Ukrainian culture fansubbed: Challenges of amateur subtitling

¹ Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Philology, Department of Theory and Practice of Translation from English, 14 Shevchenko Blvd., 01601 Kyiv, Ukraine
² Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, an der Hochschule 2, 76726, Germersheim, Germany

^* Corresponding author: nataliia.gach@gmail.com

Abstract

The research addresses the issues of rendering culture specific information in amateur subtitling from the Ukrainian into the English language. The fansubbing of proper names, culture-bound common nouns, formulaic sequences, sociolects and songs by the non-professional translators for whom English is a foreign language is the main focus of this study. Thus, the comparative analysis of the Ukrainian films Chasing Two Hares (1961), Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1965) and Prayer for Hetman Mazepa (2001), and their English subtitles reveals the difficulties fansubbers may face, as well as discusses translations strategies and techniques employed. Moreover, the study delves into reasons underlying the choice of translation approaches by nonprofessional subtitlers, including the collaborative nature of the process, the lack of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, as well as the insufficient mastering of the target language. Therefore, being a comprehensive study of the ways to convey cultural connotations of the original text by means of a foreign language on the level of fansubs, the research gives insight into the interconnection between the translation techniques used to render cultural references and the effect a target text may have on the audience.