Semantic and Communicative Translation in the Subtitle Translation of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall
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Keywords
The Phantom of the Opera, subtitle translation in musicals, semantic translation, communicative translation, Newmark’s translation theory
Abstract
This study examines the translated version of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, produced by Kamigamisubs, and its translation strategies for the musical subtitles, based on Peter Newmark’s theories of semantic and communicative translation. In the end, the study concludes that the translators apply both semantic and communicative translation strategies flexibly in dealing with culture-specific elements, syntactic structures and emotional expressions. Transcription and literal translation are used for culture-specific elements such as proper names and opera titles in order to preserve the characteristics of the source language. The use of these strategies, such as the expansion and adaptation of imagery, may enhance the comprehension and accessibility of the song lyrics with special rhythmic features and culture-specific expressions for the target audience. The findings imply that the translation of subtitles for musicals should be a balance between the faithfulness of the original work and the comprehension of the audience. Newmark’s translation theory provides an effective analytical framework for this balance, and the findings can offer useful guidance for the translation of similar audiovisual texts.
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