Alteration and Addition in the Light of the Translator’s Invisibility : An Application to the Movie Frozen

Abstract

When translating a text from one culture to another, there exists the problem of the different linguistic and cultural aspects between the two cultures. The literal translation of texts from the source culture may lead to incomprehensibility in the target text. This paper aims to investigate the translation strategies of addition and alteration in the movie Frozen using Venuti’s theory of the translator’s invisibility. The translation of the movie Frozen from English into Arabic will be investigated using this theory and these strategies. This is a qualitative and quantitative research utilizing content analysis, comparison, and quantitative data as research tools. A comparison between the original text Frozen and its target text will be incorporated to show instances of alteration and addition as strategies to attain the concept of the invisibility of the translator. The research concludes that alteration and addition are necessary to achieve comprehensibility and acceptability in translation, and to bring the text closer to the target text receivers’ culture.