Issues And Strategies Of Subtitling Cultural References
Issues and Strategies of Subtitling Cultural ReferencesHarry Potter Movies in ArabicAhmed R. M. AltahriSchool of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences (HuLSS),University of Salford, Salford, UKSubmitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degreeof Doctor of Philosophy, June 2013The candidate confirms that the work submitted is his own and that appropriatecredit has been given where references have been made to the work of others.
AcknowledgementI would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Dr Sameh Hanna for all hiscontinuous encouragement, direction, patience, professional insightful comments andvaluable guidance which have been given to me throughout the course of the development ofthis thesis. His clear supervision, inspiration and support are not only intellectually but alsoemotionally appreciated.I would like to thank all those who have given me support and encouragement duringthis long, interesting and unique journey, especially my family, relatives, friends, and mypostgraduate colleagues for their continuous support, encouragement, and sharing experienceand advice. My deepest love and gratitude goes to my parents, Mohammed and Aisha, mywife Fatima, and to my little sons Mohammed and Ali who bring light into my life every day.My very grateful thanks are of course to Al Mergeb University for their generoussponsorship of my studies, which covered an MA degree in addition to the preparation of thisthesis. Special thanks are also due to the University of Salford for the provision of neededresources and training, to the School of HuLSS, and the staff at the Centre for Translation andInterpreting for their support.II
AbstractSubtitling, as all other types of audiovisual translation, has always been influenced bycultural factors, and in turn subtitles have influenced their target readers. The closeinterrelation between language and culture in interlingual subtitling may raise problems, orchallenging issues in translating cultural references from oral dialogue into written subtitles.The aim of this study is to investigate the problems and strategies involved in the Arabicsubtitling of the cultural references in the Harry Potter movies in Arabic. Special focus willbe laid on different types of cultural references such as names of people, mythologicalcreatures, magical objects, place names, food items, neologisms, etc., which are characteristicof J. K. Rowling’s book on which the movies are based. These cultural references posechallenges for the subtitlers.The main objective of this study is to determine which factors and strategies play asignificant role when subtitling Harry Potter movies for children in the Arab world. In orderto achieve this aim, a descriptive approach within the discipline of translation studies hasbeen adopted. More specifically, this approach will examine the possibility to observe anykind of consistency in the strategies applied for the subtitling of cultural references. DíazCintas’s model is proposed as a theoretical framework that helps in understanding andexplaining the strategies available to the subtitler when subtitling cultural references.The study concludes that there is a complex of cultural, ideological, and technicalaspects which have significant influence on subtitlers when subtitling for children, inparticular from English into Arabic. The analysis shows that the Arabic subtitlers tend to usemore strategies than others in dealing with cultural references. The conclusion attempts anexplanation of the frequency of the strategies used.III
List of ContentsThe contentpageAcknowledgments . IIAbstract. IIIContents . IVFigures and tables . IXAbbreviations . XTransliteration rules . XIIntroduction: Focus of the study0.1Rationale .40.2The Data.50.3Statement of the problem . 60.4Research questions and hypotheses .70.5Theoretical framework and methodology . 90.6The paradigm shift to Descriptive Translation Studies .100.7Structure of the study . 13Chapter One: Audiovisual translation (AVT) and subtitling:Theoretical issues and practical challenges1.1Introduction.161.2Audiovisual translation (AVT) .161.2.1 Audiovisual translation and/in translation studies .181.3Types of audiovisual translation .231.3.1 Intralingual audiovisual translation .251.3.2 Interlingual audiovisual translation .251.3.2.1Dubbing.261.3.2.2Dubbing in the Arab world .271.4Subtitling .291.4.1 History of subtitling .29IV
1.4.2 Classification of subtitles .311.4.2.1Linguistic parameters .311.4.2.2Technical parameters .321.4.3 Challenges and technical aspects .331.5Subtitling in the Arab world 361.6Advantages and disadvantages of subtitling . 381.6.1 Advantages of subtitling . 391.6.2 Disadvantages of subtitling .401.7Conclusion .42Chapter Two: Translating and subtitling children’s literature:language, culture and translation2.1Introduction.442.2Language and culture . 452.3Translation and culture . 482.4Subtitling movies: translation or adaptation . 532.5Introduction to children’s literature .542.5.1 Definition of children’s literature552.5.2 History and nature of children’s literature . 582.5.3 Children’s Literature in the Arab world . 592.6Children and audiovisual products .612.7Translation of children’s literature .622.7.1 The importance and challenges of translating for children .632.7.2 Subtitling for children in the Arab world . 682.8Ideology and translation/subtitling .702.8.1 Children’s literature from an ideological perspective .722.9Conclusion .75Chapter Three: Cultural references from a translational perspective3.1 Introduction .783.2 Typologies of CRs in translation .783.2.1 Newmark (1988) .803.2.2 Oltra Ripoll (2005) . 80V
3.2.3 Klingberg (1986) .813.2.4 Tortoriello (2006) . 893.2.4.1Cultural references and puns .903.2.4.2Idiosyncrasies and neologisms .923.2.4.3Songs .933.2.5 Schwarz (2002) .953.2.5.1Locations and geographical references . 963.2.5.2Money and dated terms .963.2.5.3Non-verbal signs . 983.2.5.4Taboos .983.2.5.5Proverbs and fixed expressions.993.2.5.6Puns and wordplay . 993.2.5.7Specific problems. 1013.2.5.8Songs .1023.2.6 Davies’ approach (2003) . 1053.2.6.1Food references . 1063.2.6.2Toponyms (place names) .1083.2.6.3Word play.1083.2.7 Names .1103.2.7.1Classification of names .1113.2.7.2Translating names in children’s works . 1133.2.8 Discussion of the models .116Chapter Four: Translation/subtitling strategies4.1Introduction.1184.2Definition of translation/subtitling strategy . 1194.3Taxonomies of translation/subtitling strategies . 1204.3.1 Aixelá’s taxonomy (1996 .1214.3.1.1 Conservation.1224.3.1.2 Substitution.1234.3.2 Davies’s taxonomy (2003) .1244.3.2.1 Preservation .1254.3.2.2 Addition .1264.3.2.3 Globalization .127VI
4.3.2.4 Localization .1274.3.2.5 Transformation . 1274.3.2.6 Creation .1284.3.2.7 Omission.1284.3.3 Diaz Cintas (2007) . 1294.3.3.1 Loan (direct transfer) . 1294.3.3.2 Calque (literal translation) .1304.3.3.3 Explicitation .1304.3.3.4 Substitution.1314.3.3.5 Transposition (cultural adaptation) . 1324.3.3.6 Lexical creation . 1334.3.3.7 Compensation .1344.3.3.8 Omission.1344.4Conclusion .135Chapter Five: The Harry Potter series: A typology of cultural references5.1Introduction.1375.2Profiling the Harry Potter series .1375.2.1 A Note on the series . 1385.2.2 Harry Potter: from novels to movies .1395.2.3 Harry Potter movies . 1415.3Harry Potter from cultural and ideological perspectives .1425.3.1 Critical views on the Harry Potter series. 1455.4Harry Potter series in the Arab world .1485.4.1 Subtitling Harry Potter into Arabic .1505.4.2 Issues in subtitling Harry Potter into Arabic . 1515.5A typology of cultural references in Harry Potter movies .1535.5.1 Names in Harry Potter movies .1545.5.1.1 Names of students at Hogwarts .1555.5.1.2 Names of professors at Hogwarts School . 1585.5.1.3 Other characters connected to Hogwarts . 1615.5.1.4 Names of Hogwarts’ founders.1625.5.1.5 Ghosts .1635.5.2 Names of animals and mythological creatures .164VII
5.5.3 Place names (typonym) . 1675.5.4 Magical objects .1695.5.5 Spells and potions . 1735.5.6 Food .1745.5.7 Weights and measures . 1755.5.8 Transportation systems . 1765.5.9 Songs and riddles . 1775.5.10 Neologisms.1795.6Conclusion . 181Chapter Six: Data Analysis6.1Introduction.1836.2The names in Harry Potter movies .1846.2.1 Names of Characters . 1846.2.1.1 Names of students at Hogwarts School . 1856.2.1.2 Names of professors at Hogwarts School . 1916.2.1.3 Other characters connected to Hogwarts School .1956.2.1.4 Ghosts .1986.2.2 Names of animals and mythological creatures .2006.2.3 Place names (toponyms) .2126.2.4 Magical objects .2216.2.5 Spells and potions . 2246.2.6 Food and drinks .2336.2.7 Weights and measures . 2
particular from English into Arabic. The analysis shows that the Arabic subtitlers tend to use The analysis shows that the Arabic subtitlers tend to use more strategies than others in dealing with cultural references.
to subtitling Arabic colloquial expressions into English: (1) some colloquialisms, especially those reflecting religious overtones, have been missubtitled, (2) some colloquialisms have been totally dropped out from subtitling (i.e. zero- subtitling), (3) and in subtitling certain colloquialisms, a considerable subtitling loss has occurred. Finally, to resolve such recalcitrant problems and .
AUDIO VISUAL TRANSLATION: SUBTITLING ENGLISH – ARABIC SUBTITLING: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS A COMMENTARY ON THE APPLICATION OF THE THEORY OF DOMESTICATION AND FOREIGNIZATION IN SUBTITLING RELIGIOUS TERMS, NAMES, VERSES AND BELIEFS SALMA EDREES Lecturer in Translation A Member of Translation Committee, Member of Scientific Research Committee Academic Campus 2, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia doi .
Analysis Subtitling Strategy in The Revenant Movie (2015). 2. RESEARCH METHOD This study focuses on the subtitling analysis and its quality which is analyzed in the movie entitled The Revenant. Then, the analysis of the study will focus on the subtitling variation and the quality of itself. The writer uses the theory of Gottlieb. The objective
programming of films. Subtitling costs are the same for any given language. This cost may deter audiovisual players from releasing films with subtitling in languages spoken by a small number of people. There is no certainty that for some target audiences, the potential demand for non-national European films will compensate for the subtitling costs.
Abstract:The research is entitled Subtitling Strategies in Real Steel Movie. This study aims at finding out the strategies employed to translate the English subtitles into Indonesian subtitles, and identifying the strategy . 18 Volume 12 Nomor 1, Maret 2016 good quality, but also faces problems in getting across the stories in different
American Sitcom Seinfeld, with Particular Reference to English and Arabic Adel Awadh A Alharthi School of Languages University of Salford, Salford, UK Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, August 2016!! II! ABSTRACT The present study investigates issues in the subtitling of humour in the American sitcom, Seinfeld. The study also identifies .
Issues of culture specific item translation in subtitling . translation from English into Lithuanian analyzed in the subtitles of the Australian TV reality show My Kitchen Rules. The results indicate that not all culture specific items are appropriately rendered into the target language, which is a significant factor in the evaluation of translation quality. 6 The Authors. Published by .
Investigating Subtitling Strategies for the Translation of Wordplay in Wallace and Gromit – An Audience Reception Study by Svea Schauffler A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD Modern Languages Teaching Centre School of Modern Languages and Linguistics July 2012 . 1 Abstract This thesis constitutes an experimental, receptor-oriented study which investigates the reception of two different .
