Exploring universals in audiovisual translation: A case study of Frozen dubbed into Persian
Abstract
Previous remarks in Translation Studies have involved generalizations based on comparing translations to their source texts (Chesterman 2010). In this article, Baker’s (1993; 1996) translation universals are examined on the animated movie Frozen (2013) and its three Persian dubbed versions. The reflection of the following translation universals on a character’s speech are attested: Simplification, Explicitation, and Normalization. Results show that Simplification and Explicitation are the most frequent strategies that were adopted in the dubbed versions. Furthermore, another strategy, namely Exaggeration, is observed in the data. It is used only for one character in the movie, i.e., an ice salesman called Kristoff. The reason for employing this conscious strategy appears to be the inequality of power distribution among characters that influenced the style of translation in the Persian dubbed versions.