Abstract
Unlike the traditional definitions of Translation Studies, a socio-cultural perspective views the concept of translation at the core of the present struggle for domination as it can be ideologically and politically utilised in our increasingly conflict-ridden and violent world. Via different forms of translation, some media organisations enhance controversial narratives through which certain races, cultures, and regions can be significantly distorted or otherwise promoted. Therefore, in order to conceptualise translation within the current political turmoil more effectively, we need to critically engage with the narratives that translators/subtitlers (re)frame across linguistic and cultural borders (Baker 2006, 2016). Compared to printed forms of translation, audiovisual translation is more likely to be related to this type of theorisation, in light of the richness of the ideological loads it delivers via its semiotic composite, in which the linguistic element is only a part of an integrated structure. A structure that includes linguistic and extra-linguistic elements, not only at a textual level but also at a paratext level. This area of study, however significant, continues to be largely unexplored, especially in relation to the Arabic-English subtitling of Middle Eastern political narratives. Today’s communities seem to be more audiovisual media-oriented than print media-oriented, which possibly makes AVT more exposed to commercial powers, more vulnerable to attempts of ideological manipulation, and hence, more motivating for opportunities of research. Apart from these ideological constraints, subtitling in particular has its own technical conventions which subtitlers need to manipulate in order to produce better subtitles for the target audience. Motivated by Díaz-Cintas’s (2012) call to “clear the ideological smoke screen”, this study aims to investigate subtitlers’ manipulation, with special focus on the subtitling of the middle East political narratives. The ultimate purpose is to raise awareness of the unseen ideological role of subtitling in the process of manipulating political narratives under the pretext of technicality. The study aims to answer the following questions: (1) Can technical manipulation be ideological driven to reframe original narratives differently under the excuse of technical constraints?; 2) What are the strategies that can be used at different levels to reframe and recontextualise original narratives?; and 3) What role can subtitlers play in (re)constructing our socio-cultural/political reality? The analysis will be divided into first, a micro-level (technical) analysis at textual level using Gottlieb`s (1992) technical subtitling strategies. Second, a macro-level (ideological) analysis at textual, paratextual, and contextual levels to explore any ideological (technically unjustified) manipulation in the original narrative by drawing on Baker’s (2006) narrative framing strategies. The study offers 20 samples of reframed narratives disseminated by Monitor Mideast (MM), focusing particularly on the Middle East conflicts.