Subtitling and translation: cultural aspects

Abstract

This paper aims to describe the translation of subtitles. To do so, subtitling is considered a form of showing freedom of creation and not that one of fidelity to the original text. It is also intended to verify the existence of tendencies to the domestication approach. As a methodological frame, some subtitling of the movie: The color Purple, has been analyzed from a critical point of view. It deals with human values and life experiences of several and different social African American actors, in the 50s, in a social context of social exclusion, domestic and psychological violence, discrimination against women, their search for identity, liberty and freedom from a patriarchal and oppressive social system. Thus, aiming at bringing about the women social situation with focus on the violence aspect, a critical reflection is shown about the subtitling translations. The findings have pointed out to the presence of the cultural aspects in the translations, as well as the tendency to follow the domestication and that the aspect of the resignification/attribution of meanings is presented as a pathway paved by the freedom of creation in the translation process.