A Comparative Cognitive-Pragmatic Analysis of English and Russian Idiomatic Expressions and Their Translation in Digital Media

Abstract

This article presents a comparative cognitive-pragmatic analysis of English and Russian idiomatic expressions and examines the ways in which their meanings, cultural connotations, and pragmatic functions are preserved or transformed in translation within digital media. Particular attention is given to the relationship between idiomatic meaning, conceptual structures, cultural knowledge, emotional evaluation, and communicative intentions. The study explores how English and Russian idioms reflect culturally specific conceptualizations and how these features influence their interpretation in online communication, including social media, digital journalism, blogs, and other internet-based platforms. The analysis also identifies major translation strategies used to render idiomatic expressions, including equivalence, substitution, paraphrase, literal translation, and contextual adaptation. The findings demonstrate that successful translation of idioms in digital media requires not only linguistic competence but also cognitive and pragmatic awareness of the source and target cultures. The comparative perspective reveals both universal conceptual patterns and culture-specific meanings underlying English and Russian idiomatic expressions. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of intercultural communication and provides a theoretical basis for improving the accuracy, naturalness, and pragmatic effectiveness of idiom translation in contemporary digital discourse.