A Semantic-Pragmatic Analysis of the English Translation of an Urdu Play Kuch Ankahi
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/SR25.132Keywords:
Translation, Pragmatic Meanings, Semantic Meanings, Cultural Specific ExpressionsAbstract
The subtitling of idioms, metaphors, and humor presents significant translation challenges, often requiring compromises between semantic clarity and cultural authenticity. This study examines the transfer of semantic and pragmatic meanings employed in the English subtitles of the culturally rich Urdu television play Kuch Ankahi, written by Syed Mohammad Ahmed, focusing on the accuracy of meaning and cultural features during translation. Using a qualitative approach, this study analyzes selected dialogue pairs to explore how meanings are generalized or specified deliberately. These choices are evaluated not only for their effectiveness in maintaining the core meaning of the source text (ST) but also on how they influence the tone, emotional impact, and cultural expressiveness of the dialogues when translated into the target text (TT). By using Baker’s (1992) proposed strategies for translating culture-specific items and Sperber and Wilson’s (1986) relevance theory, the study aims to determine whether the applied strategies enhance or limit the precision of the subtitles. The results indicate that most of the meanings are generalized, which enhances clarity and semantic transparency but often diminishes the aesthetic tone, humor, cultural richness, and emotional subtlety of the original text.
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