학술논문

Subtitling Saudi Arabic slang into English: the case of 'The Book of the Sun' on Netflix
Document Type
article
Source
Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2024)
Subject
History of scholarship and learning. The humanities
AZ20-999
Social Sciences
Language
English
ISSN
2662-9992
Abstract
Abstract The aim of this study is to analyze Saudi Arabic slang expressions and examine their subtitling into English. The data utilized in this research consists of slang terms identified in the film titled “The Book of the Sun”, available on the streaming platform Netflix, along with their corresponding English translations. This study primarily examines three key dimensions of slang expressions: originality, conciseness, and humor. It also explores the subtitling strategies used to render these slangs and the effectiveness of such strategies. The study’s findings indicate that all identified slangs (100%) are created by assigning new meanings to pre-existing established words in a creative way. Some of them are made concise by mapping them into faʕʕala verb template. Additionally, the subtitler has employed specific strategies to convey the intended meaning of these slangs, namely generalization, paraphrase, official equivalent, direct translation, and cultural substitution. However, the study posits that the strategies employed are ineffective in conveying the intended meaning of slang expressions.