THE INTERSECTION OF INTERPRETIVE AND COGNITIVE-LINGUISTIC ANALYSES IN TRANSLATION OF LITERARY TEXTS

Abstract

The present paper explores the intricate intersection of cognitive stylistics and hermeneutics within the framework of literary translation. Specifically, it examines the challenges of rendering metaphorical structures from English into Armenian, using selected excerpts from Jack London’s prominent novels: Martin Eden, The Star Rover and White Fang. Drawing upon G. Fauconnier’s “mental spaces,” P. Stockwell’s “figure and ground” concepts, and U. Eco’s “model reader,” the study investigates how translators navigate the cognitive and social schemata inherent in the source text. The research highlights the transition from literal translation to interpretive rendering, particularly in the case of “occasional” or novel metaphors that demand a deep hermeneutic analysis. By analyzing specific translational choices, such as the application of conceptual blending and the identification of universal versus context-specific metaphors, this paper demonstrates that successful translation is not merely a linguistic transfer but a dynamic reconstruction of the author’s original intention and the reader’s cognitive perception.