A CASE STUDY OF LEGAL TERM TRANSLATION IN NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY SUBTITLES: TECHNIQUES AND ACCURACY IN AMERICAN MANHUNT: O.J. SIMPSON (2025)

Sharifah Fatimah Ummu Najwa. English for Business and Professional Communication Study Program. Case Study of Legal Term Translation in Netflix Documentary Subtitles : Techniques and Accuracy in American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson (2025).
This study investigates the translation of legal terms in the Indonesian subtitles of the Netflix documentary series American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson (2025). The study aims to: (1) identify the legal terms found in the English subtitles, (2) analyze the translation techniques applied based on Molina and Albir's theory, and (3) evaluate the translation accuracy of legal terms using Nababan et al.'s quality assessment model. A descriptive qualitative method was employed with purposive sampling. Primary data were obtained from both the English and Indonesian subtitles of the documentary series as well as accuracy ratings provided by raters. Data were collected through content analysis and a Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Data analysis followed Spradley's ethnographic analysis model, comprising four stages: domain, taxonomy, componential, and cultural theme analysis. The study is motivated by fundamental differences between the U.S. common law system and the Indonesian civil law system, which may affect the accuracy of legal term translation. The findings reveal that various translation techniques were employed, including established equivalent, borrowing, amplification, adaptation, and description, with varying levels of accuracy depending on the technique used. This study is expected to contribute to the fields of audiovisual translation and legal translation, and to serve as a reference for translators in selecting appropriate techniques when translating legal term in subtitles.