Translating metaphors in simultaneous interpreting: The case of US inaugural addresses

In Translation Studies research, and more in general in reflections on translation and translating, metaphors have attracted relatively limited attention as something problematic requiring specific consideration and well-thought-out strategies. In relatively recent times proposals to integrate prevalently linguistic approaches with Conceptual Metaphor Theory have opened up new perspectives in this domain. In simultaneous interpreting the problems addressed by translators in the rendering of metaphors are made harder by the distinctive characteristic of this activity, i.e., immediacy, which imposes conditions of severe time restraints. Bringing together insights from research on metaphor translation, on TV interpreting, and on the interpretation of political speeches, this article analyses the televised simultaneous interpreting into Italian of three US presidents’ inaugural addresses, and specifically Clinton’s, Obama’s and Trump’s, in order to evaluate the solutions adopted by simultaneous interpreters for metaphors and their impact on the potential reception of such speeches, also considering the powerful framing effect produced by metaphors.