Challenges in Translating Idioms in Audiovisual Translation
A Case in "Madagascar" Movie Subtitle
Abstract
In the world of audiovisual translation, subtitles are often used to help audiences understand foreign language content, such as English films for Indonesian audiences. However, subtitle translation is not a simple job, especially when dealing with complex linguistic elements such as idioms. Thus, this research aims to analyze how idioms in the movie “Madagascar” were translated into subtitles. The qualitative descriptive method is used for this research. The analysis reveals that the movie contains 79 idioms. Most of the idioms were translated using Baker’s four idiom translation strategies. However, there are several cases where an idiom was not translated correctly. Thus, it resulted in semantic loss and led to a failure in the audience’s understanding. Through this research, it is evident that linguistic, contextual, and cultural precision are critical requirements for translators.
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References
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Dewi, I. C. (2016). Audiovisual Translation of English Idioms in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Movie: An Analysis of English to Indonesian Subtitle. EJOURNAL UPI, 4(1), 56–69.
Farlex International. (2017). Farlex Idioms & Slang Dictionary. Farlex International.
Fitri, O. M., Faridi, A., & Hartono, R. (2019). Baker’s Strategies Used in Translating English Idioms into Indonesian in Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. English Education Journal, 9(3), 342–353. https://doi.org/10.15294/eej.v9i3.31191
Franco, J., & Orero, P. (2005). The Research in Audiovisual Translation: Some Objective Conclusions, or the Birth of an Academic Field. In Research on Translation for Subtitling in Spain and Italy (pp. 79–92). Universidad de Alicante.
Gottlieb, H. (2001). Texts, Translation and Subtitling - in Theory, and in Denmark. In Translators and Translations (pp. 149-192). Aarhus Universitetsforlag.
Inayah, S., Pahamzah, J., & Barathayomi, W. (2020). An Analysis of the Translation of Idiomatic Expression in Zootopia Movie. Annual International Seminar on English Language Teaching.
Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques (2nd ed.). New Age International.
Kurniawan, I. K. A., Sudipa, I. N., & Indriani, K. S. (2024). The Translation of Idioms in the Netflix Subtitle of the Film Notting Hill. Indonesian Journal of Science, Technology and Humanities, 2(1), 19–24. https://doi.org/10.60076/ijstech.v2i1.437
Malenova, E. D. (2015). Translating Subtitles - Translating Cultures. Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences, 8(12), 2891–2900. https://doi.org/10.17516/1997-1370-2015-8-12-2891-2900
Manipuspika, Y. S., & Winzami, D. R. J. (2021). Translation of Idioms: How They Are Reflected in Movie Subtitling. Arab World English Journal, 5(2550-1542), 113–125. https://doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol5no1.8
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Wait a minute/moment/second. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved August 11, 2025, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wait%20a%20minute%2Fmoment%2Fsecond
Perego, E. (2016). History, Development, Challenges and Opportunities of Empirical Research in Audiovisual Translation. Across Languages and Cultures, 17(2), 155–162. https://doi.org/10.1556/084.2016.17.2.1
Podoliuc, T. (2021). The Functions of Idioms in a Sentence. Intertext, 29(1/2 (57/58)), 90–97. https://doi.org/10.54481/intertext.2021.1.10
Seidl, J., & McMordie, W. (1988). English Idioms. Oxford University Press.
Tyarinestu, P., & Ardi, P. (2020). Idiomatic Expressions and Their Indonesian Subtitles in The Good Doctor TV Series. LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.24071/llt.2020.230104
Yahya, M., & Islami, M. (2020). Strategies Used in Translating Idioms in the Iron Man Movie. Jurnal Bahasa Inggris Terapan, 5(2), 51–60. https://doi.org/10.35313/jbit.v5i2.1773
Published
2025-06-30
How to Cite
GAMAN, Alexander Paruda; DARTA, Deta Maria Sri.
Challenges in Translating Idioms in Audiovisual Translation.
Pioneer: Journal of Language and Literature, [S.l.], v. 17, n. 1, p. 123-139, june 2025.
ISSN 2655-8718.
Available at: <https://unars.ac.id/ojs/index.php/pioneer/article/view/6179>. Date accessed: 05 dec. 2025.
doi: https://doi.org/10.36841/pioneer.v17i1.6179.
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