The translation of Salazar’s speeches into English: a case-study on soft power practices in twentieth century Portugal

Abstract

ABSTRACT The concept of soft power is visible in many forms. According to Nye, the use of rhetoric is the resource found at the basis of soft power, thus projecting the development of a specific kind of narrative in a given setting. Hence, this article will focus on the context of the twentieth century Estado Novo dictatorship in the period from 1933 to the aftermath of the second World War in Portugal. This regime employed soft power practices through the systematic publication of political texts, more concretely of the speeches written and delivered by dictator Oliveira Salazar, which were translated into several foreign languages. This work will provide insight into the case of the translation of Salazar’s speeches into English as a means to influence international relations with a specific target audience in mind. It will also exemplify the kind of message the regime wanted to disseminate according to a specific target audience. A close reading of two speeches will therefore provide further insight.