PHRASEOLOGISMS, SLANG AND NEOLOGISMS AS AN ISSUE OF TRANSLATION IN THE PROCESS OF JAPANESE VIDEO GAME LOCALIZATION (BASED ON “GENSHIN IMPACT” AND “HONKAI: STAR RAIL”)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the translation of phraseology, slang, and neologisms during the localization of video games into Ukrainian using the example of two popular games from HoYoverse company – Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. The relevance of the work is due to the growing demand for high-quality localization of games into Ukrainian and the need to take into account cultural and linguistic features when translating game content. The problem of transferring culturally colored elements (phraseology, slang, neologisms) from Japanese to Ukrainian is outlined, and the importance of ensuring an equivalent gaming experience for the audience is emphasized.The main part of the article contains results of the analysis with examples of the translation of phraseology, slang expressions of characters, and game neologisms (terms and proper names). Translation strategies are discussed, such as searching for analogues in Ukrainian, adaptation to culture, transliteration of exoticisms, creation of new terms for non-equivalent vocabulary, etc. The translation of phraseological units by selecting Ukrainian equivalents is also analyzed. The feasibility of preserving the game atmosphere and the developers’ intentions is substantiated. The conclusions summarize the results and outline the prospects for further research in the field of game translation into Ukrainian.