Translation Techniques of Subtitling: A Case for Trolls Movie

1 John Pahamzah, 2 Azkiyyatus Syariifah 1,2 Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa

Abstract

The research aims to analyze the translation techniques of subtitling used on Trolls movie. This research use a qualitative research. The content analysis is used as a method to identify and analyze the translation techniques in Trolls movie. Every utterance in five scenes of Trolls movie are the unit of analysis of this research. The source language is English and the target language is Indonesian Language. The result proves that the translation technique that mostly appears on Trolls movie (2016) is reduction with 8 data (26.67%). It seems that this technique is used to compress the information from the source language so that it will not be too long because it will be applied in subtitle; it results the shortest translation version to be applied to movie or film subtitle so that it will be easier for the viewers to catch the information and it will not distract the visual from the film that is being shown; and it can avoid the redundancy of the source language.

Keywords: translation technique, subtitle, Trolls movie

Introduction horror, thriller, action, adventure, etc. The The main purpose of translation in a problem happens when the film is in foreign movie is to make the audience understand language and there should be translator to about the message and information delivered translate the film so that it can be understood by the author. The translated text is by the certain target audience. Subtitling is of considered successful if it can provide similar of method to overcome that problem. meaning to the original text (Newmark, Actually, there are two kind of 1988). If one language is translated into the methods that can be used to facilitate the other language, it will be difficult because communication between the audience and there will be a differences between language film, subtitling and dubbing. O’connel (2007) and culture system in source language and states that subtitling is defined as the target language. It also happens in supplementing the original voice soundtrack translating a film. by adding written text. So the subtitle is a Film is one of audio-visual media that written meaning from the spoken sound from can reach a lot of people from different ages. the film. It will change if the dialogue of the Film is one of the tools of media to inform the characters in the film change. Translator is public through sound and moving images, so the person who takes role to handle it. The that the audience can easily receive the translator should be able to translate between message that is conveyed in the film. There the source language (SL) and the target are also a lot of film genres that have been language (TL) carefully, that is why produced by the film industry to catch the translator is a good receiver and producer. audiences, such as family, romance, comedy,

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Trolls is one of popular film for Newmark (1988) states that translation children that was released in 2016. This is a is perceived as rendering the meaning of a 3D animation film that was directed by Mike text into another language in the way that the Mitchell and written by Jonathan Aibel and author intended the text. Translation can be Glenn Berger. The main characters that can defined as a translating process of written or be found in Trolls film are Poppy, Branch, spoken language from one language into Bridget, Biggie, Guy Diamond, Prince another language by interpreting the meaning Gristle, Roi Gristle, Creek, and King Peppy. of those language to make the readers more Poppy’s utterances selected for understand without reducing the message and analysis because Poppy is the main character information delivered by the authors. and she is the one who face the main problem Munday (2009) defines translation as: (1) so that the character mostly appears in the The process of transferring a written text film. The researcher decided to analyze the from SL to TL, conducted by a translator, or utterance translation techniques of Poppy for translators, in a specific socio-cultural the data material in this research. Translation context; (2) The written product, or TT, technique of Molina and Albir’s theory is which results from that process and which used as the translating framework from functions in the socio-cultural context of the source language (SL) and target language TL; and (3) The cognitive, linguistic, visual, (TL). cultural and ideological phenomena which are an integral part of 1 and 2. Theoretical Review In brief, translation can be concluded Translation as a process of rendering a thought from one The process of translation has become language to another language accurately in a a common activity along with the increasing written form by conforming its grammar, of global communication which requires the syntax, and cultural aspect. transfer of language. However, this transferring process must possess Translation Techniques equivalences as an element which is very Technique or procedure in translation important in translation process and basically refers to the way of how the sometimes there is difference in language translators solve their problem. As Baihaqi construction which made the equivalence is (2017) stated that translation procedure is a very hard to get. The difficulty of syntactic practical step in analyzing and solving faced by translator is how to maintain the the problems in translation practices. construction of English sentence, including According to Molina and Albir’s (2002), ellipsis and word order (Sayogie, 2014) there are eighteen translation techniques that can be used. They are adaptation,

87| JELTS Vol. 2 No. 2 amplification, borrowing, calque, linguistic eement (mostly for consecutive compensation, description, discursive interpreting and dubbing). Linguistic creation, establish equivalent, generalization, compression ia a technique that is used to linguistic amplification, linguistic synthesize linguistic element in the target compression, literal, modulation, language (mostly for simultaneous particularization, reduction, substitution, interpreting and subtitling). Literal transposition, and variation. translation is a technique that is used to Adaptation is a technique in process translate a word or an expression word for translating use subject-predicate structure word. Modulation is a translation technique that replaces the elements of the existing which is used to change point of view, focus culture source language (SL) with elements or cognitive. Particularization is a translation culture that are similar and there on target technique which is used to use a more precise language (TL). Amplification is a technique or concrete term. Reduction is a translation of translating that use explication technique which is used to supress a SL pharaphrasing, to inform an implisit in source information intem in the TL. Subtitution is a language (SL). Borrowing is a translation translation technique which is used to change technique that can be done by borrowing linguistic element for paralinguistic element words or phrase from source language. or vice versa. Transposition is a technique Calque means literal translation of a foreign that is used to change a grammatical word or phrase which can be lexical or category, shift from plural into singular in the structural. Compensation is a translation TL and singular in the plural. Variation is a technique performed by transfering message translation technique which is used to change from the other parts of translation. linguistic or paralinguistic element Description is a translation technique (intonation, gesture) that effect aspects of performed by replacing a term or expression linguistic variation (change of textual tone, with a description of its form or function. style, social dialect or geographical dialect). Discursive creation is to establish a temporary equivalence that is totally Subtitle unpredictable out of context. Established O’Connell (2007) defines subtitling as equivalence is to use a term or expression “supplementing the original voice soundtrack recognized as an equivalence in the TL. by adding written text on screen.” Generalization is a translation technique used Meanwhile, Gottlieb in (Munday, 2009) the more common term in the target language defines it as the rendering in a different (TL) and more specific for the source language of a verbal message in filmic media, language (SL). Linguistic amplification is a in the shape of one or more lines of written translation technique which is used to add text, which are presented on the screen in

88| JELTS Vol. 2 No. 2 synch with the original verbal message. Every utterance of Poppy found in five Conventionally, there are two types of scenes of Trolls film is the unit of analysis of subtitles, those are interlingual subtitles, this research. The source language is English which imply transfer from a SL to a TL, and and the target language is Indonesian intralingual subtitles, which there is no language. change of language. The data for this research is taken from Making subtitle is quite different from subtitle text of Trolls film written by other types of translation, because it involves @Dokter_Ngesot. The subtitle is already the formal (quantitative) and textual included in the movie downloaded from (qualitative) constraints. The formal http://dunia21.net/trolls-2016/. Trolls is one constraints are the space factors (a maximum of popular film for children that was release of 2 lines and 35 characters) and the time on October 8th, 2016. This is a 3D animation factor, while textual constraints are those film that was directed by Mike Mitchell and imposed on the subtitles by the visual context written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. of the film (Ghaemi & Janin, 2010). The researcher collected the data by watching Trolls film. This is aimed to Method understand the content or message that was This research use a qualitative delivered from the film so it can be easier for research. According to Shank (2002), the researcher to choose the subtitle that qualitative research is “a form of systematic contains translation technique. The empirical inquiry into meaning”. By researcher chose five scenes from the Trolls systematic he means “planned, ordered and film that is included Poppy’s utterances. One public”, following rules agreed upon by of the scene is a singing part. The song that is members of the qualitative research sung by Poppy called Move Your Feet/ community. Content analysis method is used D.A.N.C.E/ It's A Sunshine Day. These five to identify and analyze translation techniques scenes occur in the beginning of the film. in translating Poppy’ Utterances in Trolls The researcher chose these scenes because film (2016). GAO (2013) states that the they are like describing the summary of the content analysis method is a systemic film, such as the history of the Trolls and research method for analysing and making Bergens and what will happen to them. So it inferences from text and other forms of is like an introduction to the whole film qualitative information (e.g. from interviews, itself. The beginning scenes are quite focus groups, open-ended survey questions, important to catch audiences’ attention so documents, videos). It uses a variety of that they will decide to continue or stop analytic strategies to catagorize, compare and watching. contrast a corpus of data.

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When all the data collected, the Linguistic Amplification reseacher continues to analyze the data by Linguistics amplification is a using this following steps: (1) identifying the process of translation technique that adds translation techniques of the data; (2) linguistic elements of text from source classifying the types of translation techniques language in target language text. This in every Poppy’s utterances based on Molina translation technique appears twice in the and Albir’s theory (2002), (3) analyzing the five scenes (6,67%). translation technique that has been SL : 20 years ago, today, King Peppy identifying and classifying; and (4) drawing made us safe. conclusion. TL : 20 tahun yang lalu, tepat hari ini. Raja peppy membuat kita aman. Result The context in the excerpt 1 in this Poppy’s utterances analysis results in movie is when Poppy is reading a story Trolls film are shown is Table 1 below. about history of Trolls for the kids. Poppy tells the kids what was going on for the past Table 1. Translation techniques of Poppy’s utterances (from 5 scenes) in Trolls 20 years for Trolls history so that they can film subtitle live happily in the tree. Then Poppy says “20 No Translation Data Percentage Techniques (%) years ayo, today...”. 1 Linguistic 2 6,67 amplification SL : My Father, who 20 years ago this 2 Reduction 8 26,67 3 Discursive creation 6 20,00 4 Borrowing 2 6,67 night saved all of us ... 5 Transposition 6 20,00 6 Literal translation 1 3,33 TL : Ayahku, yang mana 20 tahun lalu 7 Compensation 5 16,67 Total 30 100,00 persis di malam ini ... The context in the excerpt 2 in this Table 1 shows that the translation movie is when Poppy is giving speech in technique that mostly appears is reduction front of Trolls when they are having a party with 8 data (26,67%). Reduction is a process or celebration. of translation techniques that condenses In the above utterances, the source the information contained from the source language is translated in the target language language into the target language. using translation translation linguistics Researcher found seven translation technique. Linguistics amplification techniques from Poppy’s Utterances in five techniques are often used in interpreting or scenes of Trolls fil. They are linguistic dubbing. amplification, reduction, discursive creation, Poppy's utterances "20 years ayo, borrowing, transposition, literal translation today...” from the source language translated and compensation. become "20 tahun yang lalu, tepat hari ini. “ and “My Father, who 20 years ago this night

90| JELTS Vol. 2 No. 2 saved all of us ...” become “Ayahku, yang TL : Maaf. mana 20 tahun lalu persis di malam ini ...” in This context appears also in Branch’s the target language. Poppy's words are bunker. Poppy asked sorry to the Branch for translated by adding linguistic elements of her fault by saying complete sentence “I’m the source language text in the target sorry”. The translator only translate it into language text. The translator adds linguistic “maaf” rather that “maafkan aku”. elements of the source language text in the SL : Oh hei Branch. Just wondering if I target language text is to clarify and simplify could borrow something? the delivery of messages in the form of text TL : Hei, Branch. Boleh pinjam or subtitling of the film to the audience. sesuatu? The translator translate the source Reduction language “ just wondering if I could borrow Reduction is a process of something?” into the target language “boleh translation techniques that condenses the pinjam sesuatu?”. information contained from the source In the above utterances, the source language into the target language. This languages are translated in the target translation technique appears 8 times in the language using the translation reduction five scenes (26,67%). technique. The reduction technique in general SL : No. It left. It took Cooper and is the translation that condenses the Smidge and Fuzzbert and Satin and information contained in the source language Chenille and Biggie and Guy Diamond and into the target language. Compress of Creek! Which is I have to ask you, will you information performed should not alter gonna Bergen town with me and save messages in the source language text. everyone? Poppy's words "I’m sorry" from the TL : Tidak. Dia sudah pergi! Dia source language translated "maaf" in the membawa Cooper, Smidge, Fuzzbert, Satin, target language. Poppy's words are Chenille, Biggie, Guy Diamond dan Creek! translated into target languages with Makanya aku memintamu, maukah kau ke compress information in the target Kota Bergen dan menyelamatkan mereka language without changing the message in bersamaku? the source language text. Context in the quote in this film when The translator compresses Poppy is talking to Branch in his bunker. In information from the source language into the source language, Poppy says “and” many the target language to summarize the text times, but the translator only translate it once without altering the message to be delivered in the end of sentence. to the audience. SL : I’m sorry.

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Discursive Creation context of the film is a picture of Poppy's Discursive creation is a process of annoyed feeling because Branch keeps translation technique that uses a temporary teasing her by translator intended to create equivalent that is far from the original the text so as not to appear monotone context. This technique appears six times in and seen there is a touch of creation. So the five scenes (20%). the audience did not get bored while SL : Do D-A-N-C-E watching the movie. TL : M-E-N-A-R-I-L-A-H The context in the quote in this film is Borrowing when Poppy is singing a song called Move Borrowing is a process of Your Feet/ D.A.N.C.E/ It's A Sunshine Day. translation techniques that uses words or So, it is part of the song lyrics. The other phrases from the source language in the lyrics that translated using discursive creation target language. Loaning technique without translation technique are “Stick to the B-E-A- any change called pure borrowing and T” become “Ikuti I-R-A-M-A” and “You naturalized borrowing is borrowing words were such a P-Y-T” become “Kau itu sangat from source language tailored to the spelling elok penuh pesona”. of the target language. This technique SL : Celebrant, Branch. appears twice in the five scenes (6,67%). TL : Ejekan bagus, Branch. SL : No Troll ever will be. This context is found while Poppy has TL : Takkan ada Troll. a conversation with Branch in his bunker. SL : You bunker. Branch states the sentence to tease Poppy. TL : Bunkermu. Poppy replies with “celebrant”. The Excerpt 1 appears when Poppy is translator translates it into the target language reading a story for the kids. Excerpt 2 occurs “ejekan bagus”. Meanwhile, the real meaning when Poppy is talking to Branch. for “celebrant” is “perayaan”. In the above utterances, the source In the above utterances, the source language is translated in the target language is translated in the target language language using pure borrowing translation using discursive creation translation techniques. The words “Troll” and “bunker” techniques. This discursive creation in the source language are not translated in technique is often used in translating titles of the target language because Troll is the name movie, books, and novels. of the small and colorful creature. The Poppy's utterance “celebrant, Branch” translator retains the word without from the source language is translated to changing the spelling and pronunciation “ejekan bagus, Branch” in the target because it has no equivalent in the language. The phrase “ejekan bagus” in the Indonesian language.

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Transposition simplify the message to be conveyed in the Transposition is a process of film to the audience. translation technique that replaces the grammatical category of the source Literal Translation language in the target language, like Literal translation is a process of changing the word to phrase. This technique translation technique that diverts a phrase appears six times in the five scenes (20%). from a source language word-by-word into a SL : You can’t say no. target language. This translation technique TL : kau tak bisa menolak! only can be found once from the five scenes SL : now I don’t know what to do. (3,33%). TL : Sekarang aku bingung harus apa. SL : The Bergen’s gone. Both contexts appear when Poppy is in TL : Bergen sudah pergi. Branch’s bunker. In the above utterances, the The context in the quote in this film is source language is translated in the target when Poppy is in Branch bunker. In the language use transposition translation above utterance, the source language is techniques. Transposition techniques are translated in the target language using the generally used because of the difference translation technique of literal translation. in grammar between the source language The literal translation technique is translated and the target language. word for word or its grammatical structure Poppy's utterances "You can’t say no" exactly between the source language and the and “now I don’t know what to do” from the target language. source language translated become "kau tak Poppy's utterance "The Bergen’s bisa menolak" and “sekarang aku bingung gone" from the source language harus apa” in the target language. Poppy's istranslated word for word become "Bergen words are translated in the target sudah pergi" in the target language. The language by replacing the grammatical structure of the language is exactly the category of the source language in the same between the source language and the target language. In this context the phrase target language and that is why this from the source language is converted into a translation technique includes literal word in the target language. translation techniques. The translator replaces the grammatical category of the source Compensation language in the target language, in this Compensation is a translation context the phrase from the source processing process that replaces the position language is converted into a word in the of the information element or the stylist target language in order to summarize and effect of the source language on the other

93| JELTS Vol. 2 No. 2 side of the target language. This technique Ghaemi and Janin (2010) state that the appears five times in the five scenes formal constrains from subtitling are the (16,67%). space factors (a maximum length of subtitle SL : and it’s my fault they were taken. is 2 lines and 35 characters) and time factor. TL : karena salahku mereka dibawa. Munday (2009) also states that a subtitled Context in the quote in this film when text has to be shorter than the audio (spoken) Poppy is in Branch Bunker. because simultaneously the viewers need the SL : We make it to the Bergen town. necessary time to read the subtitle and watch TL : Dia akan sampai ke Kota Bergen. the film at the same time. The words Context in the quote in this film when Poppy contained in the original dialogues tend to be is on the way o save the other Trolls. reduced by between 40 to 75 percents to give In the above utterances, the source viewers the chance of reading the subtitles language is translated in the target language while watching the film at the same time. It using the compensation translation can be concluded that the translator will technique. The compensation technique of choose the shortest translation to be applied the source language can not be realized in to movie or film subtitle so that it will be the same section of the target language easier for the viewers to catch the because the elements or elements of the information and it will not distract the visual culture do not have the same equivalent in from the film that is being shown. For the target language and are replaced with example, from the excerpt “Oh hei Branch. another equivalent equivalent in the target Just wondering if I could borrow language with the source language. something?” (SL), the translator translated it into “Hei, Branch. Boleh pinjam sesuatu?” Discussion (TL). The source language contains 10 words The translation technique mostly found meanwhile the target language only contains from Poppy’s utterances in Trolls film (2016) 5 words. It means that the translator chooses is reduction with 26,67% (Table 1). This to condens the information from the source translation technique is used by condensing language without changing the real purpose. some words from the source language when In the excerpt is stated that Poppy wants to translating it to the target language without “borrow” something from Branch and it is changing the purpose of the source language. still stated in the target language as “pinjam”. This translation technique is used to The other reason for using reduction compress the information from the source technique is the redundant of the source language so that it will not be too long language. For example, from the excerpt “It because it will be applied in subtitle. took Cooper and Smidge and Fuzzbert and Satin and Chenille and Biggie and Guy

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Diamond and Creek!” (SL), the translator 2018, from translated it into “Dia membawa Cooper, https://www.ignet.gov/sites/default/file Smidge, Fuzzbert, Satin, Chenille, Biggie, s/files/02_Content_Analysis_Principle Guy Diamond dan Creek!” (TL). The s_and_Practices.pdf coordinate conjuction and appears 7 times in Ghaemi, F., & Janin, B. (2010). Strategies the source language meanwhile it only used in the translation of interlingual appears once in the target language. The subtitling. Journal of English Studies. word "and" is equivalent conjunction (word - 1 (1), 39-49. word, phrase - phrase, clause - clause, Molina, L., & Albir. (2002). Translation sentence - sentence). It is a included in Techniques Revisited: A Dynamic and the regular conjuctive word. Based on Functionalist Approach. In Meta, punctuation rules, it commons to put it only Trasnslator's Journal (Serial online) once for the last word, phrase, clause, or Vol 47 No. 2. sentence that will be stated. Munday, J. (2009). The routledge companion to translation studies: revised edition Conclusion e-book. USA: Routledge. The translation technique that mostly Newmark, P. (1988). A Textbook of appears in Poppy’s utterance of Trolls movie Translation e-book. London: Prentice (2016) is reduction with 8 data (26,67%). Hall. Reduction is a process of translation O'Connell, (. E. (2007). Essentials of Autopsy techniques that condenses the information Practice : Innovations, Updates and contained from the source language into the Advances in Practice. target language. Compress of information Sayogie, F. (2014). Teori dan Praktik performed should not alter messages in Penerjemahan Inggris – Indonesia. the source language text. The translator Tangerang Selatan: Transpustaka. compresses information from the source Setiawan, I. (2017). TRANSLATION language into the target language to TECHNIQUES ANALYSIS OF summarize the text without altering the MOANA’S UTTERANCES IN message to be delivered to the audience. “MOANA” MOVIE SUBTITLE. Shank, G. (2002). Qualitative Research. New

Jersey: Merril Prentice Hall. References

Baihaqi, A. (2017). Penerjemahan dan Kesepadanan dalam Penerjemahan. Pandeglang, Staisman Press. GAO. (2013). Content Analysis: Principles and Practices. Retrieved December 8,

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