Approach to the translation of taboo and offensive language into Arabic. Study and analysis of the series La casa de papel

Abstract

The aim of this article, which is based on a Final Degree Project, is to study and analyse the official translation of the successful Spanish Netflix series La Casa de Papel in the Spanish/Arabic combination, mainly focused on the treatment of offensive language and/or taboo expressions. With this study and analysis, it will be possible to understand the importance that some cultures have in the audiovisual world, for example, with the movie subtitling, since it is likely to find great differences between the source text and the target text due to the cultural shock. Undoubtedly, it is difficult to translate foul language into Arabic due to the high degree of formality of classical Arabic, but this does not negate the fact that there are obscene words in this cultured record. For this reason, culture plays an essential role in all countries, especially in Arab countries, since, unlike some Western countries, they have a very conservative culture in this regard. It is very important to maintain the formalities of the language in certain formats, such as on the TV, the radio, the press, etc. This affects very often the audiovisual world, precisely when political issues, religious issues, vulgar expressions, or taboo content, in general, are discussed and translated. These issues become difficulties for certain translators or subtitlers who have no choice but to use certain translation strategies and/or techniques (Hurtado Albir, 2001) to mitigate the content. In this work, the subject will be deeply treated, and some examples will be shown to expose the significant differences that may arise.