Thesis Exam Harya Bhimasena

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ANALYZING STRATEGIES OF TRANSLATING CULTURALLY SPECIFIC ITEMS IN THE ENGLISH SUBTITLE OF GADIS KRETEK SERIES

 

Abstract

This study investigates how culture-specific items (CSIs) in the Gadis Kretek (Cigarette Girl) series are translated into English subtitles while preserving Javanese cultural nuances for international audiences. Subtitling presents challenges due to its time-bound nature, requiring translations that are accurate, culturally sensitive, and easily understood without additional explanations. There is limited empirical research on how Indonesian CSIs, such as honorifics, food, and expressions, are handled in subtitling, particularly by non-native English-speaking translators. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study applies Peter Newmark’s (1988) CSI categories and Molina and Albir’s (2002) translation techniques to analyze Indonesian and Javanese dialogues alongside their English subtitles in the Gadis Kretek series. The analysis identifies the most frequent CSIs, including organizations, customs, social culture, and honorifics, and examines how translation techniques such as literal translation, adaptation, borrowing, and generalization are used to render these items. Findings reveal that while literal translation is commonly applied for its faithfulness, it may result in the loss of cultural nuances and naturalness, particularly in idiomatic and hierarchical expressions. Techniques like modulation and adaptation are also utilized to convey meaning while maintaining cultural depth under the constraints of subtitling. Audience interviews indicate that certain translated expressions can appear outdated or offensive due to cultural differences, highlighting the translator’s need to balance fidelity with the target audience’s perceptions. This study emphasizes the role of politeness theory in handling CSIs related to social hierarchy and interaction, explaining why translators may opt for omission or generalization to avoid face threats and cultural misinterpretation. The study’s insights contribute to subtitling practices by demonstrating how the choice of translation techniques affects the conveyance of Javanese cultural elements, offering practical implications for training programs in translation and interpreting.

Keywords: subtitling, culture-specific items, Javanese culture, translation techniques, Gadis Kretek, audience perception