AUDIO-VISUAL TRANSLATION

Definitions
- “Audiovisual translation is a branch of translation
studies concerned with the transfer of multimodal and multimedial texts into another
language and/or culture” films, television programs, theatrical plays, musicals, opera, Web pages,
and video games are just some examples of the vast array of audiovisual products available and
that require translation.
Okyayuz and Kaya (2017) state that the source text is not a written text in subtitling or
dubbing translation. In its most basic form, it can be described as a text that combines
audio and visual elements which are multimodal and multi-indicative.
MODALITIES OF AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION
Yves Gambier (2003) declares that various types of audiovisual translation exist instead of
limiting it to dubbing and subtitling.
Dominant types are classified as interlingual subtitling, dubbing, consecutive interpreting,
simultaneous interpreting, voice-over, free commentary, simultaneous (or sight) translation,
and multilingual production, while challenging types are listed as translating scenario/script,
intralingual subtitling, live (or real time) subtitling, surtitling, and audio description.
Finally, 13 modes have been counted until 2005

-De Linde and Kay (1999) highlight that a principal distinction is generally
made between subtitling and dubbing, and on which method to prefer
depends on economic situations than cultural characteristics with regard to
national preferences.
Larger countries often favour dubbing to attract a wide number of audiences
even though this method is more expensive, while countries with smaller
number of viewers, and consequently restricted levels of investment and
production, are drawn to subtitling as a cheaper method
What is the main aim of both dubbing and subtitling ?
The main aim of both dubbing and subtitling is to make content accessible to
viewers who speak different languages or have hearing impairments.
Requirments: accuracy, synchronization, readability, localization
Differences Between Subtitling and Dubbing
Subtitling Dubbing
Creating a translated textual representation of Replacing the spoken dialogue with a
the spoken dialogue translated one
Involves transcription, translation and time Involves translation, voice-over, lip-synching,
coding as well as mixing post-production
Requires linguistic accuracy and cultural Requires linguistic accuracy and cultural
sensitivity sensitivity
Requires precise synchronization with the Requires accurate lip synchronization
audio content
Preserves the original audio and the Enhances the emotional impact of the content
authenticity of the content using familiar and relatable voices
Improving accessibility for individuals with Improving accessibility for individuals with
hearing impairments. visual impairments.
More cost-effective (less production time and More costly and time-consuming (more
fewer resources) complex)
Used in many forms of media, films, learning Used in movies, TV programs/shows, video
materials, tutorials, social media, marketing games, educational videos, documentary films
videos/reels etc etc
The Many Instantiations of Audio-Visual Translation
Audiovisual translation encompasses varied practices differing in linguistic output and strategies.
It involves translating audiovisual productions into other languages. There are two main
approaches in AVT: substituting the original soundtrack with a newly recorded one (revoicing) or
converting it into written text on screen (timed text).
Revoicing includes interpreting, voiceover, narration, dubbing, fandubbing, and audio
description. Interpreting transfers the source speech by an interpreter verbally. Voiceover
presents the translation of the speech orally over the original voice. Narration completely
removes the original speech and replaces it with a new voice in translation. Dubbing substitutes
the dialogue track with another track containing the new lines in the target language. Fandubbing
refers to the dubbing of audiovisual productions by amateurs. Audio Description is an access
service that offers a verbal description of visual components. Timed text, on the other hand, adds
a written text to the original production. It can be either interlingual or intralingual and includes
subtitling, surtitling, subtitling for the deaf or hard-of-hearing, live subtitling, and
cybersubtitling.

THE HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION

AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION AS A SUBDISCIPLINE
-established its existance with the increase of audiovisual products
-seen as a neglected field within translation studies
-demand expanded: new media
-gateway to various genres and programs
HISTORY OF AVT
1st Katharine Reiss (1971) – audio-medial texts-texts that have been written to be spoken or sung
-Gambier (2003)-film translation, cinema translation, screen translation
-The increasing diversity of audiovisual content (since 1980’s) has changed the terminology used
to designate this area of study.
-With the emergence of the back sound motion pictures, the term film dubbing and film
translation also featured apparently in early academic work (Fodor, 1976; Snell-Hornby,1988).
-Delabastita (1989) states that the successive expansion of television broadcasting opens up new
channels for the dissemination of translated audiovisual works, with labels like film and TV
translation and media translation.
-audiovisual translation has grown beyond its core domain and has included neighboring fields
under its all-encompassing research agenda (multimedia translation, multimodal translation etc)

This field which was first defined by the abovementioned names and is today delineated as
audiovisual translation, for the last twenty years, has been “the fastest growing strand of
translation studies, as attested by the burgeoning body of domain-specific research literature”
(Pérez-González, 2014, p. 12).
SUBTITLING
-served as the foundation for the early 1990’s study of audiovisual translation
-limited to mere functionality of subtitling, preferably carried out as invisibly as possible
-“an abbreviated written translation of what can be heard on the screen”.
-give us access to the narrative of foreign films as they transport us into the movies themselves
-subtitles are available on a variety of other modern devices for an ever-expanding range of uses,
from educational content to online gaming or DIY videos, in addition to the cinema
Díaz Cintas and Remael (2014) classify subtitles according to the following five parameters:
linguistic, time available for preparation, technical, methods of projection, and distribution
format. The linguistic dimension is the core of one of the most traditional classifications.
Intralingual Subtitles
-For the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH)
-For the language learning purposes
-For karaoke effect
-For dialects of the same language
-For notices and announcements
Interlingual Subtitles
-For hearers
-For the deaf and the hard-of-hearing (SDH)
Bilingual Subtitles
-For language learners
-For multilingual enviorments
In short, subtitling is the process of transforming a spoken text, which gains meaning by
integrating with the visual, into a shorter target written text.
DUBBING
-can be traced back to the late 1920s, (film audio to other languages)
-consists of cultural, linguistic, technical and creative team effort for the translation, adaptation
and lip synchronization of an audiovisual material.
-dubbing involves “replacing the original soundtrack containing the actors’ dialogue with a target
language recording that reproduces the original message”
-lip movements and the target language sounds must be synchronized,
-Chaume (2020), lists five different tasks actualized by up to three different agents in the
dubbing process: translation, take segmentation, insertion of dubbing symbols, lip-sync, dialogue
writing and the emulation of natural discourse
Occasionally, the translator does all five duties. Sometimes the translator submits a rough
translation and a dialogue writer has to complete the rest. On other occasions, a different agent
like a dubbing assistant applies the more technical tasks. (lip synch)
-technical manipulation can be a response to some time and space constraints, while ideological
manipulation is promoted by agents in position of power.
-widespread (most effective method for children media)
MAPPING THE HISTORY OF AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION IN TÜRKİYE
-boom at 20th century
-burgeoning activity in academic studies with translation at core
Okyayuz’s (2017) study examines audiovisual products with a focus on translation and reveals
the development of audiovisual translation in Türkiye according to years as follows:
The beginning: 1914-1950s
The peak of adaptation: 1960s-1983
Enter television: 1968, TRT, the state owned television monopoly
Enter private TV and subtitling: 1985-2000
A wealth of audiovisual translation in the 21st century
So, today, it is possible to say that Türkiye endeavours to develop its spectrum of audiovisual
products internally and externally. All those developments around the world and in Türkiye show
that, in the future, the existence of audiovisual translation will pave the way for theoretical and
practical works as well as sustaining itself both as a subdiscipline and an interdisciplinary
discipline.

Şirin Okyavuz Video Notları

Görsel İşitsel Çeviri: Görsel işitsel kanalı olan her ürünün çevirisi
Türleri: Dil içi, diller arası, sözden yazıya(altyazı), sözden söze(dublaj), görselden söze(sesli
betimleme)
-Çeviribilim altında bir uzmanlık alanı, günümüzde en yaygın çeviri piyasası
-Diğer çeviri türleriyle benzeşen ama farklı zorlukları olan bir çeviri modu
-zorluklar: bağlam eksiklikleri, context eksikliği, kelime oyunu, espriler/iki anlamlı kelimeler,
senkronizasyon
Diller arası altyazı
-genelde iki satır
-her satırda belli bir karakter sayısı
-görsele ekleme yapılıyor (ekran altına ekleniyor)
Dil içi altyazı
-Konuşulan dil ile yazılan dil aynıdır
-Closed Captioning
-Genelde sözcüğü sözcüğünedir
-Görsellerle alt yazı eşleşmeli
Sağır ve İşitme Engelliler için Altyazı-Ayrıntılı Altyazı
-Sağır ve işitme engelliler için ek bilgiler içerir. (müzik bilgisi, konuşanın kıişinin kim olduğu,
ses efektleri, bazen ses tonu örn: bağırarak)
-İki türü vardır: sözcüğü sözcüğüne (eklemelerle) / sadeleştirilmiş
Canlı Altyazı
-Haberler, canlı yayınlarda vb tercih edilir
-Altyazı görünümündedir ancak farklı bir çeviri uygulamasıdır
-eş zamanlı yapılır, çevirmen mikrofona konuşur ve uygulama söylediklerini yazıya döker
-çevirmen metni dillendirir
Yaratıcı Altyazı
-Genelde sağır ve işitme engelliler için yapılır ama diller arası uygulamaları da vardır.
-Yenilikçi bir türdür, altyazı konuşmacıyı/sesin geldiği yeri takip eder (ifade ve reaksiyonu da
ifade etmeyi amaçlar)
Üstyazı
-Tiyatro, müzikal, opera vb. Yerlerde kullanılır.
-Canlı olarak da yapılabilir
-Sahne üstünde veya arkasında veya koltuk arkasında bir ekranda üstyazılar yansıtılır
Dublaj Çevirisi
-En yaygın
-Ses kanalının başka bir dilde ses kanalı ile değiştirilmesi
-Diller arası
-Senkron olmalı
Üst sesle dublaj çevirisi
-Orijinal ses kısılır, üstüne konuşulur
-Türkiye’de belgesellerde ve TLC kanalında
Sesli betimleme-Görme Engelliler İçin
-Görüntü ses ile anlatılır
-Görme engellilere uygun olarak yapılır
Sonuç
-Her gün gelişir
-Teknoloji ile ilerler
-Uzmanlaşma gerektiriyor
Görsel işitsel çeviri, farklı dillerdeki içeriklere erişimi kolaylaştırdı. İnsanların farklı kültürler
arasında bilgi ve deneyimleri paylaşmasını sağladı. Bu, globalleşen dünyamızda etkili bir iletişim
ve anlayış oluşturmak için önemlidir.