Translation between ethics and politics: political discourse in translation

This article examines the complex interplay between ethics, politics, and translation in constructing and manipulating political discourse, particularly in Arabic-language media. Challenging the assumption of translation as a neutral act, this study argues that translators and patrons actively shape the ideological orientation of translated texts to align with specific political agendas. Through a qualitative analysis of two case studies, the translation of political texts from English to Arabic in Egypt and Algeria, this research reveals systematic patterns of manipulation, including the amplification of positive evaluations, mitigation or omission of critical voices, and reframing of agency to serve domestic ideological imperatives. Employing the Appraisal Framework alongside Critical Discourse Analysis, the study details how attitude, engagement, and graduation resources are selectively operationalized to reinforce or subvert power structures. The findings critically reflect on how translation operates as an ideological tool, shaped by the Global South’s power dynamics and socio-political constraints, rather than a mere linguistic exercise. By connecting these patterns to broader theoretical debates in critical discourse studies and decolonial translation theory, the article highlights the ethical responsibility of translators and the need for greater critical scrutiny of translation practices in politically sensitive contexts.