Figurative Language as a Semantic Barrier in the Arabic/English Translation of United Nations General Assembly Speeches:

A Study of Selected Examples

Abstract

This study analyses selected speeches from the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). It examines the linguistic features of figurative language in Arabic and the accompanying semantic barriers that hinder the translation of these figures of speech into the target culture. The study focuses on the rhetorical devices contained in Arabic speeches and their linguistic and critical discourse analysis. So, the study sheds light on the relation between the figurative language and semantics, the linguistic features of the rhetorical figures, and the relation between these figures and the political discourse, and ultimately the process of rendering these figures into the Target Language (TL). The study also addresses the challenges and shortcomings of rendering the figurative language included in the UNGA Speeches given by Arab speakers from 2014 to 2024 into the English language and culture, and it attempts to reach conclusions on the following questions. The study employs Skopos Theory, Reiss’s text typology, and Newmark’s translation strategies to analyse the different strategies employed by the translators. The analysis reveals that communicative translation is the dominant strategy, while political and ideological constraints influence translation choices, resulting in softened or neutralised equivalents in certain cases. The study highlights the translator’s role as a cultural and political mediator, highlighting the need for a balanced, function-oriented translation approach.