Adaptation is a translation technique that modifies the content to account for cultural differences between the source and target languages. It has been used for centuries to make texts more appropriate, familiar, and relevant. While it can distort the original meaning, adaptation is commonly used for fields like advertising, subtitling, and translating meta-linguistic texts. There are two types - local adaptation modifies elements like names and references, while global adaptation can change the overall meaning. The technique remains controversial as some see it as a betrayal of the original work.

1. BY: Yarelis Gonzalez
Yanelis Rios

3. WHAT IS ADAPTATION IN
TRANSLATION?
When cultural differences occur
between the source language
and the target language.
Adaptation is a free form of
translation technique. It has been
used for centuries especially during
the 17th and the 18th centuries

5. MAIN FEATURES OF ADAPTATION AS A TRANSLATION
TECHNIQUE
Summarizing
Paraphrase
Omission
One step further and modifies the content
Accepted in translating meta-linguistic texts
Fields of advertising and subtitling

6. WHY IS CULTURAL
ADAPTATION IMPORTANT
IN TRANSLATION?
It makes the text …
• Appropriate
• Familiar
• Relevant

8. CRITICISM OF USING ADAPTATION AS A
TRANSLATION TECHNIQUE
• Adaptation leads to distortion and is
a kind of betrayal to the original
author
WHEN SHOULD A TRANSLATOR MAKE USE
OF ADAPTATION
While professional translators consider
all sorts of constraints when adopting a
translation technique, there are certain
situation where translators commonly
resort to adaptation.

9. TYPES OF ADAPTATION
• LOCAL
• GLOBAL

10. Adaptation
Example
“Jaws”: Tiburón
“The Sound of
Music”: Sonrisas y
lágrimas. Back
translation: smiles
and tears
“Rosemary’s
Baby”: La semilla
del diablo
“ Die Hard”: Jungla
de Cristal
“ The Parent Trap”:
Tu a Londres y yo a
California/ Juego de
Gemelas
But Cassidy and the
Sundance kid: Dos
hombre y un
destino (Back
Translation: Two
men and a destiny).
City of angels. Un
angel enamorado
(movie)
Shawshank.
Cadena Perpetua
- These phrases
keep the original
sense even though
they are all
different.
Movie titles
like the
following:

11. More Examples of
Adaptations
Friday 13th(bad luck
day) is translated
into Spanish as
Martes 13.
Dear Sir: Muy señor
mío.
Castor Oil:Aceite de
Ricino
Star Wars:Guerra de
las Galaxias

13. CONCLUSION
The translator might move to other
methods which make the outcome text
more natural.