HUMAN AND AI TRANSLATION OF DYSPHEMISMS FROM ENGLISH INTO ROMANIAN: A CASE STUDY BASED ON THE SHORT SERIES ADOLESCENCE
HUMAN AND AI TRANSLATION OF DYSPHEMISMS FROM ENGLISH INTO ROMANIAN: A CASE STUDY BASED ON THE SHORT SERIES ADOLESCENCE

Summary/Abstract: This study provides a qualitative analysis of dysphemisms, which represent harsh or offensive expressions used to reflect the way the speaker perceives the ideational reality, as well as the relationship between speaker and listener. Thus the ideational metafunction and interpersonal metafunction intertwine within these linguistic phenomena. Being a complex linguistic phenomenon, it becomes even more intricate when it comes to its translation. The translation solution should cover cultural and social expectations in expressing a certain reality by means of dysphemisms, as what is considered normal or mildly offensive in one language and culture could be inappropriate, weird or highly offensive in another language. The human translator is bound to sense the cultural, social and personal nuances in order to find a proper transfer strategy which would have the same impact on the target audience as it has of the source audience. This is particularly important in regard to the translations of movies and series, as it shapes the way the cinematographic work is perceived worldwide, its authenticity and intended emotional impact. The article highlights the main categories and functions of dysphemisms as well as the techniques used in professional human translation versus AI translation tools, providing comments on the naturalness and illocutionary force of the translated utterances. The examples which were analysed were selected from the award-winning British series Adolescence. The study proves that professional human translation, in most cases, is more nuanced and versatile in comparison with AI translation, which tends to be repetitive, or even flawed when it fails to detect the intended meaning and illocutionary force of the source dysphemism in context.

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