Abstract:

This chapter examines the functions and meanings of modals used to express possibility and obligation in English and Filipino. It will: (1) use semantic analysis to compare the differences between the use and meaning of modals and how they are translated and given equivalents from Source Text (ST) to Target Text (TT); (2) analyze how differences in meaning and use affect the interpretation of the level of risk(s) implied in using these modals in disaster-related contexts; and (3) analyze factors that determine the translatability of modals from English (ST) into Filipino (TT). The study will use select data from disaster-related texts in English and Filipino. It aims to understand how the possibility of risk and the sense of urgency in disaster-related contexts are communicated using modals. Because modal verbs help to express the required, urgent, and necessary during crisis communication, it is essential to evaluate their function in a sentence and understand the message they communicate from ST to TT. Analyzing the meanings of modals in translated disaster communication could help readers assess the urgency and possibility of the risk communicated. The analysis could help refine translated disaster risk communication for a precise interpretation and more informed and appropriate decisions by target text readers.