Translating the menu: a comparative analysis of culture-specific item translation in Italian and Lithuanian dubbing

Abstract

The translation of culture-specific items (CSIs) in dubbing is a complex undertaking that demands a nuanced understanding of the intricate relationship between language and culture, as well as a mastery of the art of audiovisual translation. Films are multimodal products that rely on various types of synchronies, such as lip synchrony, isochrony, and kinetic synchrony, to create a coherent and immersive audiovisual experience. This study aims at comparing the rendering of food-related CSIs in the Italian and Lithuanian dubbed versions of the animated film The Princess and the Frog (2009). Qualitative and quantitative research of CSIs is based on the translation procedures proposed by Davies (2003) and the typology of synchronies offered by Chaume (2012). The research findings suggest that translating CSIs in both dubbed versionsresultsin a delicate balance between maintaining the synchronies mentioned above and conveying the message of the original dialogue in a natural and believable manner despite the difference in the distribution of the adopted translation procedures. The most prevailing translation procedure in the Italian-dubbed film is globalization as opposed to the preservation of form in the Lithuanian version, which indicates the tendency towards foreignization. Moreover, the research data prove that, in certain cases, the preservation of different types of synchronies in the Italian dubbed film is prioritized over the coherence between verbal and visual codes of the film. Finally, the choice of translation techniques reveals a connection between Italian and Creole culture through French cuisine, which influenced not only Italian but also Creole cuisine thoroughly portrayed in the film.