FIDELITY VS. CREATIVITY IN DUBBING: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH AND SINHALA DUBBING SCRIPTS OF THE TWELVE TASKS OF ASTERIX WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SKOPOS THEORY

Abstract

This study explores the balance between fidelity and creativity in the dubbing process based on the Skopos Theory, which emphasises the target audience's needs and the purpose of translation over strict linguistic equivalence. By conducting a comparative analysis of the English and Sinhala dubbed scripts of The Twelve Tasks of Asterix, this study attempts to examine how the function influences translation choices in animated film dubbing. The research examines how the translator negotiates between remaining faithful to the source material and exercising creative freedom to ensure that the dubbed version resonates effectively with the Sinhala-speaking audience, focusing on translation strategies presented by Vinay and Darbelnet. Particular attention is given to the adaptation of humour, cultural references, character expressions, and idiomatic language, assessing how these elements are transferred to the target context. Through a scene-by-scene textual analysis, the study identifies where literal fidelity is maintained and where significant creative interventions are made to achieve audience engagement, comprehension, and entertainment. Findings reveal that no sentence of the source text has been translated literally without modifying the content using translation strategies as adaptation and modulation to accommodate cultural sensibilities, enhance emotional relatability, and align with lip-synchronisation and timing constraints inherent in audiovisual translation. These shifts highlight the necessity of creativity within dubbing practices, as justified by Skopos Theory, which views such alterations not as losses but as strategic responses to the demands of the target audience and medium. Ultimately, this research underscores the complex interplay between fidelity and creativity in dubbing and contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamic nature of translation within cross-cultural audiovisual media.