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E. Pun Translation
When it comes to translating humor in subtitling, the translator needs to use the limited space and time in an optimal way, in order to virtually retain the
meaning effect in the subtitle translation. Though, the constraints themselves clearly cannot predict whether the meaning effect tends to be preserved or lost in
subtitles. The translation methods of puns available for the translators disposal are
presented as follow Delabastita, 1993:192-226; Delabastita, 1996:134: Pun to pun or so called pun rendered as pun. By applying this method, the
ST pun is translated by a TL pun. This method is possible to be conducted if in both languages can be found pun that have identical meaning.
Pun to non pun or by rendering pun as non-pun. In this method a non- punning phrase may retains all the initial senses non-selective non-pun, or a non-
punning phrase renders only one of the pertinent senses selective non-pun, or diffuse paraphrase or a combination of the above. The application of this
technique in the movie translation is for example: ST: Dont look, doll. This might get hairy.
TT: Jangan menatap, manis.Ini menakutkan. In the sentence, the pun “hairy” is derived from the word “scarry”.
Generally known, in the native culture, something hairy is scarry for children. Moreover, the word “hairy” and “scarry” has similar sound. Therefore, the word
“hairy” becomes a pun which is derived from the original word “scarry”. From the
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translation, it can be seen that the translator employed pun rendered as non pun technique to transfer the referential meaning
into the receptor’s language. Pun translated into related rhetorical device. In this method, pun is
rendered with another rhetorical device, or punoid repetition, alliteration, rhyme, referential vagueness, irony, paradox etc, which aim to recapture the effect of the
ST pun. Pun to zero, or so called pun rendered as zero pun, means that pun in SL is
rendered with zero pun in TL. In other words, in this method, the pun is simply omitted. When this method is applied, it indicates that SL pun do not have an
equivalence in TL. The example of the application of this technique in the movie translation is
ST: What the heck is going on? TT: Apa yang terjadi?
In the sentence which is said by Marty, the pun “the heck” can be simply recognized as “the hell” by adults. However, this pun succeeds in concealing the
harsh atmosphere for the young viewers. The translation of the sentence “What the heck
is going on?” is “Apa yang terjadi?”, in which it can be seen that there is no translation of “the heck” in the subtitle text. In other words, the pun “the heck”
is simply omitted in the translation. Therefore, the technique which is applied in translating the sentence containing swearing word pun is pun rendered as zero
pun. Pun in ST = Pun in TT. Here, the ST pun is copied as TT pun, without
being translated.
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Non pun à Pun is introducing a new pun. At this point, a compensatory pun is inserted, where there was none in the ST, possibly making up for ST puns
lost elsewhere strategy 4 where no other solution was found, or for any other reason.
Zero to pun. In other words, it is a method of giving addition of a new pun. By applying this method, totally new textual material is added, containing
wordplay as a compensatory device. Editorial Techniques are done by providing explanatory footnotes or
endnotes, comments in translators forewords, anthological presentation of different, complementary solutions, and so forth.
Responding to the methods delivered by Delabastita, in www.translation journal.net, Spanakaki states that although techniques 2 and 4, as well as
techniques 6 and 7, are found overlapping with each other at some point, they can be combined in variety of ways. For instance, in the case of technique 2, where
the pun is suppressed, it can be followed by a footnote explaining what was left out and why technique 8, Editorial Techniques, as same combination can apply
with technique 6. In subtitling, the case of footnotes is out of a question, the combination of these techniques and especially technique 8 editorial techniques
are inadequate and completely irrelevant for the purpose of this study.
F. Assessing Translation Quality