Manipulating Swearwords and Sexual References in Arabic Subtitles of American Fiction

Dr. Abdelouahab ELBAKRI

Abstract: This article aims at discussing the manipulation of taboo words in Arabic subtitles of American fiction. It sets out to investigate the translation strategies translators use in subtitling immoral expressions and analyze the solutions subtitlers opt for. It focuses on two fields of study: swearwords and sexual references. The study is based on the work of Diaz Cintas (2004), (2007) and (2012) on ideological manipulation in Audiovisual Translation (AVT). The theory stipulates that translators have turned into intercultural agents and mediators shaping the ideological discourse of their culture.

Keywords: AVT, subtitling, manipulation, taboo, swearwords, sexual reference