Amateur Subtitling Research Articles

Fan indirect subtitling of Cdramas by women in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract Despite its controversial status, indirect translation remains one of the most prevalent translation methods and efforts have been made to explore the positive effects of this practice. The present article aims to contribute to such endeavours by researching the potential of indirect fansubbing for the promotion of several key areas of the United Nations’ Fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). The article reports on a fansubbing community consisting of Chinese to Spanish amateur subtitlers who have mobilised indirect translation to attain linguistic proficiency, translational skills and cultural literacy. Results from fieldwork and qualitative data show that indirect subtitles might enhance Spanish-speaking communities’ appreciation of foreign languages and cultures by providing access to otherwise inaccessible audiovisual products. The present research finds potential for indirect fansubbing as an autodidactic method capable of promoting a culture of lifelong learning, global citizenship, and the appreciation of cultural diversity, factors conducive to the fourth SDG.

Euphemistic Strategies Adopted in the Professional and Amateur Subtitling of Taboos in American Movies into Arabic

Euphemistic Strategies Adopted in the Professional and Amateur Subtitling of Taboos in American Movies into Arabic

Translating humorous videos on social media: Meaning-making in a shared culture

This paper focuses on the practices by amateur subtitlers who translate and disseminate foreign humorous videos on social media, with particular attention on the meaning-making process involving raw material selection, subtitling, reception and interaction within the online community. Drawing on relevance theory, this paper proposes that meaning-making in social media environment is achieved by both subtitlers and viewers who jointly construct a mutual cognitive environment containing shared cultural information. To verify this hypothesis, it selects 10 pieces of humorous videos and collects the viewer comments from weibo to analyze how subtitlers manage to convey the humorous meaning and how viewers respond to the subtitled content and negotiate meaning to build a shared culture. Overall, this paper contributes to the emerging research focus on the participatory consumption and reception of translated audiovisual texts in the digital era.

Making sense of trans-translating in blogger subtitling: a netnographic approach to translanguaging on a Chinese microblogging site

Abstract The online digital sphere has recently witnessed a rapid growing of amateur audiovisual translation, which not only reinvigorates the current body of translation scholarship but also calls for a paradigm shift from the entrenched monolingualism. Though a plethora of studies have been conducted on fansubbing, little is known about blogger subtitling. Drawing on the netnographic data from a subtitling video blogger, @暴躁鸭仔 (baozao yazai, Grumpy Duckling for English) on a microblogging site (Weibo) in the mainland of China, we explored trans-translating by examining the translanguaging involved in the blogger’s subtitling translation. It is revealed that the blogger makes a hybrid, integrated use of multiple semiotic, orthographic, discursive and modal resources, without being confined by the boundaries amongst nameable languages, or linguistic/non-linguistic codes. The orchestration of the unified heterolingual repertoire builds up a social-media translanguaging space, wherein the tensions between translation and translanguaging due to distinct conceptual schemas are manipulated to yield synergy insofar as they dovetail into ingenious language making. We concluded that such creative translation can be retheorized as a process of trans-translating to encapsulate the subtitling experience in light of its dynamic and fluid nature, and transformative power of translanguaging. The results of this research might add to the picture of amateur subtitling and translation and that of translanguaging as well as their relation to one another.

Blurring the Line between Professional and Amateur Subtitling

Fansubbing has generally been characterised by particular features that deviate from professional subtitling conventions; however, recent research begins to show the complexity of the phenomenon and hints at how the line between the professional and the amateur practices is blurring [Dore and Petrucci 2021; Massidda 2015]. The case of Diary of Tootsies, a Thai comedy series and its translations is another representative example of the interconnection of professional and amateur AVT and the need to question the dichotomy between the two practices. This paper revisits professional subtitling conventions and the unconventional features typically associated with fansubs, and then maps them onto the subtitles in the indirect translation chain: the official English subtitles, used as a pivot, and the fansubs created by Spanish-speaking fans. The findings reveal several textual features that are usually attributed to fansubs can also be detected in official subtitles, for instance, unconventional uses of orthotypography, informal abbreviations, and additional explanations. Textual evidence indicates further blurring as these distinctive traits are not always adopted in the corresponding Spanish fansubs. In some cases, fansubbers opt for translation decisions more typical of what might be expected in professional subtitling.

Insights into Iranian younger audience of Persian amateur subtitling: a reception study

In today’s digital culture, amateur as a type of non-professional subtitling has mushroomed worldwide and has arguably challenged conventional practices of audiovisual translation. The contemporary digital mediascape has provided an opportunity for audiences to access a wide variety of audiovisual content through multiple translation modes. The aim of this study is twofold. It examines Iranian younger viewers’ audiovisual translation viewing habits and preferences and explores their reception and assessment of Persian amateur subtitling. A selection of 132 Iranian participants attended the study to watch an entire episode of an English television comedy with Persian amateur subtitles. A questionnaire and semistructured interviews were used to collect data on viewers’ audiovisual translation viewing habits and their reception of the subtitled episode. Findings suggest that a large number of the users prefer to watch audiovisual content with subtitles created and distributed by non-professionals. The results of the experiment indicate the viewers’ positive attitudes and perceptions towards amateur subtitles. On the basis of the empirical evidence, it can be argued that the Iranian audience, who had grown up accustomed to dubbing, have now become acclimatized to subtitling. Other evidence is indicative of the viewers’ positive experience and appraisal of Persian amateur subtitling.

Intervention in new amateur subtitling cultures: a multimodal account

Recent developments in the audiovisual marketplace have led to an increasing compartmentalization of subtitling audiences and the emergence of amateur subtitling cultures that aim to cater for the idiosyncratic demands of their target audience niche. Fansubbing, i. e. the subtitling of Japanese animated films by fans, is one of the most influential and successful of such amateur cultures. This article examines the genealogy of this peculiar phenomenon, describes some of its most distinctive subtitling practices and explores the effects of its interventionist agenda. Drawing on the apparatus of multimodal theory and the insights provided by a small purpose-built corpus, this paper argues that fansubbing exploits traditional meaningmaking codes in a creative manner and, more importantly, criss-crosses the traditional boundaries between linguistic and visual semiotics in innovative ways.

THE ANALYSIS OF TRANSLATION STRATEGIES IN AMATEUR SUBTITLING TRANSLATION BASED ON CULTURE-SPECIFIC ELEMENTS

The aim of this paper is to investigate translation strategies that amateur translators use when dealing with culture-specific words and expressions in the context of subtitling translation. Our research focuses on finding the most frequent source-oriented and target-oriented strategies (Pedersen 2011) found in the popular sitcom Still open All Hours. As amateur subtitling is one of the most interesting disciplines in audiovisual translation, it is still one of the most underexplored areas of AVT, which makes it suitable for the present research. Also, cultural references are considered to be one of the most challenging issues when it comes to translation (Nedergaard-Larsen, Pedersen), so exploring these aspects will enable us to come to valid conclusions and insights into the amateur translation process. The translation analysis will be done by taking into account the text-function theory (Nord 2005) and comparing amateur translation solutions with proffesional translation samples. As a result, we hope to find out if amateur translators have in mind a specific target audience when translating or whether the "external" aspect to translate for a specific audience is absent (Cronin 2012). In the same vein, we expect to investigate if these type of translations are just a mere "linguistic exchange" (Orrego-Carmona 2017) and if the translations provided are correct and context-appropriate. By analysing the corpus we will obtain results about the most used translation strategies and see if there are differences between amateur and professional translations, as well as if and to what extent the English language has influenced the Montengrin language.

Ukrainian culture fansubbed: Challenges of amateur subtitling

The research addresses the issues of rendering culture specific information in amateur subtitling from the Ukrainian into the English language. The fansubbing of proper names, culture-bound common nouns, formulaic sequences, sociolects and songs by the non-professional translators for whom English is a foreign language is the main focus of this study. Thus, the comparative analysis of the Ukrainian filmsChasing Two Hares(1961),Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors(1965) andPrayer for Hetman Mazepa(2001), and their English subtitles reveals the difficulties fansubbers may face, as well as discusses translations strategies and techniques employed. Moreover, the study delves into reasons underlying the choice of translation approaches by nonprofessional subtitlers, including the collaborative nature of the process, the lack of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, as well as the insufficient mastering of the target language. Therefore, being a comprehensive study of the ways to convey cultural connotations of the original text by means of a foreign language on the level of fansubs, the research gives insight into the interconnection between the translation techniques used to render cultural references and the effect a target text may have on the audience.

La subtitulación amateur de series: el caso de Friends

Thanks to the Internet we can access the so-called amateur subtitling. The main advantage of this phenomenon is, without a doubt, the free access to audiovisual content in our mother tongue, while one of its disadvantages is not knowing the source's origin. Most of these translations are anonymous, and therefore, the quality of the translation is questionable. This paper aims to investigate the quality of amateur translation online, as well as to research whether it respects the rules of audiovisual translation. To reach a conclusion in this regard, the work analyzes the quality of two such translations of the episode “The One with All Thanksgivings” of the American series Friends, found on the podnapisi.com website. Through a comparative analysis between the two translations and applying the theories of audiovisual translation, both the veracity and the formal aspects are studied. As a final objective of this study we want to show that the opposite cases can be found on the Internet, that is, both translations that do respect the translation rules as well as those that do not, and that there is no adequate or predefined strategy on how to find a reliable amateur audiovisual translation and of good quality.Keywords: translation, amateur subtitling, online, Internet, Friends.

Iranian Amateur Subtitling Apparatus: A Qualitative Investigation

The number of studies addressing non-professional or amateur subtitling or fansubbing has increasingly multiplied over the past years, underlying its relevance in the present world. This is partly because a growing number of audiences worldwide now watch TV series and films with subtitles by amateur subtitlers, which are freely shared online, and Iranian viewers are certainly included. In Iran, to get around the “cultural gate-keeping” policy advocated and strictly enforced by the state in the national media system, from the early 2010s onward, numerous Persian-language websites have embarked on a new initiative whereby original, especially American tv series and films are made available for download together with their Persian subtitles. Despite the upsurge of this phenomenon in the Iranian context, there is limited literature and research on Persian non-professional subtitling. To fill this knowledge gap, this article aims to examine and analyze the different practices that are closely associated with Persian amateur subtitling. This includes building a profile of Iranian amateur subtitlers, along with an account of their working process, followed by a description of fansubbed products. The data are gathered using an open-ended questionnaire with a criterion sample of Iranian non-professional subtitlers, a survey of Iran-based video and subtitle sharing websites, and a close examination of the common features found in fansubbed Persian products, including reading speed and fansubbers’ experimentation with the original.El sistema de subtitulación aficionada iraní: Una investigación cualitativaResumenLa cantidad de estudios que abordan la subtitulación no profesional o aficionada, o fansubbing, se ha multiplicado en los últimos años, lo que subraya su relevancia en el mundo actual. Esto se debe en parte a que un número creciente de espectadores en todo el mundo ahora ve series de televisión y películas con subtítulos compartidos en línea por subtituladores no profesionales e Irán no es una excepción. Desde principios de 2010 en adelante, en Irán, numerosos sitios web en lengua persa se han embarcado en una nueva iniciativa para sortear la política de "filtrado cultural" —defendida y dirigida estrictamente por el Estado en el sistema de medios de comunicación nacional—, en la cual series y películas, especialmente estadounidenses, se comparten para descargar con subtítulos en persa. A pesar del aumento de este fenómeno en el contexto iraní, existe poca literatura e investigación sobre la subtitulación persa no profesional. Para llenar este vacío, este artículo busca examinar y analizar las diferentes prácticas estrechamente asociadas a la subtitulación persa. Esto incluye construir un perfil de los subtituladores no profesionales iraníes, junto a una descripción de su proceso de trabajo, seguida de una descripción de los productos subtitulados por aficionados. Los datos se recopilan mediante un cuestionario abierto con una muestra de criterios tomados de los subtituladores no profesionales iraníes, una revisión de los sitios web para compartir subtítulos y videos en Irán, y un examen detallado de las características comunes a los productos subtitulados por aficionados a la lengua persa, incluyendo la velocidad de lectura y la experimentación de los subtituladores aficionados con el original.Palabras clave: subtitulación no profesional, subtitulación aficionada, subtituladores aficionados, subtitulación persa, IránFecha de recepción: 30/04/2019Fecha de aceptación: 30/06/2019¿Cómo citar este artículo?Ameri, S. y Khoshsaligheh, M. (2019). Iranian Amateur Subtitling Apparatus: A Qualitative Investigation. Mutatis Mutandis. Revista Latinoamericana de Traducción, 12(2), 433-453. doi: 10.27533/udea.mut.v12n2a08

English as a lingua franca (ELF) in Chinese fansubbers’ practices

Abstract As a global phenomenon, English as a lingua franca (ELF) has been rigorously researched in many fields but completely ignored in translation studies. Based on a previous study, this study accordingly sets out to investigate the ELF phenomenon in the fansubbing culture with a specific focus on the notes and comments by fansubbers, arguing that fansubbing as a practice creates a space for dialogue between fan translators and their viewers that leads to the ‘empowerment’ of fansubbers as linguistic and cultural mediators. By examining specific screenshots of headnotes and comments by amateur translators with regard to six seasons of the TV series Rizzoli & Isles, this paper discusses background reasons for ELF applied by fansubbers, the implications of the ELF phenomenon in fansubbing culture, and the potential effects of fansubbing upon the audience in contradistinction to the effects of commercial subtitling and upon the translation profession as a whole. Finally, this article hopes to shed light on Chinese fansubbers who in fact blur the traditional distinction between professional and amateur subtitling, and concludes that the specific language practices fansubbers are engaged in show – as both fans and translators – an unlimited degree of latitude from mainstream subtitling.

Amateur subtitling in a dubbing country: The reception of Iranian audience

Although dubbing is the official and dominant modality of translating foreign films and television series in Iran, amateur subtitling has been increasingly used by the Iranian audience for audiovisual products that are not dubbed, or at least not soon enough or not without substantial ‘cultural appropriation.’ Given the increasing attention paid to viewers’ reception in the domain of audiovisual translation, this study attempts to explore the reception of Iranian viewers of the non-professional subtitling into Persian. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed for the present research. Initially, the qualitative analysis of the focus groups conducted with consumers of such products suggested five main themes: translational, translatorial and technical expectations as well as the advantages and disadvantages. The quantitative analysis of the survey data confirmed the five themes in the second phase of the study.

Pragmatic Functions of Swearwords in the Amateur Subtitling of American Crime Drama Movies into Arabic

Pragmatic Functions of Swearwords in the Amateur Subtitling of American Crime Drama Movies into Arabic

Online Fan Practices and CALL

This article provides a narrative overview of research on online fan practices for language and literacy learning, use, and identity work. I begin with an introduction to online fan communities and common fan practices found in these online affinity spaces, the best known of which is fan fiction, fictional writing that reinterprets and remixes the events, characters, and settings found in popular media. I then look to other online fan practices that have been explored in language and literacy learning research such as fan-subbing and scanlation, amateur subtitling and translation of popular media carried out by individual or teams of fans. Finally, this article concludes by looking to research that has begun to explore the integration of fan practices found in the digital wilds into the language classroom as a way to illuminate how our growing understanding of online fan practices can motivate the design of computermediated tasks or the integration of social media into formal language teaching.

Fansubbing in the Arab World: Modus Operandi and Prospects

This paper analyzes the subtitles generated by Arab amateur subtitlers, who are commonly known as fansubbers. The study is based on scrutinizing two copies of the film The Wolf of Wall Street which has been subtitled by fans in two different Arab countries, Jordan and Lebanon. The study is designed to analyze the Arabic subtitles generated in each DVD to understand how subtitlers from each country deal with different problematic issues and distasteful topics in the film, including utterances related to sexuality, swear words andreferences to embarrassing bodily functions. The study applies the model of euphemisation in subtitling proposed by Al-Adwan(2015) which has beenderived primarily from two existing models of euphemisation presented by Williams (1975) and Warren (1992). The applied model has managed to address the majority of the problematic instances and has also identified strategies adopted to tackle them in the Arabic subtitles. However, the model has not been able to account for other instances found in both DVDs where subtitlers also used dysphemism as a translation strategy. The analysis reveals that fansubbers do not only use euphemism but also dysphemism in their Arabic subtitles when translating certain problematic utterances.

Attenuating Obscenity of Swearwords in the Amateur Subtitling of English Movies into Arabic

The interlingual subtitling of swearwords poses problems to translators due to differences in the degree of tolerating the obscenity of such words by various speech communities. To account for the perplexities incurred in the intercultural transference of swearwords, translators adopt attenuation strategies that facilitate their mediating role between cultures. In line with this, the present study attempts to identify the strategies adopted by Arab amateur subtitlers to mitigate the obscenity of swearwords in English movies. It utilizes a corpus-based approach to identify the factors affecting the decisions made by these subtitlers. The content analysis method was used in categorizing swearwords and in the translation comparison process, Toury's (1996) ‘coupled pairs’ model was adopted to identify attenuation strategies. The findings revealed that the common strategies used to mitigate the obscenity of swearwords are deletion, change of semantic fields, register shift and the use of archaic words, using euphemistic expressions, generalization and linguistic substitution and ambiguity. Moreover, cultural norms play a significant role in choosing the translation strategy to handle swearwords.

Attenuating Obscenity of Swearwords in the Amateur Subtitling of English Movies into Arabic

The interlingual subtitling of swearwords poses problems to translators due to differences in the degree of tolerating the obscenity of such words by various speech communities. To account for the perplexities incurred in the intercultural transference of swearwords, translators adopt attenuation strategies that facilitate their mediating role between cultures. In line with this, the present study attempts to identify the strategies adopted by Arab amateur subtitlers to mitigate the obscenity of swearwords in English movies. It utilizes a corpus-based approach to identify the factors affecting the decisions made by these subtitlers. The content analysis method was used in categorizing swearwords and in the translation comparison process, Toury's (1996) ‘coupled pairs’ model was adopted to identify attenuation strategies. The findings revealed that the common strategies used to mitigate the obscenity of swearwords are deletion, change of semantic fields, register shift and the use of archaic words, using euphemistic expressions, generalization and linguistic substitution and ambiguity. Moreover, cultural norms play a significant role in choosing the translation strategy to handle swearwords.

PROBLEMS IN AMATEUR SUBTITLING OF ENGLISH MOVIES INTO ARABIC

The present study sheds light on some of the problems encountered in the process of subtitling English movies into Arabic by amateur subtitling translators. It adopted a qualitative approach in the analysis of a parallel corpus, which comprised a sample of scripts of English speaking movies and their subtitles in Arabic. This sample includes the scripts of two English celebrity movies (Jarhead, 2005 and Alpha Dog, 2006) and their amateur subtitles in Arabic. The error analysis approach formulated by Bogucki (2009) was adopted with some modifications to suit the analysis approach used in this study. The English scripts and the Arabic subtitles were juxtaposed and the content analysis method was used in the codification and categorisation of the most recurrent problems in the corpus. In the translation comparison process between the source texts and their subtitled versions, Toury's (1995) 'coupled pairs' model with the back translation technique was used. The findings indicate that the most predominant problems in Arabic amateur subtitling fall within the technical, translational and linguistic domains.

La subtitulación aficionada de animación japonesa: una aproximación intertextual

El presente artículo constituye una aproximación a la subtitulación aficionada de animación japonesa (saaj) desde la perspectiva de la intertextualidad. Se busca, en lo esencial, mostrar la idoneidad del marco teórico adoptado para el estudio de actividades discursivas de la compleja naturaleza de la saaj y proporcionar la base para una consideración adecuada de esta práctica en particular.