POLITICAL DISCOURSE: FUNCTIONAL-PRAGMATIC FEATURES OF TRANSLATION OF EVALUATIVE LEXICAL UNITS
Authors:   V.O. Sukhomlynskyi National University of Mykolaiv, Ukraine, Solodka Anzhelika , Moroz Tatiiana ,   V.O. Sukhomlynskyi National University of Mykolaiv, Ukraine
Published: August 2022

Political discourse is the implementation of the language of politics, the real embodiment in the language of all means of the national language that can be used in the context of political activity. The purpose of the article is to investigate the peculiarities of the reproduction of evaluative lexical units in the Ukrainian-English translation of texts that relate to political discourse. The research identifies structural-semantic and functional-pragmatic features of the implementation of evaluative vocabulary. This goal is realized by solving the following tasks: to determine the specifics of political discourse as a type of communication, its characteristics and functions; to consider the peculiarities of the functioning and specifics of the implementation of evaluative vocabulary in modern political discourse; to study the structural and semantic aspects of the reproduction of evaluative vocabulary in the translating the texts of political discourse, taking into account their typology; to identify the basic translation strategies that are implemented in the reproduction of evaluative units. Methodology. The study was based on the analyses of 300 evaluative lexical items from the texts of the Council of Europe summits, speeches and press conferences of politicians (2021) and their relevance in the translated texts. Thematically, the materials cover a wide range of both domestic and foreign policy issues. The research used qualitative and quantitative analyses. Results of the survey showed the pragmatic factors, identified as a result of the comparative analysis. They determine the translator’s focus on the implementation of one of the selected strategies. These factors include: the affiliation of the original text to a particular type of discourse, the dependence of the evaluative characteristics of foreign text and the specifics of the functioning of evaluative vocabulary from the dominant functions of the political discourse; focus on the addressee of the translation, the presence of background knowledge and evaluative stereotypes, that allows to determine the potential response; the purpose of translation, which implies that the translator has certain attitudes. Practical implications of this research is in using theoretical research results when teaching courses in translation theory and practice, sociolinguistics, pragmalinguistics, as well as in translation practice and professional activities of specialists in political technology and PR management, semiotics of business communication.Value/originality. The research developed the stratagies of intensification and deintensification for evaluative units’ translation. The focus on the intensification strategy is based on discrediting the object of evaluation; criticism of the opponent’s actions; specification of the assessed situation; attracting attention; positive presentation. The basis of the deintensification strategy is the following attitude: diplomacy in criticism, political correctness in evaluation, correction of the linguistic image of the subject of evaluation, justification and support of the political course.