Translation of proper names into Chinese (on the example of D. Rowling’s series of novels “Harry Potter”)

Zhandarova Anna Vitaljevna, Semenova Sofiya Novikovna, Terekhova Maria Romanovna

The aim of the article is using particular examples try to identify the main difficulties that people come across while translating proper names into Chinese. A comprehensive analysis of the studied vocabulary was carried out with the help of dictionaries and scientific literature. Interrelated research tasks have been solved: 1) the structure of proper names in Chinese language was analyzed, and some rules that should be used when performing translation studies were identified; 2) exceptions that may cause difficulties for the translator’s activities are identified and justified. The following methods of scientific research have been applied: 1) a selection of proper names from Chinese resources; 2) a comparative analysis of the original and hieroglyphic record. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the consideration of the historical context connected with the origin of some proper names translations. The relevance of the work is based on the expansion of the influence of the People’s Republic of China throughout the world, which entails the need for close contacts with Chinese companies and citizens of the country.

Keywords:translation studies, translator, Chinese, proper names, sinology, D. Rowling, fiction.