PHRASEOLOGY IN MODERN ENGLISH-LANGUAGE MEDIA DISCOURSE (AN ANALYSIS OF BBC ARTICLES)

Abstract

The article provides an in-depth analysis and systematization of translation methods for phraseological units from English into Ukrainian, based on materials from publications of the influential international online resource BBC News. The relevance of the chosen topic is determined by the significant role of media communication in the modern world, the rapid growth of international information exchange, and the need for high-quality, culturally adequate translation of news texts. BBC News was selected as an exemplary source of English-language media, characterized by rich stylistic variation and active use of idiomatic expressions to achieve pragmatic effect. Special attention is given to the functional features of phraseological units in media texts, particularly their ability to convey evaluation and add emotional colouring to the message. The study examines in detail how phraseological units influence the emotional tone of a news story, its stylistic expressiveness, and the reader’s perception–factors that are critically important in contemporary media dynamics and the fast circulation of information. The principal methods of translating phraseological units identified in the analysed corpus are examined and classified. Among them, the key strategies highlighted include calquing, synonymic substitution, descriptive translation, and emotional-expressive adaptation. The article provides a number of concrete examples of phraseological units drawn from media texts covering significant wartime and political events. These examples illustrate typical challenges faced by translators, such as preserving imagery, dealing with contextual polysemy, and conveying allusions and cultural references. The study concludes that the effective translation of phraseological units in today’s media space is a multifaceted task that requires from the translator not only high linguistic competence and excellent command of both languages. It also demands a creative approach, deep cultural awareness, and the ability to promptly adapt English expressions to Ukrainian realities and stylistic norms. The ultimate goal is to preserve the communicative power of the original text, its stylistic specificity, and to achieve maximum translation adequacy, contributing to more precise and emotionally rich communication of international events to Ukrainian readers.