Semantics of proper names of fictional beings and problems of translation

This article discusses proper names that function in the space of a literary text from the point of view of their semantics and translation. It is noted that within the framework of a literary text, the author faces the task of engaging the reader in the course of the narrative and making him believe in what he has read and in the “secondary world”. All in the process of creating possible narrative worlds unrelated to our reality, having their own internal logic and system of event relations. It is established that proper names, being an important element of a literary text and concentrating a significant amount of information in themselves, play a key role in shaping the multidimensional meaning that the author puts into the work. This is due to the fact that the nomination of the characters defines them as some kind of signs that connect the plotline with a lot of details, images and events. The statement is substantiated that one of the features of works that are not related to our reality is the description of such an onomastic background that would make the reader believe in the plausibility of the secondary world. Attention is drawn to the problem of the semantic analysis of fictional names, which is closely related to the ontology and metaphysics of unreal characters or, in a broader sense, fictional entities. The existing problem of translating proper names into other languages is noted, since in their original language environment, proper names carry a cultural code that is not always understandable to a non-native speaker. The problem of finding adequate ways to convey the content of the work when translating the names of proper fictional creatures functioning in the “secondary world” is demonstrated.