CHALLENGES IN TRANSLATING CHINESE FOOD-RELATED REALIA INTO ARMENIAN: A CASE STUDY OF YU HUA’S TO LIVE

Lilit Akopyan; Asya Samvelyan

Lilit Akopyan PhD in Philology, Associate Professor, Brusov State University, 0002, 42 Toumanyan, Yerevan, http://orcid.org/0009-0008-5690-3475
Asya Samvelyan Lecturer, Brusov State University, 0002, 42 Toumanyan, Yerevan, http://orcid.org/0009-0009-2988-1810

Abstract

This article explores the linguistic and cultural challenges involved in translating Chinese food realia into Armenian, with a focus on literary texts. Food-related expressions in Chinese literature often carry deep cultural significance, historical context, and emotional resonance, making them difficult to render into another language without loss of meaning. The article examines specific examples of Chinese food realia found in Yu Hua’s novel To Live （《活着》）, analyzing how these culturally bound items are treated in Armenian translation. By highlighting the translators’ choices and the cultural gaps they must bridge, this study sheds light on the broader complexities of translating realia between two linguistically and culturally distant languages.

Keywords: realia, food-related terms, translation methods, strategies, Chinese food culture