DIFFICULTIES IN TRANSLATING GERMAN WORDS
Abstract
This article examines the main difficulties in translating German lexical units into other languages, with a particular focus on English as a target language. German, as a morphologically rich and syntactically complex language, presents numerous challenges for translators due to its compounding system, semantic density, idiomatic expressions, grammatical gender, case system, and culturally embedded lexical items. The study discusses how structural differences between German and English influence translation strategies and lead to frequent semantic loss, stylistic distortion, or interpretive shifts. It also explores cognitive, linguistic, and cultural dimensions of translation problems, emphasizing that translation is not merely a linguistic substitution process but a complex act of cross-cultural communication. The article further considers professional strategies used by translators to overcome these difficulties, including paraphrasing, modulation, borrowing, and functional equivalence. The findings highlight that successful translation requires not only linguistic competence but also cultural literacy and contextual sensitivity.
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