The Challenge of Subtitling Offensive and Taboo Language into Spanish

José Javier Ávila-Cabrera

Description

Offers a unique teaching and research manual combining theoretical discussion with up-to-date examples and practical exercises

This book provides readers, students and teachers with a clear and concise guide to understanding the concepts of offensive and taboo language and how this type of language can be subtitled into Spanish used in Spain. It combines theoretical and practical approaches and covers technical matters, as well as those of censorship, (ideological) manipulation, translation strategies and techniques, the treatment of offensive and taboo language and how to conduct research in this field. It includes an array of examples from recent films and TV series to present the reader with real samples of subtitles broadcast on digital platforms today. In addition, each chapter includes exercises with which the reader can put theory into practice, as well as possible solutions in the form of answer keys. It will be of use not only to researchers and students, but also to future audiovisual translators seeking to acquire further knowledge in the transfer of offensive and taboo language.

Illustrations

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 2. Audiovisual Translation

Chapter 3. Offensive and Taboo Language

Chapter 4. Model of Analysis for Offensive/Taboo Language

Answer Key

Bibliography

Filmography

TV Series

Web Addresses

Index

Sujets

• Interpreting
• Translating
• Disciplines
• Language Arts
• Industries
• Lettres et linguistique
• Asociación Víctimas del Terrorismo
• Idioma español
• AVT
• Professional
• Postgraduate education
• Spanish
• Spanish language
• Research
• Postgraduate
• Industrie
• Media

Informations

• Publié par: Channel View Publications
• Date de parution: 27 janvier 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781800414884
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

The Challenge of Subtitling Offensive and Taboo Language into Spanish
Full details of all our other publications can be found on http://www.multilingual-matters.com , or by writing to Multilingual Matters, St Nicholas House, 31-34 High Street, Bristol, BS1 2AW, UK.
The Challenge of Subtitling Offensive and Taboo Language into Spanish
A Theoretical and Practical Guide
José Javier Ávila-Cabrera
MULTILINGUAL MATTERS
Bristol • Jackson
DOI https://doi.org/10.21832/AVILA4860
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
Names: Ávila-Cabrera, José Javier, author.
Title: The Challenge of Subtitling Offensive and Taboo Language into Spanish: A Theoretical and Practical Guide/José Javier Ávila-Cabrera.
Description: Bristol; Jackson: Multilingual Matters, [2023] | Includes bibliographical references, filmography, and index. | Summary: “This book presents a clear and concise guide to understanding the concepts of offensive and taboo language and how this type of language can be subtitled into Spanish for Spain. It includes an array of examples from recent films and TV series as well as exercises which allow the reader to put theory into practice”—Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022039502 (print) | LCCN 2022039503 (ebook) | ISBN 9781800414860 (hardback) | ISBN 9781800414884 (epub) | ISBN 9781800414877 (pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Subtitles (Motion pictures, television, etc.)—Spain. | Taboo, Linguistic.
Classification: LCC P306.93 .A95 2023 (print) | LCC P306.93 (ebook) | DDC 468/.02—dc23/eng/20221018
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022039502
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022039503
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue entry for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN-13: 978-1-80041-486-0 (hbk)
Multilingual Matters
UK: St Nicholas House, 31-34 High Street, Bristol, BS1 2AW, UK.
USA: Ingram, Jackson, TN, USA.
Website: www.multilingual-matters.com
Twitter: Multi_Ling_Mat
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Blog: www.channelviewpublications.wordpress.com
Copyright © 2023 José Javier Ávila-Cabrera.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.
The policy of Multilingual Matters/Channel View Publications is to use papers that are natural, renewable and recyclable products, made from wood grown in sustainable forests. In the manufacturing process of our books, and to further support our policy, preference is given to printers that have FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody certification. The FSC and/or PEFC logos will appear on those books where full certification has been granted to the printer concerned.
Typeset by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India.
To Joy
Contents
Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
1 Introduction
2 Audiovisual Translation
2.1 Subtitling
2.1.1 Types of subtitles
2.1.1.1 Intralingual subtitles
2.1.1.2 Interlingual subtitles
2.1.1.3 Bilingual subtitles
2.1.1.4 Multilingual subtitles
2.1.1.5 Types of subtitles in foreign language learning
2.2 Subtitling Conventions
2.2.1 Technical constraints
2.2.2 Subtitle synchronisation
2.2.3 Formal appearance of subtitles
2.2.4 Text reduction
2.3 Punctuation and Orthotypography
2.4 The Semiotic Dimension of Subtitling
2.5 Subtitled Products
2.6 Manipulation
2.6.1 Patronage
2.6.2 Ideological manipulation
2.6.3 Censorship
2.6.3.1 Why does censorship take place?
2.6.3.2 Types of censorship
2.6.3.3 Censorship in the US
2.6.3.4 Censorship in the UK
2.6.3.5 Censorship in Spain
2.7 Exercises
3 Offensive and Taboo Language
3.1 Historical Approach
3.2 Terminological Concepts
3.3 Taxonomy of Offensive and Taboo Terms
3.4 Modulating the Language Style: Euphemism, Orthophemism and Dysphemism
3.5 An Approach to (Im)Politeness
3.6 The Impact and Treatment of Offensive and Taboo Language
3.6.1 A cultural approach
3.6.2 An approach based on audiovisual translation
3.6.3 Proposals for subtitling offensive and taboo language
3.7 Research on Offensive and Taboo Areas
3.7.1 Research on offensive and taboo topics
3.7.2 Offensive and taboo language in subtitling
3.8 Exercises
4 Model of Analysis for Offensive/Taboo Language
4.1 Method, Translation Strategies vs Translation Techniques
4.1.1 Subtitling strategies
4.1.2 Subtitling techniques
4.1.2.1 Transfer of the load
4.1.2.2 Non-transfer of the load
4.2 Research Design
4.2.1 Purpose(s)
4.2.2 Conceptual framework
4.2.3 Research questions
4.2.4 Methods
4.2.5 Sampling procedures
4.3 Exercises
Answer Key
References
Filmography
TV Series
Web Addresses
Index
Illustrations
Figures
Figure 2.1 Snapshot of Snatch
Figure 2.2 Example of a pyramidal layout
Figure 4.1 Example of conceptual framework
Figure 4.2 Example of manipulation in film subtitles for flight versions
Tables
Table 2.1 Example of correct and incorrect segmentation
Table 2.2 Example of language combinations in See by Apple TV
Table 3.1 Taxonomy of offensive and taboo language
Table 3.2 Examples of dysphemism, orthophemism and euphemism
Table 4.1 Taxonomy of subtitling techniques for the transfer of offensive and taboo language
Acknowledgements
I would like express my deepest gratitude to Dr Noa Talaván and Professor Jorge Díaz Cintas for all they have taught me throughout my university career. They have been a great source of inspiration to me; to my friends and colleagues Dr Avelino Corral Esteban and Dr Pilar Rodríguez-Arancón, for their indefatigable encouragement; to Professor Roberto A. Valdeón for his interest in my research studies, which is mutual; to Dr Antonio Roales Ruiz, for all I learnt from him about the field of professional subtitling when working together, and for all his helpful comments on the technicalities of subtitling. I would also like to thank other colleagues for their help through various consultations about censorship in Spain such as Dr María Pérez L. de Heredia, Dr Cristina Gómez Castro, Dr Camino Gutiérrez Lanza, Dr Rosa Rabadán and Dr Sergio Lobejón Santos.
My special thanks to audiovisual translators who have coped with the difficulties inherent in the subtitling of offensive and taboo language. Thanks to all their contributions to the audiovisual translation industry – this book has assembled a number of their subtitles into Spanish – and which through their descriptive analysis will inspire undergraduates and future subtitlers, hopefully in the same way they have motivated me to look into the subtleties of this type of language which has received little attention from academia over many years.
I am also very grateful to all researchers from different areas who have broken taboos of their own in this field of research. These authors have greatly influenced my desire to explore taboo content in all its forms in audiovisual translation. I would also like to thank the reviewer of this book for all the insightful comments and suggestions made to improve it during the revision stage.
To my parents for having taught me the importance of love, respect and hard work, and especially to my mum for all her strength in dealing with adversity in life – something she has instilled in me.
Last but not least, this book is dedicated to my lovely wife Joy, an avid reader of all my work. Her support and encouragement while writing this book has been exceptional.
Abbreviations
AD
Audio Description
ATRAE
Asociación de Traducción y Adaptación Audiovisual de España [Association of Audiovisual Translation and Adaptation of Spain]
AVT
Audiovisual translation
BBC
British Broadcasting Corporation
CESyA
Centro Español de Subtitulado y Audiodescripción [Spanish Centre of Subtitling and Audio Description]
DTS
Descriptive translation studies
DTT
Digital terrestrial television
DVD
Digital video disc
L1
First language
L2
Second language
MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
OTT
Over the top
RAE
Real Academia Española [Spanish Royal Academy]
SDH
Subtitling for the D/deaf or the hard of hearing
SL
Source language
SpS
Subtítulos para sordos [Subtitles for the deaf]
ST
Source text
TCR
Time code reader
TL
Target language
TS
Translation studies
TT
Target text
VCD
Video compact disc
VHS
Video home system
VOD
Video on demand
1 Introduction
Before I started conducting research almost a decade ago, I remember hearing people say ‘these subtitles are very different from what the speakers say’ or ‘these subtitles do not translate what the speakers say’, and this is a general thought of people not familiar with audiovisual translation (AVT). However, once you know the conventions of subtitling, you realise that subtitles are not a literal translation of the source text (ST) to the target text (TT), but a rendering of the linguistic, cultural and paralinguistic information on the screen. Simply put, it is the transfer of the gist we can hear and see on the screen given the technical constraints of this AVT mode.
I spent my university years as an undergraduate in Madrid watching films subtitled into Spanish in the very few cinemas that presented films in their original language. My interest in the way subtitlers rendered swear words and phrases into Spanish started just after meeting my PhD supervisors, Dr Noa Talaván and Professor Jorge Díaz Cintas. This interest turned into a passion for gaining some insights into the way offensive, taboo or vulgar language, as some authors define it, was subtitled into Spanish in Spain. This passion led me to conduct my own thorough research in this field. This book is a result of the research I have been conducting for the past several years. A brief description of its content is presented as follows.
Chapter 1 describes the conten