Cultural Realia in Uzbek–english Translation: Strategies for Preservation and Adaptation

Cultural realia—culture-specific items embedded in language—pose persistent challenges in translation between Uzbek and English due to differences in history, social practices, and worldview. This study investigates effective strategies for rendering Uzbek cultural realia into English while balancing semantic accuracy and cultural accessibility. Using a qualitative analysis of literary and media texts, the research identifies key translation strategies, including preservation, adaptation, explanation, and substitution. The findings suggest that a combined, context-sensitive approach ensures both fidelity to the source culture and comprehensibility for the target audience. The study contributes to translation theory and offers practical guidance for translators working with Uzbek–English language pairs.