A Study of the Translation of Religious Expressions in the Film Air Mata di Ujung Sajadah (2023)

Abstrak

This research examines the translation of religious expressions in the Indonesian film Air Mata di Ujung Sajadah (2023) and its English subtitles. It aims to identify the types of religious expressions and the translation techniques used, including their effects on meaning and religious values. Using a qualitative descriptive method, the data consisted of Indonesian dialogues and English subtitles collected through documentation and analyzed based on Molina and Albir’s (2002) framework. A total of 30 religious expressions were identified in five categories: Invocation/Openings (10; 33.3%), Prayers (Du'a) (9; 30.0%), Expressions of Hope or Submission to God’s Will (7; 23.3%), Expressions of Gratitude (4; 13.3%), and Greetings (0%). Five translation techniques were identified: Established Equivalence (18; 60.0%), Literal Translation (8; 26.7%), Modulation (2; 6.7%), Amplification (1; 3.3%), and Reduction (1; 3.3%). The findings show that these techniques generally preserved the intended meanings and religious values, although some expressions were linguistically adjusted for naturalness and readability. This research contributes to audiovisual and religious translation studies by highlighting how religious expressions can be translated into English subtitles while maintaining their spiritual and cultural values.