Linguistic and Cultural

Representation in
Audiovisual Translation

This collection of essays offers a multifaceted exploration of audiovisual

translation, both as a means of intercultural exchange and as a lens through
which linguistic and cultural representations are negotiated and shaped.
Examining case studies from a variety of media, including film, television,
and video games, the volume focuses on different modes of audiovisual
translation, including subtitling and dubbing, and the representations of
linguistic and stylistic features, cultural mores, gender, and the translation
process itself embedded within them. The book also meditates on issues
regarding accessibility—a growing concern in audiovisual translation
research. Rooted in the most up-to-date issues in both audiovisual translation
and media culture today, this volume is essential reading for students and
scholars in translation studies, film studies, television studies, video game
studies, and media studies.

Irene Ranzato is a Researcher and Lecturer in English language and

translation at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Her previous publications
include Translating Culture Specific References on Television: The Case of
Dubbing (2016).

Serenella Zanotti is Associate Professor of English Language and Translation

at Roma Tre University, Italy. Her previous publications include Italian
Joyce: A Journey through Language and Translation (2013).
Linguistic and Cultural
Representation in
Audiovisual Translation

Edited by Irene Ranzato

and Serenella Zanotti
First published 2018
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Ranzato, Irene, editor. | Zanotti, Serenella, editor.
Title: Linguistic and cultural representation in audiovisual translation /
edited by Irene Ranzato and Serenella Zanotti.
Description: New York : Routledge, [2018] | Series: Routledge Advances
in translation and interpreting studies, 32 | Includes bibliograhical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017061294 | ISBN 9781138286214 (hardback : alk.
paper) | ISBN 9781315268552 (ebk)
Subjects: LCSH: Language and culture. | Translating and interpreting—
Social aspects. | Mass media—Language.
Classification: LCC P306.97.S63 L57 2018 | DDC 418/.03791—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017061294
ISBN: 978-1-138-28621-4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-26855-2 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents

Prefaceviii
MARIE-NOËLLE GUILLOT

Introduction: If You Can’t See It, You Can’t Be It: Linguistic

and Cultural Representation in Audiovisual Translation 1
IRENE RANZATO AND SERENELLA ZANOTTI

PART I
Representing Linguacultures 9

  1 Translational Routines in Dubbing: Taking Stock

and Moving Forwards 11
MARIA PAVESI

  2 Transcultural Images: Subtitling Culture-Specific

Audiovisual Metaphors 31
JAN PEDERSEN

  3 Politeness Goes to the Scaffold: Forms of Address in

Polish and Italian Translations of Tudor Films
and Television Series 46
MONIKA WOŹNIAK AND AGATA HOŁOBUT

PART II
Representational Practices Across Different AVT Modes 59

  4 “Free Free . . . Set them Free”: What Deconstraining

Subtitles Can Do for AVT 61
DAVID KATAN
vi Contents
  5 Comedy Under Fire: Subtitling Two and a Half Men
Into Arabic 85
AMER AL-ADWAN AND RASHID YAHIAOUI

  6 Gender in Game Localization:

The Case of Mass Effect 3’s FemShep 101
SILVIA PETTINI

PART III
Representing Otherness 119

  7 Migrants in Translation: A Corpus-Based Approach

to the Representation of Migrants by
Four News Broadcasting Channels 121
GAIA ARAGRANDE

  8 The Representation of Foreign Speakers in TV Series:

Ideological Influence of the Linguacultural Background
on Source and Target Scripts 147
PIETRO LUIGI IAIA

PART IV
Representing Multilingual Soundscapes 163

  9 Solution-Types for Representing Dubbed Film

and TV Multilingual Humour 165
PATRICK ZABALBEASCOA

10 A Game of Languages: The Use of Subtitles

for Invented Languages in Game of Thrones184
SOFIA IBERG

PART V
Representing Voice 201

11 The British Upper Classes: Phonological Fact

and Screen Fiction 203
IRENE RANZATO
 Contents  vii
12 Representations of Stuttering in Subtitling:
A View From a Corpus of English Language Films 228
SILVIA BRUTI AND SERENELLA ZANOTTI

PART VI
Representing Translation 263

13 “New and Improved Subtitle Translation”:

Representing Translation in Film Paratexts 265
CAROL O’SULLIVAN

List of Contributors 280

Index285