An-Najah National University 

Faculty of Graduate Studies 
 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

TRANSLATING CULTURE-BOUND 

EXPRESSIONS IN CARTOON MOVIES 

FROM ENGLISH INTO ARABIC 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By 

Amena Hatem Ibrahim Alnajjar 
 

 

 

 

 

Supervisor 

Dr. Mohammed Hamdan 
 

 

 

 

This Thesis is Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree 

of Master of Applied Linguistics and Translation, Faculty of Graduate Studies, 

An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine. 

2024 



ii 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
TRANSLATING CULTURE-BOUND 

EXPRESSIONS IN CARTOON MOVIES 

FROM ENGLISH INTO ARABIC 
 

 

By 

Amena Hatem Ibrahim Alnajjar 

 

 
This Thesis was defended successfully on 10/11/2024 and approved by: 

 

 



iii 

Dedication 

This thesis is dedicated to those whose love, support, and guidance have shaped this 

journey. 

To my mother, whose love, wisdom, and resilience have been my greatest source of 

strength, and to my late father, whose memory continues to guide me in all that I do. 

To my husband, for his endless patience, encouragement, and support, and to my little 

son, whose smile brings joy to every challenge. 

And to my brother and two sisters, for their endless support and faith in me. 

To all of you, I owe my deepest gratitude. 

 



iv 

Acknowledgments 

First and foremost, all praise and gratitude are due to Allah for all of his grace and 

blessings that guided me. 

I would also like to extend my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Mohammed 

Hamdan, whose support, exceptional guidance, and unwavering patience have made this 

thesis a reality. His expertise and support have been invaluable to my research and 

personal development. I greatly thank him for sharing knowledge and passion with me 

along this journey. 

I also offer my gratitude to my family, and my heartfelt thanks for their endless support, 

patience, and inspiration during the long journey. They have always been and will 

continue to be my shelter and comfort: I thank my mother, for her boundless love and 

endless encouragement day and night which comforted me during many hard moments 

along the way. 

 I also extend my sincerest thanks to my father whose memory is a constant source of 

inspiration and strength. Though he is no longer with us, his love, values, wisdom, and 

sacrifice continue to shape my every step. I dedicate this achievement to the memory of 

him and the dreams he held for me. I hope I have made him proud. 

My deepest thanks go also to my brother and sisters for their love, encouragement, 

laughter, and guidance they have provided. They have always reminded me of my 

strength, even when I doubted myself, and their unwavering support has been a driving 

force behind this accomplishment.  

Great love and heart thanks to my husband, my partner, and my greatest supporter, who 

has been my source of comfort and strength throughout this journey. I am forever grateful 

for his patience, love, and unwavering belief in me have made this accomplishment 

possible. And to my little son, who has made me stronger, better and more fulfilled than 

I could have ever imagined, and whose laughter and joy bring light to every day.  

Lastly, to everyone who has contributed to this work in any way, I extend my deepest 

thanks.  

My debt to all of you remains a treasured burden.  

 



v 

 Declaration 

I, the undersigned, declare that I submitted the thesis entitled: 

 

 

TRANSLATING CULTURE-BOUND 

EXPRESSIONS IN CARTOON MOVIES 

FROM ENGLISH INTO ARABIC 
 

 

I declare that the work provided in this thesis, unless otherwise referenced, is the 

researcher’s own work, and has not been submitted elsewhere for any other degree or 

qualification. 

Student's Name Amena Hatem Ibrahim Alnajjar 

Signature:  

Date: 10/11/2024 

 



vi 

List of Contents 

 ج

Dedication ........................................................................................................................ iii 

Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................... iv 

Declaration ........................................................................................................................ v 

List of Contents ................................................................................................................ vi 

List of Table ................................................................................................................... viii 

Abstract ............................................................................................................................ ix 

Chapter One: Background & Literature Review ........................................................ 1 

1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 

1.1.1 Background of Cartoon Movie Translation ............................................................. 6 

1.1.2 Translating Cultural items ....................................................................................... 9 

1.2 Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................. 10 

1.3 Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................... 14 

1.4 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................. 14 

1.5 Significance of the Study .......................................................................................... 15 

1.6 Questions of the Study .............................................................................................. 15 

1.7 Limitations of the study ............................................................................................ 16 

1.8 The Crossroads of Language and Culture ................................................................. 16 

1.9 Cultural Narratives in Children’s Cartoons and Books ............................................ 18 

1.10 The Translation of Children’s Movies to Arabic: Egyptian Dialect ....................... 21 

1.11 Dubbing Movies into Arabic: Problems and Principles ......................................... 24 

Chapter Two: Methodogy ............................................................................................ 31 

2.1 Overview ................................................................................................................... 31 

2.2 Type of Study ............................................................................................................ 32 

2.3 Data collection .......................................................................................................... 32 

2.4 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................ 33 

2.4.1 Transference ........................................................................................................... 34 

2.4.2 Paraphrase .............................................................................................................. 34 

2.4.3 Cultural Equivalence .............................................................................................. 34 

2.4.4 Functional equivalence .......................................................................................... 35 

2.4.5 Literal Translation .................................................................................................. 35 

Chapter Three: Data Analysis ..................................................................................... 36 

3.1 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................ 36 



vii 

3.2 Venuti’s Strategies of Foreignization and Domestication: The Limits of Translation 

in Arabic ................................................................................................................ 37 

3.3 Culture-Related Problems ......................................................................................... 41 

3.3.1 Translation of Proper Nouns .................................................................................. 41 

3.3.2 Translation of Idiomatic Expressions .................................................................... 45 

3.3.3 Translation of Wordplay ........................................................................................ 49 

3.3.4 Translation of Swearwords .................................................................................... 52 

Chapter Four: Conclusion & Recommendation ........................................................ 55 

4.1 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 55 

4.2 Recommendations ..................................................................................................... 57 

List of Abbreviations ...................................................................................................... 58 

References ....................................................................................................................... 59 

Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 59 

 ب ............................................................................................................................... الملخص 

 

 

  



viii 

List of Table 

 ج

Table 3.1: xamples of culture-related issues translated using domestication and 

foreignization strategies ........................................................................................ 37 

Table 3.2: Examples of the translation of proper nouns using the transference strategy 42 

Table 3.3: Examples of the translation of proper nouns using literal translation strategy

 ............................................................................................................................... 43 

Table 3.4: Examples of the translation of proper nouns using cultural equivalent strategy

 ............................................................................................................................... 44 

Table 3.5: Examples of the translation of idiomatic expression using functional equivalent 

strategy .................................................................................................................. 45 

Table 3.6: Example of idiomatic expression translation using paraphrasing strategy .... 48 

Table 3.7: Examples of the translation of wordplay using functional equivalent strategy

 ............................................................................................................................... 49 

Table 3.8:Examples of the translation of wordplay using the paraphrase strategy ........ 51 

Table 3.9: Examples of the translation of wordplay using cultural equivalent strategy . 52 

Table 3.10: Examples of the translation of swearwords using functional equivalent 

strategy .................................................................................................................. 53 

 

 

 

  



ix 

TRANSLATING CULTURE-BOUND 

EXPRESSIONS IN CARTOON MOVIES 

FROM ENGLISH INTO ARABIC 
 

By 

Amena Hatem Ibrahim Alnajjar 

Supervisor 

Dr. Mohammed Hamdan 

Abstract 

Audio-visual translation (AVT) is an important field of translation studies that is widely 

researched by scholars and researchers. This rising interest in AVT emanates from the 

high demand for good quality transference of meaning in contemporary film industries. 

Translational practices, however, may become subject to incessant gaps in the rendition 

of cultural material across languages. In her research on common cultural and linguistic 

mistakes in audio-visual translation, Abu Yaqoub (2016) contends that cultural and 

ideological dissimilarities between Arab and foreign cultures normally cause 

mistranslations and failures. and while subtitlers tend to use literal translation, dubbers 

normally tend to employ some strategies to overcome these challenges, such as 

modification, omission, addition, and sometimes compensation in translating movies, 

being more successful in dealing with the cultural and ideological components and direct 

them to suit the demands of the audience.   

This study investigates the translation of culture-bound expressions in four cartoon 

movies from English into Arabic. It also pays special attention to dubbing as an essential 

type of AVT in rendering the cultural content of these movies. It examines the 

problematic aspects that translators face, including religious references, proper names, 

and idioms, and the strategies they adopt in dealing with cartoon movies. The data 

collected for the sake of this study are taken from the American animated movies 

Thumbelina, Toy Story, The Lion King, and Cinderella, and their translated versions in 

Arabic. A qualitative descriptive analysis is used to examine the corpus of the study. 

Following a comparison between the STs and TTs, the thesis examines the data using the 

translation strategies suggested by Newmark’s (1988) translation procedures model for 

culture-specific items. 

Dubbers use foreignization in cases that do not affect the context meaning as a whole. For 

example, proper names may be translated using the transference strategy, although they 



x 

may seem somewhat unfamiliar to Arab child readers. However, dubbers use 

domestication as the main strategy in dealing with cartoons, it is the best choice as it is 

target-oriented by which a translator tries to bridge cultural gaps by changing the text 

using strategies of cultural equivalent, functional equivalent, and paraphrasing. 

Keywords:  translating; culture-bound; cartoon movies 



1 

Chapter One 

Background & Literature Review 

1.1 Introduction 

This study examines the translation of culture-related expressions in cartoons from 

English to Arabic. It addresses the challenges faced by Arab translators due to cultural 

differences between Western and Arab societies, which can sometimes make dubbing of 

cartoons problematic. To overcome these challenges in translating cartoons, Arab 

translators usually adopt a variety of strategies, some of which may require changing the 

intended meaning in order to get the desired outcome. 

The study specifically considers audio-visual translations of selected English cartoon 

movies which can easily change depending on the context and purpose of the translation. 

These changes, types or strategies of translation include: 

▪ Dubbing (a lip-synchronization where the SL voice track is replaced by the TL voice 

track).  

▪ Subtitling (a translation that involves writing the translation at the bottom of the 

screen while preserving the original text soundtrack),  

▪ Voice-over (a guiding voice used mostly in documentaries and interviews, 

simultaneous interpreting at film festivals, free commentary, goblin translation). 

▪ Surtitling (a subtitle projected above the stage in theatre for people who are deaf or 

hard of hearing),  

▪ Audio description (a descriptive narration of important visual aspects in a video or 

multimedia product).  

▪ Fansubbing (a version of a foreign film or television program which has been 

translated by fans). 

▪ Fandubbing (a foreign language film or television show that has been dubbed into 

the local language by fans rather than by professional actors) (Chaume, 2012). 

By using different strategies, translating texts audio-visually becomes necessary to create 

cross-cultural communication as it specifically relies on the widespread use of 



2 

technology. This particular field of study has recently been given more attention in 

translation studies due to its nature of changeability and dynamism. Mayoral (2005), for 

instance, suggests that audio-visual translation is a field of study that is subject to change 

and innovation rather than being an unchanging, predefined topic of study.  

This thesis addresses one of the mainstreams of audiovisual translation: dubbing. 

Dubbing has recently impacted other studies in the field of translation, and translation 

scholars describe it in various ways. It is the process of transferring an audio dialogue 

(ST) to another dialogue (TT) regarding as much as possible the timing, phrasing, and lip 

synchronization of the original, a process that Luyken (1991) simply describes as hearing 

the dialogue in the target language. One salient feature of dubbing is that it leads the 

audience to think that actors are acting and speaking in the language they speak through 

lip movements. Dubbing involves several strategies and procedures, including casting, 

scripting for the intended audience, and mimicking lip movement. In other words, brief 

dubbing requires a twofold, if not treble, amount of labor. 

In his discussion of the dubbing of movies and what this process generally entails, Maluf 

(2005) argues that dubbing a film adequately involves casting, rewriting the script in 

language that can be roughly timed to the lip movements of the screen actors, directing, 

and long editing hours – ‘everything,’ in the language of dubbing companies, but the 

visuals. Cartoons are generally dubbed since the majority of the target Arab audience has 

yet to develop reading and spelling skills. Children acquire speech by watching cartoons, 

and because they are still developing their language abilities, the translated version must 

be thoroughly reviewed by language professionals to ensure a flawless level of language. 

Dubbing may be more beneficial when translating cartoons for children of varying ages; 

it is preferable to dub the cartoon so that children can understand it more easily. Further, 

dubbed cartoons allow children to focus on the story rather than the translation at the 

bottom of the screen, thus reducing distractions. Even though some children may be able 

to read, reading the subtitling might be considered difficult for both children and adults. 

It is quite difficult for them to split their attention between reading the subtitling and 

focusing on the story (Al-Alami, 2011). 

In this thesis, the researcher employs a qualitative methodology to examine the corpus of 

the study where the researcher starts without any hypothesis, and the data she collects are 



3 

properly employed to guide the research by studying the variables, identifying their 

causes, and then arriving at the results. This methodology contributes to our 

understanding of the practice of translating audio-visual material and how Arab 

translators deal with various challenges during the translation process by observations 

because examples from translated cartoons are collected, described, and compared with 

their original texts depending on cultural factors. This study shows many problematic 

aspects that translators may face during the translation of children’s movies in dubbing. 

These problematic issues may include the translation of religious references, proper 

names, idioms, and humor. In their discussion of the items that become primary obstacles 

for Arab translators of cartoon movies, Athamneh & Zitawi recognize the translational 

challenges to adapt the source text in accordance with religious, cultural, social, 

educational and marketing considerations. Swear words and words with reference to 

magic, spirits, gambling, love affairs and monarchy, for example, are omitted or replaced 

with totally different words (Athamneh & Zitawi , 1999). 

The study looks into the Arabic translation of four cartoon films: Thumbelina (1994), The 

Lion King (1994), Toy Story (1995), and Cinderella (1950), analyzing selected set of data 

and comparing them to their original versions in English. The reason for choosing these 

cartoon movies in particular is that they are among the most popular among children and 

are widely shown on Arabic channels; the majority of children seem to watch them and 

it is worth considering how they impact their personalities, thinking, and actions. These 

movies are also rich in cultural and religious content and prevailing customs and traditions 

that might conflict with the Arab audience and that can contribute to the field of this study. 

Starting with Thumbelina, this cartoon movie features a fantasy musical adventure that 

was produced and released in the United States in 1994. This adventure movie is based 

on a story written by Hans Christian. It tells the story of an old woman who wished she 

had a daughter. One day she went to a witch, who gave her a seed to plant, and when it 

sprouted, a very young girl appeared from it, thus called Thumbelina, who saved the 

woman from her loneliness. However, this girl loved the fairies she had always heard 

about in the stories. One night, she was surprised when Prince of the Fairies Cornelius 

arrived at her window and was happy to have a fairy of the same size. Several animals 

then kidnaped her until she met a swallow which rescued and took her to the Valley of 



4 

the Fairies to meet Prince Cornelius. They eventually get married, thus fulfilling her wish 

to get wings and become one of the fairies. 

The second film is The Lion King, which is an American animated musical drama film 

released by Walt Disney Company in 1994. The events of the film revolve around the 

young lion Simba, who loses his father, King Mufasa, in childhood. Mufasa’s brother, 

Scar, plots a conspiracy against him and deceives Simba, who subsequently knows that 

he is the reason for his father’s death. Accordingly, Simba flees into exile, leading to 

Scar's ultimate crowning as the new king of the forest. Following his meeting with Timon 

and Pumbaa, who befriend Simba, the latter grows up and meets his childhood friend 

Nala. who neither she nor anyone in his family knows that he is alive and is ignorant of 

the secret he is hiding. Nala tells him that Scar is the new king who is now in control of 

the forest, which he has turned into ruins. Nala finally demands that Simba return to his 

Pride Lands and regain the kingship from Scar. Simba returns and fights Scar to end his 

tyranny and take his place in the circle of life as the rightful king. 

The third one is Cinderella, a popular animated picture developed by Walt Disney and 

based on Charles Perrault's fairy tale, was released in 1950. The movie revolves on 

Cinderella, a lovely and compassionate young lady who lives with her harsh stepmother 

and two stepsisters. Following the death of her father, Cinderella is mistreated by her 

stepfamily and forced to work as a servant in her own home. Yet she never gives up hope 

and longs for a better life. Cinderella wants to go to the royal ball when the king 

announces that his son, the Prince, will choose a bride, but her stepmother bans her and 

damages her dress. However, Cinderella receives a stunning gown and glass slippers 

thanks to her Fairy Godmother's assistance. Cinderella wins the Prince over during the 

ball, and the two of them dance all night. She hastily leaves one glass slipper behind when 

the clock strikes midnight since the magic will wear off at that time. With the shoe in 

hand, the Prince traverses the kingdom in an attempt to find the mysterious girl. 

Cinderella eventually tries on the slipper—despite the intervention of her stepfamily—

and it fits her perfectly. She finally finds happiness after being married to the Prince and 

leaving her difficult life behind.  

The final film the researcher chose for her study is Toy Story, a groundbreaking cartoon 

movie produced by Pixar Animation Studios and Disney in 1995. In the world of the 



5 

story, toys come to life when humans are not around. The story revolves around Woody, 

a pull-string cowboy doll who is in charge of a bunch of toys that a little kid named Andy 

owns. Woody's status as Andy's favorite toy is jeopardized by the arrival of Buzz 

Lightyear, a space ranger action figure with fantasies of being a real astronaut. Buzz and 

Woody are initially rivals, but when they unintentionally end up apart from Andy and 

have to cooperate to get back home, their bond grows. Woody and Buzz become close 

friends as they overcome numerous obstacles and come into contact with other toys, 

notably the naughty neighbor child Sid. In the end, they return to Andy's house right 

before he moves into a new one. As the movie comes to an end, Woody and Buzz have 

won Andy over to their position in his heart and are eager for their next travels. 

If we consider the multiple translated versions of these cartoon movies and many others, 

we can note how the translation of cartoon movies, generally speaking, becomes a very 

challenging task for Arab translators. The selected movies in this research contain a 

significant amount of audiovisual translation, especially in the Arab World, where most 

of the cartoons are imported from the United States, such as Walt Disney cartoons. 

Cartoons are an integral part of children’s lives; hence, the fact that most of them were 

produced in cultures different from the Arabic one poses a serious challenge to the 

translator. During the translation process, several factors must be considered such as the 

cultural messages conveyed in the cartoon. Another factor that has to be taken into 

consideration is that the translator must understand the discourse well to present a version 

that is very close to the original. Other factors also include the cultural background of the 

translator and the nature of the ST which may involve idiomatic expressions and songs 

that are hard to be explained to children, the age of the children, and their mental and 

linguistic abilities that take part in the process of raising the (Ziyada, 2014) m. 

Nevertheless, the fact that the cartoon is directed to a critical age group makes it necessary 

to focus on transferring content that provides the children with cultural, emotional, and 

behavioral values and develops their skills and creativity, as cartoons aimed at children 

are of educational function. Translators are accountable for communicating ideas that are 

beneficial in cartoons to target audiences in accordance with their culture. In order to 

make sure that the translated material meets the cultural, educational, and linguistic 

demands of the receiving audience, Song (2012) suggests that the translator may 

manipulate the text in order to adjust the original text and make it educationally 



6 

appropriate for the children according to the target language society’s standard of values 

and to bring the text to the level of children’s ability of comprehension. 

Rishah (2013) writes that translators always make use of procedures like addition, 

omission, and even paraphrasing for specific source-text items and references from the 

original movie to communicate the intended meaning in a way that does not violate the 

cultural and religious background of the target audience. Thus, audiovisual translators 

face a significant challenge when translating cartoons to audiences that belong to different 

ages and that have various incompatible interests. Audience considerations play an 

important role because translating a certain linguistic item frequently requires both 

linguistic knowledge and pragmatic awareness, which may vary depending on whether 

the translator targets adults or children. Translating for children often presents distinct 

difficulties than translating for adults, thus, the methods utilized to address the difficulties 

differ from those employed while translating for adults. When translating children’s 

programs, for example, the translator has to decide if the show re-narrates a worldwide 

story or embodies more local qualities that make the movies quite culturally idiosyncratic. 

Most frequently, translators who deal with such international movies or shows are unable 

to make many changes to the original translation. They may simply modify some 

characters’ names but keep the main events, the central themes, the original plot, and the 

opening song untouched. 

1.1.1 Background of Cartoon Movie Translation 

Translation is a vital process of rewriting that transforms the author’s idea of the source 

language into the target language by maintaining the ST message, “the actual word, 

phrase, sentence, and paragraph [which] are linguistic forms” (Brislin, 1976).  Translation 

also refers to the re-contextualization of a text of one language into another underlying 

some conditions and factors that follow this activity (House, 2015). The meaning and 

style are the two crucial factors contributing to the reproduction of the closest natural 

equivalent of the source language message in the target language. Emphasis is placed on 

meaning, which the translator needs to consider as a primary aspect more than style (Nida 

& Taber, 1969). Hence, in the case of cartoon translation, the quality of the translated text 

is much more important than style. This argument can be rationalized because what is 

crucially at stake in the process of translating in this case is the fact that most cartoon 

movies are essentially directed at children for the purpose of entertainment and humor. 



7 

Being one of the most significant and popular forms of entertainment for people of all 

ages, television shows have drawn much attention from translators. Some TV channels 

feature a range of family programs, including animation, which may have played a 

significant role in some people’s youth. In other words, these programs contribute to the 

development of their thinking, morality, and values. They also shape their personalities 

as they grow up and broaden their knowledge. While the purpose of cartoon programs 

may be mere entertainment, learning, and acquiring knowledge, cartoons are one of the 

most influential media for children, filling a significant portion of their time and capturing 

their attention thanks to their vibrant colors, distinctive voices, characters, and intriguing 

stories. There are cartoons with educational purposes that teach children simple things 

such as how plants grow, how rainfall happens, and so on. Such cartoons help children 

recognize particular concepts that are typically difficult to learn. “Sid Science Kid” is an 

outstanding example of an educational cartoon that is translated into Arabic as (زيد والعلوم).  

It is, in fact, demanding to render these cartoons from one culture of children to another 

because of the target audience’s particular mode of thinking, different environment and 

lifestyle, and cultural background. Rishah (2013) argues that the greatest obstacle to 

translating cartoons from English into Arabic is the absence of cultural and religious 

terminology that corresponds to the bulk of the audience’s cultural and religious 

background. Compared to Western cultures, Arab culture is remarkably known for its 

conservative nature. In the process of translation, therefore, animated cartoons that 

encourage illegal relationships, drinking alcohol, or assaults against Islam are excluded 

from Arabic translations. The religious questions that the translator encounters in 

translating English cartoons come to the surface because the majority of Arabs are 

Muslims, a critical fact that Arab translators have to bear in mind constantly. 

Subsequently, if the translator fails to consider these cultural differences and religious 

dissonance, the resultant work will not sound natural and will be unacceptable and 

inappropriate for the Arab audience. Dubbing is crucial in this case because it allows the 

translator to modify the ST and make it more accessible through adaptation. Song (2012) 

states that the filmmaker must deliver a good message in cartoons to young viewers, 

which is appropriate in their own culture since many cartoons are directed at children for 

educational or recreational purposes. 



8 

Children favor animated TV shows over all other types of programming, and studies have 

shown that even at a very young age, children may learn language from television. The 

language targeted at children should differ from the language used for adults. It must be 

simplified, grammar-free, and has no components that contravene the target audience’s 

ethics, tradition, and culture. While most cartoons consider all of these factors, some 

shown on satellite channels do not. Unlike adult translators, translators for children must 

constantly think about how far their readers can accept the experience of foreign cultures 

and other unknown facts, as well as define the characteristics of their target audience, 

such as their knowledge, level of experience, stage of emotional development, and ability 

to adapt and learn new information. Although changing a text translation for children 

looks straightforward, it is not an easy task. Most children’s translators have to recreate 

the original text so that it is easily adaptable to the readers’ culture; they must pay 

attention not just to every word, but also to every scene, act, and sound (Radovanovic, 

2013). 

Cartoon movies are frequently dubbed, contrary to other movies shown on Arab channels 

that are subtitled. The reason why cartoon movies tend to be mostly dubbed is that the 

texts and the voice tones can be controlled, modified and changed to give the same effect 

as the original. Besides the cultural issues which Arab translators need to bear in mind 

during the process of translating foreign cartoons, language can be a demanding feature 

that may create obstacles if translators are linguistically unqualified. Instructional 

programs created for kids can help them learn new words and their meanings. Even if 

regional distinctions exist in accents, cultures, traditions, etc., cartoons on Arab satellite 

channels should be offered to all Arab nations. Children can also learn to talk by watching 

animated TV shows, and regardless of their dialects, they can learn to speak Modern 

Standard Arabic (MSA). However, we must not forget that cartoons can only be translated 

into the culture and accent used by the business that creates the Arabic language version 

of the work, and not a few of them mix MSA with colloquial Arabic, an example here 

would be ‘اقرب شوي بعد ’ in Amazing World of Gumball. This should not occur in cartoons 

aimed at young children still learning and developing their language, as they may have 

trouble learning Arabic. Code-switching, in this instance, creates funny or ironic 

situations, but it would make it difficult for them to differentiate between MSA and 

colloquialisms (Ziyada, 2014). The way Arabic language is spoken in a certain Arab 



9 

country is different or can be difficult to understand for Arab speakers in another Arab 

country. In Lebanon, for example, people speak English with Arabic. Cartoons shown on 

prominent Arab networks like MBC3 and Cartoon Network do not consider these 

distinctions because some cartoons feature a foreign language besides Arabic. For 

instance, in “Amazing World of Gumball”, some of the words such as ‘Dude’, ‘please’, 

‘so’ ‘sorry’ ‘man’, ‘shopping mall’ are left untranslated as ‘ ‘مان’,    ،‘سوري’  ،‘سو’  ،‘بليز’  ،دود’

 .’‘شوبنج مول

When it comes to translating cartoons, which have a significant influence on the 

personality and way of life of Arab children, there is no code of behavior for Arab 

translators to follow; there are no set rules or procedures that Arab translators can adhere 

to when they face a problem. The methods employed by Arab translators to solve 

translation issues vary and are occasionally unsatisfactory. For instance, some people 

might translate verbatim when domestication is required. Some people might think 

speaking standard Arabic in unnecessary settings is appropriate. Because of this, Arabic 

translators should consider the diverse target audience that will watch the work after it is 

finished (Ziyada, 2014).  

1.1.2 Translating Cultural items 

Translating culture entails the transposition of cultural aspects from the source text to the 

target text by replacing words, phrases, and expressions of a particular culture or language 

with suitable words, phrases, and expressions of another language. Rendering the cultural 

aspects across languages is fundamental to translation because cultural items can promote 

translation activities as well as influence and restrict these activities to some extent. The 

choice of the translator is often unconsciously influenced by many cultural factors 

because translation is part of the broad social and cultural practice. In order to translate 

properly, the translator must understand all cultural variables in both the source language 

and the target language, referred to as the cultural context; otherwise, the final product of 

translation will be improper (Zhang, 2018).  

The task of translators is to bridge the cultural gap and enable the TT readers to understand 

the message in a way that corresponds to the particular understanding of ST readers 

(Neshkovska & Kitanoviska-Kimovska, 2018). Translators are not concerned merely 



10 

with transferring a text from one language to another; they should also focus on 

preserving the same impact on the target culture receptors as the original text has on the 

source culture receptors (Nida, 1964).  

Not all features in the original text are acceptable in the receiving culture. Translators are 

responsible for maintaining the authenticity of the translated text and the culture to which 

it belongs. The way translators understand themselves and their cultures is one of the 

factors that influence the produced text; in other words, translators must convey elements 

of the text that seem appropriate to Arab children because they know closely what 

qualifies as good or inappropriate translation, bearing in mind the conservative nature of 

the TT culture and Islamic considerations that influence the process and product of 

translation. The translator, accordingly, may decide to assimilate everything good, 

acceptable and creative, and replace what we do not need to transfer from other cultures, 

which is done by rewriting the text in terms of content and style (Lefevere, 1992).  

1.2 Conceptual Framework 

Language differences are not the primary cause of most translation complications. Rather, 

it is the cultural differences between languages that pose the greatest challenges. Cultural 

variances often lead to misunderstandings between the target and source language 

audiences, as idiomatic expressions and culturally specific references do not always have 

direct equivalents. For example, translating idiomatic concepts between Arabic and 

English can be particularly difficult due to significant cultural differences. These 

difficulties highlight the importance of cultural competence in translation, where the 

translator must navigate not just linguistic barriers but also the cultural contexts that give 

meaning to the language. Nida (1964) emphasizes that "the cultural context of both the 

source and the target language must be considered to achieve effective translation". This 

is crucial because cultural nuances often carry more weight than the literal meanings of 

words, necessitating a deep understanding of both cultures to convey the intended 

message accurately and effectively. 

The concepts of foreignization and domestication were first discussed by Schleiermacher 

in the early 19th century when he argued that there were only two possible applicable 

strategies for translation. Schleiermacher suggests that the translator either “leaves the 

author in peace as much as possible and moves the reader toward him, or he leaves the 



11 

reader in peace as much as possible and moves the writer toward him” (qtd. in Venuti, 

1991). Schleiermacher’s statement reveals two principal strategies in translation: 

foreignization and domestication. The first strategy represented with “leaving the author 

in peace and moving the reader toward him/her” confirms retaining the linguistic, cultural 

and stylistic idiosyncrasies of the original text. It is targeted also at replicating, depending 

on its feasibility, the experience of the original audience of ST for the target audience. 

Readers are therefore supposed to adapt to the text's foreign elements that are capable of 

conveying concepts that are exotic and difficult to understand. Moreover, the strategy 

maintains the authentic nature and cultural elements of the ST, which is, in most cases, a 

very beneficial but challenging reading experience.  

On the other hand, the strategy of domestication represented with ''leaving the reader in 

peace and moving the writer toward him/her'' required source material modification to 

correspond to the cultural norms and linguistic conventions of the targeted audience. The 

method guarantees the cultural readability of the produced translation by the targeted 

audience, but it affects the original text's conveyance of distinctive stylistic and cultural 

elements. The main impact of this method is the translator's modification of the style and 

cultural discrepancies of the author, so that the targeted audience can easily understand 

the produced translation. This approach emphasizes comfort and readability for the reader 

at the expense of the source text's uniqueness and cultural core. 

The terms “domestication” and “foreignization” per se were coined by Venuti, who was 

one of the first advocates of the latter process, insisting that foreignization “entails 

choosing a foreign text and developing a translation method along lines which are 

excluded by dominant cultural values in the target language” (Venuti, 1995); qtd. in 

(Munday, 2008). Venuti’s preference of a foreignized style of translation is rooted in his 

philosophy that textual mediation must not be interrupted in the flow of information. The 

use of a domestication strategy can hinder the process of spontaneity and authenticity 

when rendering a text between two distinct languages. While domestication aims to 

reduce the impact of foreignness in the target text due to ethnocentric trends that stimulate 

the translator to elevate his own cultural references and keep them intact from other alien 

ones, “Venuti bemoans the phenomenon of domestication since it involves an 

ethnocentric reduction of the foreign text to target–language cultural values” (Munday, 

2008). 



12 

The concept of ''ethnocentric reduction'' refers to the manner a translator adjusts a ST to 

correspond to the cultural norms, expectations and values of the TL audience. The 

modification a translator carries out includes the minimization and elimination of the ST's 

stylistic and cultural features, resulting in a more culturally approximated and naturally 

readable by the targeted audience through modifying and omitting the exotic features that 

might be difficult to understand by the targeted audience. Venuti objects this strategy as 

it hinders readers' interaction and comprehension the cultural and linguistic characteristics 

of the ST, possibility resulting in a cross-culturally breakdown of communication and 

comprehension. It is worth mentioning that domestication can lead to eroding the integrity 

of the ST and narrowing the view to the world's cultures through solely promoting the TT 

cultural values.  

A translator who works on children's literature projects must be very cautious while 

examining the intricate relationship between foreignization and domestication. Critics 

highlight the necessity to carefully balancing between them due to the facts that 

translators are often allowed to change texts so as to be appealing and appropriate for the 

young readership. Translators must modify plots, characters and language, so that the 

produce translation can be readable and comprehensible by children. Oittinen (2000) 

states, "translators must consider the developmental stages of children and how they 

interpret and make sense of the world," and confirms the specific challenges the 

translation process of materials targeting young readerships. Furthermore, Lathey (2015) 

emphasizes the idea that translators are sometimes required to considerably alter texts to 

make them linguistically and culturally comprehensible by young readers. These 

alterations must not be made at the expense of the ST's significance or educational values, 

making its content comprehensible and relevant to the young readership. The careful 

balancing focuses on the sophisticated and experienced work of translating children's 

literature, taking into consideration that the final translation product having the aim and 

spirit of the ST while being suitable for the age of the targeted readership. This approach, 

combining domestication and foreignization techniques, aim at making the ST accessible 

while preserving its cultural and educational significance.  

These two techniques are important, and they offer cultural and linguistic direction. 

Gambier (2010) proposes, "Translation strategies must adapt to the dynamic and 

multifaceted nature of modern texts, incorporating digital and multimodal elements.  



13 

Also, Tymoczko (2007) argues that the broad understanding of translation depends on 

taking the hybrid nature of translation work and postcolonial methodologies into 

consideration when presenting the complex and diverse globalized, modern world. The 

fundamental division between domestication and foreignization exists in spite of these 

developments as it addresses the challenge that a translator faces in balancing the targeted 

audience's accessibility and the ST's accuracy. Therefore, these techniques are still very 

beneficial because they provide a conceptual framework to develop more complex, up-

to-date methods. Foreignization assists in preserving several strange features in the ST; 

at the same time, domestication helps to lessen the strangeness in the ST to be more 

readable by the targeted audience. The decision to use domestication and foreignization 

and the translation are affected by certain cultural traditions and social settings. Also, how 

texts are received and interpreter by a particular group are influenced by cultural traditions 

that are enduring beliefs, practices, and social customs, norms and behaviours.  

Domestication techniques are frequently used by translators experienced in cartoon 

dubbing and subtitling for more authentic and understandable translations. Elnaili (2014) 

lists a number of strategies including using euphemisms and cultural equivalents, deletion 

and addition. While euphemisms are utilized in as a substitution for offensive or 

inappropriate contents, cultural equivalents are related to the cultural approximation of 

ST and TT distinctive cultural references. Additionally, addition entails adding 

explanatory or context notes to facilitate the understanding of some of the ST aspects. 

Lastly, deletion pertains to the elimination of certain elements that can be unnecessary or 

unclear to the targeted audience. These domestication techniques contribute to adapting 

a ST to the cultural norms and linguistic standards of the targeted audience. 

Nevertheless, certain techniques can also be utilized for foreignization, based on how they 

are used. For example, cultural equivalents can culturally enrich the ideas of the target 

audience while maintaining some of the foreignness, even if domesticating a certain 

narrative is its common purpose. Venuti (2008) argues that the decision to use these 

techniques is based careful reflection whether to maintain the integrity of the ST or 

adjusting it for the targeted audience, or finding a compromise between the two. 

Tymoczko points out that the choice between foreignization and domestication is based 

on the translator's reflection concerning his/her positions and attitudes, in addition to the 



14 

cultural forces in the field, and elements of both strategies are frequently combined in a 

rigorous approach to create a balance between readability and fidelity. 

1.3 Statement of the Problem 

The translation of cartoon movies constitutes a large part of audiovisual translation in the 

contemporary world. By definition, a cartoon is a sort of visual art that is often created 

exaggeratedly and is frequently animated. The specific definition of cartoon has evolved, 

but the present usage typically refers to a motion image that is animated using a series of 

illustrations. Cartoons, most of which are imported from the United States such as Walt 

Disney, are an integral part of children’s digital lives in the Arab world. The fact that 

most of them were produced in cultures completely different from Arabic creates 

obstacles for the translator. In order to examine and correspond to these obstacles, the 

research discusses a number of related points or categories of ideas that help readers to 

understand and evaluate the process of translating cartoon movies from English to Arabic 

via dubbing. Firstly, the research explores how dubbing for children uses different 

strategies in translating text, especially cultural aspects such as humor, idioms, sexual 

taboos, swear words, witchcraft and magic, smoking and drinking, race relations, and 

proper names. Furthermore, it reflects on the strategies used in dubbing and which ones 

are more target-oriented. By looking into these strategies, the researcher shows the major 

sites of conflict with Arab culture. While the strategy of paraphrasing in some 

translations, for instance, is used to silence possible moral tensions in the TT, functional 

equivalence may be used to deepen the audience’s understanding of the translated 

material, especially if it is compatible with their age, levels or learning abilities. In some 

cases, elements in the translated text are even replaced with others provided they are more 

appropriate and recognizable in the target culture. 

1.4 Purpose of the Study 

The overall purpose of the study is to investigate the translation of culture-bound 

expressions in cartoon movies from English into Arabic, such as Thumbelina (1994); The 

Lion King (1994); Toy Story (1995); and Cinderella (1950); by analyzing selected 

translated set of cultural expressions and comparing them to their original versions in 

English. It examines the dubbing process in terms of the problems faced by Arab dubbers, 

the strategies they commonly adopt in dealing with such a genre, and the factors and 



15 

variables that affect their choices. It also probes the change of the intended sense and 

meaning that might occur due to using a specific strategy. Considering this, the translation 

strategies employed will be critically analyzed and evaluated to determine the best one 

that could handle these problems. In addition, the research considers if the translated 

culture-bound expressions accurately convey the meaning and cultural influence of the 

source language. 

1.5 Significance of the Study 

This study is a critical contribution to audio-visual translation studies because it deals 

with translating cultural material in cartoons directed to a specific group, namely children. 

The cartoons on most Arabic channels translated from English to Arabic reference 

Western beliefs, ideology, and culture. As animations have a powerful influence on 

children’s thinking and behavior, the translator’s task is to replace these cultural norms 

with others that do not contradict the target audience’s code of ethics, beliefs, and religion. 

Accordingly, the study investigates the texts translated from English into Arabic to know 

their characteristics and the strategies used to translate the problems that translators face 

during the practice of dubbing and how to overcome them. In this sense, the researcher 

examines dubbing as one of the audiovisual translation forms and how it is more 

appropriate for translating cartoon movies.  

This study establishes a new form of inquiry or a unique category in translation studies. 

It adds value to the category of Arabic AVT-related literature since research on Arabic 

AVT, particularly dubbing, focusing on cultural expressions is limited. The audiovisual 

translation was neither taught nor considered a specialization of translation studies. For 

this reason, the current study is significant to the Arabic AVT. 

1.6 Questions of the Study 

1. This study seeks answers to the following questions: 

2. What are the problematic cultural aspects of dubbing cartoons for children? 

3. What are the main strategies used in dubbing culture-bound elements? 

By using these strategies, can Arab dubbers achieve an acceptable and successful 

translation of the cultural components? 



16 

1.7 Limitations of the study 

This research has some limitations. First of all, it is limited to English-Arabic translation, 

but not vice versa. Second, it focuses on one particular type of translation, i.e., dubbing, 

rather than other types of audiovisual translation. Third, it deals with translating cultural 

material for Arab viewers whose ages range between preschool to adolescence (3-14). 

Fourth, a very small selection of English animated cartoons, which have been translated 

into Arabic, are described and analyzed here. 

1.8 The Crossroads of Language and Culture 

Newmark (1988) points out that culture is a way of life in a community that uses a 

particular means of expression. The way human communities employ discourse to 

describe local material culture such as food, clothing, or religious rituals makes these 

communities distinct and peculiar in their own ways. Since cultural items that are specific 

to certain communities are mostly reproduced in local narratives, it becomes particularly 

demanding for readers and translators to fully understand and cope with the meaning(s) 

and impact of these items across national borders of the original linguistic cultures. 

Translators may encounter cultural gaps during the process of translation as each 

language has its own culture, which is a serious problem in contemporary translation 

studies. If we understand translation as a tool of education and truth, this means that 

translators require great knowledge of the target language and culture to cover the desired 

meaning of the source text. If there is no cultural overlap or similar parts of culture 

between the source language and the target language, the meaning of the translated text 

is likely to be damaged; the target audience recognizes the cultural terms but is unable to 

understand their meaning. Target readers may have a very different level of understanding 

culture and education from the source readers. This means that translation is always 

possible but the impact of translated works on the target readers may be different from 

the original. In different types of texts, most cultural words are easy to discover since they 

are associated with a particular language and cannot be literally translated. The translation 

of these words or expressions requires particular care on the part of translators whose use 

of literal translation may distort the meaning of the original. 

Translating culture cannot be seen as an easy or innocent process. Lefevere (1992) argues 

that through the translation process, culture can be penetrated and even subverted; not all 



17 

features in the original text are acceptable in the receiving culture. Translators are 

responsible for maintaining the authenticity of the translated text as well as the culture to 

which they belong. To Lefevere, the way translators understand themselves and their 

cultures is one of the factors that influence the produced text. The translator, for example, 

may decide to assimilate everything good and creative and leave what we do not need to 

impart from other cultures, which is done by rewriting the text in terms of content and 

style. 

One cannot separate culture and language; both of which exist in a spiral relationship. 

Translating cultures across national boundaries means that translators have to take into 

account the sensitivity of language, especially when it comes to translating foreign texts 

or culture-loaded cartoon movies to children. Culture is genetically transmitted to 

children, and the linguistic competence they acquire is linked to the social knowledge that 

is spread in a particular society. Turkan & Celik (2007) present an innovative view of the 

relationship between language and culture from an international and global perspective: 

that languages spread across cultures and cultures spread across languages. In other 

words, linguistic and cultural practices flow through the world’s social networks on 

partially different paths. The translator must take into account the culture of the language 

he/she wants to translate into and point out, in particular, the target culture’s audience, 

their level, needs and background culture. However, it appears that the animated film’s 

original culture receives the most of the spotlight. Turkan & Celik also claim that 

numerous components of the target culture, including oral and written history, literature, 

music, theater, dance, visual arts, holidays, and native speakers’ lifestyles, are not always 

represented. 

The age is another sensitive factor according to which translation must actually adapt to 

suit the target audience’s interests. Therefore, essential cultural concepts that do not 

contradict with the target culture and ideas can be conveyed to target audiences by 

translating animated films and subtitling or dubbing them. Age becomes an important 

factor, especially when the dialogue is meant for an adult audience. Children are generally 

incapable of handling the main ideas in a movie since they are unaware of them.  

In her discussion of the process of intercultural transfer of culture-specific references in 

films, Ramiere (2006) points out that translators do not translate individual words 



18 

separately from the context; instead, they translate whole texts that include a culture 

common to members of a particular community. The translation of audiovisual material 

brings cultures in close contact with each other, thus raising plenty of cultural issues that, 

if ignored, will lead to the emergence of translated programs that have no meaning and 

are not understood to target viewers. Since cultural material is one of the most challenging 

areas of translation between languages, audiovisual translators test the appropriate 

strategy for each problem they face and do not have to choose a general strategy to 

translate all the scripts or at least cultural details; so that the translator can delete or 

neutralize cultural references if it is difficult for the target audience to understand them. 

Ramiere concludes that the translators work in the intercultural intersection, not within a 

single culture. Rather than being biased towards the strategy of foreignizing or 

naturalizing, they can be in a middle-ground position. 

1.9 Cultural Narratives in Children’s Cartoons and Books 

O’Connell (2003) investigates what translators of audio-visual materials can benefit from 

translators of other texts such as comics and books aimed at children as well as the 

challenges posed by this target audience. Cartoon scripts are often dubbed and subtitled 

because they are very suitable for audio-visual translation where materials can influence 

children’s lives and behavior in many possible ways. Children’s animation is like 

children’s books in which words and images are combined. This practice in children’s 

TV programs can offer a lot of entertainment and education for children; they help 

develop a sense of identity and learn about social norms, values, and roles. In this regard, 

O’Connell asserts that translators of children’s texts must create a translated version at 

the appropriate linguistic level for the likely target audience and take into account the 

different age groups of children. They must also adapt to the norms and conventions that 

prevail in the target language and culture, regardless of what is traditionally known as 

faithful translation. A faithful translation would replicate the source language's exact 

meaning in the target language, and it is better to avoid it as the translators cannot be so 

faithful to the original text, they may resort to changing, modifying and deleting in order 

to make the entire work more suitable to the needs and thinking of Arab children. 

Translating children’s movies from English to Arabic requires that translators move 

beyond the simple act of faithful translation. Song (2012) discusses aspects of cartoon 

translation, which is a very special field in AVT especially those for children. There are 



19 

differences between live-action films directed at adults and cartoons aimed at children in 

terms of purpose. He states that the films directed at adults are for entertainment purposes 

and share the experiences and emotions of writers and producers, whereas cartoons for 

children are somewhat more educational. Accordingly, the way children's animations are 

translated is different from those of adults, as each has different characteristics, features, 

and functions. Here, the creativity of the translator can be discovered in the use of a 

natural target language appealing to the domestic culture audience.  

Translation for children is a creative act of composition; translators transmit the text from 

a parallel and different culture, which requires them to respect the children’s original 

culture, learn from them through interaction, and create a perception of these children 

from within. The researcher’s use of the term (children) is not limited to a certain category 

as it is somehow difficult to discuss children’s texts in details. There is a number of 

characteristics that translators must understand about the nature of texts and how they 

may apply them to children’s written and audio-visual texts before and during the 

translation process. Firstly, the target audience may not only address children but also 

adults who play a supervisory and critical role. Secondly, the audio-visual texts seen by 

children serve moral, cultural and educational functions at the same time. Thirdly, it is 

crucial not to focus on the scenario and neglect the visual information that is an integral 

part of the whole text. Finally, the authors of children’s texts are not members of the target 

group; they have limited knowledge and understanding of the target audience (Oittinen, 

1993). 

A failure to fathom these characteristics or codes of translating children’s movies across 

languages, here English to Arabic, may cause challenges and even failures. Abu Yaqoub 

(2016) studies the mistranslations and possible failures caused by cultural and ideological 

dissimilarities between Arab and foreign cultures. Her study mainly focuses on the 

translation of cultural and ideological components in Disney’s animated films in both 

forms ‘subtitling and dubbing’. Accordingly, she discusses the influence of translating 

cultural and ideological components on Arab families and children and whether the 

strategies used in the form of dubbing are used in subtitling or not. Therefore, the study 

results reveal that there is an evitable loss of ideology and culture as it mostly becomes 

difficult to find equivalents with the same rhyme, culture and ideological effect. The 

literal translation is preferred and used in subtitling, whereas dubbing deals with the 



20 

strategies of modification, omission, addition, and sometimes compensation in translating 

these films. In addition to that, it shows that Disney’s animated films are filled with 

Western cultural values and ideologies that are not suitable for the Arab family, especially 

for children. The results also show that children and families of different ages are not able 

to identify well with original animated film characters through subtitling. Abu Yaqoub 

concludes that in dubbing, translators were freer than in subtitling in filtering cultural and 

ideological components in the animated film’s dialogue; dubbing is helpful as it enables 

dubbers to preserve the cultural and ideological standards. Accordingly, the dubbing 

method is more successful in dealing with the cultural and ideological components since 

translators can carry out the situation and redirect it to suit the target receptors’ 

orientations.  

In her analysis of a number of selected children's movie translations from English to 

Arabic, Al-Yasin (2022) studies the translation procedures used in rendering the culture-

bound expressions in the Egyptian vernacular of the dubbed versions. Al-Yasin examines 

the form of dubbing into Egyptian vernacular Arabic by analyzing cultural expressions in 

The Lion King (1994), Toy Story 2 (1999), and Finding Nemo (2003). Al-Yasin states 

that the Egyptian Vernacular is frequently used when Disney animated movies are dubbed 

into Arabic. Here, the word vernacular refers to the daily conversational language rather 

than the standard version of the language. Thus, the Egyptian vernacular is widely known 

by Arabs due to the significant influence of Egyptian media and cinema throughout the 

Arab world, as well as the availability of different sources for learning about it, such as 

movies, novels, and TV series). In other words, Egyptian culture and vernacular have had 

an important influence on Arabic-speaking cultures worldwide. The vernacular variations 

undoubtedly reflect the culture that cannot be translated directly; thus, translators must 

always find an equivalent that the audience understands in the target language. Al-Yasin 

adopted Tomaszkiewicz’s procedures of dubbing and subtitling for this purpose. 

Accordingly, Al-Yasin reveals that the most frequently used dubbing procedures were 

adaptations taken from the target language in her study where she provides cultural 

equivalents that previous scholars recommended. It also shows that manipulation of the 

original message was done by using dubbing procedures that mainly aim to make the text 

closer to the target audience in terms of adjusting to their native language and culture. As 

a result, some unrecommended procedures, such as literal translation, were avoided to the 

greatest extent feasible, while omission, generalization, and substitution were avoided 

entirely. 



21 

1.10 The Translation of Children’s Movies to Arabic: Egyptian Dialect 

The growth of the Egyptian dialect is closely associated with cinema and film production 

in the region. Egypt has long been a cinematic pioneer in the Arab world. According to 

Maluf (2005), the majority of Arab nations understand the Egyptian dialect, despite the 

fact that standard Arabic is the common language. However, it is exclusively employed 

in literature and formal writings, such as TV news. 

Over the last nine decades, the Egyptian dialect has evolved and spread in ways that no 

other Arabic dialect has. It has long dominated the Arab artistic scene. Actors and singers 

aspiring to popularity understand that success is guaranteed if they do well in the Egyptian 

market. When they sing or act in Egypt, they invariably use the Cairo accent. Iraqis, 

Syrians, Palestinians, Lebanese, Sudanese, Tunisian, and Algerian singers and performers 

have mastered the Egyptian accent and contributed to “localizing” it in their own 

countries throughout the history of the Egyptian movie industry. Gamal (2008) suggests 

that the Egyptian cinema’s high output and focus on comedy further contributed to the 

dialect’s popularity. 

This contribution has attracted critical scholarly attention to the employment of the 

Egyptian dialect and its special characteristics in translation studies. Ibrahim (2022), for 

instance, investigates the translation of idioms in dubbed children’s movies from English 

to Egyptian Arabic. She claims that working with two completely different languages 

requires the translator’s awareness of both the linguistic and cultural components 

involved in both languages. Even though the technical aspects of the dubbing process 

must be considered, these technicalities can add to the translator’s difficulties in 

translating such culture-bound idioms from one language to another. The concept of 

idiomatic misunderstanding stems from the fact that idioms cannot be completely 

comprehended if the translator considers the meaning of the words composing the idiom 

as individual units. It appears that the dubbed versions of the movies are more hilarious 

than the originals. This is owing to the expressive nature of the Egyptian dialect, which 

can be observed in the vast number of idioms. Idiomatic terms are an essential part of 

everyday conversations. The success of a translation is determined by how well it is 

received as if it were the original text rather than a translation. 



22 

In her thesis, Subtitling and Dubbing Animation Movies from English into Arabic, Ziyada 

(2014) tackles the issue of culture-bound expressions of children’s movies from English 

into Arabic. Her study aims to identify the characteristics of the source text, the problems 

that the translator encounters, and the strategies adopted by Arab translators to overcome 

these problems. It also tackles the issue of translating names of cartoon characters and the 

reason behind changing or keeping these names using examples from the animation 

movies Monsters’ Inc., Stuart Little 3, and the television series The Amazing World of 

Gumball. According to the findings of the study, the most difficult aspect of translating 

cartoons is the diversity of Arab cultures, dialects, beliefs, and customs. Furthermore, the 

translator’s main challenge is a lack of awareness of the source’s culturally bound 

phrases, such as idioms, as well as a lack of knowledge of the target’s cultural and dialect 

variety. Ziyada also discusses how dubbing is the most important form that succeeded in 

fulfilling the demand of the market and the need for it in the Arab world among Arabic 

channels. In the process of dubbing children’s cartoon movies, modern standard Arabic 

is the best choice that can be used whereas colloquial Arabic should only be used in 

humorous situations and with an accent that most Arab countries understand, such as 

Egyptian or Syrian. To Ziyada, dubbing in animation is better than subtitling because 

children cannot keep up with the subtitling and most of them have not developed their 

reading abilities while watching a scene. However, using dubbing in translating these 

movies must match the conditions of the source text and be consistent with the age and 

sex of the character voice-wise.  

Dubbing children’s movies to Arabic, especially the Egyptian dialect, brings along many 

challenges at the level of language. The most common errors in translated cartoons are 

lexical ones. Such errors occur when the translator provides a completely different 

meaning to the SL lexical item, renders the SL utterances literally, or leaves out the 

translation of certain regions of the SL words and phrases. Sometimes omissions might 

not represent errors. Translators more frequently delete swear words and terms associated 

with magic, spirits, and monarchy for educational, social, and marketing reasons. 

Syntactic errors are not as serious as lexical ones. They might result from the translator’s 

carelessness, inaccuracy, inattention, or lack of Arabic proficiency. According to Zitawi 

(1995), idiomatic errors indicate the translator’s misunderstanding of the idiomatic 



23 

expressions, his/her purposeful attempt to reduce the TL utterances for the sake of lip 

synchronization, or a lack of awareness of the context of the SL text. 

The increasing number of satellite channels has resulted in a vast array of programs and 

entertainment, leading several countries to translate, either through subtitling or dubbing. 

Despite the many advantages of dubbing the researcher pointed out earlier, subtitling was 

also considered a vital means of authenticity or originality of production. To use 

translation in the Egyptian context as an example, from the outset of Egypt’s audiovisual 

translation (AVT) field, subtitling was preferred for many different reasons. Although 

dubbing American films was an option, especially given voice and acting talent available 

in Egypt at the time, the idea was not considered. Subtitling is more affordable than 

dubbing, but this is not the only advantage. In fact, subtitling was preferable to dubbing 

not just because it was less expensive, but also because it could be used to defend the 

local film industry from competitors. Dubbing was deemed dangerous to the Egyptian 

film industry (Gamal, 2008). 

In dubbing children’s movies, translators may fall into linguistic and cultural traps that 

cause rejection or dissatisfaction by Arab viewers. To avoid this, since the majority of 

foreign programming was imported from the United States, the focus shifted to three main 

issues: language, gender, and violence. As the majority of foreign programs were 

imported from the United States, the focus turned to three primary issues: language, sex, 

and violence. Thus, swear words had to be cleaned, sexual allusions removed, and 

blasphemous references eliminated. Subtitlers coped with these three taboos using 

unusual vocabulary elements and awkward grammar. Not only was the spoken foreign 

language translated into written Arabic, but the oral dialogue was also read in a formal 

but sophisticated style. This process resulted in the dilution of cultural notions, such as 

“bar” being transformed into the ancient term hana. All of these Arabic expressions 

belong to a refined, yet classic, language that is not employed in modern writing. This led 

to the idea that it has its own language and quickly became the subject matter of tales on 

the street and in newspapers alike (Gamal, 2008).  

Al-Alami (2011), in her thesis Dubbing Timon & Pumbaa Cartoon into Egyptian Arabic, 

addresses the issue of translating and dubbing animation films from English into the 

Egyptian dialect, which turns into a unique mode of expression on its own. She points out 



24 

that even though some claim that dubbing should be in standard Arabic to develop the 

linguistic level of children, translating into standard Arabic may reduce fun elements and 

add more seriousness to the text. On the other hand, the Egyptian dialect is widespread 

and highly understood in the Arab world, and Egyptian culture is wide-ranging. Many 

Arab speakers around the globe are well familiar with the Egyptian dialect and know 

Egypt’s various occasions, events, and types of food, which contributes to the trend 

towards cartoon dubbing in the Egyptian dialect. She states that the cartoon series Timon 

& Pumbaa (1995) encompass elements directed to adults, which means that the translator 

also seeks to entertain adults rather than children owing to the level of the language used 

in the dubbing. She also adds that there are many sentences and phrases translated into 

Egyptian dialect idioms, and several words have been manipulated to give the target 

language a humorous sense, and songs also translated inaccurately, focusing on creating 

rhyme so that there are some songs left untranslated. Al-Alami concludes that the 

translators use expressions that children may not understand their connotations or 

meanings, as there are expressions that cannot be understood without seeing the scenes. 

Accordingly, the dubbed version is generally more humorous than the original but does 

not succeed in rendering the message as in the original. 

1.11 Dubbing Movies into Arabic: Problems and Principles 

Labendowicz (2012) studies translating cultural aspects in audiovisual translation. She 

states that the translation of such aspects is problematic as it involves a decision-making 

process on how to transfer certain elements; the more the text relates to culture, the greater 

the difficulties that arise during its translation. There are many theories dealing with the 

translation of cultural aspects, but some of these theories do not tackle the cultural aspects 

of translation directly. For example, Venuti’s domestication and foreignization are two 

basic strategies that guide translators linguistically and culturally, and Nida’s formal and 

dynamic equivalence deal with the cultural and linguistic distance between the SL and 

TL. In addition to these two most fundamental approaches, House’s overt and covert 

translations can also be used to deal with the cultural aspects more directly. Although 

theories differ in terms of terminology, typologies seem to overlap when it comes to their 

central concepts. Labendowicz concludes that the multiplicity of categorization of 

translation procedures may lead to confusion; the procedures for translating cultural 



25 

aspects could be limited to five basic procedures: direct transfer, compensation, omission, 

substitute, and periphrasis. 

In her exploration of the strategies that are normally employed in the translation of 

children’s cartoons, Rishah (2013) investigates the issue of translating children and 

family animated cartoons from English into Arabic by focusing on cultural and audience 

factors. She aims to explore the various translation strategies used in this process by 

examining several children and family cartoons. She also discusses how the translator 

overcomes cultural hurdles such as comprehensibility, cultural peculiarities, audience 

age, and awareness level. According to Rishah, the translation of children’s animated 

cartoons is influenced by three major factors: the translation policy of the production 

institution, the cultural content in the original, and the target audience’s age.  

Concerning the first factor, which is the translation policy of the production company, 

one can easily note that Disney's principles differ from Venus's. For example, literal 

translation is the primary translation strategy used when dubbing Disney animated 

movies, but Venus employs naturalization as a translation strategy to make the entire 

work more suitable to the needs of Arab children and their way of life, values, and 

religion. The institutional factor, which can be noted in Disney’s or Venus’s translation 

of children’s animated cartoons, can affect the process of translation and the translators’ 

choices. The institutional ideology, in other words, typically influences the translation of 

animated cartoons for children. Concerning the cultural factor, Venus constantly seeks to 

make the ST's culture or content more accessible to the intended audience. When 

translating a work with culturally distinct content, the culture, religion, and values of Arab 

society are taken into account. Concerning the audience, the age of the children is critical 

in the translation process. When a child is young, his or her primary need is to watch and 

listen to funny and brief shows accompanied by songs and music, but as he or she grows 

older, what he or she views on television helps to shape his or her personality, beliefs, 

and ways of thinking. 

Translators are responsible for rendering the content and the effect of the original text to 

the target audience by using several translation strategies, so they may paraphrase, add or 

even omit specific source text terms and references from the original family cartoon to 

achieve the intended meaning in a way that does not hurt or leave a negative impact on 



26 

the cultural and religious background of the target audience and their feelings. 

Furthermore, translators tend to utilize compensation strategies in translating family 

animated cartoons to bridge the gap between the source text and the target audience such 

as adaptation (paraphrasing, addition, and omission), substitution, extended explication, 

displacement, and rearrangement. These strategies can help companies overcome 

translation defects in movie productions by translators, who must be trained experts in 

the field of the movie industry.  

To avoid errors by the first translators, production and distribution establishments that 

purchase animated pictures for children and handle the dubbing process should hire a 

team of translators who specialize in translating children’s animated pictures. They 

should also appoint additional translators whose job is to carefully review, examine, and 

edit the translated material before it is acted out by the dubbing actors and actresses. 

Lastly, they should try to avoid purchasing animated pictures where the translators are 

required to omit or change the meaning of some words, which affects the context for 

specific reasons. For example, in “The Psammead”, the word “pig” has been translated 

as ‘خروف’ ‘sheep’, instead of the wordخنزير. This translator’s choice, here, is influenced 

by religious reasons, as Islam considers “pigs” to be filthy, unclean, and prohibited 

animals. However, the translator has not considered that the child who watches the scene 

and listens to what is being said understands that what he or she sees is not a sheep. This, 

of course, will confuse children and cause them to acquire the wrong information. In this 

instance, the production and distribution firm should delete this section of the scene, or 

even avoid the purchase of the entire children’s animated picture if doing so would harm 

the texture of the cartoon. 

This means that children’s movies must come under strict censorship in case they main 

contain unacceptable or inaccurate material. Arab television stations in charge of 

broadcasting educational animated films for children should keep an eye on the dubbed 

language. This language should be clear, straightforward, well-constructed, 

understandable, meaningful, and devoid of any linguistic faults. Moreover, the dubbed 

language must convey the original script of children's animation films, so that their 

translators may thoroughly evaluate and examine the translation of the SL text.  



27 

When it comes to translating children's animated pictures into Arabic, translators should 

be proficient in both Arabic and English, possess exceptional talent and skill, be highly 

qualified, and have precise and accurate experience in doing so. A high level of 

proficiency implies that translators can avoid the issue of carelessness, inaccuracy, and 

lack of attention by giving the translated material enough time to be reviewed and 

translated as well as knowing how to handle taboo words like swears and curses. Instead 

of simply leaving some phrases untranslated, they ought to be challenged to translate the 

passage in a way that makes sense for the dialogue and the context as a whole. Most of 

these challenges are indebted to cultural non-equivalence, which puts more demands on 

the translator, who must work hard to find alternative spaces of cultural negotiation.  

In this vein, Ad-Dahle (2012) considers the culture-bound problems in subtitling and 

dubbing, with a particular focus on English–Arabic translation. His study aims to look at 

the translation strategies which subtitlers and dubbers use while translating American 

culture-bound elements in three American movies into Arabic. Based on Leppihalme's 

(1997) approach which she proposed for translating allusive cultural bumps, the criteria 

explored here include correctness and fluency, rendering of reference, faithfulness, and 

understanding, and how they are preserved in adopting retention, noun substitution, and 

omission. Ad-Dahle finds that both retention and omission are the major two strategies 

adopted in translating American culture-bound expressions in Arabic and minimal 

substitution is used. However, retention of the name may result in foreignness, but it 

works well to provide a guide word or an explanation. Word substitution has also been 

found effective, but it is more likely implemented in dubbing than in subtitling by 

adopting a recontextualization strategy, through which dubbers frequently domesticate 

translations by reconstructing a particular part of a given context to match the text as a 

whole. Omission occurs when it comes to religious and profane terms that are not 

acceptable in Arab culture. To prevent register losses, comprehension issues, alienation, 

and betrayal of the source text, Ad-Dahle recommends dubbers and subtitlers to think 

again about the translation techniques they employ and adopt a more dynamic and 

functional approach when translating culturally specific expressions.  

In her perspective on the translation of culture-bound expressions in children’s animated 

movies, Zitawi (2003) investigates texts written for children’s cartoons and dubbed in the 

Arab world for presentation on E-junior channels in Abu Dhabi and Dubai television. She 



28 

attempts to examine the strategies used by Arab translators to translate one of the most 

challenging areas of translation, idiomatic expressions, throughout the process of 

translating and dubbing children’s cartoons. Zitawi also describes translating children’s 

animated shows as a difficult practice with additional technical linguistic considerations 

and limitations. To her, dealing with this particular content is more than merely a 

language exercise or a linguistic manipulation; it is an act of intercultural communication 

inspired by the rewards of understanding a new foreign culture. Her analysis indicates 

that several strategies can be utilized to translate idioms for dubbing purposes: dynamic 

translation, naturalization/localization, addition, deletion, and word-for-word translation. 

The translator’s choice of strategies in audio-visual translation is, in fact, sensitive 

because opting for an inappropriate strategy can lead to a problematic production of 

culture. Audiovisual translation, such as animation translation, differs significantly from 

other forms of translation. Whilst children’s animation accounts for a large portion of the 

audiovisual products available to children in the Arab world, the issues of dubbing and 

subtitling, particularly in the Arab world, have received little attention in translation 

studies. As a result, Al-Jabri (2017) investigates the cultural issues associated with 

dubbing and subtitling names in children’s cartoons from English into Arabic, as well as 

the translation strategies used by Arabic translators to render culture-specific items, 

particularly proper names. Personal names provide another major challenge for 

professional translators and require special attention from translation studies scholars, as 

they serve as a stumbling block to translation in a variety of text forms.  

Subtitling employs more SL-oriented strategies, as the majority of subtitling strategies, 

including retention, direct translation, and specification, are SL-oriented. A translator’s 

choices can be affected by the visual and audio-lingual aspects of the translated discourse. 

As a result, subtitling is likely to result in more instances of foreignization than dubbing, 

which can help us understand why some cultures prefer dubbing over subtitling. This 

tendency may reflect practices aimed at retaining the target language culture while 

keeping the source language outside of its borders. On the contrary, the majority of 

dubbing strategies are TL-oriented. Dubbing supports adaption policies to the target 

language culture by allowing the dubber to reproduce names and attach them with 

meaning specific to the target culture. In this case, the dubber is in charge of the written 

form as well as its phonetic associations and pronunciation. With such authority, the 



29 

translator can adapt any culturally distinctive names to the target language. Furthermore, 

he or she has the option of selecting names from the target language that are funnier, thus 

producing a semantic scope that may exceed that of the names used in the original text. 

Therefore, dubbing enables the translator to be visible and contribute to the creation of 

the text (Al-Jabri, 2017). 

Through her commentary on the question of faithfulness in the translation of source texts 

to Arabic, Zitawi (1995) addresses the accuracy and faithfulness of dubbed children’s 

cartoon films presented on Jordan television and other Arab television networks. She 

believes that the translators rendered certain aspects of the original texts incorrectly, 

distorting the meaning delivered in the target language text and leading to a weak, vague, 

and incomprehensible TL text; consequently, they directly affected the Arab children’s 

educational levels. She argues that alternative translations of source language utterances 

would be more acceptable. She also states that translating children’s animated cartoons 

requires highly skilled, talented, and experienced translators. These translators must take 

into account a variety of factors when translating, including the language they use for 

addressing Arab children, the educational and moral concepts underlying each child's 

animated image, and the state of their mental and psychological health. 

Films and TV shows can be tremendously influential and extremely powerful methods 

for transferring values, ideas, and information. Different cultures are presented not only 

verbally but also visually and aurally as films and TV programs as polysemiotic mediums 

that transfer meaning through several channels, such as pictures, dialogues, and music. In 

addition, items that used to be culture-specific tend to spread to other cultures, as noted 

by Szarkowska (2005), who suggests that the choice of film translation mode largely 

contributes to the reception of a source language film in a target culture. To render this 

language correctly, one must consider and overcome the challenges that normally 

accompany the process of translation. Hellgren (2007) believes that Cartoon translators 

have challenges in particular with allusions included in the original texts, therefore they 

frequently decide to leave them out of the subtitles. Overall, Tortoriello (2006) clarifies 

that the obstacles encountered by cartoon translators depend on the creative nature of the 

language utilized in the original cartoon or animated production and the importance of 

songs and their structure. This eventually reflects the translator’s much-needed skills and 

expertise in dealing with highly complicated forms of dubbing and subtitling language 



30 

and culture-specific terminology when translating children’s animated movies to an Arab 

audience. 

To conclude, these studies provide valuable insights, but they also leave gaps. The 

majority of these studies have focused on audiovisual translation and the comparison of 

different forms of it in general. Some of them have also focused on studying how to 

translate films and television shows, and just little attention has been paid to translating 

cartoons into Arabic, taking into account the child audience, their sensitivity, and the 

cultural and intellectual impact of dubbed content on them. Therefore, this study makes 

a significant contribution to a growing body of literature on the translation of Arabic 

audiovisual materials, especially in the context of translating culturally relevant 

expressions into children's animation. Animations, especially those broadcast on Arab 

television channels, often pose significant cultural challenges because they typically 

reflect Western cultural ideologies, beliefs, and values. These animated productions, 

although entertaining, have a profound impact on children's thinking and behavior. For 

this reason, the task of the translator becomes crucial. It's not just about linguistic 

accuracy, it's also about ensuring that cultural content is appropriately adapted to the 

moral values, religious beliefs and social norms of the target audience – Arab children. 

This study thus contributes to bridging cultural gaps, enabling translators to produce a 

final product that is culturally relevant and ethically appropriate for young audiences. 

  



31 

Chapter Two 

Methodology 

2.1 Overview 

By using a descriptive qualitative approach, the study analyzes the cultural-bound 

expressions in cartoon movies, depending on specific factors represented by culture, 

society, children, and family. This means that the study will be product-oriented and 

concentrate on the TTs and the translation process, which entails the use of particular 

strategies, methods, and choices made by the translators. The study also seeks to evaluate 

the different translation strategies to ensure whether they violate or preserve the cultural 

elements.  

An example of this can be seen in the translation of the following excerpt from 

Thumbelina, as illustrated in the box below:  

Beetle’s my name and razzmatazz is my game (SL): (اسمي األستاذ خنفوس وأحب أفرح النفوس) 

(TL). 

In this example, the translator uses the compensation strategy as the humor is brought 

closer to the Egyptian environment, this is because Egyptian Vernacular Arabic is 

frequently used when animated movies are dubbed and it is widely known and highly 

understood in the Arab world. 

Pun is the most entertaining figure of speech based on the comic usage of words. The 

form of pun is preserved by manipulating the words to be consistent with that of the 

original with the same impact on the target audience. The translator does not adhere to 

the literal translation of the sentence “لعبتي واالستعراض  خنفس   but rather keeps the ,”اسمي 

wordplay by using rhyming words more suitable and humorous in Arabic ‘خنفوس‘ and 

 . ’النفوس‘

  



32 

2.2 Type of Study 

This study uses a descriptive-analytical approach to explain the collected data. These data 

include multiple examples of cultural material in a number of animated movies and their 

dubbed versions from English into Arabic, especially Egyptian Arabic. This descriptive 

method borrows heavily from Toury & Pumbaa (1995), who is considered a pioneer of 

descriptive translation studies. Toury developed his approach by analyzing and 

determining tendencies in the translation process without using difficult restrictions. 

Translation science should provide translators with practical guidance by identifying and 

emphasizing the tendencies involved in the process of textual transference. 

The study uses the three stages that Toury suggested for studying translations as cultural 

facts, 1- Situate the text in the target culture's system by examining its acceptability, and 

importance. 2- Identify and compare the "coupled pairs" of ST and TT segments to 

determine the relationships in which the TT shifts are present. 3- Attempt to recreate and 

generalize the translation findings for these "shifts" or "changes" between the ST and the 

TT. 

The sample of data taken is collected from the translated works in regard to the original 

ones to find out how dubbing deals with these cultural components, which strategies are 

being used, and how they influence Arab children and families. In connection with this, 

the researcher is going to analyze the data using Venuti’s strategies of domestication and 

foreignization. The research also makes a comparison between the original movies and 

their translations qualitatively, where the collected data guides the research by studying 

the variables between both versions, identifying their causes and then arriving at the 

results. 

2.3 Data collection 

To arrive at coherent conclusions in this study, the researcher chooses a set of American 

cartoon movies and their dubbed versions in Arabic; Thumbelina (1994), The Lion King 

(1994), Toy Story (1995), and Cinderella (1950). These cartoon movies are based on 

international stories and are among children's favorite and popular films. They are 

extensively shown on Arab children's channels. These movies are also rich in cultural 

information that may need to be adjusted for an Arab audience, contributing to the subject 

of study. 



33 

While collecting the data, the researcher thoroughly studies the STs and TTs to discover 

how these texts embody and reflect cultural content. Then, the researcher selects specific 

examples that are classified and distributed in categories, including, idioms, wordplay, 

swear words, and proper names. Then, the data will be classified according to Newmark’s 

(1988) taxonomy for culturally specific items. 

2.4 Data Analysis 

The translator of children’s literature should be thoughtful and careful about many aspects 

during the process of rendering cultural content from English to Arabic. S/he is allowed 

to manipulate the text in various ways such as adjusting the text in order to make it 

appropriate and useful to the child and reproducing the plot, characterization and language 

to the child’s comprehension level and reading abilities. According to Venuti (1995), 

Domestication and Foreignization are two major translation strategies that provide both 

linguistic and cultural guidance. Domestication aims to minimize the strangeness of the 

source text for target readers while foreignization helps retain something of the 

foreignness of the original. The choice of domestication and foreignization is not only 

made by the translator but is also determined by the specific social situations and cultural 

traditions. Translators can adapt many strategies that could be applicable to dubbing 

cartoons to make the translation sound more natural and easily understood by the target 

reader such as deletion, addition, euphemism, cultural equivalence, etc. (Elnaili, 2014).  

After classifying and reviewing the data, the researcher analyzes the cultural components 

in STs and TTs, and then examines the data using the translation strategies suggested by 

Peter Newmark’s translation procedures model, in which his classification provides 

culture-specific items translation strategies. A classification that involves the translation 

of cultural terms and phrases is necessary for the researcher, given that the term "culture" 

refers to all of the accepted standards of proper conduct that people pick up from 

belonging to the same group or community, as well as the values and beliefs that guide 

overt behavior (Samara, 2022). 

Speaking of Newmark’s model (1998), he suggests seventeen translation procedures. The 

researcher refers to and employs five of these procedures, which are the most common in 

dealing with cultural elements, words, and expressions, in this research: cultural 

equivale