CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES IN THE TRANSLATION OF MARITIME TERMINOLOGY: LINGUISTIC AND PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive study of the strategies and challenges involved in translating maritime terminology from English into Ukrainian within the context of the global marine industry’s expansion. The object of the research is the English maritime terminological system as represented in international regulatory acts, technical documentation, and educational materials. The study examines the linguistic, pragmatic, and institutional features of rendering professional nominations in Ukrainian translation. The relevance of the work is driven by the rapid technological evolution of the sector, particularly digitalisation and the introduction of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), which generates a vast array of new terms requiring adequate linguistic adaptation to ensure the safety of navigation. In the theoretical framework, the study justifies an integrated approach based on the sociocognitive theory of terminology and functionalism. The author provides a detailed analysis of the linguistic characteristics of maritime discourse, specifically the phenomena of intra-industry polysemy and homonymy. Special attention is paid to the structural complexity of composite terms and to the issue of systemic cross-linguistic asymmetry, in which discrepancies in the categorisation of realities demand profound background competence from the translator. On a practical level, the study investigates the impact of international standardisation through IMO conventions (SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW) on the formation of the Ukrainian professional language. It is established that translating technical manuals and operational instructions requires strict terminological unification, whereas translating educational materials allows for adaptive strategies to improve cognitive comprehension. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the development of a comprehensive plan for overcoming translation difficulties, including the differentiated use of transliteration, calquing, and descriptive translation. The author argues that integrating modern technologies, such as CAT tools and specialised text corpora, is an essential prerequisite for ensuring translation quality. The conclusions emphasise that the effective translation of maritime terminology directly affects the economic efficiency of operations and the preservation of human life at sea.