Main Article Content
Abstract
This study analyzes translation strategies employed in subtitling the "Marak" short film from Javanese to Indonesian and English, focusing on challenges of translating Javanese court culture for dual audiences with different cultural proximities to the source culture. Using qualitative descriptive approach with content analysis, the research examines 47 cultural terms across three subtitle versions, categorizing them according to Newmark's cultural classification framework and analyzing translation strategies through integrated theoretical frameworks of Gottlieb's subtitling strategies, Pedersen's cultural reference translation strategies, and Venuti's foreignization-domestication paradigm. The findings reveal significant differences in translation approaches between target languages: Indonesian translations predominantly employ transfer/retention strategies (59.57%), indicating cultural preservation orientation, while English translations favor direct translation (31.91%) and specification (25.53%) strategies, demonstrating accessibility orientation for international audiences. Social culture terms dominate the cultural vocabulary at 38.30%, reflecting the central importance of hierarchical relationships and honorific language in Javanese court interactions. The research contributes empirical evidence that effective dual-audience cultural translation requires strategic differentiation based on audience cultural proximity rather than uniform translation solutions, with implications for audiovisual translation practice and cultural preservation in contemporary media contexts.
Keywords
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
- Agung Mahatma Ayu Gusti I, & Santika Maharani Devi Ayu Dewi I. (2022). Subtitling of Cultural Terms in the Movie Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens. Proceedings: Linguistics, Literature, Culture, and Arts International Seminar (Literates), 219–223. https://e-journal.unmas.ac.id/index.php/literates/issue/view/207
- Aziez, S. I., Nababan, M. R., & Djatmika, D. (2024). The Translation Techniques Analysis of Javanese Implicature in Speech Act Subtitle in Short Movie Tilik. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 11(2), 580. https://doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v11i2.5434
- Baker, M. (2018). In Other Words. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315619187
- Bhabha, H. K. (2012). The Location of Culture. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203820551
- Cintas, J. D., & Remael, A. (2014). Audiovisual Translation: Subtitling. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315759678
- Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th Edition). SAGE Publications, Inc.
- Errington, J. J. (1999). Shifting Languages: Interaction and Identity in Javanese Indonesia. Cambridge University Press.
- Falhi, Q. A., Widhiyanto, W., & Haryanti, R. P. (2025). Subtitling Strategies and Translation Quality in Indonesian Fan Subtitle of Kung Fu Panda 4. Acuity: Journal of English Language Pedagogy, Literature and Culture, 10(2), 296–304. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.35974/acuity.v10i2.3927
- Farhansyah, M. R., Darmawan, I., Kusumawardhana, A., Winata, G. I., Aji, A. F., & Wijaya, D. T. (2025). Do Language Models Understand Honorific Systems in Javanese? https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2502.20864
- Fatmawati, F. I., & Setiawan, T. (2020). Penerjemahan Kosakata Budaya dalam Film `Yowis Ben I` (Translation of Cultural Words in ‘Yowis Ben I’ Film). Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, Dan Budaya, 9(2), 137. https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.9.2.2019.137-155
- Garcia, M. N. (2024). Thick Translation: A Conversation on Translating Indonesian Fiction. K@ta, 26(1), 75–86. https://doi.org/10.9744/kata.26.1.75-86
- Geertz, C. (2017). The Interpretation of Cultures (3rd ed.). Basic Books.
- Gottlieb, H. (1992). Subtitling - A New University Discipline. In C. Dollerup & A. Loddegaard (Eds.), Teaching Translation and Interpreting (pp. 161–170). John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/z.56.41far
- Halim, V. M., Nitsa, A., Ayuretno, A., & Santoso, W. (2024). Translation Strategies of Cultural-specific Items in Translating Subtitles Indonesian Documentary “Perempuan Tana Humba.” SALEE: Study of Applied Linguistics and English Education, 5(1), 126–145. https://doi.org/10.35961/salee.v5i1.935
- Hofstede, G. (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. McGraw-Hill.
- House, J. (2014). Translation Quality Assessment. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315752839
- Karamitroglou, F. (1998). A proposed set of subtitling standards in Europe. Translation Journal, 2(2), 1–5.
- Katan, D. (2014). Translating Cultures: An Introduction for Translators, Interpreters and Mediators. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315759692
- Newmark, P. (1988). A Textbook of Translation. Prentice Hall. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003065114525045
- Pedersen, J. (2011). Subtitling Norms for Television: An Exploration Focusing on Extralinguistic Cultural References. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
- Subrata, M. R., & Jumanto, J. (2023). Subtitling Strategies Used in Translating Cultural Words in The Subtitle of Disney Animation Movie: Coco. Journal of Linguistics, Culture and Communication, 1(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.61320/jolcc.v1i1.1-25
- Suriadi, M. A. (2018). Translation Strategies to Deal With Indonesia Censorship Regulation on Movie. Buletin Al-Turas, 24(1), 143–157. https://doi.org/10.15408/bat.v24i1.7132
- Venuti, L. (2017). The Translator’s Invisibility. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315098746
- Wikandyani, A. N. (2022). The Equivalences and Subtitling Strategies in the English Subtitle of Culture-Related Terms in Kisah Tanah Jawa: Merapi. The Proceedings of English Language Teaching, Literature, and Translation (ELTLT), 7. https://proceeding.unnes.ac.id/eltlt/article/view/1298
- Wiyati, M. A., Maulita Suryandari, A., & Ashadi, A. (2019). Linguistic Level Equivalence in the Kartini Film Subtitle Translation. Proceedings of the International Conference on