DUBBING AND SUBTITLING THE NETFLIX ADAPTATION OF WATERSHIP DOWN INTO TURKISH: THE CASE OF LAPINE AS A CONSTRUCTED THIRD LANGUAGE

This study investigates how Lapine utterances in the Netflix adaptation of Watership Down (Murro, 2018a) are rendered in the Turkish dubbing (Murro, 2018b) and subtitle (Murro, 2018c) translations. Focusing on the treatment of Lapine as a constructed third language, the analysis draws on the typological frameworks of third language translation strategies (Corrius & Zabalbeascoa, 2011; Iberg, 2018). By identifying translation patterns such as deletion, repetition, and substitution in both target texts, the study explores how translators navigate the tension between preserving the fictional linguistic otherness and ensuring comprehensibility for the Turkish audience. The findings demonstrate a predominance of third language repetition in both modalities, particularly in the subtitle translation, suggesting a strong translational orientation towards faithfulness and a heightened translatorial awareness towards the third language’s symbolic function within the narrative structure. However, the analysis also reveals instances of omission, as well as orthographic, semantic, or morphological errors, which lead to occasional breakdowns in maintaining the narrative’s coherence and conveying the evolutionary and mythological messages embedded in the source text through Lapine elements. The study concludes that while both translations largely fulfil their intended purpose of preserving the source text’s alienating atmosphere while balancing fidelity and comprehensibility, the constructed nature of the Lapine language introduces interpretive ambiguities that necessitate paratextual support and specialised expertise.