Foreignization & Domestication in English-Arabic Dubbing and Subtitling With Special Reference To The Smurfs2 Movie 1
Foreignization & Domestication in English-Arabic Dubbing and Subtitling With Special Reference To The Smurfs2 Movie 1
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All content following this page was uploaded by Ahmed Fakhir Majeed on 25 October 2021.
By
Assist. Prof. Adel A. Thamery (PhD) Ahmed Fakhir Majeed
Department of English Department of Translation
College of Arts College of Arts
University of Basra University of Basra
1. Premilinaries
Human beings are individuals living in different societies and each
society has its own culture. These societies communicate with each
other through different languages. Translation is the tool or the bridge
that combine the whole world together. Several frameworks within
culture specific translation are concerned with the translation of specific
elements of culture and the mechanism for doing this translation. Thus,
this study is set out to explore the notion of foreignization and
domestication by examining dubbing and subtitling strategies. In the
case of the audiovisual translation, this study focuses on two strategies,
i.e., dubbing and subtitling with regards to the notions of foreignization
and domestication.
Domestication and foreignization are Lawrence Venuti's coinages
that are based on his investigation of Western translation history and
theories. By using terms like foreignization and domestication, it is
important to remember that there are many interpretations of what they
mean. This study is particularly interested in domestication and
foreignization as potential tools for achieving equivalent effect in screen
translation types especially in dubbing and subtitling.
The foreignization and domestication notions have been re-
appropriated by many scholars working in the area of intercultural
transfer. As will be discussed in this study, the strategies used for the
translation of culture-specific material in particular are typically
classified according to this mode. This study does not include the
intention to question Venuti’s model quality assessment, i.e. his
advocacy of foreignizing translation projects, but rather the notions of
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This paper is based on an MA thesis written by the second researcher and supervised by the first researcher.
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foreignization and domestication as a conceptual framework
traditionally used to discuss cultural transfer in translation.
1.2 Rationale of The Study
There are several reasons behind the choice of the topic. First,
research into specific issues concerning dubbing and subtitling is still
in its beginnings and it is still in progress in the Arabic countries.
Second, as the source (English) and the target (Arabic) cultures are
substantially different, it seems particularly interesting to compare the
cultural exchange between these two cultural environments in audio-
visual translation. Furthermore, the more and more perceptible
influence of mass media on our lives and the role of film industry as a
crucial cross-cultural mediator supported the choice of the topic as well.
Third, this study is an attempt to explore the procedures of rendering
culture-specific items (CSI for short) translation, whether it is better in
using subtitling or dubbing.
1.3 The Study Questions
This study attempts to answer the following questions:
1) To what extent does subtitling foreignize or domesticate elements in
AVT?
2) To what extent does dubbing foreignize or domesticate elements in
AVT?
3) Are there differences between domestication and foreignization as
regards rendering cultural specific items (CSI) in AVT?
1.4 The Procedures of The Study
The present study is carried out by following a number of steps:
1- Presenting and reviewing the basic notions and strategies that
are used in the analysis.
2- Choosing the movie which has a dubbed version and subtitled
version, i.e. “The Smurfs2” to be analyzed.
3- Selecting a number of items in both the dubbed and subtitled
versions for analysis.
4- Analyzing these items according to Olk’s (2001) model as regard
foreignization and domestication.
5- Deriving conclusions as regard the study questions from this
analysis.
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1.5 The Scope of Study
This study is limited to the following:
1- It is limited to two versions of The Smurfs2 movie, i.e. the dubbed
and subtitled versions in Arabic. The Subtitled version is done by
Beirut Centre Company, Iraq/ Basra. This company downloads the
subtitles from a website (www.subscene.com) the translator name
is Younis and he is one of the website members. This website
contains so many translators who are subtitlers. The Dubbed
version is done by Al-zahra Company and distributed by Young
Future distribution Company.
2- It is limited to answer the study questions in 1.3
3- It is limited to how dubbing and subtitling utilize either
foreignization or domestication as ways of dealing with cultural
specific items.
2. Theortical Perspective
This section examines the cultural/intercultural transferring of
The Smurfs 2 movie translation. It focuses on the translation of culture-
specific items and provides answers to questions as regards the validity
of domestication and foreignization notions. It aims to apply notions of
domestication and foreignization in translating culture-specific
references of “The Smurfs 2” into Arabic, where the translator has to
make his\her decision on the basis of specific factors such as the
background of the readership, the goal of the target movie, the message
of the source movie and the client’s purpose in translating the source
movie. Drawing on the findings of an analytical study consisting of one
animation movie dubbed and subtitled into Arabic which is “The Smurfs
2”, the study sheds the light on theoretical challenge by relaying on a
more pragmatic approach to the study of cultural transfer in
audiovisual translation (AVT). It examines the possibilities to observe
any form of consistency in the strategies used in the translation of
cultural-bound references and what is implies for the dialogic
relationship.
Translation does not only involve giving the equivalent meaning in
the Target Language (TL), rather it involves considering the values of the
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TL and the Source Language (SL) whether they are linguistic values or
cultural ones. Some translators prefer changing the SL values and
making them readable for the TL audience, this is termed
Domestication. Others, on the other hand, prefer keeping the values of
the SL and exposing audience to them, this is termed Foreignization.
In movie making/production, most challenges for any movie is
reaching to a desirable impression of its audience hence the movie
could be considered whether a success or a fail. Therefore, one of the
greatest challenges for a movie after its release is reaching an
international audience and being successful abroad. Such a process of
internationalization, linguistic difference is considered one of the major
obstacles and in the case of translation for the cinema especially in the
form of subtitling and dubbing. However, language and culture are
deeply intertwined, and obviously translators do not translate individual
words deprived of context, but whole texts which are culturally
embedded and based on a community of references predictably shared
by most members of the source culture.
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this method makes the translator ‘invisible’ on the one hand and
implies ‘an ethnocentric reduction of the foreign text to target-language
cultural values’ on the other hand. By Domestication, the Anglo-
American culture imposes its own ‘hegemonic’ power upon other minor
cultures.
Venuti’s notions of foreignization and domestication and his claim
(1998:67) that ‘translation wields enormous power in constructing
representations of foreign cultures’ draws the attention to conjecture
that translation for the cinema, because of its tremendous social impact
and visibility as a mode of intercultural exchange, may in fact affect
cultural representations to a greater extent than other types of
translation.
According to Venuti (1998: 240), foreignization and domestication
as overall translation strategies take place at two levels: the macro-level
– with the selection of foreign texts to be translated – and the micro-
level, i.e. the actual methods used to translate them. For Venuti
domestication is a natural tendency of translation and consists in
translating in a fluent, idiomatic, and transparent way which tends to
erase the foreignness of the source text and to conform to the needs and
values of the domestic/target culture. In his own words Venuti (1992:5):
[A] fluent strategy performs a labor of acculturation which
domesticates the foreign text, making it intelligible and even
familiar to the target-language reader, providing him or her
with the narcissistic experience of recognizing his or her own
culture in a cultural other, enacting an imperialism that
extends the dominion of transparency with other ideological
discourses over a different culture.
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The first problem we face in the study of the cultural aspects
of translation is how to devise a suitable tool for our analysis,
a notion of 'culture-specific item' (CSI) that will enable us to
define the strictly cultural component as opposed to, say, the
linguistic or pragmatic ones. The main difficulty with the
definition lies, of course, in the fact that in a language
everything is culturally produced, beginning with language
itself.
For the purposes of this study, Olk's ideas (2001) are being
adopted of culture-specific material, given in the context of textual
translation, to the particular context of film. Culture-specific material
encompasses the verbal and non-verbal (visual and auditory) signs
which constitute a problem for cross-cultural transfer because they
refer to objects or concepts that are specific to the original sociocultural
context of the film.
Tomaszkiewicz (2001), Ivir(1987),Newmark (1995),Aixelá(1996) and
Olk(2001), who have examined , in a systematic way, the strategies
used for the translation of culture-specific references in the context of
the movie.
In connection with classifications of translation strategies, Ramière
(2006) highlights that most of them keep to a general tendency to
progress from the most exoticizing to the most domesticating. Figure(1),
taken from Ramière’s paper (2006), shows two poles of possible
approaches to translation and the continuum between them:
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According to this model, translation procedures are distributed
along a scale with two poles, usually termed foreignization and
domestication, but also referred to as exoticism/assimilation,
source/target, foreign/familiar, Self/Other, etc. Each translation
procedure is situated on this spectrum according to the extent to which
it accommodates the target reader/viewer's own cultural
background.The two extremes of the spectrum represent tendencies or
general strategies in relation to which each translation procedure
(explanation, calque, cultural substitution, omission, etc.) is situated
according to its degree of cultural mediation. The model is therefore
clearly based on a polarisation with each translation procedure tending
towards one pole or the other, thus presenting Self and Other as
mutually exclusive.
The further to the left the strategy lies on the axis, the more
exotically “accurate” and SL-oriented the translation will seem; the
further we go to the right side of the scale, the more our translation will
be TL-oriented, erasing the local colour of the original. The type of
strategy that the translator chooses has an impact on TL in terms of
how they will perceive the SL. According to Ramière’s (2006), this seems
to be a widely recognized opinion among scholars.
4. Analysis
It is important to stress that this paperis only carried out on
corpus of one movie, both subtitled and dubbed into Arabic: However,
since the film has been rendered by different subtitlers and dubstars, it
is expected that the problems outlined below would be similar with a
larger corpus.
It is first of all difficult, in some cases, to precisely identify the
translation procedure used in both the subtitled and dubbed versions of
“The Smurfs 2” movie. Noting that the combination of the context,
visuals/ pictures, audio and way of speaking are considered as major
factors of determining the choice of the type of translation procedures
are been used. Thus, each example is referred to as source text (ST for
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short) will be briefly explained to support the comments concerning with
dubbed and subtitled versions (DV & SV for short).
At the beginning of “The Smurfs 2” movie a voice is been heard
which is the voice of one of the Smurfs reciting the story of how
Smurfette joined their world. So that, the first sentence at (0:47 second)
time heard by the narrator which is subtitled in certain way and dubbed
by another, as in the following examples:
1- ST:Time to smurfs some magic, There you are, yes, tiger in LA ...
make its presence magic and blue ... unless this spill be all for
naught ... that final thing one hopeful thought.
- SV: النمر في "لوس انجليس" يثبت، بالفعل، أيها العاطفي، ها انت ذا،حان الوقت لسنفرة بعض السحر
. إال اذا كانت التعويذة السحرية فاقدة المفعول وهو آخر شيء آمل حدوثه، حضوره االزرق السحري
- DV: نعم زنبق النمر يتحلى جوهرها بالسحر والزرقة، ها هي خالصة الميموزة،حان الوقت لسحر السنافر
.فان لم يكفي هذا السحر اضيف اليه خير الفكر
It is not that much obvious that neither the subtitled version is
close to the source text which tends to go to the left side of figure (1)
towards transference procedures, nor the dubbed version is tends to
move towards the naturalization/cultural substitution in which at the
right side of figure (1). Both of versions are mixed of different strategies.
So in some cases, in the dubbed version one can find that the cultural
substitution is more than the literal translation, while in the subtitled
version one can find that the transference or literal translation is more
than the explanation/ cultural substitution and vice versa.
In SV, one can find that neologisms – new words are been triggered
to the target language – the verb “Smurfs” is been rendered as ""سنفرة
which is totally new to the Arabic vocabulary system, and this word is
only related to the world of The Smurfs. While, in DV this verb is been
handled in a different way, as it is new word even in English language
and it is only related to the word of “The Smurfs”, cultural substitution
is been used. The Arab speakers tend to use rhythm and rhyme in
reciting stories to be more joyful and entertaining to the receptors/
audiences, and the ST contains these rhythm and rhyme, so that the
translation of the sentence “…unless this spill be all for naught… that
final thing one hopeful thought” in DV " فان لم يكفي هذا السحر اضيف اليه خير
"الفكرwhile in the SV " "اال اذا كانت التعويذة فاقدة المفعول وهو اخر شيء امل حدوثهit is been
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rendered literally, taking the denotative meaning and keep the
connotative one aside.
1.5 Transference
It means the process of transferring a word or expression from the
source language/text directly into the target text without translating it
at all. People's names, place names and the like are usually
transferred, except in those cases where a conventional translation
exists.
In the case of translating names one can find out that some names
still the same in both subtitled and dubbed version, for instance the
name of “the evil wizard Gargamel” that translated into “ ”شرشبيلin both
versions. This name is smooth and accepted by the Arabic audience and
it refers to the evil with all words means. This is on one hand, on the
other hand, “Gargamel” and “ ”شرشبيلare two words which can be uttered
by the same way but not the same sound of course, and the lips
synchronization requires having words which their utterances are the
same even though they have different sounds. Thus, at the minute
(01:47) one of the Smurfs called “Smooth” which translated into “ ”رقيقin
the subtitled version, while in the dubbed version it is translated into
“ ”أكولwhich is totally different than the adjective of the name in the
original and the subtitled versions. The name of the cat is also
translated into Arabic in two different ways , This is done for the sake of
lips synchronization that aims at showing the movie as if it were
produced in the target language and show the characters speaks the
language of the receptor which is Arabic language.
“The Smurfs 2” contains many words that are transferred from
English language into Arabic one in general, and in subtitling in
particular, at (00:05:31) an anchorwoman for TV news is broadcasting
news supported by visuals aids concerning with Gargamel magical
show in Paris:
2- ST:Gargamania! The magical sensation that has captivated the
nation from New York to Las Vegas.
- SV:"" شرشبينيا" العرض السحري الذي ابهر الجميع من "نيويورك" الى "الس فيغاس
- DV: ""شرشامينيا" ذلك الساحر الذي أسر البالد من شرقها الى غربها
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Subtitled versions follow the transference procedures concerning
with common places names such as (New York and Las Vegas). While
Dubbed version used the adaptation procedures to explain how famous
this magician is around the world. Thus, SV keeps the forms and the
content of the ST, but DV omits the common names of the places and
replace them by ( )من شرقها الى غربهاwhich are not exist in the ST.
At (00:40:33) and when Papa and the other three Smurfs try to
save Smurfette, they arrive to Gargamel house and fall in the basement.
They see a big device and one of them says:
3- ST: Is that a giant Smurfalator?
- SV:هل هذا محول سنفوري يا ترى؟
- DV: أهذه سنفوسارة ضخمة؟
In the dubbed version it is rendered into: " "اهذه سنفوسارة ضخمة؟the
word Smurfalator is transferred into Arabic language and Arabic
Culture. As been mentioned earlier that neologism is been used since
“The Smurfs” has their own world and they communicate with each
other by their own special language, so that the dubstars use
transference to transfer the flavor and the impact of such words, while
the subtitled version follow the explanation or gloss translation
procedures, explaining the use of this device, and add new word for this
sentence to express how The Smurfs are amazed and by the shape of
the device by using the word " "ياترى.
At (00:09:13) The Smurfs are working on Smurfette birthday party,
they want to put a banner says “happy birthday Smurfette”, so during
the sean
4- ST: The banner goes over there, please. Thank you, and I love the
piñata.
- SV: ضع الالفتة هناك من فضلك وشكرا
- DV: واحب البيناتا، هناك، الفتة عيد ميالد جميلة يا سنفورة
The word “Pinata” is transferred into Arabic in the dubbed version,
even though the translation of the sentence is depending on the source
sentence in the structure and in the way of uttering the sentence. In SV
the mentioned word is been omitted, since it is a Spanish word means
fragile material, the subtitler prefers to omitted this word because it will
not affect the meaning of the sentence and it is not an English word,
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while dubstars prefer to transfer the word as it is to the Arabic
language. In fact, the connotation of this word is that “Birthday cake”
because the Smurf said this word at the time the cake appeared on the
screen. Both SV and DV misunderstand the meaning of the word.
Each procedure that is followed has its own deviation because
sometimes translators tend to use multiple strategies in completing
their translation. The number of the examples are been discussed is
represented by percentages taken from both subtitled and dubbed
versions, the number is 40 examples of which transference percentage
in the subtitled version is (16%) and the dubbed version is (15%). SV
includes so many words which transferred into Arabic, such as the
names of the places, characters and the sentences structures, whereas,
DV includes less number of proceeding such procedures.
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word of ST and follows the same structure of it also, while DV uses a
different translation procedure which is going to be discussed in section
4.7.
Another literal translation procedure is been followed when Smurfette
was dreaming at (00:01:55) and saw Gargamel saying:
7- ST: I am making my own irresistible creation, the Smurfette, to
infiltrate their village and betray the Smurfs.
- SV: (السنفورة) لكي تتسلل ا لى القرية وتقوم بخيانة السنافر،انااجهزمخلوقتي التي التقهر.
- DV:سوف اخترع انا شخصية جذابة مبهرة هي "سنفورة" لتخترق بلدة السنافر وتخدع السنافر
SV contains the ST structure but in a clear way which does not
follow any other translation procedures but literal translation, while DV
contains new words that describe Smurfette which are going to be
discussed at 4.7.
In the same dream but at (00:03:35), Smurfette sees herself running
after the Smurfs and says:
8- ST: Stupide trusting Smurfs. You are mine now.
- SV: انتم ملكي االن،سنافر ساذجة وغبية
- DV: صرتم ملكي االن،سنافر بلهاء غبية
Both SV and DV have the literal meaning for ST, in spite of the
fact that in DV there is new word which is not exist in ST ()صرتم, the
English equivalence for the mentioned word is ( you became) in which
ST does not include such phrase or words. Translator tries to
emphasize that there some changes happened at the time of speaking
this sentence, since The Smurfs are free and do not belong to anybody
except their village and Papa, so that the situation is being changed now
and Smurfette is saying to the Smurfs that you become mine now.
At the time Smurfette chases the Smurfs at (00:03:48), one of the
Smurfs shout loudly and scarily:
9- ST: She’s got Dragon Wand.
- SV: إنها تمتلك صولجان التنين
- DV: معها عصا التنين
Both SV and DV follow the literal translation procedures in
rendering example no.9, but with two different words but have the same
indication.
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Gargamel is been discovered throughout an online shared video on
YouTube, the anchorwoman is briefing the news of an incident
happened in New York on TV at (00:05:44), when taxi driver was about
to hit Gargamel on road, then the driver said:
10- ST:Yo, get out of the road, freak!
- SV:انت ابتعد عن الطريق يا غريب االطوار
- DV:!انت ابتعدعن الطريق يامسخ
Gargamel replied at (00:06:06):
11- ST: Moron
- SV: أحمق
- DV:غبي
In example no.10 the word “freak” is been rendered into two
different words in SV and DV. In SV the equivalence been used ( غريب
)االطوارwhich refers to human being adjective, who behave in a very
strange way, whereas in DV the word been used ( )مسخmeans the human
how turned into an animal or a monster. Gargamel was ""غريب االطوار
more than "“مسخ, so the SV is more precise to the exact meaning than
DV.
At (00:12:51) Victor Doyle step father of Patrick arrives in the
apartment in time of the celebration of Blue's fourth birthday where
they meet both the Winslows' young boy. Victor is a man who is a
constant embarrassment to Patrick. Victor starts hugging all the
existing people and keeps the final hug for Patrick, but Patrick rejects
the hug and says:
12- ST: Boundaries, please, Boundaries
- SV:........ال تفعل من فضلك ال
- DV:الحدود لقد اتفقناعلى الحدود
In SV the whole sentence is not exist n ST, as if the translator
omitted the sentence and add another new sentence which means
“Please do not do it” while ST has a different words, but this translation
convey the meaning of Patrick rejection of Victor hug, so her SV moves
far away from literal translation and uses what is called naturalization.
In DV the literal translation procedures can be noticed clearly, since the
translator renders the word “Boundaries” as it is and it also contain just
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one new word which is not exist in ST which is " "اتفقناthat means “we
agreed on”.
When Papa and the other three Smurfs fall into Gargamel
basement at (00:40:21) and see the big device one of them says:
13- ST: I’m scrunching again, Papa, what does this have to do with
Smurfette? Everything, I’m afraid. Why would he build such a hideous
device? Is that a giant Smurfalator? To extract our essence.
- SV: ما عالقة هذا بـ (سنفورة)؟كل العالقةعلى ما اخشى يا ترى من اجل،مؤخرتي تحكني مجددا! بابا
ماذا يقوم بصنع جهاز ضخم كهذا ؟ هل هذا محول سنفوري هائل يا ترى؟ من اجل استخراج مسحوق
السنافر
- DV: اهذه، لماذابنى الة شنيعة كهذه؟،دخل كبيرلالسف،جسمي يقشعر! بابامادخل هذابوجود سنفورة
الستخالص اكسيرالحياة،سنفوسارة ضخمة
In the subtitled version it is clear that the procedure which
followed is the literal translation without any adaptation for rendering
the cultural specific items or naturalizing the foreign, whereas DV will
be explained in 4.7.
At (00:06:31) and right after Gargamel finish his magical show, he
and the cat Azrael ride the cart in which Gargamel starts talking to the
cat and says:
14- ST: I extracted all I could from Papa Smurf in the kingdom of New
Yourk. How much essence did you extracted? I’m squandering it?
What are you talking about? I had to turn that man into a giant toad.
It’s a magic show, isn’t it?
- SV: ظننت انني ساعثر على بعض المسحوق في مملكة نيويورك تلك لكنك لم تتوقع ذلك اليس كذلك؟ انا
من اضاعها؟ مالذي تتحدث عنه؟ لقد توجب عليا تحويل ذلك الرجل الى ضفدع عمالق فقد كان عرضا
سحريا اليس كذلك؟
- DV: كما ستخلصت منه انت ها؟انا... استخلصت ما استطعت من بابا سنفورفي مملكة نيويورك
صحيح؟،ابدده؟ياللهذيان ! غيرت الرجل الى ضفدع عمالق انه عرض للسحر
Literal translation is been used in the dubbed version following up
the form and structure of the ST to achieve the function of lips
synchronization. Whereas, SV is been used the explanation procedure
which is going to be discussed in 4.6.
Gargamel sets a plan to invade The Smurfs village, so at (00:14:25), he
asked Azrael to bring him the plan:
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15- ST: We must review my plan before tonight’s raid on Smurf Village.
This is not my writing parchment. Where is my plan? “Gone Digital”? I
do not understand what that means.
- SV: "تفضل خطتك" هذا ليس خطي ! اين هي خطتي ؟، هيا علينا مراجعة خطتي الختراق قرية السنافر
جعلتها رقمية "رقمية"؟ ماذا يعني ذلك ؟
- DV: واالن لنراجع خطتي قبل الهجوم الليلة على بلدة السنافر ولكن هذا ليس مخطوطي ! اين خطتي؟
"صار الكترونيا"؟ انا ال افهم ماذا تقصد
In both of the subtitled and dubbed versions, this sentence is
rendered literally but with slight differences in the use of terms between
subtitling and dubbing. In the subtitled version the translation is very
literal, however, the subtitle also contains the words that are said by the
cat, for instance: (here is your plan) which is rendered into Arabic by
( )تفضل خطتكin SV which does not exist in the original sentence, but the
translator use the adaptation strategy that allows s/he to translate
according to the situations and the needs. Thus, the translator tries to
make the dialogue between Gargamel and the cat Azrael
comprehensible.
In the dubbed version, there are untranslated words that said by
the cat, this is on one hand, on the other hand one can figure out that
in dubbing the translator tends to use easy and simple words since it’s
an animated movie produced for different ages in general and for the
kids in particular.
Papa, the Smurfs and Patrick try to get into Gargamel hotel room at
(00:53:50), Patrick put the Smurfs and Papa in the meal dish that
requested by Gargamel to enter the room, one of them fall on fish and
says:
16- ST: Sorry, Mr. Fish- you looked fried.
- SV:آسف سيد سمكة – تبدو مقليا
- DV:آسف مدام سمكة – من شواك
In the subtitled version, the word " "سيدis used which is masculine
in Arabic, while " "مدامis used in the dubbed version which is feminine.
The word “Madam” is not Arabic but a loan word which reflect foreign
flavor. Here, there is transference.
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Moreover, the cook word “Fried” is rendered differently in the subtitled
and dubbed versions, i.e. ""مقلياand " " شواكrespectively. The word " "مقلياis
closer to “fried” than " "شواكwhich is equivalent to “grill”.
The percentage of using literal translation procedure within the of
foreignization and domestication notions in the subtitled version is
(33%) whereas, in the dubbed version is (19%). Literal translation
procedures is been used in the subtitled version – depending on the
mentioned examples- more than what the dubbed version used.
16
Smurfette. This word has been rendered differently: In the subtitled
version it is rendered as " "مسخwhile in the dubbed version it is rendered
into " "شتاينin order to refer to the evil nature and ugliness. Besides, the
word " "شتاينis not available in ST, so the translator knowledge about this
evil fictional character allows her/him to render this word in such way.
19- ST:Yo, get out of the road, freak!
- SV:! أنت ابتعد عن طريقي ياغريب االطوار
- DV: أنت ابتعد عن الطريق يا مسخ
In the above example, the word “freak” is been explained into
Arabic by " "غريب االطوارwhich is brief explanation for what the word
“freak” means. As explained earlier that " "غريب االطوارis human behavior
related, while the word " "مسخis the look of human turn to be an animal
or a monster.
Papa and the three Smurfs see the device at (00:40:13) and one of them
say:
20- ST: Oh! My Smurf.
- SV:يا الهي
- DV:يالرب السنافر
In example no.20, the phrase “My Smurf” is not clear, but within
the movie context and the way of uttering the phrase shows us that this
is a sacred word used to show an amazing situation, so that it was
rendered into " "يارب السنافرwhich exactly explains what the phrase means.
While in SV it is rendered into " "يا الهيto express that The Smurfs has
their own world in which they have God.
As mentioned before, at (00:06:31) and right after Gargamel finish
his magical show, both of him and the cat Azrael ride the cart in which
Gargamel starts talking to the cat and says:
21- ST: I extracted all I could from Papa Smurf in the kingdom of New
Yourk. How much essence did you extracted? I’m squandering it?
What are youtalking about? I had to turn that man into a giant toad.
It’s a magic show, isn’t it?
- SV: ظننت انني ساعثر على بعض المسحوق في مملكة نيويورك تلك لكنك لم تتوقع ذلك اليس كذلك؟ انا
من اضاعها؟ مالذي تتحدث عنه؟ لقد توجب عليا تحويل ذلك الرجل الى ضفدع عمالق فقد كان عرضا
سحريا اليس كذلك؟
17
- DV: كما ستخلصت منه انت ها؟انا... استخلصت ما استطعت من بابا سنفورفي مملكة نيويورك
صحيح؟،ابدده؟ياللهذيان ! غيرت الرجل الى ضفدع عمالق انه عرض للسحر
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The phrase “Once upon a time” is rendered by the cultural
substitution “ ”كان يامكانwhich is totally belonging to the Arabic culture in
reciting stories. This is on one hand, on the other hand, the word
“village” is been rendered into two different words, in SV it is rendered
into " "قريةwhich is the exact equivalence for the word “Village”, but in DV
it is rendered into " "بلدةwhich the equivalent for the word “town”, A town
is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The Smurfs at (00:01:50) have an argument among themselves
and one of them says:
23- ST:Yo, take it down a notch, my blue brothers.
- SV:على رسلكم قلياليا اخواني الزرق
- DV: هيا لنقلل من حماس الدراما يا اصحابي
The cultural substitution can be found in the dubbed version. In
example no.23 there was no equivalent to the word " “حماس الدراماbut,
cultural substitution is used to indicate the same impression and effect
of the source movie audience.
24- ST: Oh! My Smurf.
- SV:يا الهي
- DV:يا لرب السنافر
There is no “My God” in the source text in spite of the fact that the
subtitling is used the exact equivalence for the phrase mentioned, while
as mentioned before that “My Smurf” is rendered into " "يالرب السنافرin the
dubbed version which is within the explanation procedures. So in SV
the cultural substitution is been used.
Another example of cultural substitution procedure is as follow:
25- ST: I’m scrunching again, Papa, what does this have to do with
Smurfette? Everything, I’m afraid. Why would he build such a
hideous device? Is that a giant Smurfalator? To extract our
essence.
- SV ما عالقة هذا بـ (سنفورة)؟كل العالقةعلى ما اخشى يا ترى من اجل ماذا،مؤخرتي تحكني مجددا! بابا
يقوم بصنع جهاز ضخم كهذا ؟ هل هذا محول سنفوري هائل يا ترى؟ من اجل استخراج مسحوق السنافر
- DV: اهذه، لماذابنى الة شنيعة كهذه؟،دخل كبيرلالسف،جسمي يقشعر! بابامادخل هذابوجود سنفورة
الستخالص اكسيرالحياة،سنفوسارة ضخمة
Example no.25 contains words which are rendered culturally.
The word: ( Scrunch: )يقشعرmeans to make a loud crunching noise or
19
any part of the body, while the word " "يقشعرis the equivalent for the
word ”tremble” in English, but the cultural element is rendered quite
good. The other word is “hideous” which is rendered into " "شنيعةto
express how ugly or disgusting to look at, and “To extract our
essence” that is rendered into ""اكسير الحياةwhich implies the same
meaning but in two different culture, since it gives power and long life
to the person who has this magical liquid. The source text mention
the essence of the Smurfs, while the words in Arabic express the
liquid which makes life longer than what it is.
At (00:45:53) Gargamel talks to his cat to prepare a present for
Smurfette to tempt her in order to give him the formula to produce the
Smurfs essence, Gargamel says:
26- ST: Not now, Azrael, I’m trying to think of a genuine and heartfelt
gift that I can deceive that Smurfette with!
- SV: )ليس االن يا (هرهور) فأنا احاول التفكير في هدية مناسبة ومقنعة لخداع (سنفورة
- DV:ليس االن يا (عزازيل) انا افكر في هدية صادقة استطيع ان اخدع بها سنفورة
The name of the cat “Azrael” is rendered into " " عزازيلin DV to be
accepted in the Arabic culture in general and the Islamic culture in
specific. Since the name “Azrael” is sacred name of one of archangels in
the Islamic culture, so no one can call the pets with these sacred
names, so that the translator use the cultural substitution to make it
acceptable in the target culture.
While in SV the cat name “Azrael” is been render in a different way
that what is used in DV, it is rendered into " "هرهورit is also a cultural
substitution translation, but it implies the flavor of the Arabic culture,
because the word ""هرهورcontains to syllables: The first syllable is ""هر
which is the name of the tom cat in Arabic. Second syllable is " "هورused
to give nickname for this cat specifically and express the sense of
humor.
After Gargamel finishes talking to Azrael, he wants to get his head
out of the cart and say Hi to his followers or fans, so at (00:07:13) says:
27- ST: Yes! You must all worship me, Yes even you, my little flea-
bitten little fur bag. All hail the great and powerful.
- SV: انا امتلك اعظم قوة سحرية،الشك انكم جديرون بالحضور لعرضي انت ايضا ايها المتقاعس الصغير
سبق
20
- DV: ، أجل! حتى انت يا مرتع البراغيث ذات الفراء، أجل !! رعاياي المتذللين انا معبود الجماهير
يعيش شرشبيل القوي العظيم
In both subtitled and dubbed versions, cultural substitutions are
used in two different ways; the subtitled version contains very short
sentence which indicates an idea but a lot of words were put aside and
they were not rendered into Arabic.
The dubbed version contains different word which is much closer
to the target language receptors. It includes the description of the cat
that Gargamel called, while this description is missing in the subtitled
version.
During the preparation for Smurfette birthday party one of the Smurfs
notices that some one bite a piece from the cake at (00:09:27):
28- ST:Hey, who smurfed a bite out of Smurfette’s birthday cake?
- SV: أنتم! من الذي سرق قطعة من الكعكة؟
- DV:من سنفر قضمة من كعكة سنفورة؟..هيه
In the dubbed version the main verb (smurfed) is been rendered into
Arabic language as ( )سنفرwhich is the way in which Smurfs talk about
doing things; for instance, instead of saying: “Lets knock the door”, “the
Smurfs say”: “ Lets smurf the door” it has some kind of humor and the
comedy of the film to make it joyful and entertaining movie, so that the
translator tries to transfer the same impact of the original movie
audience to the target movie receptor, for many reasons; one of these
reasons is that the original movie has these characteristics and the to
make the humor and comedy of the original.
Smurfette is been chased by evil smurfs called NaughtiesVexy and
Hackus at (00:41:12), Smurfette runs away and reach to unclean area,
stumbles by trash and says:
29- ST: This place really needs to recycle. Think, Smurfette, think.
- SV:هذا المكان مثل المتاهة فكري يا سنفورة فكري
- DV: يحتاجون لالهتمام بالبيئة فكري يا سنفورة فكري
In SV the word “Recycle” is rendered into different word than what
is really in ST. it is rendered into " "المتاهةwhich means “maze” whereas
the ST contains the word place and the verb “recycled”. However, in DV
it is rendered into " "االهتمام بالبيئةwhich is also not involved in ST. Both of
SV and DV are not precise in rendering the meaning of ST, the better
21
translation would be this place needs to re-arrange or cleaned up in
which the Arabic would be "“اعادة ترتيب او تنظيف.
At (01:15:16) Papa and the other three Smurfs see Gargamel, Vexy
and Hackuscelebriating Smurfette birthday with cake, they try to let
Smurfette write down the formula of the Smurfs essence:
30- ST: There she is! Is that a birthday cake? We had a birthday cake
for her, too, but she just never saw it. They look like a happy family.
She is not going to give him the formula is she, Papa? Papa replies:
If she does, it would mean the end of all Smurf kind.
- SV: هل تلك كعكة عيد ميالد ؟ نحن صنعنا كعكة ميالد من اجلها ايضا لكنها ببساطة لم، ها هي ذا
فسيعني نهاية جنس، لو فعلت، صحيح يا أبي؟، يبدوا انها ستعطيه الوصفة، يبدون عائلة سعيدة،ترها
.السنافر
- DV: شكلهم يبدو لي، نحن اعددنا لها كعكة لكنها لم تراها ابدا، ها هي هناك ! أهذه كعكةعيد ميالد؟..أوه
. صحيح؟ إن اعطته فهذا سيكون نهاية بني السنافر: لن تعطيه التركيبة السرية، كعائلة سعيدة
In the above example, both SV and DV include a number of
translated words which are rendered differently; first, the type of
question, in ST the question of “is that a birthday cake?” is a tale
question can be answered by “yes or no”, in DV the same structure is
used while in SV is not. Second, the sentence “we had a birthday cake
for her too, she just never saw it” is rendered into two different
sentences in SV and DV, In SV is rendered into " نحن صنعنا كعكة ميالد من اجلها
" ايضا لكنها ببساطة لم تراها, translator renders the phrase “we had” into ""صنعنا
which means “ we made”, in DV this procedure is also used but with
different idiom " " نحن اعددناwhich means “we made” too. In SV the word
“formula” is rendered into " "الوصفةwhich indicates the prescription of
which the Smurfs essence is produced, whereas in DV it is rendered
into " " التركيبة السريةthe word " "التركيبةexpresses the same impact of the
word " "الوصفةthat is used in SV, " "التركيبةmeans the combination of
materials to create that magical liquid , i.e. The Smurfs essence,
furthermore, the word " "السريةis not exist in ST, this word means “the
secret” the translator in DV tries to show how important this formula is,
and add one more word to reach this purpose.
The percentage of using the cultural substitution procedure in the
dubbed and subtitled version within the notion of foreignization and
domestication, in subtitled version the percentage is (18%) while in the
dubbed version is (36%). The dubbed version is an attempt of making
22
the movie as if it were produced in Arabic where it is in fact produced in
English, so in the dubbed version the percentage of cultural
substitution is more than the subtitled version.
1.9 Omission
Omission means dropping a word or words from the source
language text while translating. This procedure can be the outcome of
the cultural clashes that exist between the SL and the TL. The
translator omits words that do not have equivalents in the TT, or that
may raise the hostility of the receptor. For example, Arab translators
usually omit English taboo words such as ‘fuck off’ and ‘shit’, while
translating films into Arabic, just for the sake of respecting the Arab
receptors, who may not tolerate the use of these words because of their
culture. Besides, in some cases translator do not pay attention to the
words that appear in the movie as a result s/he will not translate these
words , thinking that these words might be not important, for example
at (00:01:22):
31- In “The Smurf 2” it can be find at the beginning of the movie,
when the book of “Smurfology” appears on the screen, the
translator does not translate this book title into Arabic in the
subtitled version, while in the dubbed version it is translated
clearly by uttering “ ”من كتاب علم السنافر
And other example at (00:03:02) can be listed as follow:
32- ST: -Hi , Holy Moly, hi Smurfette
- SV: )مرحبا – مرحبا (سنفورة
- DV:)يا رفاق مرحبا – أوبا أوبا اهال (سنفورة
It is clear that the phrase Holy Moly is not rendered into the Arabic
subtitle, while it is rendered in DV by the phrase: " "أوبا أوباwhich is not
the exact equivalence but it is the way of naturalization in order to
make the receptor familiar with the context.
Another example of omission at ( 00:03:45) is:
33- ST: Don’t kill the narrator , the world as know it is over
- SV: non
- DV: ال تقتلي الراوي العالم المألوف انتهى
23
This sentence is totally unfound in the subtitled version, it is
omitted.
During the preparation of Smurfette birthday party, they want to
put a banner includes “Happy Birthday Smurfette”, so at (00:09:13):
34- ST: The banner goes over there, please. Thank you, and I love the
piñata.
- SV: ضع الالفتة هناك من فضلك وشكرا
- DV: هناك واحب البيناتا، الفتة عيد ميالد جميلة يا سنفورة
The subtitled version contains an omission of the “Pinata” where in
the dubbed version it clearly noticeable to hear this word transferred
into Arabic language.
At (00:09:18) a full sentence is omitted which is:
35- ST: How is that, Gutsy? A little lower, Grouchy
- SV: non
- DV: ما رأيك يا شجاع انزلها قليال يا غضبان
At (00:09:23) another sentence is also omitted from the subtitled version
while it exists in the source sentence and the dubbed version.
36- ST: Hey, who smurfed a bite out of Smurfette’s birthday cake?
- SV: أنتم من الذي سرق قطعة من الكعكة؟
- DV: من سنفر قضمة من كعكة سنفورة ؟...هيه
The main verb of this sentence is deleted (smurfed) in the subtitled
version and different verb is been used which is far away from the
original text but it implies the same meaning ()سرق, which is the
equivalent for “steal”, but the Smurf flavor is lost.
When Smurfette, Vixy and Hackus are attacked by the cat Azrael
at (00:46:36) Smurfette shout:
37- ST: Watch out
- SV: non
- DV: احترس
At the same situation at (00:46:41) the cat attack
38- ST: Yes!
- SV: Non
- DV: أجل
24
At the time Smurfette write down the formula to Gargamel in order
to save Vixy and Hackus at (01:21:08), Gargamel captures all three of
them in order to put them in the Smurfalator, Hackus says:
39- ST: No cage for Hackus. No cage for Hackus.
- SV: Non
- DV: ال قفص لهاكس، ال قفص لهاكس
The other example is at (01:30:55) when Gargamel fly away an
screaming:
40- ST: No La Wanda! No means no!
- SV: Non
- DV: ال ال ارجوك ال
Gargamel is talking to his wand in which it does not respond to his
order in the SV the entire sentence is omitted while it is rendered into
Arabic in DV , even though, the Wand is not been rendered in DV.
In fact, it is in subtitling translation where omission attains its
peak in use. The percentage of using omission procedure within the
notion of foreignization and domestication in subtitled version is (15%)
while in the dubbed version is (4%)
25
Notably, it appears that a relatively large number of literal
translations, transferences and cultural substitution are used in the
work of translating the movie. However, proper names (of places or
people) amounted to more than half of the occurrences, because names
are mono-referential by nature, they usually can only be borrowed into
another language, i.e. transferred without change or with only minor
spelling amendments. The main conclusion of this study, however, is
that the whole repertoire of translation procedures is used in the movie,
making it therefore impossible to demonstrate any form of consistency
as far as foreignizing or domesticating norms are concerned. This
finding seems to be contrary to what Venuti and other scholars have
claimed happens in the context of literature.
The following figures are the application of the percentages taken
from table (1) to test whether dubbing and subtitling reaches
foreignization or domestication.
26
In figure (3) it clearly noticeable that the subtitled version tends to
be foreignization oriented than domestication oriented. In this study,
the foreignization/domestication model does not appear to convincingly
reflect the pragmatic realities of AVT. The findings presented above
seriously question the suitability of rigid models and classifications
based on a belief in the consistency of the procedures used for the
translation of culture-specific material, and on the underlying
assumptions made about translators' or distributors' agendas.
Kwiecinski (2001: 10), while still providing his own classification of
translation procedures, points indeed to its limitations: "the
foreignness/domesticity of a transeme is highly cotext-and context-
sensitive and thus cannot be adequately captured solely by means of a
formal taxonomy of procedures".
Contextual factors play a much more important role than is
typically believed, especially perhaps in screen translation since the
nature of the medium is characterized by particular technical
constraints, and implies strong visual and contextual embeddedness.
Ivir (1987: 37) is among the few to note that:
In planning his translation strategy, the translator does not make
a one-time decision on how he will treat unmatched elements of culture;
rather, even if he has established an overall order of preferences, he
usually makes a new decision for each such element and for its each
use [sic] in an act of communication.
6. Conclusions
The analysis of dubbing and subtitling of “The Smurf 2” with respect to
domestication and foreignization entails a number of conclusions. These
conclusions are, in fact, provide answers to the study questions set at
the beginning of this thesis. These conclusions can be summed up as
follows:
27
2- As far as subtitling of CSI are concerned, it aims at rendering the
sense and content of the original animation movie regardless of the
image pictured such as lips synchronization. However the subtitler
is concerned with timing.
3- Dubbing of the animation movie tend to be domestication oriented.
Table (2) shows the different percentages.
4- Cultural Substitution is the most used procedure in the dubbed
version of the animation movie.
5- Subtitling as shown in this study is a foreignizing translation
strategy since it interferes least as regards the original.
6- Subtitling can be considered as a tool of learning a foreign
language since it provides the viewers with spoken form of the
foreign language with the written form of the native language.
7- Lack of consistency in the use of strategies, a quantitative study of
the procedures used in the movie, both in the subtitled and the
dubbed versions were carried out in order to further test the usual
operational models based on the notions of foreignization and
domestication.
8- The procedures had been more or less identified, it is difficult at
times to situate them on the foreignization or domestication
spectrum. For instance, it is not clear whether neutralization and
omission are forms of domestication or foreignization. They tend to
be culturally neutral and, therefore, to erase somewhat the
specificity of the SCI. The same holds true of explanation, which
does try to accommodate the needs of the target viewers by
reducing the unknown to the known and the unshared to the
shared.
9- The foreignization/domestication model has been acclaimed as a
powerful tool to conceptualize the interface between the source
culture (SC) – seen as the 'Self' – and the target culture (TC) – seen
as the 'Other'.
28
Bibliography
Arson, P. 1988. The Aim and Function of the Subtitle – What It Does
and Does Not Do. MA thesis.Université de Rouen.
29
Tomaszkiewicz, T. 2001. "Transfert des référencesculturellesdans les
sous-titresfilmiques", in Gambier, Y. and H. Gottlieb (eds.) (Multi)Media
Translation: Concepts, Practices, and Research. Amsterdam and
Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 237-247.
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