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Research Journal in Advanced Humanities
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Netix English subtitling of the Jordanian
movie ‘The Alleys’: Challenges and strategies
Bassam Saideen1, Abdullah Thalji1, Abdulkareem Lababaneh2,
Raeda Tartory, Ahmad S. Haider4 & Mohammed Obeidat5
1Isra University
2Sultan Qaboos University
3Arab Open University
4Applied Science Private University
5Yarmouk University
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6049-1911
Abstract
This study examined the translation strategies employed in subtitling
the Jordanian Movie The Alleys from Jordanian vernacular into
English, with special attention to culture-specic items (CSIs) and
swear words. The selected movie was produced in 2022 and aired on
Netix. After watching the movie and examining the subtitles, the
researchers grouped them into two main categories: culture-specic
items (CSIs) and Swear Words. The themes subcategorized under
CSIs include i) idioms and proverbs, ii) terms of address, iii) religious
expressions, iv) oaths, and v) food and drinks. The themes identied
in the movie and subcategorized under Swear Words include i)
relative-related, ii) sex-related, iii) animal-related, iv) excretion,
and v) rudeness and disrespect. The study utilized the translation
strategies proposed by Baker (2001), Gottlieb (1992), and Mughazy
(2016). The ndings showed that the strategies used in translating
idioms and proverbs are metaphorical approximation (idiom
to idiom), metaphorization, and literalization (paraphrase). The
strategies used in rendering terms of address, religious expressions,
food & drinks are cultural adaptation, deletion, substitution, and
generalization. Swear words were translated using various strategies:
substitution, addition, deletion, or literal translation. The study
concluded that language could be creatively and strategically altered
to capture cultural contexts, feelings, and underlying meanings.
These translation choices might not be merely linguistic tweaks but
calculated efforts to accurately capture the essence of the original
expressions with clarity and emotional resonance in the target
language.
Keywords: culture-specic items, Netix, swear words, subtitling,
translation strategies
Research Article
Published in Nairobi, Kenya by
Royallite Global
Volume 5, Issue 1, 2024
Article Information
Submitted: 5th October 2023
Accepted: 25th December 2023
Published: 9th January 2024
ISSN: 2708-5945 (Print)
ISSN: 2708-5953 (Online)
Additional information is available
at the end of the article:
To read the paper online, please scan
this QR code:
How to Cite:
Saideen, B., Thalji , A., Lababaneh,
A., Tartory, R. ., Haider, A. S.,
& Obeidat, M. (2024). Netix
English Subtitling of the Jordanian
Movie ’The Alleys’: Challenges
and Strategies. Research Journal in
Advanced Humanities, 5(1). https://
doi.org/10.58256/sptxps94
© 2024 e Author(s). is open access article is distributed under a Creative
Commons Attribution (CC-BY-NC-SA) license.
RJAH
https://doi.org/10.58256/sptxps94
Section: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism
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Introduction
With the proliferation of audiovisual materials worldwide, audiovisual translation (AVT), with its two
main modes, dubbing and subtitling, is increasingly gaining importance. Dubbing is a type of audiovisual
translation that basically refers to replacing the source language’s soundtrack with the target language’s
soundtrack (Diaz-Cintas, 2009; Baker and Hochel, 2001). Subtitling, on the other hand, is the process of
adding captions that are synchronized with the verbal text and displayed at the bottom of images or on
screens to present a translation of dialogues in audiovisual materials (Szarkowska, 2005). O’Connell (2007)
denes subtitling as “supplementing the original voice soundtrack by adding written text on screen” (p.129).
This paper is concerned with subtitling as an essential aspect of AVT and the strategies that are
utilized in rendering spoken language into written text displayed on the screen. Subtitles are used to convey
the meaning of dialogues of foreign audiovisual materials to viewers who are unfamiliar with the source
language. Subtitling has gained popularity in recent years as it makes these materials accessible to wider
audiences in other languages and cultures. It allows an audience to enjoy foreign audiovisual materials
which, without subtitling, would remain inaccessible to them. Compared to dubbing, subtitling is cost-
effective and more inclusive. By providing on-screen descriptions of sounds and background noise, it makes
audiovisual materials accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH), as well.
Subtitling, however, is a highly demanding process burdened with difculties and challenges
(Karamitroglou, 2000). Gottlieb (2001) discusses formal quantitative and textual qualitative challenges. For
example, subtitles should achieve clarity, which entails using simple language, avoiding complex sentence
structures, and breaking up longer sentences into shorter ones. De Linde and Kay (1999) examine technical
difculties related to time and space limitations, synchronization, retention time, and viewers’ reading speed.
Timing is crucial in subtitling because subtitles must be synchronized to appear on screen simultaneously
with the spoken dialogue. Subtitles should also be economical so that the number of words ts the screen
in no more than two lines. They should be long enough to accurately convey the meaning of the dialogue
but short enough to be read quickly. Moreover, the font size and style used in subtitles can affect their
readability. Subtitles should be easy to read, so it is important to choose a font size and style that is clear
and legible.
In addition, subtitling, like other types of translation, is accompanied by other challenges concerning
linguistic and cultural isomorphism between the concerned language pair. Subtitling requires certain
strategies that are commonly employed by subtitlers to overcome such challenges. These strategies refer to
the techniques and methods utilized by subtitlers to create clear, accurate, and effective subtitles. Gottlieb
(2001), for example, proposes a set of strategies that include expansion, paraphrase, transfer, imitation,
transcription, dislocation, condensation, decimation, deletion, and resignation.
The accuracy of translations is critical in subtitling; otherwise, it can lead to dialogue confusion
or misinterpretation. Subtitlers must ensure that their translations are accurate and convey the intended
meaning. To this end, they apply cultural adaptation, including changing idioms, cultural references, or
other elements that may be incomprehensible to foreign audiences. They also apply localization, which
Public Interest Statement
Translation between Arabic and English is challenging due to the linguistic and cultural gaps. This study
is concerned with the English subtitles of the Jordanian lm The Alleys. It discusses the rendering of
culture-specic items and swear words. The ndings showed that the subtitlers used various strategies in
translating the movie, including cultural adaptation, deletion, substitution, generalization, addition, and
literal translation. The ndings have implications for content accessibility, cross-cultural communication,
and audiovisual translation. The study stresses the value of coordinated efforts from translators,
lmmakers, and streaming services to provide subtitles that appeal to English-speaking viewers without
diminishing the original material.
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involves adapting subtitles for specic regions or countries by using local dialects, spellings, or other regional
variations. Finally, it is worth noting that subtitling strategies can vary depending on the type of content
being translated. For example, documentaries may require a more literal translation approach than dramas
or comedies, where creative liberties can be taken with translations (Furgani, 2016).
Building upon these established foundations, this paper undertakes a meticulous examination of
the translation strategies employed in the translation of the Jordanian lm “The Alleys” from Jordanian
Arabic into English, with emphasis on two linguistic elements found in the lm dialogue, namely culture-
specic items (CSIs) and swearwords. A decent, censored version of the lm played in local theatres, though
the uncensored version, which was released on Netix on Jan. 5, 2023, reached a wider audience. The
thriller, directed by the Jordanian director Bassel Ghandour, portrays the seedy underworld of Amman,
showcasing elements of its lowlife intrigue. Ghandour’s multi-genre lm, which was shot in Jabal Al Natheef
- a claustrophobic, violent, Eastern Amman neighborhood- immediately gained notoriety for its contentious
themes and obscene language, sparking parliamentary debate and vigorous social media discussions upon
its release, despite receiving support from certain liberal activists and local media outlets (Vivarelli, 2023).
Original textual production, such as novels and poetry of Ayman Otoom ( A contemporary Jordanian
poet and novelist), and AVT materials, such as The Alleys, incorporating controversial themes (sex, adultery,
incest, obscene language, violence, political taboos, etc.), violate constraints imposed by taboo topics when
introduced into conservative societies, such as Jordanian society (See Haider, Al-Saideen, & Hussein, 2022).
Negative reception by the audience and strict state censorship are expected in such cases (Al-Saideen, Haider,
& Al-Abbas, 2022).
Dissemination of socially or politically dissident translated materials into Arab or Muslim conservative
communities may also incur undesired consequences. Translators in this context are expected to uphold
a euphemizing approach to evade censorship and to soften the audience’s reception of such materials.
Consequently, translational precautionary measures would be taken to avoid unsolicited reactions. However,
this study is concerned with the English subtitle of the Jordanian lm The Alleys. It would be interesting to
nd out whether vulgarism was maintained, mitigated, or even boosted in the English subtitle of The Alleys.
To this end, this study thematically discusses the rendering of culture-specic items (CSIs) and swearwords
detected in this lm into English.
The study attempts to answer the following questions:
1. How are culture-specic items (CSIs) rendered in the English subtitling of the Jordanian vernacular
movie ‘The Alleys?
2. How are swear words rendered in the English subtitling of the Jordanian vernacular movie ‘The
Alleys?
Literature Review
This section comprises two parts: the rst covers the theoretical background on CSIs and swear words. The
second part reviews empirical studies already carried out on the translation of these two cultural aspects.
Theoretical Background
Culture-Specic Items (CSIs)
The function of a language transcends mere communication; it captures the very essence of a culture.
People of a particular culture view the world from their own viewpoint. Larson (1984) notes that different
cultures have different focuses and that this difference is reected in the vocabulary available for discussing
a particular topic. Thus, a given society may employ both technical and non-technical vocabulary to refer
to the same concept/thing. Newmark (1988) was the rst to propose the idea of cultural words, which are
typically described in everyday language and cannot be translated literally. Baker (1992) refers to Newmark’s
cultural words as culture-specic concepts, which represent one of the types of non-equivalence at the word
level, and notes that these concepts may be “abstract or concrete; they may relate to a religious belief, a
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social custom, or even a type of food” (p. 21). As an example, Baker (1992) claims that the concept denoted
by the English word speaker (of the House of Commons) has no equivalent in many other languages,
including Arabic. Nonetheless, the term Culture-Specic Items (CSIs), coined by Javier Franco Aixela in
1996, has gained widespread currency in the translation literature. Aixela (1996) describes the nature of
these CSIs as follows:
“…in translation, a CSI does not exist of itself, but as the result of a conict arising from
any linguistically represented reference in a source text which, when transferred to a target
language, poses a translation problem due to the nonexistence or to the different value (whether
determined by ideology, usage, frequency, etc.) of the given item in the target language culture”
(p. 57).
Two key points can be drawn from Aixela’s description of a CSI: (i) a CSI occurs when a word (or a
group of words) contains a culturally specic reference, and (ii) this culture-specic reference is either non-
existent in the target language or has a different value/meaning there. Aixela discusses the example of the
word ‘April’ (from the rst line of The Waste Land: ‘April is the cruelest month…’) where he states that in
English, ‘April’ is associated with owers and spring, whereas in Germany and Spain, it’s ‘May’ that is used
to signify this association (p.58).
Arabic, a language revered for its historical and cultural signicance, contains a multitude of CSIs. For
instance, the idiomatic expression “كما تدين تدان” (kamā tadīn tudān), which translates to “as you sow,
so shall you reap,” emphasizes the concept of accountability in a manner that goes beyond mere emphasis. It
reects the culture’s emphasis on personal responsibility in Arab societies. Similarly, the practice of offering
“قهوة” (qahwa, Arabic for ‘coffee’), which refers to the Arabic coffee tradition, is an essential part of
Arabian hospitality. Not only is it a beverage, but it is also a symbol of a warm welcome, highlighting the
signicance of hospitality in Arab culture.
With that being stated, CSIs provide insights into a culture’s norms, practices, and values and serve as
a means for understanding cultural diversity. Due to its long history and complex culture, Arabic provides
a vast array of such references, including proverbs and idioms, as well as religious rituals and practices.
Translation between Arabic and English highlights the difculty of bridging the linguistic gap while
maintaining the cultural essence of these references. In the following section, we will discuss CSIs within the
context of their translation from Arabic into English.
Swearwords
Despite being commonly perceived as rude and objectionable, profanities and expletives hold considerable
cultural and emotional signicance within linguistic discourse. The intricacy of human communication is
evident in the utilization of words and phrases that frequently carry connotations of social prohibition,
intense anger, or heightened signicance (Jay and Janschewitz, 2008). According to Ávila-Cabrera’s (2016,
p. 29) taxonomy on offensive and taboo language, swearwords can be classied as a form of offensive
language. This classication encompasses three subcategories, namely abusive swearwords, expletives, and
invectives. While the act of ‘swearing’ serves several different functions in communication, Stapleton (2010,
p. 294-299) discusses various interpersonal functions, including expressing emotion, humor and verbal
emphasis, social bonding and solidarity, and constructing and displaying identity. Consequently, the use of
swearwords transcends the mere communicative function, as it also reects cultural norms and values.
In Arabic, just like other languages, the selection of swearwords and vulgar expressions can provide
valuable insights into the cultural outlook on sensitive or taboo topics. For instance, the Arabic term “لعنة”
(laʿnah), which refers to “curse,” carries a substantial cultural load as a result of its religious and cultural
implications. The act of swearing that involves invoking the name of God or employing expressions such
as “كلمة نابية” (kalimah nābiyah, Arabic for ‘a profane word’) in Arabic-speaking societies highlights
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the complex relationship between language, religion, and the concept of respect. In addition, it is worth
noting that Arabic expletives often incorporate references to family members or personal matters, thereby
emphasizing the importance of familial bonds and privacy within the cultural context.
Empirical Studies
The interdependence of language and culture shapes how meaning is constructed and communicated. It is
important to note that when conveying meaning through translation, it is a well-established fact that the
target language does not uniformly capture the distinctive cultural elements, as both the source language
(SL) and the target language (TL) belong to different cultural systems. Therefore, during the process of
translation, it is common to encounter culture-specic terms, which often require signicant efforts on
the part of the translator to effectively convey their meaning. Among these culture-specic elements are
idioms, proverbs, and culture-bound expressions. Numerous scholars within the eld of translation have
investigated the strategies and difculties of translating such expressions (See Sentov, 2020; Banikalef, 2019;
Dweik, 2013; Alrosan, 2012; Al-Saidi, 2013, among others). Their research reveals valuable insights for
both translators and researchers, as they offer signicant implications and fresh perspectives on the various
translation options available to translators to preserve or alter the cultural context of the ST.
Zitouni (2022) conducted a qualitative inquiry into the translation of cultural items in Romeo and
Juliet from English to Arabic, where the interconnection between culture and translation was examined while
also addressing the difculties associated with translating English cultural items. The ndings of the study
revealed that the cultural aspect of Shakespeare’s play made the translator opt for a wide range of translation
strategies, including functional equivalent, descriptive equivalent, transposition, and naturalization, in order
to handle the cultural gaps between classical English and modern Arabic.
Swearing is also culture-specic in the sense that people’s swearing patterns differ according to the
very conservative and liberal nature of their cultures (See Haider et al., 2022). Reecting the social, cultural,
and emotional aspects of a language, swear words are a unique linguistic phenomenon that often carries a
strong emotional load (Stapleton, 2010). This load varies signicantly due to different linguistic, historical,
and cultural contexts. Accordingly, translators are accountable for dealing with the translational burden
triggered by such cultural nuances and communicating them thoughtfully, taking into consideration the
most appropriate translation norms of the translating language (Abu Rayyash et al., 2023).
Given how deeply ingrained swear words are in each language and culture, translating them between
Arabic and English can be challenging (Mounadil, 2023). As a language pair of translations, they belong
to different families, Semitic and Germanic, respectively. This, by default, implies the natural exitance of
cultural differences between them at the semantic and pragmatic levels. Such differences include how swear
words behave semantically and pragmatically in both languages (Al-Yassin & Rababah, 2019). Hence,
transferring them from one language to another has been within many researchers’ interests.
Several studies have been conducted to examine translation strategies of ‘swearwords’ as oral manners
by which certain cultural differences grow marked and stressed. Abdelaal and Al Sarhani (2021) examined
translation strategies and translation quality of subtitling swearwords in the “Training Day” movie. The
researchers found that translating swearwords like fucking, fucked, bullshit, shit, and motherfucker was
mostly through translation by euphemism and omission due to cultural factors and equivalence issues.
Roughly, the same results were found by Abu-Rayyash et al. (2023), who investigated translation
strategies chosen by Netix subtitlers to render 1564 swearwords from English into Arabic. Noticeably,
these studies and other further ones (see Al-Zgoul and Al-Salman, 2022; Debbas and Haider, 2020; Al-Yasin
and Rabab’ah, 2019; Al-Jabri, 2021) stress the fact that, in most cases, subtitlers’ acts are marked by opting
for omission and euphemism strategies.
However, other studies have been performed to investigate subtitling cases when the direction of
translation is from Arabic into English, conservative to liberal. Haider et al. (2023), for example, studied
the translation strategies subtitlers chose to render the ‘inappropriate language’ and ‘explicit scenes’ of
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the Netix-Jordanian vernacular series Jin. Following Ljung’s swearing typology, the ndings of the
study revealed that taboo expressions in the series fullled frequent connotative functions as ‘unfriendly
suggestions’ and ‘noun support,’ which were rendered by subtitlers through various strategies. The results
of the study also revealed that subtitlers opted for using translation by dysphemism (non-taboo to taboo)
and taboo to taboo more frequently than euphemism or omission, as it is the most subtitling cases when
translation is from English into Arabic (See Thawabteh & Al-Edwan, 2022; Haider & Hussein, 2022).
However, such ndings should not be generalized to other genres and registers when discussing how
translation direction inuences translators’ decisions. Register, genre, and translator’s ideology tremendously
inuence translators’ choices; Lolita’s English version, compared to its Arabic source counterpart, is a good
case in point (See Al-Saideen et al., 2022).
Extensive research has been conducted on culture-specic items (CSIs) and swearwords. However,
the signicance of this study in the eld of translation studies, especially from Arabic to English, lies in its
examination of the complex subtleties involved in translating CSIs and swearwords. These two elements
present distinct challenges in cross-cultural communication.
This paper provides a comprehensive examination of translation practices by comparing the strategies
used for these specic linguistic elements, with a dual focus on frequency and the justications behind the
chosen approaches. This dual perspective offers a more comprehensive understanding of the translator’s
decision-making process and its impact on accurately conveying cultural and emotional nuances. Moreover,
the study has the potential to either validate or refute previous research in the eld, which contributes
to the continuing development of translation theory and practice, eventually enhancing cross-cultural
communication and comprehension.
Methodology
Film Description
The Alleys, which was directed by Bassel Ghandour, explores the lives and struggles of various characters in
the labyrinthine alleys of East Amman, Jordan, as they navigate the challenges of their everyday existence.
The lm is known for its portrayal of different social classes, including the working class and those facing
economic hardships, whose lives collide and spiral into chaos and get interconnected within the urban
setting because of a blackmailing stalker who sets into motion a series of unintended events.
Corpus Compilation
The data gathered for this study was taken from the 2021 Jordanian drama/thriller lm “The Alleys.” The
lm was accessed for the purpose of data collection through a valid subscription to the online streaming
platform Netix. As a paid subscriber, access to the movie was obtained via the platform’s ofcial streaming
service. The lm has a runtime of approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes. This subscription-based access
allowed for the seamless viewing of the lm, thereby ensuring compliance with the platform’s terms of
use during the data extraction process. The status of being a legitimate subscriber underscores the ethical
foundation of this data collection approach. In addition, based on Netix policies, the use of data for
educational and pedagogical purposes is allowed.
As for subtitle quality and standards, Netix prioritizes the precision and contextual appropriateness
of subtitles in various languages, as these subtitles and captions are deemed Netix’s “primary assets.” Thus,
the subtitles provided by Netix are created with great attention to detail, aiming to faithfully capture the
nuances of dialogue, cultural references, and idiomatic expressions. As a result, acquiring appropriate subtitle
les in both English and Arabic was a key rst step in building the bilingual corpus for our analysis. The
English subtitle le was acquired in .srt format, while the Arabic script was written manually. After that, the
Arabic utterances were aligned with their counterpart in the Excell sheet. To ensure validity and precision,
three MA candidates in translation were asked to verify the quality of the alignment. Their comments and
feedback were evaluated and implemented.
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Data Analysis and Translation Strategies
After compiling the corpus and aligning the data, the researchers scrutinized the parallel corpus for any
incident for culture-specic expressions and swearwords. The collected data were classied into ve
subcategories under the umbrella of culture-specic items and four subcategories under swearwords, as
Table 1 shows.
Table 1
The themes of Culture-Specic Expressions and Swear Words as used in the movie
# Main Categories # Themes Source Text Literal Transla-
tion Target Text
1Culture-Specic
Items
1Idioms &
Proverbs
هون
حفرنا وهون
دفنا We dug here
and buried here.
They’d take the
secret with them
to their graves.
2Terms of
address
- يا
بنت الناس
ارميلي
هالمفتاح.
Hey, daughter
of the people,
hand me this
key.
-Open this door,
woman!
3 Religion -وحدي
الله!!!
Say God is
one!!! -You can’t be
serious
4 Oaths ورحمة
ابوي رح
القطك ...
And by my
father’s soul, I’ll
catch you!!!
I swear on my
father’s grave I’ll
nd you …
5Food &
Drinks
وبعد
فنجان
السادة...
And after the
sugar-free coffee
But after drink-
ing to the agree-
ment…
2Swear Words
1Relative
Related
اسمع
يا أخو
الشرموطة…
Listen, bitch
brother...
Listen, you son
of a bitch.
2Animal
Related
من
واحد حيوان …
بستاهل
From an ani-
mal... he de-
serves it.
From a scumbag
who deserves it.
3 Excretion شيل
الخرا هاظ !!! Remove this
shit!!!
Get this fucking
thing off me!
4Rudeness
and Disre-
spect
يعني
سد بوزك
وانقلع روح
الصالون
وبلاش كثرة
حكي ...
I mean, close
your mouth and
beat it to the
salon, and don’t
talk too much...
I mean, shut it
and get going.
Table 1 includes three columns: the source text (ST) in Arabic, followed by a literal translation of
the utterance in English. The third column includes Netix English subtitles of the Arabic text. The second
column was intentionally added by the researchers to enable non-native Arabic speakers to understand the
ST and how it was translated into English.
As Table 1 shows, the examples extracted from The Alleys are grouped into two main categories, Culture
Specic Items (CSIs) and Swear Words, and subcategorized according to their themes. The themes identied
in the movie and subcategorized under CSIs include i) idioms and proverbs, ii) terms of address, iii) religious
expressions, iv) oaths, and v) food and drinks. The themes identied in the movie and subcategorized under
Swear Words include i) relative-related, ii) sex-related, iii) animal-related, iv) excretion, and v) rudeness and
disrespect.
In the analysis, and as Table 1 shows, the source utterance (in Arabic) will be translated literally
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into English by the researchers to make the texts accessible to non-native speakers of Arabic and to enable
readers to spot the changes that were made by the subtitler.
The collected examples will be examined according to the taxonomies proposed by Baker (2001),
Gottlieb (1992), and Mughazy (2016).
Translation Strategies proposed by Baker (1992)
Baker (1992, p. 26-42) lists eight translation strategies, which are that are frequently employed by translators
to manage challenging issues during a translation task:
1. Translation by a more general word:
The rst strategy involves substituting a source-language expression with a more general word in
the TT. This is a widely adopted strategy that effectively manages various forms of nonequivalence.
Baker asserts the universality of this strategy across languages because it relies on the shared
semantic eld, transcending language-specic limitations.
2. Translation by a more neutral/ less expressive word:
This strategy focuses on the structural aspect of meaning.
3. Translation by cultural substitution
This strategy involves replacing a culture-specic expression with a target language counterpart,
considering its impact on the intended audience. This strategy enhances the TT’s naturalness,
comprehensibility, and familiarity to the target reader. The translator’s choice to employ this
strategy is contingent upon two key factors: the extent of the license granted by the translation
commissioning parties and the intended purpose of the translation.
4. Translation using a loan word or a loan word plus explanation:
This strategy is usually employed to manage culture-specic items, modern concepts, and
buzzwords. Using a loan word with an explanation proves advantageous when a word is repeated
several times in the text. For the rst time, the word is mentioned in the explanation, consequently
enabling the term’s standalone usage in subsequent occurrences.
5. Translation by paraphrase using a related word:
This strategy is utilized in two ways: when the source item is lexicalized in the target language but
in a different form and when the frequency with which a certain form is used in the source text
signicantly exceeds what would be considered natural in the target language.
6. Translation by paraphrase using unrelated words:
This strategy is used when the concept in the source language lacks a direct counterpart in the
target language. When the meaning of the source item is intricate in the target language, the
paraphrase with unrelated words strategy can be employed, by altering a superordinate or simply
by elucidating the source item meaning.
7. Translation by omission:
This strategy proves to be very valuable in some contexts, particularly where omission does not
hinder the comprehensibility of the source text. It is used to avoid lengthy explanations.
8. Translation by illustration:
Employing this strategy can prove advantageous when the target equivalent fails to encompass
certain aspects of the source item, and the equivalent term pertains to a tangible entity that can be
effectively depicted, thereby enabling concise and precise communication while avoiding excessive
elaboration.
Translation Strategies proposed by Gottlieb (1992)
Gottlieb (1992, p.166) lists several subtitling strategies that include the following:
1) Expansion is used when the utterance in the source language requires more explanation to ensure
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comprehension on the part of the audience; it occurs when the cultural nuance of the source language is
unretrievable.
2) Paraphrase is utilized when the original phrase cannot be syntactically reconstructed in the target
language. This means that the TT and ST are syntactically incommensurate, but the TT is still comprehensible
to the target audience.
3) Transfer is dened as the strategy of producing a correct and complete translation of the ST.
4) Imitation is used with proper nouns or similar name forms, such as people’s names, places, book
titles, country names, brand products, etc.
5) Transcription is used in some cases where a foreign term exists in the source language.
6) Dislocation in translation is used when the source language dialogue includes special effects, as
seen, for example, in a cartoon lm featuring a comical song. In such cases, the translation of the effect itself
takes precedence over the specic content being conveyed.
7) Condensation is used due to spatio-temporal limitations in subtitling. The strategy is used to
ensure efciency by eliminating redundancies.
8) Decimation is applied when there is an extreme form. This happens when an important element,
such as a taboo word, is omitted. It also happens when there is a quarreling scene, and the characters are
talking too fast.
9) Deletion is dened as the total elimination of textual elements, e.g., repetitions, question tags, and
ller words.
10) Resignation is used when the translator fails to nd an equivalent term in the target language
and the meaning is inevitably lost.
Translation Strategies proposed by Mughazy (2016)
The taxonomy proposed by Mughazy (2016) will be followed for the translation of idioms and proverbs.
According to this model, gurative language can be translated by one of the following strategies:
1. Literalization: It is most useful with cultural-specic idioms because they lack functional equivalents
in the target language. It basically involves offering a description of the Arabic idiom by providing a
nongurative translation. In essence, it entails providing an explanatory interpretation of the idiom.
2. Metaphorical approximation represents a translation approach wherein the translator exerts efforts to
nd the nearest equivalent of a metaphor in the target language. Furthermore, this technique involves the
translation of idiomatic and frozen formulas by using gurative expressions in the target language that
are closest in meaning to the source language expressions, although they may not be deemed functional
equivalents.
2. Metaphorization: is a translation process whereby texts are rendered metaphorically, using metaphors
in the TT. This strategy stands in stark contrast to literalization; it’s about using idioms to translate
semantically compositional phrases.
Analysis and Discussion
Culture-Specic Items
Cultural-specic items (CSIs) denote elements rmly embedded in the heritage, convictions, and practices of
a specic culture. These elements encompass everything from idiomatic expressions, proverbs, and idioms to
distinct cultural rituals, attire, and customary cuisine. The translation of CSIs between Arabic and English can
prove intricate, owing to the inherent cultural subtleties and disparities existing between the two languages.
This section is devoted to the examination and analysis of the themes mentioned in Table 1 above.
Idioms & Proverbs
Table 2 includes examples of idiomatic expressions and proverbs extracted from the movie The Alleys, along
with their corresponding literal translations and target texts. These idioms and proverbs play a signicant
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role in delivering cultural nuances embedded in the movie’s dialogue.
Table 2
Examples of idioms and proverbs as used in the movie
Theme # Strategy Source Text Literal Translation Target Text
Idioms &
Proverbs
1
Metaphorical
Approxima-
tion (Idiom to
idiom)
ومع كل
هالحكي، لسه
المخفي أكثر
من المكشوف
And with all this talk,
what’s hidden is still
more than what’s re-
vealed.
But all these
oating tales
don’t even
scratch the sur-
face
2
دايما
بتحلبها حلب
…
تعصرنا
عصر كل مرة
Always milking it ...
You squeeze us every
time.
You really
squeeze a dollar
out of a dime.
3هون
حفرنا وهون
دفنا We dug here and bur-
ied here.
They’d take the
secret with them
to their graves.
4
وبتنتشر، من
ثم واحد، لدان
الثاني، لحد ما
تدخل كل دار
بالحارة
And it spreads from
one’s mouth to anoth-
er’s, until it enters every
house in the neighbor-
hood.
A story spreads
like wildre
5وصفى
لا شغله ولا
عمله He ended up without a
job or a profession.
Until he became
nothing more
than a worthless
bum.
6
Metaphoriza-
tion
انته مش
عارف مع مين
وقعت You don’t even know
who you fell with.
You’re digging
yourself a deep
hole
7زبطيهم Make them look nice Doll them up
8اختصر
علينا الليلة Cut the night short
Let’s call it a
night
9
Literalization
(Paraphrase)
يزم
تاكلش راسي
... خلص طولهم Dude, don’t eat my
head ... bring them out.
Then give it up
already!
10 مش كل
طير بيتاكل
لحمه Not every bird gets its
meat eaten...
She’s not the one
to mess with.
11 كبست
مره وحده It rained heavily at
once
This fucking
rain.
12 اعقل
ور و
ّح ... Be smart and go away... Get the fuck out!
13 شو بدي
ما بدي ... يالله
شباب
Are you asking me
whether I want or
don’t?... come on, guys.
Fuck, yeah, we
do, boss.
The examples (1-13) in Table 2 are all colloquialisms (Jordanian Arabic), and they effectively convey
the intended messages. Similarly, the subtitles of these expressions and phrases also relay the idiomatic
meaning in an understandable and memorable way.
The source text in example (1) is a commonly used Jordanian proverb, which means that what is
discussed overtly in social chat groups is a lot less than what is kept covert. The target text creatively captures
the idea that rumors and stories are supercial and lack depth. Example (2) is also an idiomatic expression
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that centers around exploiting someone or something, using the verbs ‘milking or squeezing.’ The subtitler
cunningly uses an English idiom with a close meaning (capitalizing from small investments). Example (3) is
a proverb that stresses keeping secrets among partners, which is skillfully associated with burial in the target
text. Example (4) is a proverb that explains rumor-spreading mechanisms in social circles. The subtitler used
an English idiom that matches the rapidity of a wildre’s propagation to the rapid spread of information.
Example (5) explains how someone becomes unemployed or a bum. The target text, however, comes with
an added touch of insensitivity, emphasizing the person’s lack of worth. All these examples are creatively
rendered using ‘idiom to idiom’ or ‘metaphorical approximation’ strategy. They are accurately rendered in a
way that captures the meaning and relays the message of the original idiom, i.e., content and form.
A similar strategy, Metaphorization, is used for rendering examples (6-8), which are also common
idioms in Jordanian Arabic. Example (6) is a kind of threat by the speaker, a metaphor that has the sense
of an addressee getting involved in a difcult situation without proper awareness of its consequences. The
source text is rendered into a stronger English idiom that sounds more intimidating. Example (7) is a
Jordanian idiomatic expression whose meaning is context-dependent. It could mean ‘to pay someone off,’
‘to enhance the quality of a product or service given to a specic person.’ or ‘to make something or someone
(prostitutes) look nice’ (or more attractive) as in the context of The Alleys. The subtitler does a great job
using the English idiom with the word ‘doll,’ which more than captures the sense of the original. Finally,
example (8) is a suggestion to end an activity or event early. The target text employs a metaphor that
suggests exactly the same. For these expressions, the subtitler opted for metaphorization, i.e., transferring
the content or message of the source text, which, albeit with different linguistic elements, creates an effect
in the target text audience similar to that created by the source text.
However, with examples (9-13), literalization (paraphrase) is used as an attempt to capture the cultural
subtleties embedded in the Arabic idioms. Example (9) shows the speaker’s annoyance at somebody who is
reluctant to give something up. The idiomatic phrase ‘Don’t eat my head’ means ‘Don’t annoy me and give it
up,’ which is exactly what the target text states but in a more succinct and literal manner, thus ensuring that
the message gets across. Example (10) is a metaphor that cautions against underestimating someone’s power.
The target text is a literal rendition, but it transfers the effect of the message. The same applies to examples
(11-13), which are also translated literally, and they create effects that are similar to those intended by the
source texts, i.e., the emotional conceptualization of the abruptness and intensity of the rain (example 11),
the intensity of the command to leave (example 12) and maintaining the informal tone of a more direct and
assertive response (example 13).
Terms of address
Terms of address, according to Oyetade (1995, p. 515), are “words or expressions used to designate
the person being talked to while talk is in progress.” In English, for example, these are words like you,
mom, young man, or Professor Snyder.” These culture-bound expressions should be carefully handled in
translation and subtitling in order to ensure an engaging and relatable reading/ watching experience. When
adapting terms of address in subtitling and in order to accurately convey the appropriate emotions and
relationships between characters, it is important to consider the cultural context, politeness levels, and tone
of the conversation (Table 3).
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Table 3
Examples of terms of address as used in the movie
Theme # Strategy Source Text Literal Translation Target Text
Terms of
Address
14 Cultural Ad-
aptation
- يا بنت
الناس ارميلي
هالمفتاح
- انت
خليت فيها
بنت ناس
Hey, daughter of the
people, hand me this
key.
Did you leave any
daughter in it?
- Open this door,
woman!
- Don’t you
“woman” me!
15 Cultural Ad-
aptation
والحاج
«عمر» اسئلته
كثيرة…
And Haj Omar, his
questions are so many
...
That old man
kept asking me
questions
16 Deletion مرحب
ًا
ست “أسيل” Hello, Ms. Aseel.
- Hello, Aseel,
how are you?
17 Substitution مرحبا
آنتي ...
كيفك؟؟
Hello Auntie ... How
are you?
How are you, my
dear?
The examples in Table (3) highlight how word-for-word is not a suitable strategy for rendering such
terms. Examples (14-17) demonstrate how the target texts effectively capture the essence and intention of
the source expressions. This approach ensures that the translations accurately reect the emotional nuances
and interpersonal dynamics present in the original text.
The source text in example (14) (يا بنت الناس ارميلي هالمفتاح- انت خليت فيها بنت
ناس ‘Hey, daughter of the people, hand me this key. Did you leave any daughter in it?’) is usually used in
Jordanian Arabic by an angry person in order to avoid swearing. The target text skillfully achieves cultural
approximation by employing direct and strong language that captures the assertive tone of the speaker and
conveys the same connotations as the source text. The use of “woman” in the imperative form retains the
familiarity and intensity of the source. The same applies to the response ‘Don’t you woman me,’ which also
achieves a similar degree of linguistic strength.
Examples (15-17) include honorics that convey politeness and respect, as in (15), and warmth and
familiarity, as in (16 & 17). Avoiding literal translation, these terms are rendered idiomatically in a way
that maintains the same contexts. In (15), ‘old man’ replaces ‘Haj’ to uphold the same level of politeness
and to account for cultural sensitivity. However, the Arabic term ‘Haj’ literally means “pilgrim,” which is
derived from the verb “حج” (hajja), meaning “made a pilgrimage to Mecca.” It is used in Muslim societies as
a term of address to respectfully refer to elderly men, who are usually given priority to perform pilgrimage.
Translating ‘Haj’ as ‘Old man’ captures the honoric angel of the term, but it denitely leaves out the
religious aspect.
In (16 & 17), ‘Aseel’ replaces ‘Ms. Aseel’ to provide a more casual translation, thus enhancing the
conversational ow, and ‘my dear’ replaces ‘Auntie’ to provide a friendly greeting and inquiry about well-
being.
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Religious Expressions
Table 4 includes instances where religious expressions are translated while considering the context, cultural
sensitivity, and emotional nuances.
Table 4
Examples of religion-based expressions as used in the movie.
Theme # Strategy Source Text Literal Trans-
lation Target Text
Religious Ex-
pressions
18
Cultural Adapta-
tion
-وحدي الله!!!
- وحد الله !!
Say God is
one!!! (Female
addressee)
Say
God is one!!
(Female ad-
dressee)
-You can’t be
serious
-For real?
19
Cultural Adapta-
tion لا حول ولا قوة
الا بالله !!
There is no
power or
strength except
with God!!
Oh, my God.
20
Cultural Adapta-
tion -البقية في
حياتك.
-بحياتكم
الباقية
May the rest be
in your life.
In your
life may the
rest be.
-I’m sorry for
your loss
-Thank you.
The religious phrases in example (18) are replaced with colloquial phrases that convey disbelief and
surprise, respectively. Similarly, the source text in example (19), an Islamic expression used in times of
distress or difculty, is replaced with a common English phrase that conveys surprise or astonishment,
aiming to capture the emotional aspect of the Arabic phrase, which does not directly carry the religious load
of that phrase. Moreover, example (20) is an Arabic exchange, offering condolence and expressing comfort
to someone who has experienced a loss. The religious source text is replaced with culturally appropriate
phrases that carry the same emotional load. These renditions, however, are at the expense of the religious
content of the source texts as the target texts deviate signicantly from the source text, leaving out its
religious aspect. Such deviations may lead to misunderstandings of the dialogue, which highlights the
cultural and contextual awareness when translating religious expressions.
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Oaths
Like other languages, Arabic has a variety of idiomatic expressions for emphasizing oaths and commitments
(Table 5).
Table 5
Examples of oaths as used in the movie
Theme # Strategy Source Text Literal Translation Target Text
Oaths
21 Idiom to
idiom
ورحمة ابوي
رح القطك ... And by my father’s
soul, I’ll catch
you!!!
I swear on my fa-
ther’s grave I’ll nd
you …
22 Idiom to
idiom وعرض أمي
مشيت الخلطة
زي ما بدك.
By my mother’s
honor, the hustle
took place as you
wished.
On my mother’s
soul, that hustle
worked like a
charm
The examples in Table (5) show commonly used Arabic informal phrases that speakers employ as
oaths to afrm a strong commitment or promise by invoking the memory and honor of a loved one, as
shown by examples (21 & 22), respectively.
The target texts in examples (21 & 22) maintain the essence and solemn nature of the oaths by
referring to the father’s grave and the mother’s honor. These oaths emphasize the seriousness and gravity
of the speaker’s statement and commitment using idiomatic expressions that retain the cultural load. When
translating these oaths into English, the emotional and cultural aspects of these expressions must be carefully
taken into account in order to maintain the oath’s meaning and impact in the target texts.
Food & Drinks
Terms related to food and drinks are among the culture-bound expressions. Translating them across
languages requires careful consideration to ensure that the target text is comprehensible and relatable to
the target audience. This sometimes means having to replace these cultural references with target language
expressions that are accurately received by the target audience (Table 6).
Table 6
Examples of names of food and drinks as used in the movie.
Theme # Strategy Source
Text
Literal Transla-
tion Target Text
Food &
Drinks
23 Cultural Adapta-
tion
وبعد
فنجان السادة... And after the
sugar-free coffee
...
But after drinking to
the agreement…
24 Generalization بجبلك
إياه على سدر
كنافة
I’ll bring him to
you on a large
plate of Kona-
fah.
I’ll whip him up into
a dessert for you.
The source text in example (23) signals the end of a gathering or a banquette, after which Arabian
coffee is usually served. Arabian coffee is usually served on different occasions and for different purposes,
one of which is to signal consent to a request. The literal translation of the expression may convey the
semantic content, but the function may not be correctly perceived by the target audience. While Arabian
coffee is served to conclude an agreement or to grant a request, it is not the beverage served on such
occasions in English-speaking societies. Rather, in Western societies, alcoholic drinks are served, and people
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‘drink to the agreement.’ This cultural adaptation efciently carries the notion of concluding a social or
business gathering while adapting to the cultural context of the target language.
The same applies to example (24), where ‘Konafah,’ a popular Middle Eastern dessert made of
pastry and syrup, is substituted with ‘dessert’ in the target text to achieve comprehension. ‘Konafah’ is used
metaphorically in the source text, which means literal translation may not capture its gurative meaning.
Therefore, the target text employs a different generalization strategy by reimagining the metaphor and
expressing it more directly as “I’ll whip him up into a dessert for you.” This adaptation effectively retains the
essence of offering something (or someone) to someone but substitutes the cultural reference with a more
universally understandable concept. This approach allows for a smoother comprehension of the metaphor,
especially for those unfamiliar with the original cultural reference. By using a universally understood concept
like dessert, the subtitler ensures that the message will resonate with a wider audience and facilitate better
communication. The translation strategies in both examples aim at maintaining the meaning and cultural
nuances of the source text while adapting them to the target language and culture.
Swear Words
Translation becomes more challenging when translating swear words, as they often carry deep cultural
and historical connotations that may not have direct equivalents in the target language. Translators must
navigate the complexities of each language’s unique expressions of profanity, ensuring that the translated
text conveys the intended level of offense or vulgarity without losing its cultural signicance.Therefore, a
successful translation must go beyond semantic transfer in order to reect the intended offense, emotional
effect, and cultural context of the source text.
As shown in Table (7), the literal translations of the source texts successfully convey the meaning
of the swear words, but the intended emotional damage is not equally achieved in the target texts due to
cultural differences. The subtitler, therefore, utilized a set of strategies in his rendering of these offensive
terms to accomplish not only semantic transfer but also to account for cultural isomorphism and to ensure
that the emotional impact is reproduced in the target texts. These strategies include substitution (or cultural
adaptation), deletion, literal translation, and addition. The examples in Table (7) are categorized according
to the theme of offensive language. These include swear words that are related to relatives, rudeness and
disrespect, animals, and excretion.
One of the most prominent cultural differences between Arabic and English cultures is that, in Arab
cultures, relative-related offensive language is primarily directed at the addressee’s sister and less frequently
at the mother, father, and other family members. The addressee’s female relatives in Arab cultures are usually
targeted by swear words, which makes a common pattern in these cultures. The mother, on the other
hand, is more frequently targeted by swear words in English-speaking cultures. Therefore, to ensure that
the tone and impact of the source text are effectively conveyed when translating swear words and insults,
it is essential to consider cultural sensitivities and the target audience’s expectations. This often requires
departing from literal translation.
This is evident in examples 1-5 (Table 7), where the derogatory language in the source texts is directed
at the addressees’ sisters.
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Table 7
Examples of swear words as used in the movie.
Theme#Strategy Source Text Literal Translation Target Text
Relative
Related
1Substitution اسمع يا أخو
الشرموطة…Listen, bitch’s brother... Listen, you son of
a bitch.
2
Substitution انته مش عارف
مع مين وقعت يا
اخو الشرموطة
You don’t know who you
fell with, brother of a
bitch.
You’re digging
yourself a deep
hole, you son of a
bitch.
3
Deletion & Sub-
stitution كس أختك أخو
الشرموطة ولك
بنتي هاي
Your sister’s pussy …
bitch’s brother … This my
daughter!!
That’s my daugh-
ter, you son of a
bitch.
4
Substitution وكل ما توقع
عند أخو قحبة،
بعلكها عالسن
ّ
اللي بريحه.
And every time it lands
with a brother of a pros-
titute, he chews it on the
tooth that makes him feel
well.
Then every son
of a bitch has his
way with it.
5
Substitution ولا يا اخو
الشراميط
طلعت انت ولا
يا منيك؟؟
You brother of sluts … it’s
you? You fagot!!
You son of a
bitch, So it’s you,
motherfucker?
6
Substitution طب انتي
دخلتيني باخت
هالدوكه هاي
لليش ؟؟؟
Then why did you get me
into this thing’s sister?
Then why the
fuck
did you drag me
into this?
7Deletion
لأخلي كل أولاد
الحاره يلعبوا
عليهم ... يا اخو
الشرموطة ... يا
اقحب ...
I’ll make all the neighbor-
hood boys make out with
them … you brother of a
bitch … you bitch.
I’ll have the entire
neighborhood
take turns with
them.
8
Literal شيل ايدك
لألعن تعاريص
خواتك
Remove your hand or I’ll
curse your sisters’ prosti-
tution.
Get your hand off
me before I pimp
out your sisters.
9
Literal ابن الشرموطة
هادا اذا بنز
ّل
الفيديو احنا
… بنروح فيها
مؤبد ...
This son of a bitch, if he
downloads the video, we
will get life for it...
If this son of a
bitch leaks the
video, it’s a life
sentence.
10 Literal بتتنمرد يا
ابن القحبة ؟؟ You rebel, you son of a
bitch
You son of a
bitch!
11 Substitution يفضح امك May your mother be scan-
dalized.Son of a bitch.
12 Substitution شو هي ع كيف
إمك الشغلة؟؟ What? Is it up to your
mother?
Get the fuck out
of here.
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Rudeness
and Dis-
respect
13
Substitution طبعا ابوكي
النضوه لازم
يكون موجود
Of course, your valiant
father must be present
Of course, your
worthless father
has to be present.
14
Substitution يبدو هذا
الحقير… ...
منهبل فيكي
This despicable person
seems ... crazy about you.
It seems this ass-
hole is obsessed
with you.
15
Substitution هيك من دون
ليش ... انقلعوا
روحوا
Just because … no reason
… beat it!!
Because I fucking
said so! Get the
fuck out!
16
Substitution شو ولا ... انته
مش مخلي حدا الا
ومصوره؟
You boy?? You lmed
everyone??
You prick. You’ve
been lming ev-
eryone?
17 Deletion هاته ما أزنخك Give it back … how ob-
noxious you are. No translation
18
Deletion لا لا.. روح يغص
بالك.. سلام.
No, no … go, may your
mind be lled with wor-
ries … Peace.
Yeah, whatever…
19
Literal & Dele-
tion
يعني سد
بوزك وانقلع
روح الصالون
وبلاش كثرة
حكي ...
I mean, shut your mouth
and beat it to the salon,
and don’t talk too much...
I mean shut it and
get going.
20
Literal ولك انته ...
بتسواش نعلة
كندره ...
Oh you … You are not
worth a sole of a shoe.
You aren’t worth
the muddy sole of
a shoe.
Animal
Related
21
Deletion & Sub-
stitution
سد بوزك أحسن
ما تندفن جنبه
... يا كلب ... يا
حقير
Better shut your mouth
or you’ll be buried be-
side him... you dog... you
scumbag!!
Shut your mouth
unless you want
to be buried next
to him, bastard!
22 Substitution من واحد حيوان…
بستاهل From an animal... he de-
serves it.
From a scumbag
who deserves it.
Excretion 23 Substitution شيل الخرا هاظ
!!! Remove this shit!!! Get this fucking
thing off me!
Literal translation in these cases does not carry the emotional impact across due to unfamiliarity with
the source text forms of insult to the target audience. The target texts, however, show a cultural difference
emerging from the subtitler’s utilization of the substitution strategy. The target of all the insults in these
examples shifts from the sister to the mother of the addressee, which creates a cultural context that is
relatable and more familiar to the target audience. Even the second expletive in example (5), ‘you fagot,’
is redirected from the addressee himself to his mother. Example (6), on the other hand, is an instance of
cultural adaptation, where the expletive ‘the fuck’ is used as an emphatic slot ller to use Ljung’s (2011)
taxonomy. While the swear word in example (7) is deleted, the expletive in example (8) is the only instance
of literal translation where the form and content are maintained in the target text.
Arabic insults directed at the addressee’s mother are also common in Arabic-speaking cultures but
less frequent in the movie dialogue. Examples (9-12) in Table 7 show a variety of such swear words, some
of which have equivalents in English, while others do not. Examples (9 & 10) easily translate into similar
English phrases that carry the same emotional load and achieve the same level of offense, adapting at the
same time to the cultural context. Examples (11&12), on the other hand, show how cultural differences
impose cultural adaptation in the rendering of derogatory language. The source texts in these two examples
contain offensive language involving the addressee’s mother, which the subtitler effectively replaces with the
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common expletive ‘son of a bitch,’ maintaining their offensive tone and intensity and adapting them to the
English language and cultural norms.
In the second category, Rudeness and Disrespect, only one example (20) is translated literally. This
is because the phrase is a common insult in Jordanian Arabic and has a formal equivalent in English.
Therefore, literal translation achieves both the semantic transfer and the intended insult. However, this
strategy does not work with the other examples where substitution or cultural adaptation is employed, as
examples (13-15) show. The expletives (worthless father, asshole, and get the fuck out, respectively) in the
target texts are even dysphemizing and more insulting to the referents and addressees. Example (16), on the
other hand, includes a form of cultural adaptation since the literal translation might be inappropriate and
racial due to the expression’s historical association with forms of address used with African Americans in
the US. Nevertheless, the intended ridiculing sense of the expression ‘wala’ (boy) is lost here, but the insult
is delivered.
Deletion is employed in the examples (17-19) in Table (7). The deleted expressions are used both as
insults and forms of endearment in Jordanian Arabic. Deleting them does not signicantly impact the overall
comprehension of the dialogue, but translating them idiomatically may reveal the kind of relationship
between speakers and addressees. The source expressions in examples (17&18) are said as endearment,
while in (19), the subtitler toned down the utterance by deleting the phrase ‘beat it or fuck off’, which could
have been more effective since it is coming from a gang leader to an inferior gang member.
In the category ‘Animal Related Swearwords,’ only two examples are found in the extracted data. The
expressions used are ‘dog’ in example (21), and ‘animal’ in example (22). Both words are insulting in Arab
cultures, as well as in English cultures. The subtitler chose to delete the word ‘dog’ in example (21) and to
limit the insult to the other swearword in the utterance (scumbag), which he substituted with (bastard). The
word ‘animal’ in example (22) is substituted with ‘scumbag’, which is more insulting to the referent in the
target culture. Literal translation here (i.e., ‘animal’) may not convey the same amount of disrespect because
this word is commonly used in English in competition contexts as praise and an indication of physical
strength. This is, we believe, an appropriate cultural adaptation. The same is done with the last example (23)
in Table (7). The source text expression meaning ‘shit’ is substituted with the expletive ‘fucking.’ Although
literal translation could have conveyed the same amount of vulgarity, the target text expression is more
culturally adaptive.
Table (7) presents various ways in which rude and disrespectful language can be expressed through
substitutions, additions, deletions, and literal translations. The choice of words and expressions signicantly
affects the level of disrespect conveyed, ranging from milder forms of irritation to stronger derogatory
language. These examples highlight the importance of understanding the cultural and contextual nuances of
language to accurately convey the intended tone and meaning.
Table 7 shows how rude and disrespectful language can be translated by utilizing a variety of
translation strategies, such as substitution, addition, deletion, or literal translation. The level of vulgarity
and disrespect conveyed can vary depending on the choice of words and expressions, from mild irritation
to strong derogatory language. These examples underscore the signicance of evaluating the cultural and
contextual meanings of swearwords in order to accurately communicate the intended message and the
amount of emotional impact.
Conclusions
The examples extracted from the subtitle of The Alleys demonstrate how language can be creatively adapted
to capture cultural context, emotions, and underlying meanings. The target texts often rely on metaphors,
directness, and intensity to convey the essence of the original expressions. The translation choices reect the
intention to make the meaning clear and emotionally resonant in the target language. The analysis of these
idioms and proverbs shows that translation isn’t just about word-to-word correspondence but rather about
capturing the essence, cultural context, and emotional nuances of the original expressions. The target texts
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often creatively adapt the source expressions to convey similar meanings and emotions in English.
To delve into the intricate realm of English subtitles for Arabic lms, The Alleys on the Netix
platform was chosen as a focal point. We encountered a multitude of challenges throughout our research,
spanning from linguistic subtleties to cultural sensitivities. In addition, we reected on several strategies and
methodologies that aimed at enhancing the quality and effectiveness of English subtitles for Arabic content
on Netix, offering solutions to address these encountered challenges.
The study ndings hold signicance for various domains, including content accessibility, cross-cultural
communication, and audiovisual translation. It remains crucial to guarantee that subtitles effectively convey
the intended message while maintaining the cultural richness of the source material, especially as streaming
services are expanding to reach wider global audiences. Our recommendations emphasize the importance
of collaborative efforts involving translators, lmmakers, and streaming platforms to deliver subtitles that
resonate with English-speaking viewers without compromising the essence of the original content. Moreover,
our study underscores the ongoing need for research and education in the eld of audiovisual translation,
equipping professionals with the requisite skills and expertise for this challenging undertaking.
Finally, the rather successful English subtitle of The Alleys on the Netix platform augments the
streaming experience for viewers while testifying to the value of translation in bridging cultural gaps and
advancing intercultural communication. It is hoped that the knowledge and suggestions presented in this
study will help to develop Arabic-English subtitle techniques,
Finally, the relatively “successful” English subtitling of The Alleys on Netix augments the streaming
experience for viewers while also serving as a testament to the value of translation in overcoming cultural
divides and promoting intercultural understanding. It is our aim that the knowledge and suggestions offered
in this paper may help to advance Arabic-to-English subtitle techniques, enhancing the accessibility and
enjoyment of a wide range of cinematic content for viewers all around the world.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Conicts of Interest: The authors declare no conict of interest.
Research Journal in Advanced Humanities
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