The Translation of Swear Words in Extreme Job Movie Subtitles

Abstract

Over time, the role of swearing in society has changed as well. In ancient times, the usage of swear words was infrequent and often avoided. However, swearing has become commonplace in today's world, transcending gender, and age boundaries. This study aims to provide an explanation of swear words in Korean and describe the translation techniques employed in the subtitles of the Korean movie "Extreme Job." The research methodology employed a descriptive analysis with a qualitative approach, utilizing observation and note-taking techniques. The study on the swearing classification theory proposed by Chang ( 2010) and the translation theory by Vinay and Dalbernet (1995) as references for analysis. The findings revealed a total of fifty-five swear words in the examined data, which were further categorized into thirty-three 'gibon yokseol' and twenty-two 'ganghwa yokseol'. The translation techniques employed for these two types of swearing differed. Gibon yokseol was translated using literal translation, adaptation, and equivalence techniques, whereas ganghwa yokseol was translated using deletion, equivalence, adaptation, literal translation, and addition techniques. However, it is worth noting that twelve gibon yokseol and six ganghwa yokseol were left untranslated among these curses.