CHALLENGES IN TRANSLATING CULTURE-BOUND HUMOUR IN ENGLISH SITCOMS INTO UZBEK

Abstract:

This study investigates the challenges of translating culture-bound humour in English sitcoms into Uzbek, focusing on the linguistic, cultural, and pragmatic factors that influence humour transfer. Sitcom humour often relies on wordplay, idiomatic expressions, cultural references, and socio-political contexts specific to English-speaking audiences. When translated into Uzbek, such humour may lose its intended effect due to differences in cultural background, comedic traditions, and audience expectations. The research examines subtitling and dubbing practices, identifying strategies such as adaptation, substitution, explicitation, and omission used to preserve comedic impact. Special attention is given to culturally loaded jokes, puns, and intertextual references that resist direct translation. By drawing on translation theory and audiovisual translation studies, the paper highlights the role of translator creativity and cultural competence in ensuring humour accessibility. The findings contribute to improving cross-cultural humour translation and enhancing audience engagement with foreign media.