ENGLISH TO THAI TRANSLATION STRATEGIES FOR CULTURE-SPECIFIC TERMS AND TRANSLATION IDEOLOGY FROM NETFLIX’S ‘THE WITCHER’ SERIES

Abstract

Translation of culture-specific terms (CSTs) always presents unique challenges for translators striving to balance authenticity and accessibility, particularly in fantasy genres rich with unique cultural and mythical elements. This study aimed to investigate the translation strategies and ideological approaches used to convey culture-specific terms (CSTs) from English to Thai in the Netflix series ‘The Witcher’. Through a mixed-methods approach, data were gathered and systematically categorized across 24 episodes from 3 seasons to highlight the distribution and application of specific translation strategies. The data were collected using a data collection sheet adapted from previous studies. The findings were presented in tables illustrating occurrence, frequency, percentage, and descriptive explanations of the terms were provided. The findings revealed that 220 instances of CSTs were identified in four categories, namely Ecological Terms, Social Culture, Organizations, Customs, Activities, Procedures, and Concepts, and Material Culture. Moreover, six translation strategies were identified. In the data, transference, a foreignization strategy, was the most frequently employed to preserve the authentic cultural and mythical elements of the series. In contrast, domestication strategies, including literal translation, paraphrasing, and cultural equivalents, were applied to enhance accessibility for Thai audiences. In addition, the study found that a combination of foreignization and domestication strategies was used to balance cultural element words in fantasy genres that rely on audience immersion. This study added nuances to the field of translation studies by demonstrating how translators adapt CSTs to maintain narrative integrity and contemporary audiences are increasingly receptive to foreign cultural elements.