Translating Culture-Bound, Context-Based, Idiomatic Expressions in Motion Pictures in Iran: Success and Challenges

The paper investigates whether bilingual translators (English into Persian subtitles) are successful in filling the cultural gaps in this kind of translation. In bilingual subtitling, getting the gist precedes the art of translation and in doing so, mastery of the original language is of utmost importance. In this respect, the study aimed to examine the rate of success in translation of culture-based, context-based and idiomatic expressions. To this end, eight comedy motion pictures and their Persian subtitles were analysed to show that transferring cultural elements through subtitles, and giving the new audience the same impression as that produced by the original, do not happen in Iran as best as expected.