This article presents a comprehensive analysis of translation

strategies employed to convey substandard vocabulary in literary

texts. The study focuses on the functioning of stylistically marked

units (colloquialisms, slang, archaisms, historical terms, poetic

expressions, and professional jargon) in G.A. Dolgaya's fantasy

novel “The Gods of the Middle World” and its English translation

by R. Thompson. The research methodology incorporates

comparative, contextual, componential, and stylistic analyses,

which allows for the identification of not only systemic differences

between language systems but also the pragmatic functions of

vocabulary in specific literary contexts. The analysis revealed

systematic patterns in the translator's approach, particularly

establishing that the dominant strategy is pragmatic adaptation. This

strategy prioritizes conveying denotative meaning and achieving

communicative effect over literal reproduction of the stylistic

register. The study demonstrates that the choice of a specific strategy

directly depends on the type of substandard vocabulary: translating

slang and colloquialisms is associated with the greatest losses, while

for professional jargon and historical terms, it is more often possible

to find direct equivalents. The article concludes that, despite the

overall adequacy of the translation, the focus on creating a “natural”

text for the target culture inevitably leads to a “smoothing out” of

the linguocultural uniqueness and Russified specificity of the

original. This phenomenon represents a key challenge in

intercultural communication when translating literary texts rich in

substandard vocabulary.