A Socio-Pragmatic Study of Satire in English Political Speeches with Reference to Its Arabic Translations

Abstract

Satire is a typical mode of expression that is humorously utilized with the intent of attacking or criticizing a certain person, behavior, state, or the whole community. Satire, in political genres, is informatively manifested for materializing negative ends on the part of the satire entity. Satirical expressions are oppositely devised, critically held, and morally targeted; whereof a problematic area would arouse towards the perception of their incongruous targets, the extent of their critical dimensions about their aim of moral reform. Besides, translators would face the dilemma of satirical incongruity and their moral statues would inevitably differ.  Thence, five satirical texts with their translations randomly opted from the political site www. The week.com show debates political satire in English with its four renditions in Arabic. Socio- Pragmatic means for unraveling satirical mysteries are objectively culled. It is hypothesized that satire in political language comes with the intent of criticizing and ridiculing the political situation with the aim of getting reform. Bringing forth translational mechanisms for the renditions of covert intents based on cultural and communal grounds are attempted. In conclusion, most of the political satires are hostilely put forward against rather than reforming the political figures and the political situation. Most of the satirical expressions found no accurate renditions in the other language due to their discrepancy and the absence of contextual condition, paralinguistic cues and intonational patterns.