawn from literary texts.