Translation Strategies of Puns (Case Study: 'Friends' Series)

Translation of puns has long been a controversial issue for the specialists in the field of translation. Nowadays there have been some studies in the field of puns translation but there is no one right way of wordplay translation. Ample research will be dedicated to reveal advantages and disadvantages of different methods of wordplay translation in terms of the fact if the comic affect is reached or not. It is essential to mention that there is no one definition in the linguistic field for the terms ‘wordplay’ and ‘puns’. This paper considers strategies of puns translation based on ‘Friends’ series. The present study aims to find more accurate methods of puns translation in terms of comic effect transition. The achievement of comic affect is the foremost indicator of the relevant translation. With this purpose in mind, we have collected qualitative and quantitative data to find the most convenient ways of wordplay translation for the delivering the communicative task. The results of the research may be used in further studies in the fields of translation studies and humor studies. This research paper consists of an introduction, two main chapters, a conclusion, a bibliography, and an appendix. The first chapter is theoretical. The second chapter is practical. The chapter presents the results of the survey and proves the fact that there is no one way of puns translation. At the same time, the data that we have collected may be useful for interpreters who face the translation of puns. Keywords: puns, wordplay, translation, humor, AVT