On the Transfer of Compound Proper Names from Russian into Chinese

Abstract

Compound proper nouns, consisting of two components, present a challenge in Russian-to-Chinese translation due to their structural and semantic complexities. The conventional approach of transliteration-transcription oft en leads to mistranslations. These problematic compound names can be categorized into two types: 1) “anthroponym-derived modifier + headword” and 2) “headword + toponym-derived modifier.” Through an analysis of examples of mistranslations, we have demonstrated that the key to their accurate transfer lies in a thorough examination of the word-formation structure of the modifier and its cultural-semantic content. Practical recommendations are provided for Chinese translators: first translate the headword, then, based on word-formation and semantic analysis of the modifier, transfer the name through semantic translation, adhering to the general principles of “staying faithful to the source language” and “respecting established conventions.”