Dubbing Expressive Speech Acts from English into Arabic: The Case of the Culinary Competition Series MasterChef Junior

Gibreel Sadeq Alaghbary; Amina Tahraoui; Bayan Alahmed Alahmed; Huda Alaqeel; Samir Tahraoui

doi:10.47012/jjmll.18.2.2

Authors

Gibreel Sadeq Alaghbary Department of English Language and Literature, College of Languages and Humanities, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8531-2913
Amina Tahraoui Department of Translation, College of Languages Princess Nourah University, Saudi Arabia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4214-987X
Bayan Alahmed Alahmed Department of English Language and Literature, College of Languages Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Saudi Arabia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9482-8866
Huda Alaqeel Department of Linguistics, College of Languages, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Saudi Arabia https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2880-3378
Samir Tahraoui Department of Foreign Languages, College of Arts and Languages, Medea University, Algeria https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3618-5198

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47012/jjmll.18.2.2

Keywords:

audiovisual translation, culinary shows, dubbing strategies, expressive speech acts, MasterChef Junior

Abstract

The present paper aims to investigate the dubbing of expressive speech acts in two episodes of the cooking show MasterChef Junior from English into Arabic. It examines the extent to which the translation has managed to retain the intended meanings and effects. The study adopts Ranzato’s taxonomy (2013) to analyze the strategies used in translating the speech acts in question. Analysis reveals that substitution, elimination, and calque were the most frequently used, while loan, creative addition, and compensation were less preferred options. Preference for the former set of strategies may be attributed to technical constraints like lip synchrony or to reception considerations. The study offers insights that could aid audio-visual translators in producing linguistically and culturally appropriate equivalents with similar levels of original engagement and viewership.

Highlights

The dubbing of two episodes from the cooking show MasterChef Junior was investigated.

Ranzato’s taxonomy (2013) was used to analyze the strategies employed in translating expressive speech acts from English into Arabic.

Translators often face challenges due to technical constraints, such as lip synchrony and considerations for audience reception.
Some dubbing strategies, such as substitution and modulation, were more effective than others at preserving the pragmatic meaning and emotional effect of the original expressive speech acts.
The pragmatics of speech acts can help translators create culturally appropriate versions of texts while considering timing and pace to maintain flow and engagement.