Rub-a-dub

This study explores compensation strategies in dubbing nursery rhymes from English into Indonesian to maintain their rhyming, rhythmic, and mnemonic functions. Despite the growing prevalence of dubbed children's songs on platforms such as YouTube, there has been a limited scholarly attention to how rhyme is preserved in translation. Analyzing English nursery rhymes and their Indonesian dubbed versions from popular YouTube channels such as Cocomelon, Pinkfong, BabyBus, and Little Baby Bum, the study proposes a typology of compensation strategies comprising four types: Rectification, Recompense, Restitution, and Repositioning. These strategies were identified using a qualitative methodology incorporating Spradley's ethnographic analysis and were informed by theories of singability, proairesis, and compensation in song translation. The findings reveal that these strategies play a crucial role in preserving the musicality and the pedagogical effectiveness of nursery rhymes for young audiences. The research contributes to translation theory and practice by offering a systematic framework for handling the complex interplay between form and function in dubbing children's songs

Indonesian · Mnemonic · Rhyme · Typology · Language Acquisition and Education · Subtitles and Audiovisual Media · Translation Studies and Practices