AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION: INTRODUCTION
There are 3fundamental ISSUES in the AV field:
1. relationship between verbal output and pictures and soundtrack;
2. r. between foreign language/culture and the target language/culture;
3. r. between the spoken code and the written one.
FILM TRANSLATION: TERMS:
- It was the term used before TV and video became popular;
- The term LANGUAGE TRANSFER ignored the extralinguistic features of these texts
(image, music, sound effects…);
- Audiovisual translation (AVT) is now a widely used term;
- Screen translation is currently a widely used term through “too narrow” by some;
- The term VERSIONING is used within the industry;
-DUBBING replaces a SL dialogue track with a TL dialogue track. It can involve
adapting a text for on-camera characters, including lip-synchronization for when the
face or chest of a speaker is visible in a medium shot;
- We usually think of dubbing as INTERLINGUAL, but many examples of
INTRALINGUAL DUBBING also exist in feature films.
VOICE-OVER (HALF-DUBBING):
It occurs when a documentary, interview, feature film or TV programme etc. is
translated/adapted and broadcast approximately in synchrony by an actor or a journalist. In
voice-over the original voice-sound is either reduced entirely or turned down to a low level of
audibility after a few seconds.
FREE COMMENTARY:
It is an adaptation for a new audience, with additions, clarifications, omissions and
comments. The synchronisation is done with the on-screen images rather than with the
soundtrack. Free commentary is used for children’s programmes, documentaries and
corporate/promotional videos.
AVT ALSO INCLUDES:
- In-vision signing for the deaf and hard of hearing;
- Audio description for the blind and partially sighted. Audio description comprises the
reading of information describing what is going on on the screen (action, body
language, facial expressions, costumes etc.);
- Audiosubtitling (subtitling for the blind and partially sighted). This involves the
speaking of subtitles, either by a human actor or by a speech synthesiser;
- Videogame translation (either subtitling or dubbing) for the ‘pre-rendered cinematic
elements known as cut-scenes’. Now usually known as videogame localization or
games localization.
