COMPENSATORY STRATEGIES IN TRANSLATING CULTURE-SPECIFIC ELEMENTS IN JOHN GRISHAM’S “A TIME TO KILL”

Abstract

This article examines compensatory strategies in the Russian translation of culture-specific elements in John Grisham’s “A Time to Kill”. The study draws on the works of Keith Harvey, Mona Baker, Peter Newmark, Juliane House, Hatim and Mason, and Susan Šarčević. Using comparative, contextual, and functional analysis, it identifies the main procedures employed in Yu. Kiryak’s translation “Пора убивать”, including clarification, functional paraphrase, idiomatic substitution, rhythmic compensation, and metaphorical substitution. The findings show that compensation serves as a flexible mechanism for preserving communicative effect, stylistic force, and social tone when direct translation is insufficient.