SSRN Id4472914

AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, Volume 7, Number 2. May 2023 Pp.
110-121
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol7no2.8
The Application of Transcreation in Subtitling Cultural References: The Case of

Masameer Animated Cartoon
Nouf Alawad
Translation Department, College of Languages
Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Corresponding Author: Naalawwad@pnu.edu.sa
Basmah Alosaimi
Translation Department, College of Languages
Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Received:02/5/2023 Accepted:05/01/2023 Published: 05/24/023
Abstract
The growing number of people watching audiovisual products in languages other than their mother tongue
necessitated translation to bridge the linguistic barriers and ensure complete comprehension as perceived
by the source text audience. The translation of cultural references is an increasingly important issue in the
translation field, specifically in audiovisual products, and the findings of this study will show the efficiency
of applying the transcreation procedure to overcome such challenges. Moreover, the main aim of this paper
is to analyze the applicability of the transcreation procedure in translating cultural references found in
audiovisual materials, particularly in Masameer animated cartoons, to determine if implementing this
procedure will result in a successful translation. The paper attempts to answer the question: How can the
application of the transcreation procedure help convey the meaning and effect of the cultural reference
found in the source text? This research paper has followed the qualitative method to analyze the
implementation of the transcreation procedure on the examples that contain cultural-specific items. It is
found that the application of transcreation is essential to fill the cultural gap in a creative way that preserves
the meaning of the original. Thus, transcreation is valuable because it gives a sense of creativity, adapts the
text culturally, and delivers accurate translation.
Keywords: audiovisual translation, cultural references translation, Masameer animated cartoons subtitling,
transcreation
Cite as: Alawad, N. & Alosaimi, B. (2023). The Application of Transcreation in Subtitling Cultural
References: The Case of Masameer Animated Cartoon. Arab World English Journal for Translation &
Literary Studies 7 (2): 110-121. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol7no2.8
Arab World English Journal for Translation & Literary Studies 110
ISSN: 2550-1542 |www.awej-tls.org
Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4472914

AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies Volume, 7 Number 2. May 2023
The Application of Transcreation in Subtitling Cultural References Alawad & Alosaimi
Introduction
Cultural references are one of the main issues that translators/subtitlers face during
translation due to their relation and existence in a specific culture. For example, Masameer is an
animated cartoon that contains many cultural-specific items derived from Saudi culture and is
humorously delivered to the audience. The issue of cultural references has recently grown in
importance due to the need for accurate translation and the increased number of TV shows. The
objective of this study is to find a procedure that helps overcome this challenge while maintaining
the same message and effect of the original work during the translation from one language into
another as it attempts to answer the question: How can the application of the transcreation
procedure help convey the meaning and effect of the cultural reference found in the source text?.
The transcreation procedure is an effective tool that reinterprets the content creatively while
preserving the meaning and filling the linguistic and cultural gap. This paper will begin by defining
the main terms. Then, some previous studies related to cultural references and audiovisual
translation, as well as the application of the transcreation procedure, will be discussed. This is
followed by the result section, in which the researchers will state what they have found and
collected regarding that issue. Then, the results will be discussed in detail, and a conclusion will
be provided to summarize the main points and draw a bigger picture.
Literature Review
Audiovisual translation
With the advent of digital eras, people of all ages are spending more time on the screen
watching audiovisual products from all over the world, such as films, TV series, documentaries,
and videos. Such practices necessitated the need for Audiovisual Translation (AVT), one of the
growing forms of translation that increasingly expands the market (Altahri, 2013). AVT is divided
into two main types: dubbing and subtitling. Dubbing is defined by Diaz-Cintas (2003) as it
Involves replacing the original soundtrack containing the actors' dialogue with a
target language (TL) recording that reproduces the original message while at the
same time ensuring that the TL sounds and the actors' lip movements are more
or less synchronized (p.195).
Subtitling, on the other contrary, is defined by Luyken and Herbst (1991) as "the
translation of the spoken source language text of an audiovisual product, generally,
movie dialogues, into a written text, which is superimposed onto the image of the
original product, usually at the bottom of the screen" (p.31).
However, the choice of the type of AVT mainly depends on the culture, the local habits,
and the political requirements and censorship policy of the target audience. Since subtitling seems
to be the most used form of AVT in Saudi Arabia, it will be the subject of this study.
ISSN: 2550-1542 | www.awej-tls.org

Cultural References
Cultural References (CRs) are acts related to a specific culture, such as names, items, food,
and customs. Translating cultural-specific items is one of the most complicated types compared to
other works due to the cultural differences between the SL and TL audiences. To succeed in
translating CRs, translators must be familiar with the language and the culture of the target
language audience. Baker (1998) stated that "a translator has to be not only 'bilingual' but also 'bi-
cultural'" (p. 245). Translators may go with conveying CRs by using the target language equivalent
rather than the literal translation, which may lead to a loss in the translation. As a result,
transcreation might be a good solution when dealing with cultural references.
Transcreation
In recent years, transcreation has been considered a valuable translation tool and a form of
user-centric translation that reinterprets the texts creatively to fit the target language audience. It
ensures that the message, style, image, and effect are the same as the original. Thus, the translator
must recreate and fill the linguistic and cultural gaps due to the inadequacy of the existing
translation and cultural differences. To explain more, it is a process that involves three elements:
the linguistic translation of the text, the adaptation of the culture, and the creative reinterpretation
of the existing content. Notably, the application percentage of these elements depends on the text
characteristics, transcreation brief, audience traits, and the text purpose. Although transcreation is
a popular method for adapting a text in the marketing and advertising fields to reach international
markets, it has been proven that it is applicable in many other fields, such as video games, websites,
and literature. According to Díaz-Millón and Olvera-Lobo (2021), previous studies have shown
that transcreation is used in different areas such as literature translation (Gaballo, 2012; Katan,
2015), audiovisual translation and marketing and advertising (Pedersen, 2014; Chaume, 2018).
Historically, transcreation was introduced by the translator and scholar Purushottam Lal who
discussed the translation of Sanskrit texts, and Brazilian translator Hoaroldo De Campos who
discussed the poetry translation.
Past Studies
As translation is considered a main communication tool to discover other cultures and
languages, Khalaf (2016) has discussed significant challenges that translators encounter,
particularly during the subtitling process, along with solutions suggested by translation and
linguistic theorists to overcome these constraints. From a linguistic point of view, audiovisual
translation is divided into interlingual subtitles, intralingual subtitle, and bilingual subtitle. It is
also classified according to time and technical parameters. The challenges can be technical, related
to the number of characters presented in a maximum of two lines within a specific time limit that
should match the dialogue. Further, cultural challenges might arise due to different norms followed
in each country. To explain more, humor is one of the constraints that subtitlers face because it
can be closely linked to a specific nation, so it will not be easily translated and understood by other

cultures. Moreover, subtitlers may have linguistic challenges because they should abide by the
number of characters and select the proper equivalents accordingly. It is worth noting that Skopos's
theory is applicable here as any subtitle is done to fulfill specific purposes. Finally, some strategies
are suggested to overcome these challenges, which can be classified into two categories: the
macro-strategies category that deals with the overall structure of the translation and the micro-
strategies category that works on the individual problem of the word and sentence. It can be
concluded that the application of these strategies has enhanced the output of the audiovisual
content and shown that translation studies have a favorable effect on audiovisual research.
Although this research paper is chopped up into several chunks, which may mislead the reader, it
presents the common problems that arise along with practical solutions to overcome these
obstacles.
Moreover, any subtitler's ultimate goal must be the translation's communicative effect on
the audience. Such an effect can be achieved by different channels, according to Baker (1998).
These channels include the verbal auditory channel (e.g., dialogue), the non-verbal auditory
channel (e.g., music and sound effects), the verbal, visual channel (e.g., written signs on the
screen), and the non-verbal visual channel (e.g., picture flow). Each of these channels can pose a
challenge in the audiovisual translation process. Such AVT issues seem endless. Translation
scholars have viewed these problems from different points of view, as some focused on technical
issues while others focused on linguistic and cultural problems. Thawabteh (2011) attempted to
investigate all three problems when translating into Arabic. The linguistic issues caused by the
differences between language systems are discussed in detail, such as the construction of tag
questions, exclamatory sentences, and idioms. Technical-related problems, such as the typeface
used in the subtitle and the segmentation of the sentences, were also analyzed. In contrast, cultural
problems have yet to be focused on, even though the researcher has stated that cultural disparities
are the core of most translation difficulties. However, few well-thoughts of suggestions on how to
improve AVT courses which would be reflected in students' abilities to handle audiovisual
translation projects, have been given, such as the incorporation of technical aspects in AVT courses
to ensure the smoothness and easiness of the translation tasks.
A considerable amount of literature has been published on the challenges and the restricted
nature of audiovisual translation, which can be addressed by implementing a transcreation strategy
closely related to the communicative-functional approach. Challenges during the subtitling process
include shifting from one dimension to another (written to oral and vice versa), the orientation
toward the source text approach, fidelity and adequacy, and technical aspects such as the speed,
length, and number of characters of the subtitles. Generally, transcreation as a translation strategy
might involve changing words and meaning of the original to bridge the linguistic and cultural gap
while keeping the attitude and effect of the original to be easily understood by the audience.
Malenove (2017) argued that transcreation is considered an effective tool that can be implemented
during the translation process of audiovisual content to overcome the challenges arising due to the
constraints of subtitling. The case study conducted on the "Line of Duty" series has shown that the

implementation of a transcreation strategy can be crucial for compensating for losses, overcoming
technical requirements, and providing a good experience for the audience. It is worth noting that
the author has mentioned several subtitling constraints and offered no explanation and examples
due to full concentration on some of these constraints.
Additionally, the application of transcreation procedures in fields other than audiovisual
translation has been discussed by several authors. For example, Hussein (2020) investigated the
use of transcreation in translating cultural aspects in the tourism industry, focusing on the
marketing aspects of such action. Since international expansion is an essential factor for the
success of hotel businesses, the researcher found that transcreation is an essential tool, especially
in preserving the cultural attraction that might be lost if limited to literal translation. Thus, the
creation factor in transcreation will help businesses succeed in their internationalization process.
Nga-Ki Mavis Ho (2021), on the other hand, focused on the application of transcreation in the
marketing field. The researcher investigated the achievement of the persuasion element through
the practice of transcreation and revealed that transcreation involves optional shifts, which are the
unnecessary changes made by the translator to achieve the intended effects of the source text.
Pedersen (2014) has focused on transcreation and translation from a theoretical point of
view by studying transcreation providers' statements and relating them to the existing translation
studies. Transcreation is not simply a reproduction of the original and not a faithful translation, so
it can be defined as an adaptation process that involves changing words and senses to fit the target
language readers to keep the desired effect. In other words, while translation transfers words
among languages, transcreation transfers messages among cultures. It is worth mentioning that the
concept of transcreation is closely related to previous translation studies, such as the dynamic
equivalence and the functionalist approach. The existing research opens the door for future
research by providing the foundation and giving a good suggestion to investigate.
Furthermore, Pedersen (2007) focused on translating cultural references, which can pose a
real challenge to the translator because such cultural references might be unknown to the target
audience and for which there are no equivalents in the target language. The researcher raised the
question of the possibility of subtitling cultural references. The focus was on Extralinguistic
Cultural References (ECRs), which refer to the names of people, places, food…etc. That can be
untranslatable or unknown for the target audience (monocultural ECRs) or, more or less, can be
understood by the target audience (transcultural ECRs). The paper confirmed that such references
could be translated and suggested two possible cultural substitution strategies to handle ECRs in
subtitling: the use of target text cultural reference in place of source text cultural reference and the
use of transcultural ECRs while the use of target culture ECR in subtitling should be avoided as it
may result in credibility or authenticity issues. However, the applicability of such strategies mainly
depends on the text type and the norms accepted by the Target Language Culture (TC); thus,
subtitlers must be aware of the TC rules and regulations. Subtitling is not an easy task as subtitlers
usually find themselves facing a challenging task firstly due to the technical constraints of the
spatial layout on the screen, the limited number of lines, and the restricted number of characters

per line (Delabastita, 1989, as cited in Altahri, 2013). Such limitations demand the subtitlers to
find a way that can render the ideas expressed in the source text with such a specific word limit.
Like any other translators, subtitlers also face some linguistic issues that arise from the differences
between the language systems of the Source Language (SL) and Target Language (TL). Such
differences can be on the syntactic, lexical, stylistic, or semantic level. Cultural problems are also
one of the issues that subtitlers constantly face due to the difference between the cultural
background of the SL audience and the TL audience. These issues can be cultural references such
as names of places or food, tradition, or cultural idioms. When dealing with such difficulties,
subtitlers must utilize different translation strategies to overcome them. However, there is a
scarcity of studies on the use of the transcreation procedure to overcome the cultural problems
faced during audiovisual translation. In this study, the researchers aim to cover this gap by
investigating the applicability of the transcreation procedure in translating cultural references
found in audiovisual products.
Method
A qualitative method was used in this research paper in an attempt to analyze the
application of the transcreation concept that was introduced by the scholar Purushottam Lal in
translating cultural-specific items in audiovisual translation (subtitling).
Participants
The popular animated movie (Masmeer) was chosen because it represents Saudi culture
with various dialects. The culturally loaded animated movie forms a challenge to the subtitlers as
it contains a massive number of idioms, similes, and proverbs. Translating these cultural items
might be even more challenging regarding the audiovisual product as it restricts subtitlers with a
specific number of characters per line and limits their ability to add explanations.
Research Instruments
In this research, more than 50 examples of cultural references found in the animated movie
Masmeer and their subtitles were collected and listed in tables. These examples were verified and
checked against specific criteria to find the most suitable ones for this paper's main objectives.
Research Procedures
During the analysis, samples were chosen to focus on cultural-specific items; their
translations were retrieved from the subtitle provider (Netflix). To explain more, we first collected
(10) excerpts containing cultural-specific items for which literal translation is not applicable, so
finding a suitable strategy that successfully conveys the intended meaning is a must. Then, these
excerpts were analyzed based on the three fundamental elements of transcreation: 1) accuracy in
delivering the meaning, 2) creativity 3) cultural adaptation. Finally, these elements were used to
find out to what extent transcreation is applicable. After that, comments were made regarding the

difficulties faced, how these problematic items were handled, and whether transcreation was the
proper solution.
Results
In this section, each chosen excerpt will be discussed individually to examine whether the
application of transcreation delivered the meaning and effect accurately and creatively, similar to
that of the original product.
Table 1. Example one
Source Text Target Text
‫ بأي لحظة بيجيكم طير شلوى‬The Big Birdie will be coming over at any moment
Big Birdie is a yellow canary character on the children's show Sesame Street. He has multiple
talents: swimming, dancing, singing, writing poetry, drawing, roller skating, and ice skating. In
the original scene, the speaker referred to the construction workers who would demolish the old
building and do all the work necessary to turn it into a new public bathhouse. To explain more, the
use of big Birdie can be a good equivalent to "‫ "طير شلوى‬because it reflects the idea of a man with
good traits. The choice of translation is appropriate as both the source text and the target text
represent a well-known example of having many talents, skills, and abilities in their culture. It can
be very clear here that the translator tended to be creative in his/her choice as he went beyond the
literal translation by looking for cultural equivalents that render not only the meaning but also the
mental image.
Table 2. Example two
!‫ما صدقتم على هللا أنتم‬ You just could not wait to tear it down, could you?
In this scene, a few minutes after the three main characters receive the notice that their gathering
place will be torn down, the construction workers appear at their door. The ST phrase shows
astonishment at the immediate action being taken. The TT interprets the action referred to in the
ST rather than leaving it ambiguous as the ST by adding the infinitive phrase "to tear it down".
The translator is creative due to using several strategies, such as interpretation and addition, to suit
the intended audience's characteristics.
Table 3. Example three
‫ اللي بيبيض وجهي قدام مجلس اإلدارة‬The goose that will make me a golden egg for the board
of trustees
In this scene, the department head was looking for the robot his employee was working on, which
will be presented to the board of trustees tomorrow. He referred to the robot by saying, " ‫اللي بيبيض‬
‫"وجهي‬. This Arabic expression "‫ "يبيض وجهي‬is used to mean the one who is doing an excellent job

that will represent the speaker very well. However, in translating this expression, the translator has
opted for an equivalent idiom in the target culture that conveys the same meaning. Thus, the
application of transcreation resulted in a successful translation that renders the image and the
meaning of the ST by emphasizing the great efforts the worker has made.
Table 4. Example four
‫ إن ما لقحت وال ما ضرها الجمل‬What do we have to lose?
In this scene, once the three main characters read an invitation to the superhero club tryouts, the
speaker is trying to convince his friends of this golden opportunity that can take them out of this
misery. The Arabic idiom "‫ "إن ما لقحت وإال ماضرها الجمل‬refers to a deed that either will benefit the
receiver or will result in no harm. The English translation is considered an interpretation of the
Arabic idiom as it emphasizes that this action will result in no loss. The creativity is represented
here by finding an equivalent that is as popular as the idiom in the ST. However, the translator
failed to render the aesthetic aspect of the ST.
Table 5. Example five
‫ ورنا مشيتك بالسروال‬Go ahead, show us what you’ve got
In this scene, the contestant who applied to join the Superhero club claimed he has great wisdom
to convince anybody to stop his/her bad practice. In irony, the judge dared him to prove his ability
by convincing a bad felon to stop killing people. The idiom in the source text shows a great degree
of sarcasm as it challenges the contestant to prove his claim. Such sarcasm was not rendered in the
translation as 'shows what you have got' does challenge the receiver to prove his/her word, but it
does not underestimate him/her as the ST. Thus, the meaning is conveyed, yet the rhetorical
meaning is not. The translator focused more on the words than the translation's effect on the
readers.
Table 6. Example six
‫ يطلع النخل براسك‬That is going to give you a thousand headaches!
In this scene, the hero reduces the crime by arresting 99% of the criminals. Bandar, one of the
criminals, responded by saying I am the 1% remaining percent that will destroy you. Thus, this
Arabic idiom means something or someone will get you in trouble. The English expression 'give
you a thousand headaches, on the other hand, conveys the same meaning as this person/ someone
who will put you in a very stressful situation. As this image of a palm growing out of your head
does not exist in the target language and there is no exact equivalent, the translator has opted to
convey the meaning of the idiom by changing it into a more suitable image in the target language.

Table 7. Example seven

‫ أمة ال إله إال هللا‬The entire country
In this scene, one of the seminar's attendees spoke to the hero: 'You can use a picture instead of
bringing a biological weapon in a public place where there are many people'. This Arabic
expression refers to the nation of the Islamic religion; however, it is now more commonly used to
refer to many people. It can be seen that the translation considers the meaning without religious
reference to suit the majority of the target audience. The translator might be creative in the choice
of translation by rendering the meaning and avoiding irrelevant references to a specific group of
people.
Table 8. Example eight
‫ نايمين في العسل‬While you were all snoozing like babies.
In this scene, Abu Ghanam, Saltuh, Alkalb, Danah, and Hekmah were working on establishing the
club of superheroes. The first three have done most of the work, while Danah and Hekmah have
not done anything and only care about being rested. The Arabic expression "‫ "نايمين في العسل‬is used
to describe someone who is enjoying their time and is unaware of their surroundings which might
involve experiencing difficulties and facing problems. On the other hand, the translation
successfully depicts that image by looking for an equivalent with a similar idea of being ignorant
of their actual situation.
Table 9. Example nine
‫ المخرج عاوز كدا‬It is a scripted conspiracy
In this scene, Alkalb is complaining about giving the reward to those who do not deserve it. His
friend Saltuh responded, 'It is obvious that the winners were chosen in advance'. This Arabic
expression means 'It is the producer's order.' However, it is used figuratively to justify the action
taken due to the abidance of a person with the upper hand. 'Scripted conspiracy' in English refers
to an agreed-upon scenario that has to be followed without asking for further explanation. The
transcreation procedure is used here by rendering the exact meaning while giving the exact
reference to the production industry.
Table 10. Example 10
‫ خير البر عاجله‬He who gives fast gives twice.
In this scene, Alkalb is amazed about the prompt acceptance of their request to establish the new

club and sign the contract. The other party justified that by saying it is advised not to hesitate to
do a good deed. This Arabic idiom recommends taking action and promptly making decisions that
seem to be good. The English idiom means that the one who gives immediately is twice as helpful
as that who gives late. The translator is creative because s/he opted for an idiom-for-idiom
translation by looking for an idiom known in the target language with a similar meaning.
Discussion
The result of this study shows that the use of transcreation in translating cultural
references succeeded in adapting the text culturally to the target audience, as both the meaning
and effect of the cultural reference can be conveyed through the elements of creativity and
cultural adaptation. Examples six and seven show how the use of transcreation resulted in a
successful adaptation of the cultural references. In both examples, the cultural image of " ‫أمة ال إله‬
‫ "إال هللا‬and "‫ "يطلع النخل براسك‬were not suitable for the target audience; therefore, the translator
opted for adapting the image to be more closely related to the audience. Thus, transcreation can
be crucial to delivering the culturally specific items faced in subtitling.
Moreover, creativity is the second element used in analyzing the translation of the
animated cartoon Masameer. This element is noticed in example one, when "‫ "طير شلوى‬which
describes a person with multiple abilities in the Arab culture, is rendered to an equivalent
character, "Big Birdie," that is a very well-known example of having many talents and skills in
the foreign culture. It is worth noting that creativity, in some instances, is a must for better
comprehension, as the literal translation might not be sufficient.
The translation was also evaluated based on accurately delivering the meaning and effect
to ensure the exact comprehension for both audiences. Example two has shown that the translator
aimed for clarity by using the expansion procedure to avoid ambiguity. The accuracy was also
noticed in the employment of idiom-for-idiom translation as in example 10 when the idiom " ‫خير‬
‫ "البر عاجله‬is translated into an equivalent idiom "He who gives fast, gives twice" that has the same
meaning.
Findings in the present study show that implementing the transcreation procedure in
audiovisual content is necessary due to the need for creativity, delivering the meaning and effect
of the source text precisely, and filling the cultural gap. The present study aligns with the findings
of Díaz-Millón and Olvera-Lobo (2023) and Chaume (2018), who claim that transcreation can
also be used in audiovisual translation. It also supports the findings of Nga-Ki Mavis Ho (2021),
who claims that transcreation involves the use of optional shifts as it is not possible to achieve a
similar effect to that of the source cultural reference without making some minor changes to
ensure the adaptation of the text to the target culture. This study also confirms the established
notion mentioned earlier that transcreation is an important tool to reach the internationalization
goal of any business and, in our case, of any audiovisual product (Hussein,2020). Moreover, this
study is limited to the application of transcreation in the audiovisual translation field, specifically
to subtitling cultural references from Arabic into English.

Conclusion
As there is a need for audiovisual translation due to its expansion in the market, translators
have to be not only bilingual but also bicultural. This research has investigated the procedure of
transcreation and its implementation in audiovisual content that contains cultural references. It is
important to note that the three main elements used to evaluate the animated cartoon Masameer
are the creativity of the translation, the cultural adaptation, and the accuracy of delivering the
meaning. Due to the several restrictions that subtitlers face, which include technical, linguistic,
and cultural restrictions, transcreation can be a valuable tool as it not only ensures the rendering
of the message, but the image, the effect, and the style of the original text as well. Just as with any
other translation strategy, it is recommended to use the transcreation procedure to solve the
translation problems faced during the translation process. More research is also needed to
understand better transcreation's application during the subtitling process rather than translating
cultural references.
About the Authors

Nouf Alawad is a translator at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University (PNU). She
received her master’s degree in Specialized Translation from PNU. She worked as a translation
project manager for several legal, economic, and marketing translation projects. She participated
in several localization projects. Her research interests are specialized translation, audiovisual
translation, and localization. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1815-2921
Basmah Alosaimi is a translator at KPMG. She received her master’s degree in Specialized
Translation from Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University. She worked on translating two
books titled “Compliance”, and “Foundation of Insurance”. She also participated in translating
books titled “Contribution of Islamic Universities”, and “Brand Management: Co-creating
meaningful brands”. https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0510-6672
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AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, Volume 7, Number 2. May 2023 Pp.

The Application of Transcreation in Subtitling Cultural References: The Case of

Received:02/5/2023 Accepted:05/01/2023 Published: 05/24/023

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4472914

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‫ إن ما لقحت وال ما ضرها الجمل‬What do we have to lose?

‫ ورنا مشيتك بالسروال‬Go ahead, show us what you’ve got

‫ يطلع النخل براسك‬That is going to give you a thousand headaches!

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Table 7. Example seven

‫ أمة ال إله إال هللا‬The entire country

‫ نايمين في العسل‬While you were all snoozing like babies.

‫ المخرج عاوز كدا‬It is a scripted conspiracy

‫ خير البر عاجله‬He who gives fast gives twice.

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About the Authors

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Gaballo, V. (2012). Exploring the boundaries of transcreation in specialized translation. ESP

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