THE TRANSLATION OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE: STYLISTIC ASPECT

Abstract

This article investigates the language and stylistic features involved in the translation of political discourse, with a particular focus on the Ukrainian translation of Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration speech. Political discourse is a powerful form of communication designed to influence public opinion, shape ideologies, and mobilize action. As such, it presents unique challenges for translators who must preserve not only the semantic content but also the rhetorical impact, emotional tone, and persuasive strategies of the source text. The study draws on an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating elements of linguistics, pragmatics, cultural studies, and discourse analysis, to examine how Trump’s speech functions rhetorically and how these effects are recreated in translation. The research identifies and analyzes the most frequently used rhetorical devices in Trump’s speech, including repetition, anaphora, metaphor, emotionally charged vocabulary, patriotic appeals, rhetorical questions, contrasts (antithesis), slogans, and appeals to religious and cultural values. These devices are central to Trump’s populist communication style and contribute significantly to the speech’s persuasive power. The analysis demonstrates how the Ukrainian translation strategically employs various lexical and stylistic transformations – such as compensation, generalization, specialization, paraphrasing, modulation, and adaptation – to preserve the emotional intensity, clarity, and communicative effect of the original. Special attention is given to how culturally specific elements and ideologically loaded language are translated in a way that resonates with the Ukrainian audience while maintaining functional and rhetorical equivalence. Through a comparative analysis of source and target texts, the article shows that translation is not a mechanical process but a complex act of intercultural communication, where translators often need to negotiate between literal meaning and stylistic impact. The study further categorizes and quantifies the stylistic and lexical transformations used in the Ukrainian version, supported by tables that illustrate the frequency and types of these techniques. The findings underscore the importance of rhetorical awareness in translation and suggest that a successful political translation requires not only linguistic competence but also an in-depth understanding of the source and target cultures, political contexts, and communicative goals. In conclusion, the article emphasizes that the translation of political discourse, especially in high-stakes speeches such as inaugurations, must strike a balance between fidelity to the original and the expectations of the target audience. The translator’s role involves preserving the speaker’s intent, style, and ideological message, often through deliberate transformation rather than direct equivalence. The article also outlines potential directions for further research, particularly the exploration of foreignization and domestication strategies in political translation. Investigating how these strategies affect the reception and interpretation of political messages in different cultural contexts will deepen our understanding of translation as a political and ideological act.