Subtitlers on the Cloud: The Use of Professional Web-based Systems in Subtitling Practice and Training

The bourgeoning and rapid evolution of cloud-based applications has triggered profound transformations in the audiovisual translation (AVT) mediascape. By drawing attention to the major changes that web-based ecosystems have introduced in localisation workflows, we set out to outline ways in which these new technological advances can be embedded in the AVT classroom. Along these lines, the present study sets out to explore the potential benefits of cloud platforms in AVT training curricula by exploring ways in which this technology can be exploited in subtitling training. An analysis of current subtitling practices and tools, localisation workflows, and in-demand skills in the AVT industry will be followed by an experience-based account on the use of cloud-based platforms in subtitler training environments to simulate and carry out a wide range of tasks. Our study pivots around the idea that cloud subtitling might prove useful to bridge the technological gap between academic institutions and the profession as well as to enhance the distance-learning provision of practice-oriented training in subtitling.

Multilingual humour in audiovisual translation

This commentary aims to take up the gauntlet thrown down by Dore (2019) with her article about multilingual humour in the Italian dubbed version of the series Modern Family. She suggested that the scenes included in the article could be analysed in other languages, so it was an interesting proposal to carry out the analysis of the Spanish dubbed version, since the L2 in the source text coincides with the target text language. Thus, this fact makes the translation process an arduous activity in these language combinations. Multilingualism is therefore considered the central element in this study. It is a reflection of the current social movement and the increase of multi-ethnic communities worldwide. This fact leads to citizens who use their knowledge to assert their own identity; as a consequence, audiovisual producers are also aware of this situation and exploit this phenomenon. Modern Family is an example of this reality and introduces characters, like Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, as a role model to show an increasingly common tendency, the use of multilingual and multi-ethnic characters that reflect this new social situation. Thanks to the selected examples, we will see whether the use of multilingualism as a source of humour is also transmitted to the Spanish dubbed version, as it did in the Italian dubbed version studied by the abovementioned scholar.

Senior Citizens as an Underresearched Age Group of Audiovisual Translation Users

In recent years, approaches to audiovisua translation and media accessibility services have shifted from serving one group of viewers only towards a more universal design that takes into account a wider range of users. In line with that approach, some scholars point out, for example, that subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) or accessibility applications created with the blind and partially-sighted in mind could prove beneficial to senior citizens. This group of viewers is likely to experience age-related sensori-motor and cognitive decline, which may significantly influence their film-watching experience as well as their preference for an AVT method. As populations in many countries are aging, senior citizens might be considered an important part of potential cinema clientele. Unfortunately, since studies in AVT have concentrated on younger audiences, little is known about senior citizens’ specific preferences concerning audiovisual translation. The objective of this article is to briefly characterise senior citizens as recipients of audiovisual translation and discuss the possibilities for future studies on the subject.

Sharing Knowledge Between Academia and The Industry

Audiovisual translation and accessibility research have huge potential to transform and improve the work of practitioners in these areas. However, research publications are not necessarily designed to address the practical implications of research, or to be accessible to practitioners outside academia. This special issue is for practitioners, and it aims to demonstrate how research can be useful to them. The research projects presented in the articles serve practical purposes in a variety of ways, from proposing analytical models to aid in selecting translation strategies, to exploring developments in working practices. Vibrant collaboration between all stakeholders in AVT and accessibility could bring benefits to both research and practice. This introduction discusses some of the challenges involved in making such exchanges happen and examines how those challenges could be overcome.

Audiovisual Translation at the Service of the EU Public Communication 2.0

Communication is becoming more and more (audio)visual, social and mobile. This is true not only of the entertainment industry but also of commercial advertising and institutional public communication. Consequently, the audiovisual translation industry is flourishing. Although a growing array of products outside the field of entertainment are being localised and/or made accessible, they have received scant attention so far, whether in academic or professional circles. This is notably the case of the institutional video subgenre. This practice report will first address the importance of using increasingly multilingual and multimodal audiovisual products in EU external communication – a tool for reaching out to more citizens on social media and boosting their active participation at a time when populism and Euroscepticism are on the rise. The focus will then shift to the audiovisual communication of the Council of the EU. Through a case study which aims to investigate the internal localisation in all EU official languages of the “#Europeans” series of videos – produced for the 2019 EU elections – the rest of the paper will then outline the main features of the institutional audiovisual translation subgenre. It will also identify some opportunities for improvement: a more integrated and interdisciplinary approach which – together with reinforced collaboration with academia – could lead to a real multilingual creative process right from the initial steps of the audiovisual production process.

Peut-on traduire une image? Implications de la créativité dans la traduction de textes audiovisuels

Multimodality is an integral characteristic of Audiovisual Translation. Regardless of type and genre, audiovisual texts (i.e. film, TV series, videogame) are above all semiotic constructs comprising several signifying codes that operate simultaneously in the production of meaning. While audiences mechanically receive and interpret the information transmitted by each of these codes and signs, audiovisual translators must know their functioning and consider their possible impact on translation operations. In this context, images represent one of the major challenges to ensure coherence within audiovisual translation. This paper sets out to explore the main strategies used to explicit iconographic information in the target text. These practices typically involve, but are not limited to, the inclusion of linguistic signs related to the icon as well as the inclusion of signs belonging to other meaning codes, thanks to the possibilities that new technologies and digitalization now offer. Linked to the notions of transcreation and localization, these help target audiences fill gaps in the understanding of audiovisual texts, but also promote overtranslation. This may lead to an extreme domestication, a phenomenon in which foreign cultures would be erased. In this regard, we wonder if such practices will not assume a paternalistic approach to target audiences.

СТАН СУЧАСНОГО ПЕРЕКЛАДОЗНАВСТВА У СЛОВАЧЧИНІ

The article reveals the main achievements of the modern Slovak school of translation studies in the fi elds of theory, history, criticism and didactics of translation. In today’s Slovakia translation research is concentrated in four academic centres: the Slovak Academy of Arts and Sciences in Bratislava as well as the Universities of Banska Bystrica, Nitra and Presov. Slovak researchers are developing a number of partial theories of translation, including the theory of audiovisual translation and the theory of translation competencies. Interestingly, machine translation is also well-studied, although the topic might be neglected as the number of Slovak speakers is not so numerous. Researchers are very active in studying the history of translation, especially in the fi eld of biography studies. History studies apply the methodology of sociological research which help to evaluate the reception of foreign literatures in various perspectives. On the basis of judging books in translation, translation criticism does not seem to be very popular as a research topic, although the publication of the specialized journal “Kritika prekladu” will defi nitely stimulate this domain. Ukrainian studies in Slovakia – including the domain of translation studies – also have a strong position due to the scholars of Prešov University. This can be explained by long and fruitful academic traditions of the Ukrainian autochthonous community. Within the last decade, the researchers of Ukrainian background also contributed to translation studies in the areas of the cultural theory of translation and court interpreting and translation. Although there are a number of books in translation, publishing eff orts have some problems as well, i. e. the small volume of monographic editions, which sometimes resemble a lengthy article rather than a book. The books are published not only in print, but also in electronic format and online which will facilitate the availability of these publications to much wider readership. Key words: Slovakia, translation theory, translation history, audiovisual translation, Ukrainian studies.

A systematic reviewof experimental researchin audiovisual translation 1992–2020

This study systematically reviewed 61 experimental studies on audiovisual translation (AVT), published in academic journals between 1992 and 2020. The review examined five aspects of these studies: publication trends, research scopes, research designs, statistical procedures, and reporting practices. Major findings include: (a) there has been a slight concentration of publication outlets for experimental AVT research; (b) the focal studies could be categorized into three themes (product, process, and pedagogy), with the product theme being the most popular and subtitling the dominant AVT modality; (c) the inclusion of a comparison group was the most common design feature, and questionnaires and tests were the most popular research instruments; (d) inferential statistical analysis was favored over descriptive statistical analysis; (e) data normality information and effect sizes were not regularly reported. Based on the systematic review, suggestions are made for the future development of experimental AVT research.