Bespala_Defense_Presentation

1.

DOMESTICATION AND FOREIGNIZATION
AS MAIN STRATEGIES IN DUBBING
ANIMATED DISCOURSE
Based on the Animated Film "Zootopia 2"
Olena Bespala
Supervisor: D. V. Haydanka, PhD, Associate Professor
Uzhhorod National University · Faculty of Foreign Philology · 2026

2.

Aim and Objectives
AIM
1
Outline the theoretical framework of domestication and
foreignization in translation studies
To identify and analyze domestication and
foreignization strategies in the Ukrainian dubbing of
"Zootopia 2" and to determine the linguistic means
of their realization.
2
Define the concept of animated discourse and key features of
dubbing
3
4
5
Compile a corpus of translation units (approx. 200 examples)
Analyze the linguistic means realizing both strategies
Identify the dominant strategy and determine the factors
influencing its use

3.

Theoretical Framework
DOMESTICATION
FOREIGNIZATION
Ethnocentric reduction of the foreign text to target-language
cultural values — replacing foreign elements with familiar
equivalents (Venuti, 1995)
Ethnodeviant pressure on target-language values —
preserving the linguistic and cultural otherness of the source
text (Venuti, 1995)
Examples: Wilde → Крутихвіст
Bellwether → Вівцянка
Hustle → Ази аферизму
Examples: Finnick → Фіннік
Clawhauser → Клоузер
Nitrous Oinkxide → retained
Dubbing Constraints (Chaume, 2012): Lip-sync · Isochrony · Kinesic sync

4.

Material and Methodology
Source Text
Target Text
Corpus
Official English screenplay of "Zootopia
2" (Final Draft, 29.09.2025)
Official Ukrainian dubbing by LeDoyen
Studio (theatrical release, 2025)
48 units analyzed in depth; 200+
examples collected via continuous
sampling
RESEARCH METHODS
Descriptive — characterizing linguistic phenomena
Translation analysis — classifying strategies
Comparative — contrasting source and target texts
Contextual & discourse analysis — pragmatic dimension

5.

Anthroponyms: Character Name Translation
67%
20%
Original
Dubbing
Strategy
Nicholas Wilde
Крутихвіст
Dom.
Bellwether
Вівцянка
Dom.
Winddancer
Вигарцень
Dom.
Bogo
Гримало
Dom.
Dr. Fuzzby
Пухновська
Dom.
Hopps
Гопс
Hybrid
Lynxley
Рисьлі
Hybrid
Finnick
Фіннік
For.
13%
Domestication
(semantic
adaptation)
Hybrid
(partial
adaptation)
Foreignization
(transliteration)

6.

Toponyms and Institutional Names
Sheepshire → Вівчарня
GNU Jersey Parade → Парад Бізонів Бессарабщини
British toponym parody → vivid Ukrainian pastoral image
Untranslatable gnu/new pun → full cultural substitution
ZPD → Зоополіція
Zootennial → Зоорічниця
Acronym → compound word, immediately transparent
Neologism: zoo- prefix + Ukrainian root
Partners in Crisis → Кризонапарники
Zoogether → Зооєдність
Lexical compression: crisis + partners fused into one word
Portmanteau: zoo- + unity — domestication invisible
Domestication: 71% | Hybrid: 21% | Foreignization: 8%

7.

Wordplay and Humour
C r e a t i ve C o m p e n s a t i o n
D o m e s t ic a t i o n
"Apart-ners" → "Непарники"
"It's called a hustle, sweetheart." → "Ази
аферизму, сонце."
Apart + partners → не- + напарники: same ironic prefix+base
mechanism
Connotative equivalent + ironic address — the franchise's most
celebrated translation
C r e a t i ve C o m p e n s a t i o n
Se n s e - f o r - s e n s e C o m p e n s a t i o n
"Ter-roar in Tundratown!" → "Тер-р-ракт у
Тундратауні!"
"Dysfunction junction" → "Станція
«Дистанція»"
Animal roar embedded inside the word 'теракт' — peak of translator's
craft in the corpus
Untranslatable rhyme → psychological image of emotional distance;
register preserved
Compensatory Rendition
Z e r o T r a n s la t i o n
"Snoutrage!" → "Мило мені в рило!"
"What happened be-fur…" → "(not translated)"
rhyme мило/рило; 'рило' (snout) more precise than snout + new
phonological play
be-fur/before phonological pun — no Ukrainian equivalent; opening
humour lost

8.

Quantitative Overview (n=48)
Category
Dom.
Dom.%
Hybrid
Hybrid%
For.
For.%
Anthroponyms (n=15)
10
67%
3
20%
2
13%
Toponyms (n=14)
10
71%
3
21%
1
8%
Wordplay (n=19)
12
63%
4
22%
3
16%
TOTAL (n=48)
32
67%
10
21%
4+2
8%+4%
Key Finding:
Domestication (67%) is consistently dominant across all three categories — reflecting a deliberate studio policy rather than ad-hoc decisions. The
21% of creative compensation represents the highest-level translator creativity (Тер-р-ракт, Непарники, Мило мені в рило). Foreignization
(8%) is applied systematically — primarily for proper names and phonological wordplay lacking a Ukrainian equivalent.

9.

Conclusions
01
03
Domestication is the dominant strategy (~67%), driven by
synchronization requirements and the need for audience
accessibility.
Creative compensation (21%) yields the most original solutions:
Тер-р-ракт, Непарники, Мило мені в рило, Станція
Дистанція.
02
04
Foreignization (~8%) is applied systematically to proper names
and internationally recognizable cultural references.
Strategy choice is determined by: communicative function,
degree of cultural specificity, speech register, and the 2019
Language Law.

10.

Scientific Novelty and Practical Significance
SCIENTIFIC NOVELTY
PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE
First systematic linguistic study of the Ukrainian dubbing of
"Zootopia 2"
Applicable in university courses on translation theory, AVT, and
intercultural communication
A three-tier typology of domestication mechanisms: semantic
adaptation → functional image substitution → register
equivalence
Training material for dubbing translators (phonological
wordplay, culture-specific names)
Expands and refines the existing binary model of dubbing
strategy analysis
Empirical foundation for further research into Ukrainian AVT
norms

11.

Prospects for Further Research
Longitudinal comparison of "Zootopia" (2016) vs. "Zootopia 2" (2025) dubbing — tracing norm evolution over a decade
Corpus expansion of the methodology across multiple animated franchises
Reception studies: child vs. adult audience response to domesticated vs. foreignized elements
Sociolinguistic dimension: dubbing and the consolidation of Ukrainian-language cultural production
Thank You for Your Attention!
I am ready to answer your questions
Olena Bespala · UzhNU · 2026