Domestication and Foreignisation in Dubbing and Subtitling of Duncan Jones‟ English Movie Warcraft Into Persian [PP: 162-170] Dr
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Domestication and Foreignisation in Dubbing and Subtitling of Duncan Jones‟ English Movie Warcraft into Persian [PP: 162-170] Dr. Razieh Eslamieh Nillofar Javankhah Islamic Azad University, Parand Branch Iran ABSTRACT The present paper studies diverse procedures related to Venuti‟s strategies of domestication and foreignisation in Farsi dubbing and subtitling of the English movie, Warcraft directed by Duncan Jones. The procedures of both domestication and foreignisation were studied and statically analysed for the purpose of exploring the film translation method (dubbing or subtitling) which is closer to target- language-culture and the one which is closer to source-language-culture. In other words it was intended to explore which translation strategy (domestication or foreignisation) dominates dubbing and which one dominates subtitling. The tertiary purpose was to compare the reasons of differences in dubbing versus subtitling on the one hand, and the reasons of differences of the target text from the source text. The statistical analysis revealed that in dubbing, cultural equivalence is the most frequently used procedure (38.26%) apparently for making the movie visible for the public Iranian audience and adjust the movie to cultural considerations. Henceforth, dubbing orients to domestication. However, subtitling, with literal translation as the most frequently used procedure (57.4%), orients to foreignisation. In dubbing of the movie, most differences are related to cultural equivalence (38.26%) and the literal translation (29.56%) is in the next step. An interesting point is that the procedure of calque is neither used in subtitling nor in dubbing. In subtitling, cultural equivalence stands in the second place (17.34) and explanation (9.50%) occupies the third place. Other procedures‟ frequencies show no meaningful difference. Once implemented on more cases, the findings of this study have the potentialities of generalization to identify the most frequently occurred errors in movie translation industry and henceforth suggesting translation solutions for rendering dubbing and subtitling with more degree of naturalness. Keywords: Dubbing, Subtitling, Foreignisation, Domestication, Strategy, Procedure, Venuti ARTICLE The paper received on Reviewed on Accepted after revisions on INFO 01/01/2018 03/02/2018 25/04/2018 Suggested citation: Eslamieh, R. & Javankhah, N. (2018). Domestication and Foreignisation in Dubbing and Subtitling of Duncan Jones‟ English Movie Warcraft into Persian. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 6(1). 162-170. 1. Introduction method that modifies the source text to a All around the world, there is an ever- large extent and thus adapts it for the target increasing population interested in foreign society through domestication. On the other movies. Foreign film fans need movie hand, subtitling, or supplying a translation of translations which are fluent, exact and quite the spoken source language dialogue into the close to the ST. As the result, from the late target language in the form of synchronized twentieth century, the world faced a new captions, usually at the bottom of the screen, area in translation study: the media-oriented is the form that alters the source text to the translation known as Multimedia Translation least possible extent to enable the target or Audiovisual Translation which can audience be aware of the foreignness of the heavily affect the global and inter-cultural text at all points. communication. The two major types of Apparently dubbing and subtitling Audiovisual Translation are Revoicing and both interfere with the original manuscript in Sur-/subtitling. Revoicing includes voice- a different ways due to diversity of over, narration, free commentary and lipsync restrictions, film translators need to change dubbing (Williams and Chesterman the ST and adapt the film for the TT society. 2002:13-14). The main research issue, therefore, is to find Today, dubbing and subtitling are translation solutions to be used to render a considered as the two major types of film film translation which triumphs translation. Dubbing is known to be the simultaneously on the most degree of Domestication and Foreignisation in Dubbing and Subtitling of … Razieh Eslamieh & Nillofar Javankhah naturalness in target language and slide projector), showed the subtitles on the faithfulness to the original source text. screen below the inter-titles. With this background, the present However, this was never much more research meant to study translation strategies than a curiosity, although similar techniques, of foreignisation and domestication model, with the titles on a film strip instead of for the purpose of recognizing translation slides, have been used from time to time up problems or translation situations for which to the present day (Brant, 1984:30). such strategies are used. Henceforth, the Today, in film industry subtitle is primary purpose was to explore which film defined as “a process of providing captions translation method (dubbing or subtitling) is (specially appearing for silent movies, for closer to target-language-culture and which instant for stating the change in time or one is closer to source-language-culture. In place) conforming to the movie dialogue other words it was intended to explore which (and recently for the live operas)” (Neynava translation strategy (domestication or 2015:54). Baker defines subtitling as foreignisation) dominates dubbing and superimposition of written text onto the which one dominates subtitling. The tertiary screen (2001:74) and Pérez González purpose was to compare the reasons of theorizes that subtitling “consists of the differences in dubbing versus subtitling on production of snippets of written text to be the one hand, and the reasons of differences superimposed on visual footage –normally of the target text from the source text. The near the bottom of the frame– while an statistical analysis rendered on the involved audiovisual text is protected, played or translation procedures proved that the broadcast” (, 2008:14). cultural difference was one of the main 2.2 Constraints in Subtitling reasons of the aforementioned differences. Subtitle seems to be a cross-medium 2. Literature Review activity (spoken to written), so there appears 2.1 Subtitling: Historical Background to be some translation loss. The major Shortly after the invention of film problems in subtitling are supposed to derive industry, the necessity and need for film from a number of media-specific constraints translation arose. Film translation industry or in other words, the dialogue is transferred started with what is now known as inter- from one sub-code to another. The titles or texts, drawn or printed on paper, constraints of subtitling are summarized by filmed and placed between sequences of the Hatim and Mason (cited in Venuti,2000). film. Inter-titles first emerged in 1903 as They believe that these constraints are of descriptive titles in Edwin S. Porter's Uncle four kinds: Tom's Cabin. (The technique is assumed to a) The shift in mode from speech to writing: be invented by the cartoonist and filmmaker This has the result that certain features of J. Stuart Blackton.) From 1909 on, the inter- speech will not automatically be represented titles were called sub-titles, as they were in the written form of the target text. used in the way that subtitles of other media b) Factors which govern the medium or were inscribed. At this point of film channel in which meaning is to be conveyed. translation industry, the subtitles were These are the physical constraints of placed in the moving images. The technique available space (between 33-4characters per was used for Edwin S. Porter‟s film College line and no more than two lines). The space Chums in 1907 as well as the French films of the sound-track dialogue (titles remain on Judex (1916) and Mireille (1922). In the era the screen for 2-7 seconds). of inter-titles, it was easy to solve the c) The source text reduction as a translation problem. The original titles were consequence of the two above. Moreover removed, translated, filmed and re-inserted unlike other forms of written or a speaker was used to give a simultaneous communication, this mode does not allow the interpretation of the inter-titles. College reader to back-track for the purpose of Chums was sometimes shown with live retrieving meaning. actors speaking the dialogue behind the d) The requirement of matching the visual projection screen! image: Thus, matching the subtitle to what is In 1909 M. N. Topp registered a patent actually visible on screen may at times create for a “device for the rapid showing of titles additional constraints. for moving pictures other than those on the Another problem in subtitling can be film strip”. With this method the the reception of subtitles. What goes on the projectionist, using a sciopticon (a kind of mind of the audiences differs from the original process. We might ask ''whether a film that is partly read can convey the same International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies (www.eltsjournal.org) ISSN:2308-5460 Volume: 06 Issue: 01 January-March, 2018 Page | 163 International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies (www.eltsjournal.org) ISSN:2308-5460 Volume: 06 Issue: 01 January-March, 2018 impression as the same film listened to, with the national language and its unchallenged hardly any visual verbal signs on the screen'' political, economic and cultural power (Baker and Hochel,