Abstract
Translating audiovisual material such as songs that contribute to a film’s narrative is a challenge yet to be systematically researched in translation studies, and in its more specific branch of audiovisual translation (AVT). This article suggests a new line of research in the analysis of audiovisual material and the perception of fictional characters in original films and their translations, focusing on characterization in the dubbed French version of a musical episode of the American TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and more specifically on a song entitled ‘Something to Sing About’, translated as ‘Donnez-moi ma vie’ (Give me my life) in French. Lyrics, which are instrumental in allowing the viewer to make sense of the storyline and in constructing the characters’ personas, thus provide the main data for analysis. Characterization is investigated by examining shifts at the level of linguistic elements, including modality, complemented by an examination of parameters from cinematic modalities, such as shot composition, performance and voice quality. The analysis reveals shifts in the way Buffy is perceived in French. In the French dubbed version of the episode, Buffy comes across as more mature and sophisticated, and seems to have more control over her life.
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