Transparency and Opaqueness of Conceptual Metaphors in Jordanian Medical Discourse: A Cross-Cultural Analysis

Abstract

The translation of medical conceptual metaphors (CMs) from Arabic into English and the cross-cultural transparency of their meanings are examined in this study. Metaphors were found using the metaphor identification procedure (MIP) and then examined using Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Critical Metaphor Analysis on a corpus of Jordanian Arabic health texts, including Ministry of Health advertising and hospital materials. War, journey, predator, balance, and machine were the five primary realms that arose. WAR and religious metaphors needed adaptive translation to preserve empathy and steer clear of overly severe language, whereas JOURNEY and MACHINE metaphors demonstrated excellent transparency. Micro-glossing and functional equivalency struck the optimal balance between accessibility and fidelity among the examined techniques. The results highlight the necessity of culturally sensitive translation techniques that maintain the emotional and persuasive power of medical metaphors while guaranteeing understanding among speakers of different languages.