1887
Volume 34, Issue 1
  • ISSN 0924-1884
  • E-ISSN: 1569-9986
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

Within Audiovisual Translation Studies, many studies have been dedicated to the subtitling of taboo words. Most of this research has been restricted to quantitative and qualitative data about translation strategies, with comparably less attention given to translation norms. As norms cannot be directly observed, their investigation raises methodological challenges for empirical studies. This paper proposes a model for the investigation of translation norms by triangulating data on observed regularities in the English to Portuguese subtitling of taboo words in a corpus of movies broadcast on Portuguese FTA (free-to-air, open-signal) television between 2001 and 2015, with questionnaire data on subtitlers’ attitudes towards the subtitling of taboo words on television. The results enable the identification of the most frequent subtitling strategies, their possible motivations, and the relevance of two contextual variables (time period and channel typology). Using the results, a (potential) norm regarding the subtitling of taboo words in Portugal is formulated. However, some of the data, both textual and extratextual, raise the question of whether there is also a competing norm at play.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/target.20020.xav
2021-05-25
2025-02-13
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Clark, Larry
    . dir.Another Day in Paradise 1998 USA: Chinese Bookie Pictures.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Mendes, Sam
    . dir.Jarhead 2005 USA: Universal Pictures, Red Wagon Entertainment, Neal Street Productions, Motion Picture KAPPA Produktionsgesellschaft.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Scorsese, Martin
    . dir.Goodfellas 1990 USA: Warner Bros.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. . dir.The Departed 2006 USA: Warner Bros, Plan B Entertainment, Initial Entertainment Group, Vertigo Entertainment, Media Asia Films.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Tarantino, Quentin
    . dir.Pulp Fiction 1994 USA: Miramax, A Band Apart, Jersey Films.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Waller, Andrew
    . dir.American Pie: Beta House 2007 USA: Rogue Pictures, Neo Art & Logic, Higher Learning Productions, Universal Pictures.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Akmajian, Adrian , Richard Demers , Ann Farmer , and Robert Harnish
    2001Linguistics: An Introduction to Language and Communication. Cambridge: The MIT Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Allan, Keith , and Kate Burridge
    2006Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511617881
    https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511617881 [Google Scholar]
  9. 2009 “Swearing.” InComparative Studies in Australian and New Zealand English: Grammar and Beyond, edited by Pam Peters , Peter Collins , and Adam Smith . 361–386. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/veaw.g39.20all
    https://doi.org/10.1075/veaw.g39.20all [Google Scholar]
  10. Ameri, Saeed , and Khalil Ghazizadeh
    2015 “A Norm-Based Analysis of Swearing Rendition in Professional Dubbing and Non-Professional Subtitling from English into Persian.” Research in English Language Pedagogy2(2): 78–96.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Ávila Cabrera, José Javier
    2014The Subtitling of Offensive and Taboo Language: A Descriptive Study. PhD diss.Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Azzaro, Gabriele
    2005Four-Letter Films: Taboo Language in Movies. Roma: Aracne.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Bartsch, Renate
    1987Norms of Language: Theoretical and Practical Aspects. London: Longman.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Bednarek, Monika
    2019 “The Multifunctionality of Swear/Taboo Words in Television Series.” InEmotion in Discourse, edited by J. Lachlan Mackenzie and Laura Alba-Juez , 29–54. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/pbns.302.02bed
    https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.302.02bed [Google Scholar]
  15. Beers Fägersten, Kristy
    2012Who’s Swearing Now? The Social Aspects of Conversational Swearing. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Beers Fägersten, Kristy , and Karyn Stapleton
    2017Advances in Swearing Research: New Languages and New Contexts. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/pbns.282
    https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.282 [Google Scholar]
  17. Beseghi, Micòl
    2016 “WTF! Taboo Language in TV Series: An Analysis of Professional and Amateur Translation.” InIdeological Manipulation in Audiovisual Translation, special issue ofOther Modernities02/2016: 215–231.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Bourdieu, Pierre
    1977Outline of a Theory of Practice [orig. Esquisse d’une théorie de la pratique , précédé de trois études d’ethnologie kabyle ]. Translated by Richard Nice . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511812507
    https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511812507 [Google Scholar]
  19. Briechle, Lucia , and Eva Duran Eppler
    2019 “Swearword Strength in Subtitled and Dubbed Films: A Reception Study.” Intercultural Pragmatics16 (4): 389–420. 10.1515/ip‑2019‑0021
    https://doi.org/10.1515/ip-2019-0021 [Google Scholar]
  20. Brownlie, Siobhan
    2003 “Investigating Explanations of Translational Phenomena: A Case for Multiple Causality.” Target15 (1): 111–152. 10.1075/target.15.1.06bro
    https://doi.org/10.1075/target.15.1.06bro [Google Scholar]
  21. Chen, Chapman
    2004 “On the Hong Kong Chinese Subtitling of English Swearwords.” Meta49 (1): 135–147. 10.7202/009029ar
    https://doi.org/10.7202/009029ar [Google Scholar]
  22. Chesterman, Andrew
    1998 “Description, Explanation, Prediction: A Response to Gideon Toury and Theo Hermans.” Current Issues in Language and Society, 5 (1–2): 91–98. 10.1080/13520529809615505
    https://doi.org/10.1080/13520529809615505 [Google Scholar]
  23. 2016Memes of Translation: The Spread of Ideas in Translation Theory. Rev. ed.Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/btl.123
    https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.123 [Google Scholar]
  24. 2017 “A Note on Norms and Evidence.” InReflections on Translation Theory. Selected Papers 1993–2014, edited by Andrew Chesterman , 185–192. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/btl.132
    https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.132 [Google Scholar]
  25. Coleman, Julie
    2012The Life of Slang. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Cressman, Dale L. , Mark Callister , Tom Robinson , and Chris Near
    2009 “Swearing in the Cinema: An Analysis of Profanity in US Teen-Oriented Movies, 1980–2006.” Journal of Children and Media3 (2): 117–135. 10.1080/17482790902772257
    https://doi.org/10.1080/17482790902772257 [Google Scholar]
  27. Crisafulli, Edoardo
    2010 “Taboo Language in Translation.” Perspectives5 (2): 237–256. 10.1080/0907676X.1997.9961314
    https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.1997.9961314 [Google Scholar]
  28. Delabastita, Dirk
    2002 “A Great Feast of Languages: Shakespeare’s Multilingual Comedy in ‘King Henry V’ and the Translator.” The Translator9 (2): 303–340. 10.1080/13556509.2002.10799136
    https://doi.org/10.1080/13556509.2002.10799136 [Google Scholar]
  29. Denham, Kristin , and Anne Lobeck
    2013Linguistics for Everyone: An Introduction. 2nd ed.Boston: Wadsworth.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Díaz Cintas, Jorge
    2001La Traducción Audiovisual: El Subtitulado [Audiovisual translation: Subtitling]. Salamanca: Almar.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. 2003Teoría y práctica de la subtitulación. Inglés – Español [Theory and Practice of Subtitling. English-Spanish]. Barcelona: Ariel Cine.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Díaz Cintas, Jorge , and Aline Remael
    2007Audiovisual Translation: Subtitling. Manchester: St. Jerome.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Enell-Nilsson, Mona
    2014 “Lost in Translation? – Swearing in the Swedish Millennium Films and their German and Finnish Translations.” InSwearing in the Nordic Countries, edited by Marianne Rathje , 99–124. Copenhagen: Dansk Sprognævn.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Ferklová, Sofie
    2014Subtitles vs. Dubbing: Approaches to Translation of Swear Words and Slang in Film. MA diss.Masaryk University.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Filmer, Denise
    2012 “The ‘Gook’ Goes ‘Gay’: Cultural Interference in Translating Offensive Language.” Intralinea14. www.intralinea.org/archive/article/1829
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Gambier, Yves , and Luc van Doorslaer
    eds. 2010Handbook of Translation Studies. Vol.1. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/hts.1
    https://doi.org/10.1075/hts.1 [Google Scholar]
  37. García Manchón, Paula
    2013A Corpus-Based Analysis of Swearword Translation in DVD Subtitles and Internet Fansubs. MA diss.Universidad Complutense.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Goddard, Cliff
    2015 “‘Swear Words’ and ‘Curse Words’ in Australian (and American) English: At the Crossroads of Pragmatics, Semantics and Sociolinguistics.” Intercultural Pragmatics12 (2): 189–218. 10.1515/ip‑2015‑0010
    https://doi.org/10.1515/ip-2015-0010 [Google Scholar]
  39. Han, Chong , and Kenny Wang
    2014 “Subtitling Swearwords in Reality TV series from English into Chinese: A Corpus-Based Study of The Family .” Translation and Interpreting6 (2): 1–17.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Hermans, Theo
    1996 “Norms and the Determination of Translation: A Theoretical Framework.” InTranslation, Power, Subversion, edited by Román Álvarez and M. Carmen-África Vidal , 24–51. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. 2009Translation in Systems: Descriptive and System-Oriented Approaches Explained. Manchester: St. Jerome.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Hjort, Minna
    2009 “Swearwords in Subtitles: A Balancing Act.” InThe Translation of Dialects in Multimedia, edited by Michaela Giorgio Marrano , Giovanni Nadiani , and Christopher Rundle . Special issue ofIntralinea. www.intralinea.org/specials/article/1718
    [Google Scholar]
  43. IBM Corp.
    IBM Corp. 2013 IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Ivarsson, Jan , and Mary Carroll
    1998Subtitling. Simrishamn: TransEdit.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Kaye, Barbara K. , and Barry S. Sapolsky
    2004 “Watch Your Mouth! An Analysis of Profanity Uttered by Children on Prime-Time Television.” Mass Communication and Society7 (4): 429–452. 10.1207/s15327825mcs0704_4
    https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327825mcs0704_4 [Google Scholar]
  46. 2009 “Taboo or Not Taboo? That is the Question: Offensive Language on Prime-Time Broadcast and Cable Programming.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media53 (1): 22–37. 10.1080/08838150802643522
    https://doi.org/10.1080/08838150802643522 [Google Scholar]
  47. Kenny, Dorothy
    2009 “Corpora.” InRoutledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, edited by Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha , 59–62. London: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. Khoshsaligheh, Masood , Saeed Ameri , and Milad Mehdizadkhani
    2018 “A Socio-Cultural Study of Taboo Rendition in Persian Fansubbing: An Issue of Resistance.” Language and Intercultural Communication18 (6): 663–680. 10.1080/14708477.2017.1377211
    https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2017.1377211 [Google Scholar]
  49. Lie, Sondre
    2013Translate This, Motherfucker! A Contrastive Study on the Subtitling of Taboo Words. MA diss.Universitetet I Oslo.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Ljung, Magnus
    2011Swearing: A Cross-Cultural Linguistic Study. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
    [Google Scholar]
  51. Mattsson, Jenny
    2006 “Linguistic Variation in Subtitling: The Subtitling of Swearwords and Discourse Markers on Public Television, Commercial Television and DVD.” InMuTra – Audiovisual Translation Scenarios, Copenhagen 1–5 May 2006, Proceedings, edited by Mary Carroll , Heidrun Gerzymisch-Arbogast , and Sandra Nauert , 47–56. Saarbrücken: Advanced Translation Research Centre, Saarland University.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. Massidda, Serenella
    2015Audiovisual Translation in the Digital Age: The Italian Fansubbing Phenomenon. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1057/9781137470379
    https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137470379 [Google Scholar]
  53. McEnery, Tony
    2006Swearing in English: Bad Language, Purity and Power from 1585 to the Present. New York: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  54. Meylaerts, Reine
    2008 “Translators and (Their) Norms: Towards a Sociological Construction of the Individual.” InBeyond Descriptive Translation Studies: Investigations in Homage to Gideon Toury, edited by Anthony Pym , Miriam Shlesinger , and Daniel Simeoni , 91–102. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/btl.75.08mey
    https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.75.08mey [Google Scholar]
  55. Midjord, Margit Siri
    2013Swearing in Subtitles. MA diss.Aarhus University.
    [Google Scholar]
  56. Nguyen, Thi Mai Khanh
    2015Well, Fuck! A Comparative Case Study in DVD Subtitling: The Linguistic Transfer of Taboo Language in Reservoir Dogs from English into Dutch. MA diss.Utrecht University.
    [Google Scholar]
  57. Norrick, Neal R.
    2012 “Swearing in Literary Prose Fiction and Conversational Narrative.” Narrative Inquiry22 (1): 24–49. 10.1075/ni.22.1.03nor
    https://doi.org/10.1075/ni.22.1.03nor [Google Scholar]
  58. PTC (Parents Television Council)
    PTC (Parents Television Council) 2010 “Habitat for Profanity: Broadcast TV’s Sharp Increase in Foul Language.” https://www.parentstv.org/resources/2010_HabitatforProfanity_200224_174840.pdf
  59. Roberto, Maria Teresa , and Maria José Veiga
    2003 “Translating taboo.” InEstudos de Tradução: Actas de Congresso Internacional [Translation Studies: Congress proceedings], edited by Maria Zina Gonçalves de Abreu and Marcelino de Castro , 255–278. Cascais: Principia.
    [Google Scholar]
  60. Robinson, Douglas
    1999 “Looking Through Translation: A Response to Gideon Toury and Theo Hermans.” InTranslation and Norms, edited by Christina Schäffner , 113–122. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
    [Google Scholar]
  61. Rosa, Alexandra Assis
    2010 “Descriptive Translation Studies.” In Gambier and Van Doorslaer 2010, 94–104. 10.1075/hts.1.des1
    https://doi.org/10.1075/hts.1.des1 [Google Scholar]
  62. Saldanha, Gabriela , and Sharon O’Brien
    2013Research Methodologies in Translation Studies. Manchester: St Jerome.
    [Google Scholar]
  63. Sapolsky, Barry S. , Daniel M. Shafer , and Barbara K. Kaye
    2010 “Rating Offensive Words in Three Television Program Contexts.” Mass Communication and Society14 (1): 45–70. 10.1080/15205430903359693
    https://doi.org/10.1080/15205430903359693 [Google Scholar]
  64. Scandura, Gabriela
    2004 “Sex, Lies and TV: Censorship and Subtitling.” Meta49 (1): 125–134. 10.7202/009028ar
    https://doi.org/10.7202/009028ar [Google Scholar]
  65. Schäffner, Christina
    2010 “Norms of Translation.” In Gambier and Van Doorslaer 2010, 235–244. 10.1075/hts.1.nor1
    https://doi.org/10.1075/hts.1.nor1 [Google Scholar]
  66. 2014 “Norms.” Seminar presented atCETRA, 25 August 2014, KU Leuven.
    [Google Scholar]
  67. Soler Pardo, Betlem
    2011Swearing and Translation: A Study of the Insults in the Films of Quentin Tarantino. PhD diss.Universitat de Valencia.
    [Google Scholar]
  68. Stapleton, Karyn
    2010 “Swearing.” InInterpersonal Pragmatics, edited by Mirian A. Locher and Sage L. Graham , 289–306. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9783110214338.2.289
    https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110214338.2.289 [Google Scholar]
  69. Toury, Gideon
    2012Descriptive Translation Studies – and Beyond. Rev. ed.Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/btl.100
    https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.100 [Google Scholar]
  70. Valdeón, Roberto A.
    2020 “Swearing and the Vulgarization Hypothesis in Spanish Audiovisual Translation.” Journal of Pragmatics155: 261–271. 10.1016/j.pragma.2019.09.005
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2019.09.005 [Google Scholar]
  71. Xavier, Catarina
    2009Esbatendo o tabu: estratégias de tradução para legendagem em Portugal [Blurring the taboo: Subtitling strategies in Portugal]. MA diss.University of Lisbon.
    [Google Scholar]
  72. 2017 “Manipulating Taboo in Film Discourse: The Case of Subtitling in Portugal.” InCinematic Narratives: Transatlantic Perspectives, edited by Morris Beja , Ellen Carol Jones , Cecilia Beecher Martins , José Duarte , and Suzana Ramos , 159–173. Lisbon: Humus.
    [Google Scholar]
  73. 2019Tabu e Tradução Audiovisual: um estudo descritivo de normas de tradução para legendagem de linguagem tabu em contexto televisivo [Taboo and Audiovisual Translation: A descriptive study of translation norms for the subtitling of taboo on television]. PhD diss.University of Lisbon.
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/target.20020.xav
Loading
/content/journals/10.1075/target.20020.xav
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): data triangulation; professional subtitling; taboo language; translation norms
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error