The Concept of “Reason” in Abai Kunanbayev’s Works and Its Translation Into Russian and English Languages

This article discusses the concept of “reason” in the works of Abai Kunanbayev and the features of its transmission in the original texts of the author, as well as their translations into Russian and English. The article compares the levels of equivalence in the translation versions and the methods used during the translation process. The concept of “reason” reflected in Abai's poem and edifying words is studied and the process of translating from one language to another is examined. During the article's discussion, Abai's works were considered as original text; translations of the words of edification into Russian by S. Sanbayev, R. Seisenbayev and C. Serikbayeva, E. Zhumagul, into English by Richard McKane, Simon Geoghegan and translations of poems by Dorian Rottenberg into English were selected. To determine the degree of equivalence of concepts, the article relies on the equivalence theory of V.N. Komissarov. The article emphasizes the lack of semantic and cultural identity in addition to pointing out that the literal English translation of the concept “reason” does not reflect all the cultural implications of the original word. The article's research methods are based on translation theory and practice. The recognition and understanding of the poet's degree of thinking, feeling, and creativity is a prerequisite for the translator's talent and creativity to reach a high level and acquire a poetic quality. A number of techniques for translating Abai’s poems into other languages have been identified, corresponding to the methods of linguistic representation of the original and capable of expressing the meaning of the original in a foreign language.