Reconstructing modality in intersemiotic translation: Pragmatic strategies of fascinative communication

Abstract

This article explores the reconstruction of modality in intersemiotic translation through the lens of pragmatic strategies that foster fascinative communication. Focusing on Dan Brown’s novels and their Ukrainian translations, it shows how modality shapes readers’ perception and narrative immersion. Drawing on pragmalinguistics, cognitive linguistics, semiotics, and translation studies, the analysis highlights the role of Grice’s cooperative principle and implicatures, conventional and unconventional, functioning as carriers of modal meanings across cultural boundaries. Ultimately, the study argues that translating modality involves not only linguistic conversion but also cognitive and cultural adaptation, thereby positioning intersemiotic translation as a dynamic site of intercultural communication. The findings contribute to broader discussions in translation theory by highlighting the necessity of context-sensitive, pragmatically-informed strategies to preserve the fascinative potential of literary texts in cross-cultural settings.