NATURALNESS OF SUBTITLES
ON DVD MOVIES
A THESIS
By:
ADE AINI NURAN
Registration Number: 082188330001
Submitted to the English Applied Linguistics Study Program In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Magister Humaniora
ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY PROGRAM
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
The writer would like to thank ALLAH, the Almighty, who has granted countless blessings, knowledge, and opportunities.
On this very special occasion, she would like to extend her sincere appreciation to Prof. Tina Mariany Arifin, M.A. Ph.D., her first Adviser and as Head of the English Applied Linguistics Study Program, for her super advice, valuable time in giving the encouragement, guidance, suggestions, and for the information that has enable her to write this thesis until it comes to its present form. She also would like to express her special gratitude to Prof. Amrin Saragih, M.A. Ph.D., her second Adviser, for his outstanding supervision.
She also appreciate all the lecturers of the English Applied Linguistics Study Program for their valuable knowledge they have been transferred to her, in particular, she would like to render her special thanks to her reviewers: Prof. Dr. Lince Sihombing, M.Pd., Dr. Busmin Gurning, M.Pd., and Dr. Eddy Setia, M.Ed. TESP for their valuable inputs in the process of writing this thesis.
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Her appreciation goes to all her friends Intake XIII at the English Applied Linguistics Study Program, Post Graduate School, especially Angel and Hanim who are always fight together for this “green table” (Thesis Examination). All of her friends that always give warm supports, K’Deb, K’Mei, Hamka, Poo, Nazly, K’Dini,
Apri, K’Santy, K’Ecy, Ipur, K’Het, Bg Stiva, and Kc- Wulandari. It seems impossible to name all those who are very helpful to her, but they deserve her special thankfulness.
May God bless us!
Medan, August 26, 2009 The writer,
Ade Aini Nuran
iii ABSTRACT
Nuran, Ade Aini. Naturalness of Subtitles on DVD Movies. A Thesis. English Applied Linguistics Graduate School. State University of Medan. 2009.
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REFERENCES
Bassnett, S. 1980. Translation Studies. London and New York: Routledge
Bogdan, R.C & Biklen, S.K. 1992.Qualitative Research for Education. USA Caimi, A. 2006. The Journal of Specialised Translation. University of Pavia: Italy
Fawcett, P. 1997. Translation and Language. Manchester: UK
Gorlée, D. L. 1994. Semiotics and the Problem of Translation, Amsterdam, Atlanta. Hatim, B. 2001. Teaching and Researching Translation. England:Pearson Education
Ltd
Hatim, B. & Munday, J. 2004. Translation An Advanced Recource Book. New York: Routledge
Jakobson, R. 2000. The Translation Studies Reader. New York: Routledge
Larson, M. L. 1984. Meaning Based Translation. University Press of America: USA
Malmkjaer, K. 1998. Translation and Language Teaching. Cambridge
Munday, J. 2001. Introducing Translation Studies. New York: Routledge
Newmark, P. 1988. A Textbook of Translation. Singapore: Prentice Hall
Nida, E. A. 2000. The Translation Studies Reader. New York: Routledge
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Darwish, A. 2000. “Is Translation Natural” (http://www.scribd.org/com). Accessed
on Mei 22, 2009
“Naturalness Theory”. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/media). Accessed on Mei 22,
2009.
“Movie”. (http://simple.wikipedia) access on Mei 23, 2009
“Ambiguity”http://www.essex.ac.uk/linguistic/clmt/Mtbook/HTML/Ambiguity/node)
. Accessed on Mei 26, 2009
“Translation”. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/translation). Accessed on Mei 26, 2009
“Linguistic”.
(http://www.essex.ac.uk/linguistic/clmt/Mtbook/HTML/node55.html#Idiom). Accessed on Mei 26, 2009
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CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS, AND DISCUSSION 4.1 The Description of Data ... 37
4.1.1 Occurrence of Linguistic Factor... 37
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CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1 Conclusions ... 43 5.2 Suggestions ... 44
REFERENCES ... 45
APPENDICES ……… 47-77
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LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix Page
A ... 47
B ... 57
C ... 63
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
2.1 A functional theory of language ... 9
2.2 Action movie picture ... 15
2.3 Thriller movie picture ... 17
2.4 Comedies movie picture ... 18
2.5 Buddy movie picture ... 19
2.6 Science Fiction movie picture ... 20
2.7 Western movie picture ... 22
2.8 Horror movie picture ... 23
2.9 Animation movie picture ... 24
2.10 Documentary movie picture ... 26
1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Background of the Study
At present, DVD (short for Digital Video Disc) movies can be found everywhere and anytime in little pieces that are affected by technology. DVD as the latest satisfying entertainment in widescreen format now offers various options with different language dubbing and subtitling. Many movies are transferred into many countries with different subtitles, depending on the target language or the country that adopted the movie. Subtitle is a printed translation of the dialogue(s) of a foreign- language film shown at the bottom of the screen. People can even choose to watch the movies in their own choice of language with the same language text in subtitling.
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movie, telenovela, and other dramas. Subtitling then becomes a new field of income generating. Far before subtitling appeared on television set, movies in which words of actor and actress are translated text per text came to us in a very amusing and amazing way.
Sometimes, clumsy words or phrases are found in the translation from source language (SL) into target language (TL). To exemplify, here are some of them:
- Please don’t bore everyone with your question (SL) - Jangan banyak tanya (TL)
- It’s spooky! (SL) - Omong kosong (TL)
The appropriateness of subtitle is determined by the background of the translator. Any kind of translation involves not only the languages, but also the cultures of the countries or regions where these languages are spoken. Translation is not only changing writings from one language to another, words by words, or sentences by sentences, but also interpretation of cultural differences. Adding to the complexity of the usual translation, subtitles for film and television programs involves very unique and interesting procedure which does not exist in other works of translation.
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traducere (to bring across or to lead across). Additionally, the Greek term for translation, με άφ α ι (metaphrasis, a speaking across), has supplied English with metaphrase (a literal translation, or word-for-word translation)—as contrasted with paraphrase (a saying in other words, from the Greek πα άφ α ι , paraphrasis). Metaphrase corresponds, is one of the more recent terminologies, to formal equivalence, and paraphrase to dynamic equivalence. At the early time of the translation of serial on television, we do not find text- per- text translation. It can be found the extraction of the story into text telling the plot of the story. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/translation. 2009).
In many translation projects, there are advisors or consultants who are willing to help the translator. The translator(s) will expect that the consultant is interested in three matters: 1) accuracy of content, 2) naturalness of style, and 3) effect on the receptor language audience. It is important that translators check their materials with a trained consultant after completing a section or two of a long document, so that, more or less the subtitle that is natural.
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effect of lowering the standard demanded, and in some periods has almost destroyed the art altogether. The corresponding misunderstanding of its character has added to its degradation: neither its importance nor its difficulty has been grasped.
1.2 The Problems of the Study
Based on the background, the problems are formulated as the following. 1) What factors influence the naturalness of subtitles on DVD movies? 2) How often does the naturalness occur in the subtitles on DVD movies?
3) Why is the dominant factor of naturalness found in the subtitles on DVD movies?
1.3 The Objectives of the Study
Related to the problems, the objectives are.
1) to find out the factors that influence the naturalness of subtitle on movie’s DVD, and
2) to describe the natural aspects of language in the subtitle on DVD movies 3) to find out the most dominant factor that is influence the naturalness on DVD
movie
1.4 The Scope of the Study
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movie), it is based on the best academy award that the movies got in this year, and in this study, the scope of the study such as action movie, horror movie, comedy movie, animation movie, and thriller movie.
1.5 Significance of the Study
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CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1 Conclusions
Having analyzed the data in the previous chapter, it was concluded that 1. It is suggested that naturalness of the subtitles should be maintained in the
movie. The naturalness has often appeared in the subtitles on DVD movies. Naturalness depends on the relationship between the writer and the readership and the topic or situation. It can be said if one word or sentence natural or ‘neutral’ language when spoken (here, what are the actors and actress said)
and informal written language (subtitle on-screen) more or less coincide. 2. The factors that influences the naturalness depends on the relationship
between the writer and the readership and the topic or situation. Any kind of translation involves not only the languages, but also culture in the countries or regions where these languages are spoken. The procedure of the data has been done by watched the DVD movies and write phrase or words that are natural by seeing the subtitle of the movie.
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5.2 Suggestions
Subtitle has a very important role to make the audience get a better idea of what is happening in the movie. In relation to the conclusions, suggestions are staged as the following.
1. For the translator, it can be a good input to make good subtitles as natural as possible to make the audience easier to get the essence of the movie.
2. By noticing the sounds of the actors and the actress in the movies and saw the subtitles, it can be good for students to add their vocabulary to make a good translation.
