ABSTRACT
The study reported in this chapter looks into the translation of figures of speech in political texts. It investigates to what extent explicitations are implemented and why they are implemented. Unlike the vast majority of studies in relevant literature, the current study examines the process of out-of-mother-tongue translation and asks the translator for the rationale behind relevant translation decisions. Employing the parallel-corpus approach and a retrospective questionnaire combined with interviews, the research has found that explicitations happen frequently for the translation of figures of speech, though not most frequently, and that their implementation is a conscious decision on the part of the translator for the purpose of facilitating cross-cultural communication. On this basis, the paper points to the implications of the findings for the debate of explicitations as a candidate for translation universals and for translator training.
