STYLISTIC–PRAGMATIC AND TRANSLATION ASPECTS OF METAPHOR, EUPHEMISM, AND RHETORICAL FORMULAS IN DIPLOMATIC DISCOURSE

Abstract

This article investigates the stylistic and pragmatic devices that shape the communicative effectiveness of diplomatic discourse, focusing on three key strategies: metaphor, euphemism, and rhetorical formulas. It aims to reveal how these linguistic mechanisms construct diplomatic meanings, negotiate political stance, and sustain intercultural communication.

The study conceptualizes diplomatic discourse as a form of strategic communication in which linguistic choices serve persuasion, mitigation, and identity construction. Traditional analyses of political language often privilege ideological content while overlooking the stylistic and pragmatic means through which such content is conveyed. This study addresses that gap by exploring the interplay between rhetorical creativity and pragmatic restraint in diplomatic communication.

The research is grounded in the methodology of Critical Metaphor Analysis, Brown and Levinson’s theory of politeness and face management, and frequency analysis of formulaic expressions. The empirical base consists of official diplomatic texts in English and their Chinese translations. Both qualitative and limited quantitative methods are employed to identify recurring patterns of metaphorical framing, euphemistic mitigation, and formulaic expressions. The findings indicate that metaphors shape conceptual frameworks of cooperation or confrontation, euphemisms mitigate face-threatening acts, and rhetorical formulas institutionalize diplomatic stance.

The results demonstrate that an integrated stylistic–pragmatic framework provides a comprehensive approach to understanding diplomatic discourse and offers practical insights for diplomatic translation and translator training. The study emphasizes that diplomatic translators must balance political equivalence with cultural resonance and tonal appropriateness, especially when formulaic expressions embody policy stances and euphemisms preserve negotiability.