BETWEEN EAST AND WEST: CHALLENGES IN TRANSLATING 千と千尋の神隠し (SPIRITED AWAY) INTO ENGLISH, FRENCH, POLISH, AND UKRAINIAN

Abstract

The article explores the specific challenges involved in translating the Japanese animated film “Spirited Away” (2001), directed by Hayao Miyazaki, into English, French, Polish, and Ukrainian. The primary focus is on the complex intercultural issues faced by translators in rendering a semiotically rich and culturally specific text. The analysis includes the translation of proper names, expressions of politeness, and culturally marked concepts, such as folkloric and religious elements essential to the construction of the film’s unique narrative universe.Special attention is given to the linguistic features shaping character portrayal and social hierarchy, such as the use of Japanese honorifics, forms of address, levels of politeness, and variation in register and tone depending on the character’s age and status. The study examines cases in which stylistic nuances are reduced or neutralized in translation, thereby influencing character perception.The concept of the ‘empty center’ is also discussed – an inherent feature of Japanese narrative that is characterized by a slow tempo, minimal explicit explanation, meaningful pauses, and emotional silences. This narrative device often has no direct equivalent in Western storytelling traditions and poses a challenge for translators, who may feel compelled to fill moments of silence with sounds or words to meet the expectations of a Western audience.The article also analyzes the choice between domestication and foreignization strategies in each language version, taking into account local translation traditions and the target audience. Combining approaches from translation studies and cultural studies, the research demonstrates how the translation of “Spirited Away” negotiates between Japanese specificity and Western expectations, and how different translational decisions reshape the interpretation of the film in intercultural space. The study concludes that while domestication is a common tendency across all analyzed European translations – indicating cultural proximity among these languages – the English version relies more heavily on domestication. This is attributed to the influence of Disney and its goal of adapting the film to suit the expectations of a projected English- speaking audience. In contrast, the French, Ukrainian, and Polish versions show greater openness to foreignization, preserving many elements of the original culture without attempting to explain or simplify them.