Audiovisual Translation Modes Research Articles

Variability in the Use of Audiovisual Translation Terminology

The growing supply of audiovisual products is closely linked to their translation to the target audience. In Lithuania, as well as in other countries, various modes of audiovisual translation are applied: some audiovisual works are dubbed, some are translated using voice-over, and still others are subtitled or surtitled. Deaf and hard of hearing viewers have access to the audiovisual content with the help of specialized subtitles; whereas the blind and partially sighted gain access via audio description. Each mode of audiovisual translation is defined by particular terms and specific characteristics, the variety of which may frequently seem like a kind of terminological maze for their users. This article aims at defining terms related to both the field of audiovisual translation and its modes by examining their differences and similarities to provide a structured classification of these terms. The paper also presents the insights and results of the survey, which reveals consumers’ ambiguities about the perception of audiovisual products and the application of audiovisual translation terminology.

La evolución del español a través del doblaje en España.

In this text, we propose an overview of the evolution of the Spanish language through the dubbed versions of foreign films in Spain along the twentieth century.We cover from the early stages of cinema and silent movies and the use of intertitles –as iliteracy was high in large cities and the rate was even higher among women and in rural areas (Gubern, 1993)– so these title cards were something problematic to deal with, for this reason the film lecturer (Sánchez Salas, 2011), the commentator (Fuentes Luque, 2019) or the “explicador” film explainer proved key as a link between the audience and the movies (Fuentes Luque, 2019). After the talkies appeared, different varieties of Spanish could be heard in multilingual movies. Franco’s regime influenced the result of many films exhibited in Spanish movie theatres not only in the images, but also in the political ideologies, the religious aspects, the indecorous language, and sexual or improper activities, portrayed in Hollywood movies (Díaz Cintas, 2019). A “neutral” Spanish was created during the sixties to achieve a greater Hispanic audience. This practice was used on TV series, cartoons, and in Walt Disney’s movies. During the 70s, and with the boom of the 80s’ blockbusters, a greater number of American films were translated and consumed into Spanish. The immense impact of these movies influenced Spanish language and the traditional audiovisual translation mode –dubbing– (Rica Peromingo 2019), adapting and domesticating cultural references, filtering calques and false friends (Rica Peromingo, 2016).

Technology for subtitling: a 360-degree turn

Subtitling has become one of the most important audiovisual translation modes and cannot be understood outside the context of the technology that makes it possible. New audiovisual media are appearing, such as 360º videos, and the necessity of subtitling this type of content to make it accessible is emerging. In this article, an updated review of current subtitling technology is presented to contextualise the study. Then, a review of main immersive environments (3D, augmented reality and virtual reality) and their implications for subtitling has also been introduced. The focus of the study is on virtual reality and, therefore, the main challenges of subtitling 360º content are presented. To respond to the needs of subtitling this type of content, a first version of a subtitle editor has been developed and presented to twenty-seven professional subtitlers who have tested the tool and reported the correspondent feedback on usability and preferences. This study has proven the importance of carrying out usability tests with end users when developing specific software, as well as the challenges faced by subtitlers in new audiovisual media such as 360º content.

Promoting plurilingual and pluricultural competence in language learning through audiovisual translation

AbstractThe effectiveness of audiovisual translation (AVT) for language learning has been widely discussed and demonstrated by scholars in the past (cf.Lertola 2019). Nevertheless, many areas in this field of investigation are still underexplored, such as the usefulness of AVT for the acquisition of plurilingual and pluricultural competence (PPC). This is of paramount importance in the multilingual and multicultural societies we live in, and also given the emphasis the CEFRCompanion Volume(Council of Europe 2018) places on mediation and PPC. The latter has been the focus of the research project PluriTAV (2017–2019), in which the authors of this paper have taken part, aimed at developing a set of activities involving the use of AVT for the acquisition of PPC in the language classroom. This paper sets out to illustrate the theoretical framework sustaining the PluriTAV project and to reflect on the potential of AVT for the acquisition of PPC. This will be achieved by establishing links between AVT modes, transfer/mediation skills, and the descriptors developed within theFramework of Reference for Pluralistic Approaches to Languages and Cultures(FREPA) (Candelier et al. 2012), as well as referring to sample and specific activities developed within PluriTAV. In line with this project, the emphasis will be on language teaching in Higher Education, yet the discussion and the activities suggested could be easily extrapolated and adapted to other educational contexts and levels of language ability.

When Puerto Rico Talked to the World: Pioneering Dubbing in the Caribbean

This article presents a historical overview of audiovisual translation (AVT) in Puerto Rico, as a pioneering country in audiovisual translation in the Caribbean, which became a true dubbing power in the Spanish-speaking world from 1958 to the late 1970s. Special emphasis is placed on the factors that influenced the establishment of AVT modes in the region. The language model (i.e., the Spanish-language variety) used in audiovisual translation in different Latin American countries, and the use and influence of the so-called ‘neutral Spanish’ on the implementation of the different AVT modes in the various Spanish-speaking countries will be discussed. Also, the work process and conditions of audiovisual translators in Puerto Rico are described.

Text Compression in Surtitles: A Case Study of the OperaLa Traviata

SummarySurtitling as a mode of audiovisual translation is commonly used for intercultural communication both intralingually and interlingually in theatres. The largest Lithuanian theatres often provide surtitles as a means to present translated text of the original language, although in the scientific field surtitling is still a little studied mode. In order to provide qualitative surtitles that convey the essentials of the original language, translators and surtitlers applied a number of compression strategies. The duration and length of the surtitles are limited; therefore, the surtitle specialists must take into account the time and space constraints and provide the shortest text without losing the essence so that the viewer would be able to spend less time reading and mostly focusing on the performance. The article investigates cases of compression of translated text at both the syntactic and lexical levels. Using the descriptive, analytical and comparative methods, Lithuanian surtitles of the operaTraviatafor two theatres, namely Kaunas State Musical Theatre and Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, are prepared, and a study of the cases of text compression is performed.

Exploring Venezuela’s audiovisual translation landscape

ABSTRACT Research on audiovisual translation (AVT) has so far been basically restricted to the European context, almost completely ignoring the Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. Furthermore, the background and factors that influenced the emergence and development of audiovisual translation modes in Spanish America have not been studied either thus far. The present article shows a review of the historical, social, political, technical and professional aspects that have shaped audiovisual translation in Venezuela, a key country in the evolution of AVT in Spanish America, and the influence of the so-called ‘neutral Spanish’. The research is based, in part, on the nuclear testimonies of some of the main translators, revisers and managers of AVT in Venezuela.

Museums as Disseminators of Niche Knowledge

Accessibility has been facing several challenges within Audiovisual Translation Studies and has also gained great opportunities for its establishment as a methodologically and theoretically well-founded discipline. Audiovisual translation modes have achieved a crucial role in the transmission of what scholarly studies have discussed in relation to media accessibility as a set of services and practices providing access to audiovisual media content for persons with sensory impairment. Today accessibility has become a concept involving more and more universality, since it is extensively contributing to the dissemination of audiovisual and visual products about issues on minorities, and also addressing all human beings, regardless of cultural and social differences.
 Against this theoretical backdrop, accessibility is scrutinised within the context of aesthetics of marginalisation, migration, and minorities as modalities which encourage the diffusion of ‘niche’ knowledge, and as universal processes of translation and interpretation that provide access to all knowledge as counter discourse. Within this framework, the ways in which language is used can be considered the beginning of a type of local grammar for interlingual translation and subtitling applied to museum contexts of marginalisation, migration and minorities.
 Drawing upon well-established research in the field of audiovisual translation and media accessibility, and by adopting systemic-functional and lexical-semantic methodological approaches for translation quality assessment of museum text types, this study aims to put emphasis on accessibility as a societal instrument that contributes to giving voice to minorities through knowledge dissemination in English as a lingua franca by means of aesthetic narrative types within the field of the visual arts (i.e. museum settings). In this sense, accessibility is viewed as the embodiment of universality that ensures universal access to knowledge for all citizens as a human rights principle, while acting as an agent for the democratisation and transparency of information against media discourse distortions and oversimplifications.

Feasibility, Quality and Assessment of Interlingual Live Subtitling

Intralingual respeaking has been widely practiced since 2001 (Romero-Fresco, 2011), however, interlingual respeaking (from one language into another) is yet to take off. As a hybrid form of subtitling and interpreting, interlingual respeaking calls upon skills used in both professions. To transform this mode of audiovisual translation (AVT) within Media Accessibility (MA), a programme must be created to train future interlingual live subtitlers (ILSers). This paper presents the results of the first ever study on interlingual live subtitling (ILS), in which 10 participants interlingually respoke three short videos using a language combination of English and Spanish. The main areas of research in this project are feasibility, quality and training. Before expanding training in this area, ILS must be deemed feasible and an effective method of assessment must be in place to determine its quality. The average accuracy rate of the study is 97.17%, with the highest accuracy rate reaching the 98% threshold with 98.33%. The initial results point to ILS as feasible providing a training programme is put in place to build upon existing task-specific skills and develop new ones to ensure interlingual live subtitles of good quality are produced.

Creative Audiovisual Translation Applied to Foreign Language Education

Creative dubbing and subtitling are presented in this article as didactic resources to improve integrated foreign language (FL) skills (specifically oral and written production). The increasing attention that the application of audiovisual translation (AVT) to FL learning has been receiving in the last two decades calls for further exploration into the potential benefits of modern AVT modes, such as funsubbing and fundubbing, understood as the creative translation of an audiovisual text, be it into subtitles or through the production of a new audio track. After considering the educational power of creative AVT and providing the corresponding theoretical justification, the article will present a methodological proposal on how to use these AVT modes in online environments. Finally, preliminary data derived from a short-term trial will be analysed and discussed.

An Approach to Audio-Visual Translation and the Film Industry in Spain and Latin America

This paper investigates the little-known origins of audio-visual translation (AVT) modes, with particular attention to the Spanish-speaking world, focusing on Argentina and Spain, from silent films and intertitles, to multiple language versions (made in Hollywood and Joinville), to dubbing and subtitling. It also explores some potential factors involved in the election and implementation of specific AVT modes in the different Spanish-speaking Latin-American countries, and in Argentina in particular. Exploring and describing them will help determine the social, cultural, commercial and linguistic implications of the election of a given AVT mode and a specific language model for Latin-American countries. Also, drawing on the opinions and experience of audio-visual translators and viewers, the paper analyses the consequences of establishing a specific linguistic variation for the distribution of audio-visual productions in the Spanish-speaking market (the so-called ‘neutral Spanish’), and the levels of social acceptance thereof in the region.

Translating reality TV into Spanish: when fast-food TV challenges AVT conventions

ABSTRACTIn Spain, as in other countries, reality TV seems to be a pervasive phenomenon, materialised in a myriad of domestic and foreign productions. The latter require interlingual translation, which in most cases takes the form of voice-over translation. Despite the prevalence of reality TV and voice-over translation in Spanish television, both fields are still widely underexplored. This article sets out to bridge this research gap by presenting an exploratory study of the translation of reality TV in Spain. To this end, it will first document the prevalence of foreign reality TV in Spanish TV schedules, to then explore the similarities and differences in traditional voice-over translation (i.e. used for documentary translation) versus voice-over translation for reality TV. The focus is on the different types of synchrony observed in voice-over translation, yet the discussion highlights other relevant issues (e.g. approaches to the translation of semi-spontaneous speech) and illustrates how this genre is challenging audiovisual translation (AVT) conventions, as well as blurring the boundaries between AVT modes.

Using evaluation criteria and rubrics as learning tools in subtitling for the D/deaf and the hard of hearing

ABSTRACTThis paper focuses on the use of evaluation criteria and rubrics as tools for training in an audiovisual translation mode: subtitling for the D/deaf and the hard of hearing (SDH). Following an introduction to the current conception of and research carried out on quality assurance and assessment both in the translation industry and academia, a brief overview of the assessment processes and instruments used in SDH university training and in the professional sector is provided. This is followed by a case study of SDH assessment practices in Spain. Two questionnaires were filled in by five service providers and 12 university trainers, and the data gathered has enabled a better understanding of how assessment is currently being performed. These results, together with the Spanish SDH standards and a competence-based training approach, informed the design of two assessment instruments: a set of evaluation criteria and a rubric, which are both presented here. We also present a series of graduated tasks which are designed to enable students to gain an understanding of and be able to use the instruments to assess SDH.

Teaching Subtitling at Jordanian Universities: An Untapped Territory

The impact of globalization and the advent of satellite channels and digital technology have played an instrumental role in changing the audiovisual translation scene in Jordan. During the last two decades, the subtitling industry has flourished at an exponential rate as manifested in the number of institutions engaged in this form of translation, the quantity of multimodal texts commissioned for translation and the widening remit of translation activities conducted under the rubric of subtitling. The marked development in the subtitling industry, however, has not received adequate support from the academic institutions in the country. Departments that award undergraduate degrees in translation rarely teach courses in subtitling, and research conducted on the pedagogy of this kind of translation is almost nonexistent. This paper argues that courses in subtitling should be incorporated in the translation studies curricula offered at Jordanian universities not because these courses are an embellishment but because the benefits accrued from teaching this mode of translation are multifaceted. The paper highlights these benefits and examines whether the feedback from students exposed to subtitling activities reflects the importance of integrating this mode of audiovisual translation in BA translation programs offered at Jordanian universities.

Attitudes of young Poles and Norwegians towards audiovisual translation in cinema and broadcast media

Abstract This paper is a contribution to the discussion on audiovisual translation (AVT) in cinema and broadcast media on the example of Poland and Norway seen from the perspective of viewers. It aims at establishing possible differences and similarities in the way dominant AVT modes are viewed by younger people in these two countries. In AVT studies Norway has always been classified as a subtitling country while Poland has traditionally been associated with cinema subtitling and television voice-over, of which the latter often baffles AVT scholars. Consequently, one may presume that the audiences in these two countries are likely to have fairly disparate expectations towards AVT modes used in their cinemas and broadcast media. For the purpose of this article a questionnaire has been prepared and the findings arising from the analysis of the submitted replies will be presented here.

Accessibility and multilingualism: an exploratory study on the machine translation of audio descriptions

This article presents the results of an exploratory study which assesses the machine translation of audio descriptions as offering a possible solution to increase accessibility in multilingual environments. Accessibility is understood to encompass two different categories: sensorial accessibility (in this specific case, for the blind and visually impaired, who cannot access the visual content of audiovisual productions), and linguistic accessibility (for those who want to access this content in their own language). The article presents some thoughts on translation as a means of promoting multilingualism, on the feasibility of translating audio descriptions, and on machine translation as applied to this audiovisual translation mode, before summarising the findings of the present study and, most importantly, opening up new potential avenues for research.

Genética del doblaje cinematográfico. La versión del traductor como proto-texto en el filme <em>Rio</em>

This paper analyses the Spanish dubbed version of the animated film ‘Rio’ from a genetic point of view. Dubbing is the audiovisual translation mode which consists in re-recording the original voice track in the target language: although involving a large group of professionals, the translator’s task is pivotal to this process as he or she is responsible for transferring the information from one language to another. However, the text produced by the translator is not what will be heard on screen, as it will go through some transformations and rewritings during the dubbing process. It might even be considered a work-in-progress text, since a closer look reveals a high presence of hesitations, comments and other remarks addressed to the next agents. Once detected and classified, these marks will help us describe the dialogic relationship among some of the professionals involved in the dubbing process.

La traducción de canciones en el cine de animación

This paper explores the different strategies and choices made when translating songs for the cinema. Whereas songs in live-action films are usually subtitled, the standard audiovisual translation mode used in animated films is dubbing, mainly because young cinemagoers are the main audience of these films and their reading skills are not completely developed. The creation of a « singable » lyric and the respect for dubbing conventions oblige the translator to make choices taking into account the visual, musical and linguistic dimensions of the text. The analyses of the Spanish, French and Italian versions of Let it go, global hit from Disney’s Frozen (2013), reveal some of these approaches and translators’ priorities.

English

This article aims to evaluate the prospects and challenges of subtitling in Cameroon and its positive impacts based on the perceptions of a cross-section of respondents (students) of the University of Buea. The purpose is to assess the effectiveness and the relevance of this mode of audiovisual translation in improving the rate of literacy, its contribution to social development and the level of its use by the most popular television media in the country. A survey research method was used. Data were collected through questionnaires, observation and interviews. Results after analysis of the data revealed that the respondents appreciated the importance of subtitling and its role in audiovisual translation in the country. The results further indicated that alternative approaches could be adapted to enhance the usefulness of this mode of translation. Proposals towards improving its utilization for literacy improvement especially for the under-scholarised population as well as for improvement in translation skills have accordingly been presented. Key words: Audiovisual translation, subtitling, television media, translation skills, rate of literacy, social development.

Challenges and Rewards of Surtitling as an Audiovisual Translation Mode: A Case Study of the Contemporary Opera Have a Good Day!

The goal of surtitling as a mode of audiovisual translation (AVT) is to help the opera-goers to overcome language barriers faced in opera production. Modern technologies have made opera production more audience-friendly introducing new languages and works in opera houses worldwide. However, this relatively new field of research has not been investigated in Lithuania. Hence, this study aims at the analysis of surtitling as a new field of research highlighting technical and translation issues as well as complexity and obstacles that are encountered when producing this kind of translation. Even though subtitling and surtitling hold a number of similarities as two modes of language transfer when translating different types of audiovisual media, there are differences in their production process likewise technical difficulties to be dealt with. As illustration of multiple nature of opera surtitling, a contemporary opera performance Have a Good Day! is chosen. The modern opera, revealing inner lives, secret thoughts and wishes of cashiers in a shopping centre, includes a number of culture-specific items that are grouped according to Davies’s classification of translation strategies. Not only culture-specific items are studied, but also particular means like entries for different parts of chorus and vocal lines that interlace at the same time preserving syllabic number and rhyme pattern in libretto translation are thoroughly considered in the research. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sal.0.26.12422