A Study of Characteristics and Strategies for Translating Prohibited Words in the Chinese to Thai Subtitles of the Chinese Boys’ love series A Case Study of the Boys Love Series “Addicted”

Abstract

Translating prohibited words in subtitles is an art and science. To say, not only do translators have to maintain the original meaning of the source language, reduce the cross-cultural difference between the two languages, select and use the translation which keeps the characters’ violence, rudeness, and emotion, they also have to realize the suitability for publicity. The objective of this research article is to study the characteristics and strategies for translating prohibited words in the Chinese to Thai subtitles of the Chinese boys’ love series “Addicted”, which is the Chinese boys’ love series that expressly contain prohibited words and sexual words. The researchers adapted the categorization of prohibited words by Nantawat Nedjaroen (2015) and the categorization of swear words by Orathai Chinakkhrapong (2014) and also classified the type of prohibited words additionally. Therefore, the researchers categorized the types of the prohibited words in the boys’ love into 3 specific categories: (1) profanity (2) scolding, insults, and slanders (3) words relating or intending to sexual meaning 18+. After analyzing the characteristics of translating various prohibited words with the strategies of translation by Supakanda Thongboonrod (2002) and Zarah Davoodi (2009), the researcher found that the Chinese boys’ love series “Addicted” used the strategies of translation as follows: emotional comparison (48.1%), literal translation (30%), translating simple words with prohibited words (8.1%), word-form comparison or interpretation (6.67%), word violence reduction or euphemism (4.75%) and word substitution (2.23%).