Translation Issues of the national cultural component (based on the material of the New Zealand territorial dialect of the English language of the Auckland region)

Kazakova Irina Evgenievna ORCID: 0000-0001-7838-994X Lecturer, Department of Theory and Practice of Foreign Languages, Institute of Foreign Languages of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 117198, Russia, Moskva oblast', g. Moscow, ul. Miklukha-Maklaya, 7, of. 552 irina_komleva@inbox.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

The relevance of the presented topic is related to the need to conduct research in the field of language differentiation at the regional level in New Zealand due to the fact that over the past decade there has been a significant increase in migration flows, leading to an uneven territorial distribution of the population and, consequently, to the development of linguistic diversity in a multicultural community. Due to the rapidly changing linguistic situation and ethnography, the Auckland region is of the greatest interest from the point of view of linguistics, characterized by high social heterogeneity and a mixture of many linguistic traditions.

This complex socio-cultural environment contributes to the creation of a multilevel lexical basis of the English language, which becomes an extremely important aspect in the study of translation features. This is especially important due to the difficulties caused by such variability, which require a deep understanding of contextual and cultural nuances in translation.

The dynamically changing demography of the Auckland region is primarily due to economic factors, as it is a key center for business, trade and the implementation of socio-cultural projects. Migration trends are leading to an increase in the percentage of indigenous Maori residents living on a par with the growth of new residents of Pacific island nations (from Samoa and Tonga) seeking economic stability. This enriches both the socio-cultural and linguistic landscape of the region, leading to the emergence of new lexical units in the New Zealand territorial dialect of the English language. Understanding such territorial linguistic features becomes necessary for accurate and competent translation.

The main purpose of this study is to analyze the lexical specifics of the New Zealand territorial dialect of the English language of the Auckland region, to identify difficulties associated with accurately reflecting national and cultural characteristics in the context of translation.

Thus, in order to achieve the above goal, the following tasks must be performed:

- to reveal the essence of the concept of national cultural vocabulary and the specifics of its occurrence;

- to consider the nuances of the use and difficulties of translating national and cultural lexical units in the New Zealand territorial dialect of the English language of the Auckland region (based on the material of lexical units borrowed from the Maori - Maorism language, from Samoan and Tongan languages);

- to analyze the trends in the development of the territorial dialect at the lexical level.

In this work, the following research methods were implemented: comparative method, semantic analysis method, etymological analysis method, dictionary definition analysis method, contextual analysis, informant survey, questionnaire.

The theoretical basis of the research should be noted the scientific works of E. I. Arkhipova, A. R. Bekeeva, S. Vlakhov, A. Vezhbitskaya, E. M. Grigorieva, T. A. Kazakova, V. N. Komissarov, A. A. Kretov, V. Yu. Mikhalchenko, N. F. Mikheeva, I. A. Svirepchuk, G. D. Tomakhin, N. A. Fenenko, S. Florina.

The practical significance of the research is due to the opportunity to apply the results obtained on the translation specifics of the national and cultural vocabulary of the English language of the Auckland region for the effective training of qualified translators and their subsequent practical activities with an understanding of dialectological aspects, as well as for advanced courses in dialectology, effective intercultural and international communication.

The national-cultural "palette" of lexical translation (based on the material of lexical units of the territorial dialect of the English language of the Auckland region in New Zealand)

The general language system includes a set of unique national and cultural features that manifest themselves geographically and are fixed in the regional language model with its unique exceptional features and linguistic features. It is important to emphasize here that the "whole" of the language is very malleable and flexible in responding to changes in the language situation. Accordingly, newly formed national and cultural components are easily included in its composition, fully consistent with the basic basis of the national version of the language, but at the same time reflecting the linguistic characteristics of a particular region under the influence of historical heritage, cultural shifts, changes in social attitudes and mentality as the core of national thinking.

In other words, the emergence of national and cultural peculiarities at the lexical level is a reflection of the ongoing transformations in society, which quickly take root in the language and can vary geographically. Thus, the main problem of translation is precisely the mobile functional basis of such marked vocabulary, which must be deciphered from the point of view of the national cultural code of the people and choose the semantically correct equivalent.

Revealing the essence of the concept of "national cultural vocabulary", such famous scientists as E. I. Arkhipova, A. R. Bekeeva, A. Vezhbitskaya, S. Vlakhov and S. Florin, A. A. Kretov and N. A. Fenenko, N. F. Mikheeva, E. M. Grigorieva, G. D. Tomakhin and others emphasize the need to study this linguistic the formation as a systemic phenomenon, where linguistic units realize the value, cultural and social aspects of the life of the nation ^[1-8]. At the same time, Doctors of Philology A. A. Kretov and N. A. Fenenko identify an "extralinguistic (thematic) principle" with a typological division of vocabulary into the spheres of their functioning as a basic support within the framework of the analysis of "linguistic and cultural studies of valuable vocabulary".: 1) the political and economic field; 2) toponymy; 3) culture, art, literature, folklore, mythology; 4) national life, as well as the dominant principle of selecting lexical units in which the "connection of the word with culture" is manifested ^{[4, pp. 7-8]}.

According to V. Y. Mikhalchenko's interpretation in the dictionary of sociolinguistic terms, national and cultural originality at the lexical level "manifests itself in the presence of lexical units in a given language expressing specific phenomena of the material and spiritual culture of the people", where their inseparable connection is emphasized ^{[11, p. 144]}.

A. Vezhbitskaya notes that language permeates cultural coding, especially at the level of vocabulary, which is created in the collective consciousness of society and embodied through the semantics of linguistic units ^{[3, p. 259]}. As a result, national and cultural vocabulary can be interpreted as a special lexical layer inherent in a particular nation and alien to another, which reflects its history, way of life, traditions, customs and unique features.

As T. A. Kazakova notes, when comparing two languages, such as English and Russian, it is important to correctly assess "certain elements or entire categories of the source text in comparative cultural terms," where the greatest difficulties for the translator are caused by "manifestations in different national and cultural traditions" and it is necessary to rely mainly on general cultural values and universal concepts ^{[12, p. 10]}.

I. A. Svirepchuk in his work "Peculiarities of translation from English" emphasizes that "calcification of the original is unacceptable", and the translator should strive to move away from "verbatim" and literality to convey the author's thought "with all its shades" in order to combine the codes of the source and recipient of information as much as possible ^{[13, p. 104]}. Based on the semantic theory described by V. N. Komissarov, qualitative translation means identifying the "essence of equivalent relations" between the content of the source text and its translation ^{[14, p. 195]}.

Accordingly, the elaboration of the national cultural components of the vocabulary, taking into account the correct transfer of the cultural code, is extremely important when translating from one language to another.

The untranslatability of some text elements is often associated with their special origin, in particular from autochthonous languages (indigenous languages). In the case of the Auckland region of New Zealand, within the framework of the local variation of the English language, there are many lexical units that have penetrated from the Maori, Samoan and Tongan languages, most of which are Maorisms (characteristic national and cultural vocabulary of English in New Zealand). As a percentage, the number of such vocabulary in the region is growing faster than in others due to the active stimulation of revitalization programs for the preservation of the country's cultural heritage and the beginning of their testing in the Auckland region (the center of migration flows for island residents and representatives of the Maori tribe) ^[15]. Also, a growing awareness of ethnic identity and nationalism plays an important role, which is accompanied at this stage by more active study and use of the ethnic language in addition to New Zealand English ^[7].

Difficulties in translating Auckland regional specifics are primarily due to the numerous toponyms that have a unique historical and geographical context and represent an equivalent vocabulary ^[8]. The specificity of these linguistic units and their limited possibility of exact correspondence in the translation language lead to a loss of semantic depth and cultural connotations, therefore clarifying descriptions are often used when translating using transliteration.

As examples of such vocabulary, consider the following toponyms:

- "Waitemata" – Waitemata (comes from the Maori language, where "Wai" meant 'water', "te mata" refers to the fiery obsidian, a type of natural volcanic glass found in the area) – the largest harbor in Auckland;

- "?R?kei" – Orakei (has Maori origin; its meaning is associated with the idea of shelter or protection from danger) – eastern suburbs of Auckland;

- "Manukau" – Manukau (named after Chief Manukau, an important historical figure in Maori history) – Manukau Harbor in Auckland;

- "Hauraki Gulf" – Hauraki (this name has Maori roots, where "Hau" means 'wind', "raki" – 'north', i.e. 'north wind') – picturesque Auckland Bay of Hauraki;

- "Rangitoto" – Rangitoto (in the Maori language "Rangi" – 'sky', "toto" – 'bloody', i.e. 'bloody sky') is a volcanic island located in Hauraki Bay, which turns bright red shades during sunset due to its volcanic rocks;

- "Aotea Square" – (in the Maori language, "Aotea" is the proper name for 'the canoe that brought one of the first Maori named Turi and his people to Taranaki, where they joined with the Tangata Whenua tribes 'Tangata–Uenua'; currently means 'meeting place') – This is a public square in the city center ^[16-18].

Maorisms found within the territorial dialect of the English language of the Auckland region display not only characteristic toponymy, but also names of flora and fauna, as well as designations of everyday objects, cooking and specifics related to health.

- "Kauri" – Kauri (one of the largest endemic trees, grows in the forest "the Waipoua Forest" ‘Waipua’ of the Auckland region;

- "T" – Tui (an endemic bird of the passerine family with characteristic trills and rainbow plumage from the Auckland region and its islands);

- "Auckland Tree W?t?" or "Tokoriro" – Auckland Tree Veta or Tokoriro (endemic large flightless insect in the Auckland area; known for its strong jaws and nocturnal lifestyle);

- "Pikopiko" – Pikopiko (from Maori means 'young shoots of a local plant', which began to be used in salads in the Auckland region or as a side dish);

- "Kupenga" – Kupenga (comes from the Maori language and means 'fishing nets');

- "The rahui" – raui (this Maorism has the meaning of prohibiting people from entering or entering the territory of a cultural object, while in the Maori language 'rahui' is equivalent to the concept of 'reserve');

- "puku" – puku (Maorism means 'stomach') ^[16-18].

Here is an example of translating Maorisms in context (the translation intentionally preserves the national and cultural "colorfulness" of the vocabulary of the region due to the complete absence of equivalents):

"...the walking tracks that lace through dense forest covering these hills have been closed to the public, placed under rahui in a race against time to save the trees from kauri dieback..." "Hiking trails running through dense forest and covering these hills have been closed to the public due to the strict government ban of rahui with the goal is to gain time to save endangered cowry trees" ^[19].

Maorisms are predominantly used in live colloquial speech. It is worth noting that it is more dynamic in contrast to the codified norm, however, the penetration of elements of live colloquial speech into mass media and academic scientific publications is also recorded in the Auckland region. Their integration into the English language mainly occurs with a stable connotation and the national and cultural specifics of a particular region. It is possible to expand, narrow or replace the original meaning of a lexical unit in the process of its adaptation from an autochthonous language. 

As examples, we will present some lexical units with the expansion of semantic meaning, i.e. the addition of new semes, within the framework of the national-cultural layer of regional vocabulary:

- "Whakapapa" – Whakapapa (in its original meaning – 'genealogy', but in modern times it is also used in a broad context to express the more general idea of 'connection' or 'interconnection', especially in relation to people);

- "Whare" – Voire (traditionally designated 'house' or 'building', currently also used with the semantic meaning of 'residence');

- "Mana" – Mana (used in the meaning of 'spiritual power', the modern interpretation suggests an expansion of the connotation of 'authority', 'prestige');

- "Kaupapa" – Kuapapa (the values "project" or "agenda" were added to the original meaning of "principle", especially in the context of the business environment for which the Auckland region is famous) ^[16-18].

It is impossible not to note the influence of Samoan and Tongan languages in the Auckland region due to increased migration from these islands, which significantly affected the local dialect of English. The borrowings included in it are becoming more widespread. Such lexical units of Samoan origin as "m?l?" ('gratitude', 'appreciation'), "Lavalava" (an element of traditional clothing similar to a headscarf), "T?lofa" (an informal greeting, used along with the Maori "Kia ora"), etc. ^[20], as well as Tongan origin "Ofa" ('attachment'), "Langi" ('spiritual peace in heaven'), "Ha'amonga" ('complex and very important') show how rich and diverse the national cultural layer of the vocabulary of the territorial dialect of the Auckland region is ^[21].

Regional monolingual dictionaries, which reveal in detail the semantics of a particular lexical unit and its characteristic territorial differences, are a key resource for the translator in working with the dialect specifics of the English language and its national and cultural manifestations, in particular the dictionary of H. M. Ngata "English-Maori dictionary. North Shore" ^[18] and V. Colenso "Maori-English Lexicon: Being a Comprehensive Dictionary of the New Zealand Tongue" 2024 editions ^[17]. It is important to use dictionaries of autochthonous languages to understand the etymological basis of the lexical unit included in the territorial dialect, in particular bilingual dictionaries.:

1. Maori-English: J. S. Morefield's online dictionary "Te Aka M?ori-English, English-M?ori Dictionary", based on the printed version of the 2011 edition, H. M. Ngata "English-Maori dictionary" republished in 2008 ^[16];

2. Samoan-English: printed version of George Pratt's dictionary "A Samoan Dictionary: English and Samoan, and Samoan and English; With a Short Grammar of the Samoan Dialect", 2022 ^[20];

3. Tongan-English: J. T. Fisher, I. T. Kongaika "Tongan Dictionary: Tongan To English / English To Tongan (Polynesian Languages)" ^[21].

Conclusion

Based on the conducted analysis at the vocabulary level in the English language of the Auckland region, the presence of numerous borrowings from Maori (the prevailing number), Samoan and Tongan languages in live colloquial speech is confirmed. They represent a characteristic regional specificity, which can cause serious difficulties in translation due to the lack of close analogues.

It is expected that the further development of the territorial dialect of English in the Auckland region will be dynamic under the influence of various extralinguistic factors contributing to its rapidly changing multicultural and multilingual nature. Such diversity will undoubtedly contribute to constant enrichment at the vocabulary level, making the language more characteristic and unique.

Thus, in a synchronous cross-section, the New Zealand territorial dialect of the English language of the Auckland region is distinguished by multiple borrowings from autochthonous languages that make up the national and cultural specifics of the region, which is important to take into account when carrying out translation activities.