The problem of manipulative speech impact in the situation of synchronous translation of a diplomatic discourse

The article is devoted to the analysis of the translation of diplomatic discourse from the standpoint of possible manipulative influence on the recipient. The research material was a recording of simultaneous translation of Presidents Vladimir Putin and E. Macron during a joint press conference in 2019 into French and Russian, respectively. The criticism of the translation had a wide public response, in connection with which the authors aim to investigate the degree of manipulativeness of the translators' actions. The analysis showed that in some cases translators resort to various manipulative strategies and techniques: omit important information, or, on the contrary, expand structures, use periphrases and euphemisms, change the modality of utterance, neutralize acute evaluative statements. At the same time, speech manipulation in diplomatic translation may not always have a negative character if the result meets the interests of both sides of the negotiations. The authors come to the conclusion: if conscious manipulation in the field of diplomacy is most often designed to protect and strengthen the image of the state and its interests, then unconscious manipulation can be explained by the psychological characteristics of the translator's personality and have the opposite consequences. In any case, the translator is a full-fledged discursive person who exerts a certain pragmatic influence on the recipient, the only difference is how conscious or unconscious this influence is.