Act as a peer reviewer and write a detailed review of this research paper. Be strict and critical: Храмченко Дмитрий Сергеевич, доктор филологических наук, профессор кафедры английского языка №4 МГИМО МИД России (Россия, 119454, г. Москва, проспект Вернадского, 76). 
Khramchenko Dmitry Sergeevitch, doctor of philological sciences, professor in the Department of English #4, MGIMO University (76, Prospekt Vernadskogo, Moscow, 119454, Russia). 
<PRESIDIO_ANONYMIZED_EMAIL_ADDRESS>
<PRESIDIO_ANONYMIZED_PHONE_NUMBER>
ORCID: 0000-0003-3038-8459
РИНЦ SPIN-код: 1579-6336, AuthorID: 545921
Scopus ID: 57221936139
ResearcherID: N-8008-2018

УДК 811.111 + 821.111

D. S. Khramchenko

CULTURAL MEDIATION IN LITERARY TRANSLATION: STRATEGIES FOR PRESERVING STYLISTIC INTEGRITY OF CONTEMPORARY ANGLOPHONE FICTION

This study explores the strategies and challenges in translating stylistically marked lexical units from contemporary Anglophone fiction into Russian. The research aims to identify effective translation methods that preserve both linguistic fidelity and cultural resonance. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study analyzed 480 text fragments randomly selected from literary texts by Chuck Palahniuk and Irvine Welsh as well as their official translations, using structural-semantic, comparative, and componential analyses, complemented by statistical methods. Eight primary translation strategies were identified: literal translation, transposition, modulation, adaptation, cultural substitution, compensation, paraphrase, and explication. The effectiveness of these strategies was evaluated through comprehension and retention tests involving 94 native Russian speakers. Results indicate that while literal translation often preserves structural integrity, it frequently fails to convey idiomatic meanings, necessitating adaptive strategies. Cultural substitution and compensation emerged as crucial for maintaining readability and cultural relevance. The study underscores the translator’s role as a cultural mediator, emphasizing the importance of balancing fidelity to the source text with adaptability to the target audience’s cultural background. Moreover, it highlights that the translator’s professional competence, including a deep understanding of both source and target cultures and adeptness in various translation techniques, is vital for achieving successful translations. These findings contribute to translation studies by offering practical guidance for translating stylistically rich literature and highlighting the interconnectedness between linguistic and cultural factors in literary translation.
Keywords: stylistically marked vocabulary, translation strategies, linguistic fidelity, cultural adaptability, comparative analysis. 

Д. С. Храмченко

КУЛЬТУРНОЕ ПОСРЕДНИЧЕСТВО В ХУДОЖЕСТВЕННОМ ПЕРЕВОДЕ: СТРАТЕГИИ СОХРАНЕНИЯ СТИЛИСТИЧЕСКОЙ ЦЕЛОСТНОСТИ АНГЛОЯЗЫЧНОГО ЛИТЕРАТУРНОГО ПРОИЗВЕДЕНИЯ

В данной статье рассматриваются стратегии и проблемы перевода на русский язык стилистически маркированных лексических единиц в современной англоязычной художественной литературе. Цель исследования - выявить эффективные способы перевода, сохраняющие как прагма-семантическую специфику, так и культурное своеобразие оригинала. При помощи комбинированной методологии в исследовании были проанализированы 480 фрагментов художественных текстов, случайным образом отобранных из литературных произведений Чака Паланика и Ирвина Уэлша, а также их официальных переводов, с применением структурно-семантического, сравнительного-сопоставительного и компонентного анализа, дополненного статистическими методами. Автором рассмотрены восемь основных стратегий перевода: дословный перевод, транспозиция, модуляция, адаптация, культурная замена, компенсация, парафраз и экспликация. Эффективность этих стратегий оценивалась с помощью тестов на понимание и запоминание с участием 94 носителей русского языка. Результаты исследования показывают, что хотя дословный перевод как правило сохраняет структурную целостность оригинала, он зачастую не передает идиоматические значения, что требует от переводчика применения дополнительных адаптивных стратегий. Культурная замена и компенсация оказались ключевыми способами сохранения стилистической целостности исходного текста и его культурной релевантности. В статье подчеркивается роль переводчика как культурного посредника и важность сохранения баланса между верностью исходному тексту и адаптацией к культурному бэкграунду целевой аудитории. Профессиональная компетенция переводчика, включающая глубокое понимание как исходной, так и целевой лингвокультур, а также владение различными техниками перевода, играет решающую роль в подготовке успешного переводного художественного текста. Исследование вносит вклад в частное переводоведение, предлагая практические рекомендации по переводу стилистически маркированного текста и подчеркивая взаимосвязь между лингвистическими и культурными факторами в художественном переводе.
Ключевые слова: стилистически маркированная лексика, стратегии перевода, лингвистическая точность, культурная адаптивность, сравнительно-сопоставительный анализ.

Introduction
Stylistically marked vocabulary plays an important role in modern English-language fiction, serving as a key element in establishing tone, character voice, and the whole aesthetic perception of an artistic narrative. These linguistically rich and often idiosyncratic expressions are not merely decorative but rather integral to conveying the author’s unique style and the peculiar subtleties of the literary text. From colloquialisms and dialects to cultural references and idiomatic phrases, stylistically marked vocabulary and culturally charged lexical units imbue a text with a distinct personality, widen and modify the pragma-semantic space of discourse, and bring about cultural authenticity, which is essential for engaging readers and conveying deeper meanings.
However, the translation of stylistically marked vocabulary poses significant challenges. Translators must deal with a complex entanglement of linguistic, semantic, pragmatic, and cultural elements to preserve the original text’s stylistic integrity while making it properly accessible and equally relatable to the totally new target audience. This task involves finding a delicate balance between fidelity to the source text and adaptability to the target language’s cultural and linguistic specificities. The risk of losing the author’s distinctive, one-of-a-kind voice, the potential for misinterpretation and the likelihood of misconstruing the original meaning, and the problem of finding equivalent expressions in the target language are just a few of the obstacles faced by translators in this endeavor.
This research paper explores the various strategies employed in translating stylistically marked vocabulary in contemporary English-language fiction into Russian, the language spoken by more than a quarter billion people around the world. The quality of literary translation extends the reach of British and American literature and makes it a highly significant and truly global cultural treasure for a great number of new non-native readers from different countries. By analyzing selected texts and their professional translations, we aim to identify effective strategies and common pitfalls to provide ideas about how translators can preserve the stylistic properties of the source text while ensuring readability and cultural resonance in the target language. Through a detailed examination of specific examples and comparative analysis, we seek to highlight major difficulties encountered by translators and propose ways for overcoming them.
This research is guided by the following questions: 1. What are the most common strategies used by translators to render stylistically marked vocabulary in contemporary Anglophone fiction into Russian? 2. How do these translation strategies affect the preservation of the original text’s stylistic and cultural peculiarities? 3. What challenges do translators face when translating stylistically marked vocabulary, and how do they address these challenges? 4. To what extent do translation choices reflect the translator’s role as a cultural mediator? 
Section 2 of the article provides an analysis of translation strategies and corresponding theoretical frameworks, creating the necessary background for the study. Section 3 describes the methodology of the study and the selection of empirical data. Section 4 outlines and discusses the main results of the undertaken investigation, including the findings of both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Section 5 draws conclusions.

Literature review
Translating stylistically marked vocabulary in texts is a complicated problem that has been extensively covered as a set of both theoretical and practical issues within the field of translation studies. Scholars have proposed various theoretical frameworks and strategies to address the challenges associated with this task [Baker 2018; Munday 2016]. In this section, we aim to provide an overview of the key strategies and theoretical perspectives that are relevant to the study and inform the translation of stylistically marked vocabulary in literary fiction from English into Russian.
Overview of existing translation strategies and theoretical frameworks
Equivalence theory, developed by scientists such as Eugene Nida [1964] and Peter Newmark [1988], emphasizes the importance of achieving a maximally similar response in the target audience as in the source’s readership. Nida’s concepts of formal and dynamic equivalence suggest a balance between literal translation (i.e., form) and conveying the intended effect (i.e., function). Conversely, Skopos theory, proposed by Hans Vermeer [1989], focuses on the purpose (skopos) of the translation. This functionalist approach suggests that overarching translation strategies applied to the source text should be determined by the intended function of the target text in its specific cultural extralinguistic and communicative context [Nord 1997].
Itamar Even-Zohar [1978] introduced the Polysystem theory, which views literature as an evolving system of interconnected subsystems, including translated literature. The position of a text in the literary polysystem influences the choice of translation strategies, with peripheral texts often requiring more adaptive approaches to meet the norms of the target culture [Toury 1995]. The Cultural Turn approach, championed by linguists like Susan Bassnett and André Lefevere [1990], puts focus on the socio-cultural context of translation. It highlights the importance of cultural adaptation and the translator’s pivotal role as a cultural mediator [Venuti 1994].
Lawrence Venuti [1994] coined the terms ‘domestication’ and ‘foreignization’ to describe two contrasting translation strategies. Domestication involves adapting the source text to fit the cultural norms and expectations of the target audience. It aims to produce a fluent and accessible translation. However, such an approach risks erasing the foreignness of the original. On the other hand, foreignization retains the cultural and linguistic distinctiveness of the source text, preserving the author’s unique voice and challenging the target audience’s cultural assumptions. Venuti advocates for foreignization as a means to resist the dominance of domesticating practices and promote cultural diversity in translation [Venuti 1998].
These theoretical frameworks provide a foundation for understanding the complexities involved in translating stylistically marked vocabulary in literary fiction. Equivalence and Skopos theories show the importance of considering the purpose and intended effect of the translation, while Polysystem theory and the Cultural Turn bring to the fore the role of socio-cultural factors in using particular translation strategies. The concepts of domestication and foreignization offer translators a wide range of approaches to resolve the tension between cultural adaptation and preserving the distinctiveness of the source text.
Guided by these theoretical perspectives, professional translators can make informed decisions when dealing with stylistically marked vocabulary. They can consider the specific context, purpose, target audience of the translation, as well as the cultural and literary norms of the target language and its speakers. Ultimately, the choice of translation strategy will depend on a careful consideration of these factors, with the goal of producing a translation that effectively conveys the stylistic richness and cultural subtleties of the original text [Hatim & Mason, 1996; Hermans 1999].
Translation strategies for literary fiction
Literary translation as a very specific kind of professional translator’s activities involves transferring the full scope of meaning (i.e., encompassing not only the denotations but also connotational, stylistic, pragmatic, aesthetic, and cultural elements of the translated utterance’s semantic structure) from one language to another, at the same time preserving the pragmatic-semantic space of the original text. Table 1 features eight key translation strategies: literal translation, transposition, modulation, adaptation, cultural substitution, compensation, paraphrase, and explication.


Translation Strategy	Description	Purpose	Examples
Literal translation	Word-for-word translation that closely mirrors the source text	Preservation of original structure and vocabulary; best suited for conveying exact meaning [Riecher 2023]	‘She has a heart of stone’ translated literally as ‘Она имеет сердце из камня’ in Russian, which may sound unnatural and fail to convey the idiomatic meaning
Transposition	Changing the grammatical structure of the source text in the target language	Ensuring clarity and coherence; accommodating differences in syntactic structures between languages [Munday 2016]	Changing word order, converting verbs to nouns
Modulation	Changing the perspective or point of view of the source text	Production of a more natural and contextually appropriate translation; conveying the original intent [Panou 2013]	Changing ‘half-empty’ to an equivalent of ‘half-full’ in another language 
Adaptation	Replacing culturally specific elements in the source text with culturally equivalent elements in the target language	Making the translation more accessible to the target audience; dealing with idioms, jokes, and references without direct equivalents [Kranich 2016]	Replacing ‘white as snow’ with an equivalent of ‘white as cotton’ in another language 
Cultural substitution	Replacing a culture-specific item in the source text with a different item that has a similar function or connotation in the target culture [Olk 2013]	Dealing with culturally specific elements; ensuring the translated text is relatable to the target audience [Anisimova et al. 2019]	Replacing ‘fish out of water’ with ‘белая ворона’ (white crow) in a translation from English into Russian
Compensation	Compensating for a loss of meaning, sound, or stylistic effect in one part of the text in another, completely different part	Ensuring the impact of the translation remains faithful to the source text; dealing with linguistic features that cannot be directly translated [Venuti 1994; Solovyeva 2023]	Conveying a pun or alliteration in a different part of the text
Paraphrase	Rephrasing the source text in the target language to achieve greater clarity and readability	Improvements of clarity, especially when dealing with complex or dense stylistic elements [Baker 2018; Fomina 2019]	Simplifying a complex sentence structure
Explication	Adding explanatory information to clarify culturally or contextually specific references	Making the translation more accessible to the target audience; dealing with references that might be unfamiliar to the target audience [Pym 2014]	Adding a brief explanation of a historical event mentioned in the source text
Table 1: Overview of translation strategies: Descriptions, purposes, examples

All the translation strategies in Table 1 illustrate how meticulous and creative the translation process can be. The choice of each strategy can have significant implications for the reception and interpretation of the translated text. The translation of stylistically marked vocabulary often involves a combination of these strategies to convey the entire pragma-semantic spectrum of the source text while maintaining its stylistic integrity. Translators must consider numerous linguistic, cultural, and contextual factors to achieve a translation that resonates with the target audience without losing the original’s essence.
Despite the extensive body of research on translation strategies, there remains a notable gap in studies which focus specifically on the translation of stylistically marked vocabulary in contemporary Anglophone fiction. While much of the existing literature addresses general challenges in literary translation, few studies have systematically explored how translators deal with stylistically rich texts—particularly those that employ unconventional language, cultural references, and unique narrative styles. This article will try to fill this gap by analyzing the effectiveness of different translation strategies in preserving the stylistic subtleties when rendering from English into Russian. 
Despite the extensive body of research on translation strategies, there remains a notable gap in studies which focus specifically on the translation of stylistically marked vocabulary in contemporary Anglophone fiction. While much of the existing literature addresses general challenges in literary translation [Bassnett 2013; Landers 2001], few studies have systematically explored how translators deal with stylistically rich texts—particularly those that employ unconventional language, cultural references, and unique narrative styles [Boase-Beier 2014; Munday 2016]. This article will try to fill this gap by analyzing the effectiveness of different translation strategies in preserving the stylistic subtleties when rendering from English into Russian.
The analysis of the theoretical sources in this study underscores the importance of a thorough yet flexible approach to translating stylistically marked vocabulary. The following sections of this article will build on these frameworks, presenting an investigation of the strategies employed in translating contemporary Anglophone fiction into the Russian language and evaluating their effectiveness in preserving stylistic originality and authenticity. 

Material & Methods
Text selection
This study analyzes 480 text fragments containing stylistically marked vocabulary and aquired from two notable works of contemporary Anglophone fiction – Chuck Palahniuk’s ‘Burnt Tongues’ and Irvine Welsh’s ‘Marabou Stork Nightmares’ – and their official translations into the Russian language. Both English texts abound in unique linguistic features and present considerable challenges for translation due to their distinctive styles and a large variety of cultural references.
‘Burnt Tongues’ is an anthology of transgressive short stories curated by Chuck Palahniuk. The stories are known for their raw, unfiltered language and often controversial subject matter, reflecting Palahniuk’s signature style. The anthology is characterized by its use of colloquialisms, slang, and stylistically marked vocabulary that convey the gritty realism and psychological depth of the narratives. These features create a unique voice that is both provocative and engaging, posing significant difficulties for translators aiming to preserve the original pragmatic impact.
Irvine Welsh’s ‘Marabou Stork Nightmares’ is a novel that is devoted to the dark and fragmented psyche of its protagonist, Roy Strang. The narrative oscillates between a comatose dream state and harsh reality, using a non-linear structure and vivid, often disturbing imagery. Welsh resorts to a wide range of stylistically marked lexical units, including Scottish dialect, slang, ironic statements, and culturally specific references. The novel’s linguistic complexity and regional vernacular are central to its immersive and unsettling atmosphere, making translation a formidable task.
While this study analyzes two specific works of contemporary Anglophone fiction, this focused approach was chosen deliberately for several reasons. By limiting the analysis to two published books and their translations, we were able to conduct a more in-depth examination of the translation strategies employed in the texts. This allowed for a better understanding of how different strategies are applied in various situations in the same pieces of fiction, providing a more comprehensive view of each strategy’s effectiveness. The two selected works, while both contemporary, represent different styles and challenges in translation. Such diversity allows us to examine a wide range of stylistically marked vocabulary within a manageable scope. Moreover, the selected works provide contrasting cultural contexts – American and Scottish – allowing us to examine how cultural differences impact translation strategies in different Anglophone cultures. By focusing on these two texts, we were able to develop a more replicable methodology for analyzing translation strategies. This focused approach can serve as a model for future studies examining other fictional works or language pairs.
Analytical methods
The analysis of stylistically marked vocabulary in these texts resorts to a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to provide a comprehensive examination of translation strategies. The following methods are used:
Structural-semantic analysis is used to identify and classify the types of stylistically marked vocabulary present in the source texts. It involves a detailed examination of the lexical items, idiomatic expressions, and syntactic structures that contribute to the stylistic distinctiveness of the texts. Each identified element is categorized based on its function and stylistic impact in the narrative.
Comparative method is used to compare the source texts with their translated versions, focusing on how stylistically marked vocabulary is rendered in the Russian language. Specific examples of stylistically marked vocabulary are selected from both the source and target texts. These examples are analyzed to determine the translation strategies, transformation types and translation methods and to assess the extent to which the translations preserve the original stylistic coloring.
Componential analysis is used to break down complex stylistic elements into their constituents and examine how these are translated. This method involves decomposing English-language idiomatic expressions, metaphors, and other stylistic devices into their basic semantic components. The analysis then examines how each component is translated and reassembled in the Russian text.
Statistical analysis is used to quantify the frequency and types of stylistically marked vocabulary in the source and target texts. A corpus of stylistically marked vocabulary is compiled from the source texts. Statistical tools are used to measure the frequency of these elements and their translated equivalents, providing quantitative data on the prevalence and treatment of stylistically marked vocabulary in the studied translations.
Quantitative analysis of translation effectiveness
Study design
This study employed a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the effectiveness of various translation strategies in preserving stylistically marked vocabulary in contemporary Anglophone fiction. The research design incorporated both quantitative and qualitative elements to provide a comprehensive analysis of reader comprehension and retention.
Participants
A diverse group of 94 native Russian speakers was recruited for this study. Participants were selected among students and faculty from the Department of Translation and Cross-Cultural Communication at Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University (Tula, Russia) and the Department of the English Language #4 at MGIMO University (Moscow, Russia). The age range of participants was 18-71 years (M = 32.5, SD = 12.3), ensuring a broad representation of adult readers. A power analysis using G*Power 3.1 determined that this sample size was sufficient to detect medium effect sizes (f = 0.25) with 80% power at α = .05. All participants provided informed consent before participating and were informed of their right to withdraw at any time.
Material
The study materials consisted of:
1. Twenty-four excerpts from ‘Burnt Tongues’ and ‘Marabou Stork Nightmares,’ translated using 8 different strategies: literal translation, cultural substitution, adaptation, paraphrase, transposition, modulation, compensation, and explication.
2. A comprehension test comprising multiple-choice and open-ended questions.
3. A retention test administered one week later, with questions similar in scope to the comprehension test.
Procedure
The study was conducted in three stages:
1. Reading phase (participants read the 24 translated excerpts, presented in randomized order to control for order effects).
2. Comprehension test (immediately after reading, participants completed the comprehension test via Google Forms. This test assessed immediate understanding of the translated content).
3. Retention test (one week later, participants took the retention test, which evaluated long-term memory of the translated content without access to the original texts).
Example of tasks from the comprehension test:
Instruction: Read the following translated excerpts carefully. Then answer the questions based on your understanding of the text.

Excerpt 1. 
Translation: ‘Я ему говорю, ты, говорю, еще не вырос, а уже обманываешь, воруешь.’  
Question 1. What is the tone of the speaker in this excerpt?
a) Humorous
b) Angry
c) Sad
d) Neutral
Question 2. How does the translated text convey the speaker’s attitude towards the person they are addressing? Briefly explain your answer.

Excerpt 2. 
Translation: ‘Японский бог! – воскликнул Сэнди, когда у нас перед носом, мимо ветрового стекла пролетел ни к селу ни к городу Аист Марабу.’
Question 3. What cultural element to your mind was adapted in the translation?
a) The name of the bird
b) The expression of surprise
c) The description of the bird
d) The action of flying
Question 4. Why might the translator have chosen ‘Японский бог!’ as a substitution for ‘Cow!’ in the original? Briefly explain your reasoning.

Excerpt 3. 
Translation: ‘У меня холодеют руки. – Мать твою… Уму непостижимо!’
Questions 5. What does the phrase ‘Мать твою… Уму непостижимо!’ convey about the speaker’s reaction?
a) Calm acceptance
b) Mild surprise
c) Intense disbelief
d) Joyful excitement
Question 6. How does the translation handle the strong language present in the original text? Briefly explain the method used.
Example of tasks in the retention test:
Instruction: Based on your memory of the translated excerpts you read last week, answer the following questions. Do not refer to the text while answering. To aid your memory, each question includes a brief context.
Excerpt 1: The speaker accuses someone of deceit and theft. 

Question 1. What was the speaker’s attitude towards the person they were addressing?
a) Admiration
b) Anger
c) Sympathy
d) Indifference
Question 2. What two actions does the speaker accuse the person of doing? List the actions.

Excerpt 2: Sandy’s exclamation about the Marabou Stork. 
Questions 3. What was Sandy’s reaction to the Marabou Stork?
a) Calm
b) Surprised
c) Amused
d) Annoyed
Question 4. What specific cultural phrase was used in the translation to express surprise? Provide the phrase.

Excerpt 3: The speaker’s hands getting cold in disbelief. 
Question 5. How did the speaker describe the sensation in their hands?
a) Warm and sweaty
b) Tingling and numb
c) Ice-cold
d) Shaking and trembling
Question 6. What phrase did the speaker use to express their disbelief in the translation? Provide the phrase.
Data collection and analysis
Comprehension and retention scores were calculated for each translation strategy:
1. Scores were normalized to a 0-100% scale.
2. Mean scores and standard deviations were calculated for each strategy.
3. One-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to determine significant differences between strategies.
4. Post-hoc Tukey’s HSD tests were performed to identify specific strategies with significant differences.
Open-ended responses were analyzed using thematic content analysis:
1. Two independent raters coded responses for themes related to comprehension and retention.
2. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using Cohen’s kappa coefficient.
3. Discrepancies were resolved through discussion to reach consensus.
Limitations
While efforts were made to ensure a robust methodology, some limitations should be noted:
1. The study focused on Russian as the target language, which may limit generalizability to other language pairs.
2. The selected excerpts used as empirical material were from specific genres of contemporary fiction, which may not represent all types of literary translation.
3. The retention test was conducted after one week, which may not fully capture long-term retention effects.
Having outlined the methodological framework, the following section presents the results of the analysis, highlighting key patterns and major findings. 

Results and discussion
Examination of the translation strategies in the selected sexts
The analysis of Chuck Palahniuk’s Burnt Tongues and Irvine Welsh’s Marabou Stork Nightmares in comparison with the texts of their Russian-language translations reveals the use of various translation strategies, including literal translation, transposition and modulation, adaptation and cultural substitution, compensation, and paraphrase and explication. Each of these strategies has been examined with examples below to illustrate their application and effectiveness.
Literal translation
The analysis of the empirical material reveals, that literal translation is not a definite go-to strategy of dealing with stylistic coloring, as it often fails to convey idiomatic and cultural shades of meaning. For instance, translating He’s a real piece of work literally as Он настоящее произведение (He is a masterpiece of art) misses the idiomatic meaning entirely, leading to potential misunderstandings by the target audience.
As far as challenges are concerned, this strategy can be too rigid, resulting in awkward or unnatural expressions. It makes such an approach generally ineffective for stylistically rich texts, where the meaning and impact of phrases depend heavily on cultural context and idiomatic usage. Nevertheless, a combination of literal translation with a minor transformation may have a desirable result. Consider the following example:
(1) Source: «Bartender Washing Glasses! Two Jack and Cokes!» [Palahniuk 2014]. 
Translation: «Бармен, протирающий стаканы! Два виски с колой!» [Palahniuk 2015]. 
The phrase Jack and Cokes is translated literally as виски с колой (whiskey with cola). While the specific brand Jack is omitted, the translator retains the generic drink name, making it more comprehensible for the target audience without losing the meaning. This way preserves the original meaning while ensuring it is easily understood by the Russian-speaking target audience. Such an approach (i.e., literal translation combined with a minor lexical transformation) maintains the straightforwardness of the source text, preserving the direct meaning and structure and keeping the names of the drinks and the action of the bartender intact.
(2) Source: «I dropped them down with the Peter Pan crunchy peanut butter and the Ajax scrub pads and the WWE magazine left from before» [Palahniuk 2014]. 
Translation: «Я свалил их в корзину, в которой уже лежало арахисовое масло «Питер Пэн», набор губок «Аякс» и журнал «Ворлд реслинг энтертейнмент»» [Palahniuk 2015]. 
The translator uses transcription, adapting Peter Pan to the Russian phonetic and orthographic system. This preserves the brand identity while making it accessible to the Russian-speaking audience. Similarly, Ajax is transcribed into Russian. The use of набор губок (a set of pads) clarifies the product type, ensuring comprehension. At the same time, WWE is expanded and transcribed to maintain the original meaning and brand identity, making it understandable for Russian readers who may not be familiar with the abbreviation, although without providing a ultimately complete idea of what the magazine is about and how it characterizes the protagonist’s interests or hobbies. 
The example demonstrates a successful application of literal translation combined with lexical transformation and transcription. This approach effectively retains the original meaning and almost all cultural references, making them rather accessible to the target audience. By transcribing brand names and cultural references, the translator ensures the translation is both accurate and contextually appropriate, even without rendering the full range of sematic and pragmatic components of the original sentence.
(3) Source: «Ride? Brm! Brm!» [Palahniuk 2014]. 
Translation: «Прокатимся? Брм-брм!» [Palahniuk 2015]. 
The translator transcribes the sound directly, retaining the onomatopoeic nature. The repetition of Брм with a hyphen mirrors the playful and rhythmic quality of the original, making it recognizable and engaging for Russian readers. By using a literal translation strategy, the translator maintains the directness and simplicity of the source text. Lexical transformation ensures the linguistic and cultural appropriateness of the Russian equivalent.  
Thus, literal translation is seldom effective in preserving stylistic nuances and should be used sparingly, primarily when the direct translation can retain the intended meaning and style.

Transposition and modulation
Transposition and modulation as strategies of dealing with colored utterances prove to be highly effective in ensuring clarity and naturalness in the translation. As far as effectiveness is concerned, transposition adjusts the grammatical structure to fit the target language, improving readability.  
(4) Source: «If you still smoked, I’d tell you to waddle your ass back in there and light up» [Palahniuk 2014]. 
Translation: «Жаль, ты курить бросила, а то я бы велела тебе ковылять обратно и подымить там хорошенько» [Palahniuk 2015]. 
The original utterance is characterized with conditional and informal tone expressing a hypothetical situation. The translation shifts the conditional structure to a regretful statement Жаль, ты курить бросила (It’s a pity you quit smoking). This modulation reflects a change in perspective, making the hypothetical situation more implicit. Informal, somewhat vulgar phrase waddle your ass back in there implies a somewhat clumsy movement. The translator uses ковылять, which captures the clumsy movement but omits the vulgarity, making it more suitable for Russian norms of fictional literature. Casual term for starting to smoke light up is translated with the phrase подымить там хорошенько (to smoke a good lot), which adds a qualitative aspect (хорошенько literally means ‘a lot’ or ‘thoroughly’), emphasizing the act of smoking.
All in all, the chosen strategy for translation demonstrates the effective use of transposition and modulation strategies. The lexico-grammatical transformation includes changes in both structure and perspective, ensuring the translation is contextually appropriate and natural in Russian. Modulation adjusts the tone and viewpoint, shifting from a conditional statement to an expression of regret, while maintaining the original meaning and intent. This approach results in a translation that is both faithful to the source text and suitable for the target audience.
(5) Source: «My hands begin to feel ice-cold. “Un-fucking-believable.”» [Palahniuk 2014]. 
Translation: «У меня холодеют руки. – Мать твою… Уму непостижимо!» [Palahniuk 2015]. 
The translation here effectively uses transposition and modulation to adapt the original text’s meaning, tone, and emotional intensity. Lexico-grammatical transformation ensures the translation fits Russian linguistic norms while preserving the original’s sensory and emotional content. The phrase My hands begin to feel ice-cold describes a physical sensation using a straightforward declarative sentence. The translator maintains the literal meaning while adjusting the structure to fit Russian syntax. The phrase У меня холодеют руки directly translates to ‘My hands are getting cold,’ which retains the original’s sensory description. An expletive-laden expression Un-fucking-believable conveys intense disbelief. The translation employs modulation to convey the same emotional intensity and disbelief. Мать твою is a Russian expletive equivalent in strength and tone to the original’s profanity. Уму непостижимо translates to ‘unbelievable’ or ‘incomprehensible,’ adding a formal touch that contrasts with the preceding expletive, enhancing the overall impact. Modulation allows for a culturally and contextually appropriate expression of disbelief, capturing the source text’s essence and maintaining its impactful delivery for the target audience.
One of the challenges of employing transposition is that this strategy can result in a loss of stylistic peculiarity and originality. The rearrangement might simplify the text but can also strip away unique syntactic features that contribute to the author’s voice. Modulation, on the other hand, requires a certain amount of translator’s background knowledge to get a deep understanding of both languages’ idiomatic expressions. Missteps can lead to translations that are either too literal or too liberal, affecting the original’s stylistic balance. 
As tools for encoding the original spectrum of meanings, transposition enhances readability and coherence (but should be carefully managed to retain stylistic originality and the author’s unique voice), while modulation is highly effective in preserving stylistic subtleties and should be a preferred strategy, especially for metaphorical and idiomatic expressions.
Adaptation and cultural substitution
Adaptation ensures clarity and readability by modifying stylistically marked vocabulary to fit the target language. For example, translating “junkie” to “наркоман” makes the term understandable but neutralizes its stylistic impact. Cultural substitution can make a text more accessible to the target audience by replacing culturally specific items with familiar equivalents. For instance, substituting high school prom with выпускной бал effectively bridges the cultural gap without altering the narrative context.
(6) Source: «“What is this place, anyway? Some kind of Elk or Moose or other antlered establishment?”» [Palahniuk 2014]. 
Translation: «Кстати, как называется эта дыра? «Лось», «Олень» или что-нибудь такое же рогатое?» [Palahniuk 2015]. 
The translation effectively employs adaptation and cultural substitution to maintain the original’s humor and cultural relevance. Lexical transformation ensures the text is suitable for Russian readers, while the descriptive equivalent method clarifies and conveys the same underlying meaning and tone as the original. The terms Elk and Moose refer to specific types of animals commonly found in North American culture, often associated with clubs or lodges. The translation uses the terms Лось (Elk) and Олень (Deer) which are more familiar and culturally relevant to a Russian audience. The phrase или что-нибудь такое же рогатое? (or something similarly horned) provides a descriptive equivalent which creatively preserves the playful and slightly mocking tone of the original, ensuring that the cultural context is adapted appropriately. 
Interestingly, the phrase this place is neutral and does not convey a strong emotional reaction on its own. The tone is set by the context and the speaker’s attitude, which in this case is casual and curious. The Russian word дыра (shithole) introduces a negative connotation, suggesting that the speaker finds the place unappealing or substandard. This choice intensifies the speaker’s disdain or disbelief about the location, aligning well with the strategy of adaptation and cultural substitution, ensuring that the translation is engaging and contextually appropriate for Russian readers. As a result, the translation effectively captures the playful, informal, and slightly mocking tone of the original dialogue.
(7) Source: «“Two Big Montanas, two large curly fries,” I order, with debit card at the ready’»[Palahniuk 2014]. 
Translation: «Два сэндвича «Биг Монтана», две большие картошки фри, – заказываю я с кредиткой наготове» [Palahniuk 2015]. 
In this example, debit card is culturally substituted with кредиткой (credit card), which is more commonly understood and used in Russia.
Adaptations can dilute the stylistic force of the original text, as seen in the less impactful translation of slang terms. This strategy often sacrifices the stylistic and emotional intensity for clarity. Cultural substitution, in its turn, enhances relatability, but risks losing the unique cultural flavor of the source text. Overuse of cultural substitution can lead to a homogenized translation that lacks the original’s distinctiveness. So, the task for a competent translator is to meticulously search for the ways to maintain balance between the semantics of the original and the translated text. 
(8) Source: «You fuckin stupit or somethin?!» [Welsh 1995]. 
Translation: «Ты чё, совсем сдурела?» [Welsh 2004]. 
(9) Source: «Easy. Peasy. Japanesey» [Welsh 1995]. 
Translation: «Все просто, как япона мать» [Welsh 2004]. 
The original phrase in Example 8 uses strong, informal language with colloquial grammar (fuckin, stupit) to convey a sense of anger and disbelief. The Russian phrase Ты чё, совсем сдурела? translates to ‘Are you completely crazy?’ in English. The use of Ты чё (you what) captures the informal and confrontational tone of the original. Совсем сдурела (completely crazy) substitutes the original’s strong language with a phrase that conveys a similar level of intensity and emotional charge in Russian. Thus, the translation maintains the accusatory and incredulous tone of the original while adapting the language to be culturally appropriate for Russian speakers.
In Example 9, «Easy. Peasy. Japanesey» is a playful, rhyming phrase in English, often used to emphasize how easy something is. Its Russian variant, suggested by the translator, is Все просто, как япона мать, which means ‘Everything is simple, like Japona-mother’ in English.  The phrase япона мать (Japona-mother) is a Russian colloquial expression used to add emphasis, often in a humorous or slightly irreverent context. Considering this, we can say that the translation captures the playful and informal tone of the original while adapting the phrase to be culturally relevant and impactful for native Russian speakers. The use of a familiar colloquialism ensures the translation resonates with the target audience, maintaining the sources’s lighthearted and catchy pragmatic quality.
After considering the choices made by translators in the empirical data, the organic conclusion is that adaptation needs to be supplemented with strategies that preserve stylistic peculiarities, especially in literary texts where style is integral to the narrative. Cultural substitution should be balanced with strategies that retain the source text’s unique cultural elements.
Compensation
Compensation ensures stylistic elements are retained elsewhere in the text, e.g., using diminutives to compensate for the untranslatable ‘wee’ maintains the colloquial tone. Finding appropriate places for compensation can be challenging and may disrupt the flow of the narrative if not done carefully. It requires a strategic approach to maintain the pragma-semantic balance. 
(10) Source: «Ah sais tae um, yir no such a big man now ur ye, ya crappin, thievin wee bastard!» [Welsh 1995]. 
Translation: «Я ему говорю, ты, говорю, еще не вырос, а уже обманываешь, воруешь» [Welsh 2004]. 
The translation in this example uses compensation and paraphrase to adapt the original’s dialect-heavy, informal, and emotive language into a more standard and direct Russian expression. Scottish dialect, informal language, and colloquialisms in the source text add a distinct voice and character to the dialogue. The translation, on the other hand, uses standard Russian without regional dialects or heavy colloquialisms: “I said to him you haven’t grown up yet and already you’re deceiving and stealing.” Such translation loses the distinct Scottish dialect and informal tone but compensates by emphasizing the accusations of deception and theft. With the help of lexico-grammatical changes, the original text, which is informal, accusatory, and filled with strong, emotive language, transforms into a more formal and direct Russian text, losing some of the emotional intensity, colorful insults, and character-specific dialect while maintaining the accusatory and critical tone of the source. 
(11) Source: «Only six made it to the conveyor belt. Butter fingers» [Palahniuk 2014]. 
Translation: «До кассы я донес только шесть. Ох уж эти руки-крюки…» [Palahniuk 2015]. 
The translation effectively uses compensation and idiomatic translation to adapt the original text’s meaning and tone for Russian readers. Lexico-grammatical transformation ensures the translation is clear and contextually appropriate, while idiomatic translation captures the humor and informality of the original. The translation of the first sentence (literally meaning ‘I only brought six to the cashier’) shifts the focus from the conveyor belt to the cashier, which is a more culturally recognizable context for Russian readers, compensating for the loss of the specific cultural reference. The second sentence meaning ‘Oh, these hook hands...’ conveys clumsiness in a humorous and culturally relevant way. It adds a colorful, idiomatic touch, preserving the lighthearted and self-deprecating tone of the original while also compensating for the loss of the specific English idiom butter fingers. 
If done thoroughly, compensation can be very effective in balancing stylistic elements across the text and should be used to address unavoidable losses in translation. 
Paraphrase and Explication
Paraphrasing complex expressions, especially with derogatory or controversial pragmatics, can not only enhance readability but also convey the intended meaning with minimal loss of original semantics. The problem for translators with paraphrase is that it can sometimes oversimplify the source and lose the original imagery and stylistic richness. The trade-off between clarity and stylistic fidelity is significant, which is particularly dangerous in contemporary fiction where imagery and stylistic devices contribute to the overall impact.
Explication as a strategy provides additional information or clarification to ensure that the meaning of the original text is fully conveyed and understood in the target language. This is often necessary when cultural references, idiomatic expressions, or contextual subtleties do not have direct equivalents. A proper use of explication requires both the translator’s understanding of semantic shades in the source text and considerable background knowledge as well as masterful command of the language of translation. 
(12) Source: «Probably no even a Jap. Probably a Chinky or something» [Welsh 1995]. 
Translation: «Даже, наверное, не япошка, а китайка, или что-нибудь в этом роде» [Welsh 2004]. 
The original text uses derogatory lexemes (Jap, Chinky) which are slurs referring to people of Japanese and Chinese descent, respectively, the tone being informal and dismissive to reflect the speaker’s prejudices. The Russian translation retains the derogatory tone (although subdued in its harshness) and terms (япошка, китайка) but provides a clearer and slightly expanded context (или что-нибудь в этом роде – ‘or something like that’). This expansion ensures that the reader fully grasps the speaker’s dismissive attitude, even if they are not familiar with the original cultural context. The paraphrase method clarifies the original meaning and adapts it to be more understandable in Russian.
(13) Source: «Aye, the wee Chinky nurse» [Welsh 1995]. 
Translation: «Ну да, сестричка китаёза» [Welsh 2004]. 
In Example 13, the original text uses the derogatory word Chinky to refer to a nurse of East Asian descent. The tone is informal and dismissive, with wee indicating smallness or endearment. The Russian phrase Ну да, сестричка китаёза translates to ‘Well yes, the Chinese sister.’ The translator chooses the word сестричка (sister/nurse) to capture the informal and slightly diminutive tone of wee nurse. The lexeme китаёза (a slur for a Chinese person) mirrors the original’s use of Chinky but is less offensive in Russian. The paraphrase method successfully adapts the original meaning to be more comprehensible and contextually appropriate in Russian. Explication of the element Ну да (well yes) adds a conversational context, making the translation feel natural and maintaining the original’s tone.
It is important to state, that cultural sensitivity in translation is often crucial when dealing with derogatory terms or offensive expressions. It involves understanding the different levels of offensiveness and connotations that such words and expressions carry in the source and target languages. Obviously, translators must balance maintaining the original’s intent and pragmatic impact with the target culture’s norms and sensitivities.
Paraphrase proves to be effective for clarity but often at the expense of stylistic richness. It should be used judiciously, with efforts to retain as much stylistic detail as possible. By carefully employing explication and acknowledging cultural sensitivities, the translations effectively convey the sources’ meaning, tone, and pragmatic impact, adapted to the linguistic and cultural specificities of the target audience. This balance is essential for producing translations that are both accurate and resonant with readers.
Quantitative analysis results
To better understand the translator’s arsenal when dealing with stylistically colored and culturally charged vocabulary in literary fiction, the empirical data was analyzed from the perspectives of chosen translation strategies, transformations, and particular methods of translation. While strategies of translation are broad approaches that guide the general translation process and decision-making, transformations focus on specific linguistic changes needed to make the translation accurate and natural. Methods of translation, on the other hand, are the practical techniques used to implement the chosen strategy and perform necessary transformations.
Figure 1 shows the distribution of translation strategies across the whole empirical material with a focus on the percentage of each strategy use cases among all the considered fragments featuring stylistically colored lexical units. 


 
Figure 1. The Use of translation strategies in the empirical material

Figure 2 demonstrates which types of transformation dominate during the process of literary translation of stylistically colored lexical units. 

 
Figure 2.  Types of transformations in the empirical material

Figure 3 represents the statistical investigation into the use of particular methods of translation, observed during the comparative analysis of English-language source fragments, containing stylistically colored lexical units, and their Russian-language translations. Table 2 sums up the functionality of the methods, observed in the empirical material. 

 
Figure 3. Methods of translation in the empirical material


Method of Translation	Functionality
Loan translation 	Directly translating elements of a compound word or phrase.


Generalization	Using a more general term when a specific term has no direct equivalent.


Adaptation	Modifying cultural elements to fit the target Russian culture.


Descriptive equivalent		Describing the meaning of a term rather than translating it directly.
Transcription	Phonetically representing words from the source language.


Modulation	Changing the form of the message to convey the same meaning, such as altering perspective or grammatical construction.


Idiomatic translation		Using expressions that are natural and familiar in the target Russian language.


Cultural substitution		Replacing a cultural element with one that is better understood in the target Russian culture.


Paraphrase	Rewording the text to clarify meaning.


Phonetic approximation		Rendering sounds from the source English language into similar sounds in the target Russian language.


Functional equivalent		Using terms that perform the same function in the target language.

Table 2. The Functionality of translation methods

This analysis reveals a strong preference for strategies that adapt the original text to the target culture and compensate for stylistic peculiarities that may not directly translate. The use of idiomatic translation is particularly notable, highlighting the translators’ efforts to maintain the original’s stylistic and emotional pragmatic impact.
The quantitative analysis of reader comprehension and retention scores across different translation strategies revealed significant variations in effectiveness. Table 3 presents the statistical summary of these findings.


Strategy	Average Comprehension Score 	Standard Deviation (Comprehension) 	Average Retention Score 	Standard Deviation (Retention) 
Literal translation  	58 %	15	52%	20
Cultural substitution	85%	10	80%	12
Adaptation	82%	12	74%	15
Paraphrase  	70%	18	65%	17
Transposition	77%	14	70%	16
Modulation	85%	11	80%	13
Compensation         	70%	17	65%	18
Explication          	91%	9	85%	10

Table 3. Statistical analysis of reader comprehension and retention

Comprehension scores
A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to compare the effect of translation strategies on comprehension scores. The analysis revealed a significant main effect of translation strategy, F(7, 651) = 37.42, p < .001, η² = 0.29.
Explication emerged as the most effective strategy for comprehension (M = 91%, SD = 9), followed closely by cultural substitution and modulation (both M = 85%, SD = 10 and SD = 11 respectively). These strategies demonstrated significantly higher comprehension scores compared to other methods (p < .001 for all pairwise comparisons).
Adaptation (M = 82%, SD = 12) and transposition (M = 77%, SD = 14) showed moderate effectiveness. Paraphrase and compensation strategies yielded similar results (both M = 70%, SD = 18 and SD = 17 respectively), indicating moderate comprehension benefits but with higher variability.
Literal translation (M = 58%, SD = 15) consistently underperformed compared to all other strategies (p < .001 for all pairwise comparisons), suggesting it is the least effective method for conveying stylistically marked vocabulary.
Retention scores
A similar ANOVA was performed for retention scores, again revealing a significant main effect of translation strategy, F(7, 651) = 28.76, p < .001, η² = 0.24.
Explication maintained its superiority in retention scores (M = 85%, SD = 10), followed by cultural substitution and modulation (both M = 80%, SD = 12 and SD = 13 respectively). These strategies showed significantly higher retention rates compared to others (p < .001 for all pairwise comparisons).
Adaptation (M = 74%, SD = 15) and transposition (M = 70%, SD = 16) demonstrated moderate retention effectiveness. Paraphrase and compensation strategies showed similar moderate retention benefits (both M = 65%, SD = 17 and SD = 18 respectively) but with high variability.
Literal translation again performed poorest (M = 52%, SD = 20), with significantly lower retention scores compared to all other strategies (p < .001 for all pairwise comparisons).
Correlation between comprehension and retention
A strong positive correlation was found between comprehension and retention scores across all strategies (r = 0.89, p < .001), suggesting that strategies that enhance immediate comprehension also tend to improve long-term retention of the translated content.
These results provide strong evidence for the differential effectiveness of various translation strategies in preserving both comprehension and retention of stylistically marked vocabulary in translated literary texts. The findings suggest that strategies such as explication, cultural substitution, and modulation are particularly effective, while literal translation should be used cautiously in contexts requiring preservation of stylistic elements.
Standard deviation analysis
The standard deviations provide important glimpses into the consistency of each strategy’s effectiveness:
Explication showed the lowest standard deviations for both comprehension (SD = 9) and retention (SD = 10), indicating it is not only the most effective but also the most consistent strategy across different contexts and readers.
Cultural substitution and modulation also demonstrated low variability (SD range: 10-13), suggesting reliable performance across different texts and readers.
In contrast, literal translation, paraphrase, and compensation exhibited higher standard deviations (SD range: 15-20), indicating less consistent performance. This variability suggests that these strategies may be highly context-dependent, working well in some instances but poorly in others.
Reader demographics analysis
Analysis of scores across different age groups revealed some notable trends:
1. Younger readers (18-30 years) showed higher comprehension and retention scores for cultural substitution and modulation strategies compared to older readers (51-71 years).
2. Older readers demonstrated better performance with explication strategies compared to younger readers, possibly due to greater appreciation for detailed explanations.
3. No significant differences were found between age groups for literal translation, paraphrase, and compensation strategies.
The quantitative analysis provides robust evidence for the differential effectiveness of various translation strategies in preserving both comprehension and retention of stylistically marked vocabulary. The findings strongly support the use of explication, cultural substitution, and modulation as primary strategies, while cautioning against over-reliance on literal translation. The data also highlight the importance of considering reader demographics when selecting translation strategies. These results can guide professional translators in making informed decisions to balance fidelity to the original text with accessibility for the target audience.

Implications for Translation Practice
The findings of this study have several implications for translation practice. Firstly, when dealing with culturally charged and stylistically colored lexical units, translators as cultural mediators must be versatile and use a combination of strategies tailored to the specific stylistic and cultural challenges of the source text. Secondly, maintaining a balance between readability, cultural fidelity, and stylistic integrity is crucial for a successful outcome, i.e., when the whole range of semantics and pragmatics of the original piece of fiction is fully perceived by different audiences through the means of their native languages. Translators as cultural mediators should strive to preserve the unique distinctive voice and stylistic subtleties of the original text while making it accessible to the specific target audience. Thirdly, the choice of translation strategy should be context-dependent, considering the function and pragmatic impact of the stylistically marked vocabulary in the narrative.
Based on the analysis of the empirical material, the following tips can help translators effectively manage stylistically marked vocabulary:
1. Understand the source text thoroughly (the recommendation is to deeply analyze the stylistic features, cultural references, and idiomatic expressions in the source text. Comprehending the context and function of these elements is of paramount importance for making informed translation choices);
2. employ multiple strategies (a semantically complete translation results from a combination of strategies such as modulation, compensation, explication, and cultural substitution to address different aspects of stylistically marked vocabulary. Flexibility and adaptability are key to preserving the original’s stylistic and cultural shades);
3. balance fidelity and readability (ideally, competent translators should strive to maintain the original text’s stylistic abundance while ensuring that the translation is readable and engaging for the target audience. This often requires creative solutions and a more meticulous approach);
4. preserve cultural references (to do so, one can use explication sparingly, providing necessary context for cultural references. In hard cases, to strike a balance between clarity and maintaining the narrative flow can be problematic. When it’s too difficult to choose an appropriate strategy, transformation and method, a footnote with cultural commentary can be very helpful); 
5. leverage compensation (when direct translation of stylistically marked vocabulary is not possible, use compensation to retain the overall stylistic effect. Redistribute stylistic elements to other parts of the text to maintain balance). 

Conclusion
The translation of stylistically marked vocabulary in contemporary fiction is always an intellectual professional challenge that requires a profound understanding and perfect command of both source and target languages. By using a more strategic and flexible approach, translators can preserve the stylistic richness and cultural depth of the original literary texts while ensuring that translated works resonate with the same power and impressiveness as their originals. This study underscores the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in the field of translation, encouraging translators to explore and refine their strategies to meet the evolving demands of literary translation.
Our research demonstrates that the effectiveness of each translation strategy depends largely on the specific context and the stylistic elements under scrutiny. Literal translation works well for straightforward, less idiomatic content but often requires additional strategies to handle more versatile narrative pieces. Transposition and modulation effectively maintain grammatical and idiomatic coherence, making the translation sound perfectly natural. Adaptation and cultural substitution are indispensable for culturally specific utterances, ensuring the translation is relatable and engaging for the general target audience. Compensation preserves the overall impact and tone, while paraphrase and explication enhance clarity and understanding.
Based on our findings, when translating stylistically marked vocabulary in contemporary Anglophone fiction, a mixed-method approach that combines these strategies proves to be the most effective. By carefully selecting and applying these strategies, along with appropriate forms of transformation and concrete translation methods based on the specific demands of each text, translators can successfully preserve the stylistic uniqueness and cultural distinctiveness of the original works of fiction while providing target audiences with an authentic and engaging reading experience.
Future studies could build upon this research by applying similar methodologies to a wider array of texts, potentially including works from different genres, time periods, or Anglophone cultures. This would help to further validate and refine the findings of this study, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of translation strategies for stylistically marked vocabulary in modern-day fiction.

Sources

Palahniuk 2014 — Palahniuk C. Burnt tongues. Medallion Press, 2014.
Palahniuk 2015 — Palahniuk C. Obzhzhennye yazyki [Burnt tongues]. AST, 2015. (In Russian)
Welsh 1995 — Welsh I. Marabou stork nightmares. Jonathan Cape, 1995.
Welsh 2023 — Welsh I. Koshmary aista Marabu [Marabou stork nightmares]. Azbuka, 2023. (In Russian)

References
Anisimova 2019 — Anisimova A. G., Malakhova V. L., Abdulrahimov E. Challenges of translating polysemantic and multiequivalent terms within the framework of economic professional discourse. Professional Discourse & Communication. 2019, 1(1): 46-54.
Baker 2018 — Baker M. In other words: A coursebook on translation (3rd ed.). Routledge, 2018.
Bassnett 2013 — Bassnett S. Translation Studies. Routledge, 2013.
Bassnett, Lefevere 1990 — Bassnett S., Lefevere A. Translation, history and culture. Pinter Publishers, 1990.
Blum-Kulka 1986 — Blum-Kulka S. Shifts of cohesion and coherence in translation. In: House J., Blum-Kulka S. (eds.). Interlingual and intercultural communication: Discourse and cognition in translation and second language acquisition studies. Gunter Narr Verlag, 1986. P. 17-35.
Boase-Beier 2014 — Boase-Beier J. Stylistic approaches to translation. Routledge, 2014.
Cronin 2003 — Cronin M. Translation and globalization. Routledge, 2003.
Even-Zohar 1978 — Even-Zohar I. The position of translated literature within the literary polysystem. In: Holmes J. S., Lambert J., van den Broeck R. (eds.). Literature and translation: New perspectives in literary studies. Acco, 1978. P. 117-127.
Fomina 2019 — Fomina I. N. Eurospeak and the Russian terminology of law: translation challenges. Professional Discourse & Communication. 2019, 1(3): 41-49.
Harvey 1995 — Harvey K. A descriptive framework for compensation. The Translator. 1995, 1(1): 65-86.
Hatim, Mason 1996 — Hatim B., Mason I. The translator as communicator. Routledge, 1996.
Hermans 1999 — Hermans T. Translation in systems: Descriptive and systemic approaches explained. St. Jerome Publishing, 1999.
Klaudy 1998 — Klaudy K. Explicitation. In: Baker M. (ed.). Routledge encyclopedia of translation studies. Routledge, 1998. P. 80-84.
Kranich 2016 — Kranich S. Contrastive pragmatics and translation: Evaluation, epistemic modality and communicative styles in English and German. John Benjamins Publishing Company. 2016, 21(3): 344-357.
Landers 2001 — Landers C. E. Literary Translation: A Practical Guide. Multilingual Matters, 2001.
Munday 2016 — Munday J. Introducing translation studies: Theories and applications (4th ed.). Routledge, 2016.
Newmark 1988 — Newmark P. A textbook of translation. Prentice Hall, 1988.
Nida 1964 — Nida E. A. Toward a science of translating: With special reference to principles and procedures involved in Bible translating. Brill Archive, 1964.
Nord 1997 — Nord C. Translating as a purposeful activity: Functionalist approaches explained (1st ed.). Routledge, 1997.
Olk 2013 — Olk H. M. Cultural references in translation: A framework for quantitative translation analysis. Perspectives. 2013, 21(3): 344-357.
Panou 2013 — Panou D. Equivalence in translation theories: A critical evaluation. Theory and Practice in Language Studies. 2013, 3(1): 1-6.
Pym 2014 — Pym A. Exploring translation theories (2nd ed.). Routledge, 2014.
Riecher 2023 — Riecher V. Literal translation: A study with several translation techniques to get a good translation result. Applied Translation. 2023, 17(2): 31-37.
Solovyeva 2023 — Solovyeva E. A. Translation by addition as a tool of unveiling the discursive identity of the translator in the initial rendering of Mikhail Lermontov’s “A Hero of Our Time” into French. Professional Discourse & Communication. 2023, 5(4): 79-96. (In Russian)
Taivalkoski-Shilov 2019 — Taivalkoski-Shilov K. Ethical issues regarding machine(-assisted) translation of literary texts. Perspectives. 2019, 27(5): 689-703.
Toury 1995 — Toury G. Descriptive translation studies and beyond. John Benjamins Publishing, 1995.
Venuti 1994 — Venuti L. The translator’s invisibility: A history of translation. Routledge, 1994.
Venuti 1998 — Venuti L. The scandals of translation: Towards an ethics of difference. Routledge, 1998.
Vermeer 1989 — Vermeer H. J. Skopos and commission in translational action. In: Chesterman A. (ed.). Readings in translation theory. Oy Finn Lectura Ab, 1989. P. 173-187.