TRANSLATION PROCEDURES AND MEANING EQUIVALENCE IN SUBTITLE

OF THE ANIMATED MOVIE MONSTER UNIVERSITY

Donny Fandi
English Department Faculty of Letter, Gunadarma University

Abstract
In this research, the writer attempts to find out the translation procedures and equivalence that
were used in the subtitle translation of the animated movie Monster University. The writer
uses qualitative descriptive method to achieve the purpose of this research. The data is
collected by watching the movie, reading the script, and categorizing the segments (subtitle)
of the movie by using Newwmarks translation procedure and Nidas equivalence theory.
After analyzing the data, the writer found some strategies that were used in the movie. The
strategies are: cultural equivalent, synonym, naturalisaion, and modulation. Also, both formal
and dynamic equivalence were found as well, with the dominant one being the dynamic
equivalence. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the main point of subtitle
translation of Monster University involves removing unneeded elements to save space (such
as cultural words and characters names), adding extra word to TL if the subtitle is too short,
and neutralizing cultural words or specific terms to achieve clarity for the TL.

Key words: translation, meaning and equivalence, subtitle

A. INTRODUCTION
In this modern era, the translation of films keeps progressing. There is a specialized name in
translating film, it called subtitling. It focuses on changing one language to another language
in order to make people enjoy the foreign language. Subtitling also related to social culture
around the translator.
Translation is not just about changing meaning to be understand, there are many things that
translator need to pay attention in it. This study also makes us more understand about culture

behind two languages. Equivalence in translating is needed, because if there is one mistake in
translating it affected peoples mind about the culture.It could be very interesting when
everyone learn about subtitling in detail.
There are some previous studies that discuss about translation in different ways. Oktay (2014)
write a study A Model of Translators Competence from an Educational Perspective, She
collect some datas for her research. She conclude that a translator needs to use resources
effectively and efficiently to attain project goals. Also, Elmira (2016) write The Impact of
Translators Epistemological Beliefs and Gender on Their Translation Quality. She through
convenient sampling to participate in this study data collection has a result that males
translate significantly better than females regarding the quality of translation.
This research has benefits both translators and readers. If you have watched the film,
translations procedures and equivalence need to be studied extensively. Translation study
shows how subtitling works in subtitling. So, they could use them as a reference to get
general idea about a good translation.
Understanding meaning in movies always depends on The Translator. Monster University in
one of animation movie that should get more attention for the subtitling. After discuss many
things in background, the following questions are created to match the study problem: What
are the translation procedures that are used to translate the subtitles of Monster University?
and How are the equivalence of the translation procedures of Monster Universitys subtitles?
The study focuses to find out the translation procedures that used in translating Monster
Universitys movie. To find out the translation procedures that were used to translate the
subtitles of Monster Universitys movie. It would be completed after find out the equivalence
of translation procedures of the subtitle of Monster University.
The study were made to give benefits for the translators and readers. It shws how translation
approach works in subtitling. So, the readers and translators could use them as a reference to
get the general idea on how to produce a good translation. Every detail in this study is to
make progress in audiovisual fields.

B. THEORITICAL REVIEW
In translation studies, there are many explanation for the definition. Before starting to
translating movie, the writer want to present translations definition. According to Nida and
Taber (1982) Translating consists in he receptor language the closest natural equivalent of
source-language message (p.12). Moving on the perspective of experts, Newmark (1988)
claims that Translation is a rendering process of the meaning of text into another language in
the way that author intended (p.5). From the experts definition above, it is clear that
translation mostly revolves around rendering, replacing, and reproducing the source text into
an equivalent text in targer language.
There are many terms that serve as the table of film translation. For example: scenic narration
and audio-visual translation. Katja (2014) introduced that scenic narration is one of the most
exciting problems of visual dramaturgy. Based on Bettlem Soler (2013) another term of film
translation is Audiovisual translation Audiovisual translation, then, is a modality of
translation which arose in the 1930s and it could be defined as the technical method that
made the linguistic transfer of an audiovisual text possible (p.20). so, this can be treated as
freedom of translation within subtitling.
In translating, there are some procedures that need to be followed. Douglas (2007) said
Translators need habbit in order to speed up the translation process and make it more
enjoyable; but they also need new experiences to enrich it and complicate it, slow it down,
and again, to make it more enjoyable (p.85). Also, Newmarks (1988) tells While
translation methods relate to whole texts, translation procedures are used for sentences and
the smaller units of language (p.81).
Equivalence in translating film is important to learned. Despoina (2013) argue that meaning
equivalence is an indication of the level or degree of sameness between the source text and
target text (p.2). To gauge the level of equivalence of the subtitle, there are two different
types of equivalence according to Nida (1964) one which maybe called formal and another
which is primaly dynamic. Formal equivalence focuses attention on the message itself. In
contrast to a translation which attempts to produce dynamic that Concerned with the dynamic
relationshop (p.159).

C. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
To describe the data acquired from the research, the writer made a tabulated data list to
comprehend the data more easily. The table list consist of carefully selected data from the
research subject, and arranged to suit the research question.
Below is the tabulated data list
No.

SL

TL

Translation

Equivalence

1.

Procedures
How about we do tallest Tolong yang tinggi Modulation

Dynamic

2.

in the back?
berdiri di belakang
Im welling up with tears. Aku banjir air mata. Cultural

Dynamic

3.

Now, get off.

I dont mean to interrupt.

Formal

Sekarang turunlah
Equivalent
Aku tak bermaksud Naturalisation
interupsi.

The table above consist data which has been thoroughly inspected and selected for the
purpose of the research. Every translator needs to understand the overall gist of the context
first before translating. After understanding the context, the translator could take advantage of
it to decide the word choice and to organize the discourse in TL. This way, the translator and
the context would sync with each other.
The naturalness of this data has resulted this data to be called as dynamic equivalence. This is
because the translations condition of dynamic equivalence. And also, the modulation is one
of the emphasis of the dynamic equivalence. These points strongly to translations attempt to
make the subtitles translation natural and easier to understand to the target audience.

D . RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The writer has categorized and analyzed the data; with the results described in the following
example analysis:
Subtitle data 1 (00:01:01 ~ 00:01:05)
SL

TL

(1ST)To the head bone

(1st)Tulang leher tersambung

(2nd)The headbones connected to (2nd)Tulang kepala tersambung ke

the horn bone

tulang tanduk

This data is a combined two segments of subtitle, which is done in order to match
the context of the subtitle. If the writer only added one line, it wouldn t make sense and it
would be difficult in explaining the translation process.
The subtitle data 1 depicts the usage of Newmarks Expansion strategy. This is shown in
the usage of tulang leher tersambung which is not included in SL. In SL, the first line
doesnt have any word that relates to tulang leher. However, the word connected is found
in the second line of the subtitle. This means that the translator does not rely on one segment
of the text to translate it. The translator most likely tries to grasp the context first by looking
the second lines and the ones proceeding after it. After understanding what it means and
how it relates to the first line, the translator proceeded to translate the first line
by adding tersambung.
This phenomenon is called the Role of Context, where the translator made use of the context
to compensate for the loss of meaning in translation of TL. every translator needs

to

understand the overall gist of the context first before translating. After understanding
the context, the translator could take advantage of it to decide the word choice and to
organize the discourse in TL. This way, the translator and the context would sync each other.
The synchronization of this datas translation balances the outcome of the translation.
Concerning the equivalence result, because there is an act deviation of adding tersambung
in the translation of TL, it qualifies as a dynamic equivalence. The addition of tersambung
will give the audience an understanding that the first line is in rhyme with the second line and
the line that comes after it. Therefore, it creates a communicative effect towards the audience.

E. CONCLUSIONS
Translating movies or subtitling is not the same as intertextual translation. This is because it
has technical matters such as space and trimming. The translator has to follow the rules of

subtitling with a precise translation. This includes, removing, adding, or altering the
structures of the text in TL, in order to gain a good translation quality in film translation.
To make an equivalence, a translator sometimes delete some words and neutralizing process
in the data, it is qualified to be a dynamic equivalence. This shows the possibility that a
translator might take an option to delete a cultural word rather than translating it.
Looking at same target languages that used by the translator. It is clear that the translator
wanted to avoid any literal translation. The translator decided to translate it by neutralizing it
into a more simpler meaning in order to gain simplicity to make it easier to understand.
Because of this, this data is qualified to called dynamic equivalence emphasis.
As a conclusion, the essence of film translation is all about cutting down unneeded elements
to save space (such as cultural words and characters names), adding extra word to TL if the
subtitle is too short, and neutralizing cultural word or specific terms to gain clarity.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Nida, Eugene A (1964). Toward a science of Translating. Leiden : E.J.Brill.
Nida, Eugene A and Charles Taber (1982). The Theory and Practice of Translation. Leiden :
E.J. Brill.
Kerbs, Katja (2014). Translation and Adaption in Theater and Film. New York : Routledge.
Newmark, Peter (1998). A text Book of Translation. Hertfordshire : Pretince Hall
International.
Panou, Despoina (2013). Equivalence in Translation Theoris. UK : Academia Publisher.
Pardo, Betlem Soler (2013). Translation studies : An Introduction to the History and
Development of (Audiovisual) Translation. Madrid : Villanueva de la Canada.
Robinson, Douglas (2007). Becoming a Translator. New York : Routledge.