Asterix in Sri Lanka: Translating Proper Names into Sinhala

Abstract

The comic series, the Adventures of Asterix created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo became exceptionally popular in Sri Lanka in the early 2000s when the local TV channel Sirasa broadcasted the animated films dubbed in Sinhala. The present paper focuses on one aspect that captivated the audience, the translation of the proper names from English into Sinhala. The translation of the anthroponyms in Asterix poses numerous complexities. Following Michel Ballard’s theoretical views on the translation of the proper names, we examine the decision of the translators to translate, the challenges and the strategies referring to five Asterix animated films that were dubbed into Sinhala. The names of the main characters, and the secondary/recurring characters that include Gauls, Romans and other nationalities in the target language are analysed, discussed and compared with the English equivalents. The analysis reveals that the names are translated based on the simple, and familiar characteristics easily comprehensive to the audience while the addition of the term pappa which replaces the suffix -ix in Sinhala in the names of the Gaulish characters, essentially provides the comical component. The paper argues that the sophisticated wordplay, and the literally and the artistic allusions that Astérix is known for, are lacking in the Sinhala version. Further, by eliminating the presence of foreign names, the translators have favoured a domestication approach. Though the translators have not attempted to recreate the overall effect that the creators intended, their attempts to form names, comprehensible and appreciable to the local audience, and that equally complements the original screen play, have succeeded in popularizing the comic series.