Adaptation in Audiovisual Translation from English into Arabic

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to examine how adaptation is used in the audiovisual translation of animation sitcoms. It adopts a descriptive-analytic approach. To compare and contrast Ben Bocquelet's animated sitcom "The Amazing World of Gumball" and its Arabic dubbed version "A'lam Gumball el Modhich", “ عالم ڤامبول المدهش ”, on Cartoon Network. The dissertation draws on interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives of adaptation. Accordingly, the first part is theoretical discusses the meaning of adaptation in terms of cultural and linguistic features and how it is used in AVT. The second part is a descriptive analysis of the types used to adapt the ST to the TT culture in the sitcom of “The Amazing World of Gumball”. Through the examination of several passages, it is found out that the translators, and the dubbing team work on Cartoon Network cannot ignore adaptation when translating. It is used when needed as a translation strategy in AVT, as it provides a solution to problems that translators may face. Moreover, it was also observed that the translator recreates the ST meanings through the use of some adaptation types. The dissertation concludes that adaptation is used when needed, but it has its limitations and cannot solve all translation problems. There are several issues to consider, including intended effects, communication, the writer's intention, and the concept.