METHODS UTILIZED IN TRANSLATING DEICTIC EXPRESSIONS USED BY MOANA IN THE MOVIE MOANA 2

Abstract

Deictic expressions are pragmatic elements that present unique challenges in translation due to their strong dependence on context. This study investigates how deictic expressions are used and translated in the English-Indonesian subtitles of Moana’s character dialogues in Moana 2. The analysis is grounded in George Yule’s theory of deixis and Henrik Gottlieb’s framework of subtitling strategies, followed by the application of Peter Newmark’s theory to examine the translation methods applied. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the study reveals the presence of all five types of deixis, with a total of 320 occurrences: 285 personal deixis (200 first-person, 60 second-person, and 25 third-person), 23 spatial deixis, and 12 temporal deixis. Regarding subtitling strategies, 347 occurrences were identified, covering eight out of ten of Gottlieb’s strategies: expansion (3), paraphrase (133), transfer (63), imitation (18), transcription (1), dislocation (12), condensation (32), and deletion (85). This number exceeds the total deixis expressions because a single utterance may involve more than one strategy. Moreover, 320 translation methods were observed, including word-for-word translation (11), literal (50), faithful (1), semantic (6), adaptation (10), free (24), idiomatic (4), and communicative translation (214). The dominance of the communicative method suggests that the English-Indonesian subtitles in Moana 2 are oriented toward the target audience. This approach appears to facilitate viewers’ understanding of the dialogue more effectively.