Problems in Translating Metaphors in Political Campaign Speeches: A Descriptive-Analytical Study

Abstract

This study examines Sultan Qaboos University senior translation students’ renditions of metaphors taken from speeches delivered as part of the 2016 US presidential election campaign. An explanatory mixed-methods approach is used to determine, firstly, students’ recognition of the metaphor as a construct; secondly, their translation of identified metaphors and the ensuing difficulties they encountered owing to linguistic, rhetorical, and/or cultural considerations; and finally the strategies they adopted to overcome these difficulties. The findings reveal that the students encountered difficulties recognising certain metaphors in the English texts (STs) and faced considerable challenges in translating them appropriately into the target language (TL), which is Arabic. The study concludes with recommendations for translation teachers and translator trainers.

Keywords

• English-Arabic Translation
• metaphor
• political speech
• rhetoric