Principles of translating similes: Intercultural aspect

Resulting from the harmony of communicative and aesthetic functions of the language, simile is one of the most expressive tropes reflecting obvious differences in cultural patterns of nations. Therefore, it is not surprising that it presents a considerable difficulty for translation whose success is often determined by the level of an interpreter’s skills and the principles that they follow. This paper analyzes the experience of RussiantoChinese translation of the similes found in two famous Russian novels: “A Nobleman's Nest” by I. S. Turgenev and “A hero of our time” by M. Yu. Lermontov. The interpreter’s analysis is performed from the angle of cultural differences determined by geographic space, historical allusions, customs and traditions, religious beliefs and social psychology. The harmony of the loyalty, creativity and aesthetics is examplified by translation performed by four famous Chinese interpreters (Lei Ran, Zhai Songnian, Cao Ying, Li Ni).