Examining the transference of humorous expressions based on extralinguistic cultural references (ECRs) in comedy animations from English into Persian dubbed and subtitled versions

Abstract This study examines the degree of the adequate transference of humorous ECRs expressions in comedy animations from English into Persian dubbed and subtitled versions. It also identifies the most effective translation strategies for transferring humorous ECRs expressions in the Persian dubbed and subtitled versions. First, ECR-related humorous expressions were identified in the source texts, and later they were classified based on the classification of Nedergaard Larsen ( 1993 , 211) for ECRs. Subsequently, the identified humorous ECRs expressions were compared with their equivalent Persian dubbed and subtitled versions to determine whether they were transferred adequately. To examine the employed translation strategies in transferring humorous ECRs expressions, the study opted for Pedersen’s ( 2011 , 77–97) translation strategies for ECRs. The results showed that translators employed a target-oriented approach in the dubbed versions and a source-oriented approach in subtitled versions. However, both techniques could not retain the humorous criteria of the source texts. At the same time, the findings revealed that humorous ECRs expressions were transferred more adequately in the dubbed versions than the subtitled versions. Situational substitution and cultural substitution (by target culture ECR) strategies were the most effective translation strategies for dubbed versions. Similarly, situational substitution and generalization strategies were the most effective translation strategies for subtitled versions.