TRANSLATION OF IMPLICIT TRANSLATION OF IMPLICIT ELEMENTS OF CULTURE IN ELEMENTS OF CULTURE IN

LITERARY TEXTS AND LITERARY TEXTS AND SUBTITLING (TV shows and SUBTITLING (TV shows and

films)films)

Ana Kačić BarišićAna Kačić Barišić

Split, 2010Split, 2010

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

translation problem, or crisis pointtranslation problem, or crisis point extralinguistic culture-bound referenceextralinguistic culture-bound reference theoretical review of the relationship theoretical review of the relationship

between translation studies and culturebetween translation studies and culture strategies applied in the corpus strategies applied in the corpus

including the analysis of the examplesincluding the analysis of the examples interactive relationship between interactive relationship between

culture and translationculture and translation

significance of culturesignificance of culture difficulties in rendering the implicit difficulties in rendering the implicit

elements of cultureelements of culture

TRANSLATION AND CULTURE AS INSEPARABLE PHENOMENA

translation acts as a bridge to connect two different cultures

cultural point of view in translation

THE CULTURAL TURN IN CULTURAL THE CULTURAL TURN IN CULTURAL TRANSLATION STUDIESTRANSLATION STUDIES

Mounin in 1963Mounin in 1963 cultural turncultural turn 1978 by the work on Polysystems and 1978 by the work on Polysystems and

translation norms by Even-Zohartranslation norms by Even-Zohar 1980 by Toury1980 by Toury 2004, Ke Ping-cultural presupposition2004, Ke Ping-cultural presupposition

CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSLATIONTRANSLATION

translation; two cultural traditions (Toury translation; two cultural traditions (Toury 1978)1978)

cultural aspects implicit in a source textcultural aspects implicit in a source text conveying these aspects in the target language conveying these aspects in the target language

(TL)(TL) Newmark does not regard language as a Newmark does not regard language as a

component or a feature of culturecomponent or a feature of culture

Vermeer-language is a part of cultureVermeer-language is a part of culture

Nida-equal importance to both linguistic and Nida-equal importance to both linguistic and cultural differencescultural differences

Lotman-no language can exist unless it is Lotman-no language can exist unless it is steeped in the context of culturesteeped in the context of culture

DEFINITION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF DEFINITION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF CULTURE-SPECIFIC ITEMSCULTURE-SPECIFIC ITEMS

culture-bound words culture-bound words → translation → translation problemsproblems

Baker enumerates eleven types of Baker enumerates eleven types of translation problems including translation problems including culture-culture-specific conceptsspecific concepts

Newmark: Newmark: cultural wordscultural words

Robinson and SchRobinson and Schääffner & Wiesemann: ffner & Wiesemann: realia, culture-bound phenomena and realia, culture-bound phenomena and termsterms

FACTORS INFLUENCING FACTORS INFLUENCING DECISION MAKING IN DECISION MAKING IN

TRANSLATION OF IMPLICIT TRANSLATION OF IMPLICIT ELEMENTS OF CULTUREELEMENTS OF CULTURE

7 parameters7 parameters

TRANSCULTURALITYTRANSCULTURALITY

a) a) TransculturalTranscultural ECRECR

b) Monocultural ECRb) Monocultural ECR

c) Microcultural ECR c) Microcultural ECR

EXTRATEXTUALITYEXTRATEXTUALITY CENTRALITY OF REFERENCECENTRALITY OF REFERENCE CO-TEXTCO-TEXT INTERSEMIOTIC REDUNDANCY IN INTERSEMIOTIC REDUNDANCY IN

SUBTITLINGSUBTITLING MEDIA-SPECIFIC CONSTRAINTS MEDIA-SPECIFIC CONSTRAINTS

OF SUBTITLINGOF SUBTITLING

TRANSLATION OF IMPLICIT TRANSLATION OF IMPLICIT ELEMENTS OF CULTURE IN ELEMENTS OF CULTURE IN

LITERARY TRANSLATIONLITERARY TRANSLATION

source culture geographically or source culture geographically or temporally distanttemporally distant

challenging task for the translatorchallenging task for the translator

Procedures for the translation of Procedures for the translation of implicit elements of culture in implicit elements of culture in

literary texts (V.IVIR)literary texts (V.IVIR)

1.1. BORROWING-precise transmission of BORROWING-precise transmission of cultural informationcultural information

e.g. General termse.g. General terms

……older people in evening gowns were next older people in evening gowns were next to kids in to kids in jeansjeans-…stariji ljudi u večernjim -…stariji ljudi u večernjim odijelima stajali su uz klince u odijelima stajali su uz klince u džinsudžinsu

……and showed us one of those intercome and showed us one of those intercome beepersbeepers-…i pokazao nam -…i pokazao nam biperbiper

2. DEFINING THE ELEMENTS OF 2. DEFINING THE ELEMENTS OF CULTURE-relies on what the members of CULTURE-relies on what the members of the target culture know in an attempt to the target culture know in an attempt to make them aware of what they do not make them aware of what they do not knowknow

3. LITERAL TRANSLATION-filling of the 3. LITERAL TRANSLATION-filling of the cultural and lexical gaps in translationcultural and lexical gaps in translation

e.g. Products and trademarkse.g. Products and trademarks

……I was taping and I was taping and PolaroidingPolaroiding everything- everything-…sve oko sebe sam snimao …sve oko sebe sam snimao magnetofonom i magnetofonom i polaroidompolaroidom

4. SUBSTITUTION-two cultures display a 4. SUBSTITUTION-two cultures display a partial overlap rather than a clear-cut partial overlap rather than a clear-cut presence vs. absence of a particular presence vs. absence of a particular element of cultureelement of culture

e.g. Popular culturee.g. Popular culture

……like a warm-up act for like a warm-up act for amateuramateur nightnight-…-…kao uvodna točka na kao uvodna točka na ““PrvomPrvom pljeskupljesku’’’’

5. LEXICAL CREATION-less easily and fully 5. LEXICAL CREATION-less easily and fully understood than a word that has sprung understood than a word that has sprung up naturallyup naturally

e.g. General termse.g. General terms……the Irregularsthe Irregulars so-called had baulked at it so-called had baulked at it

like horses-…protivnici sporazuma, like horses-…protivnici sporazuma, takozvani takozvani iregularciiregularci,ustuknuli su pred njim ,ustuknuli su pred njim kao konjikao konji

TRANSLATION OF IMPLICIT TRANSLATION OF IMPLICIT ELEMENTS OF CULTURE IN ELEMENTS OF CULTURE IN

SUBTITLINGSUBTITLING

translation crisis pointtranslation crisis point active decisionsactive decisions extralinguistic culture-bound extralinguistic culture-bound

reference (ECR)reference (ECR) culture-bound linguistic expressionculture-bound linguistic expression

Procedures for the translation of Procedures for the translation of implicit elements of culture in implicit elements of culture in

subtitles (J. PEDERSEN)subtitles (J. PEDERSEN)1. OFFICIAL EQUIVALENT-made by a team of 1. OFFICIAL EQUIVALENT-made by a team of

translatorstranslators

e.g. General termse.g. General terms……my Dad will be seated on a my Dad will be seated on a SupremeSupreme CourtCourt-…-…

tata će biti na tata će biti na Vrhovnom suduVrhovnom sudu

Popular culturePopular culture……I played in the I played in the Three Stooges Sappy PuppiesThree Stooges Sappy Puppies

short-…glumila sam u kratkom filmu short-…glumila sam u kratkom filmu Tri Tri komedijašakomedijaša

2. RETENTION-element from the source 2. RETENTION-element from the source language to enter the target textlanguage to enter the target text

a) Retention without adaptationa) Retention without adaptation

e.g. Products and trademarkse.g. Products and trademarks

……it was catfish and it was catfish and TangTang-…izmiješala sam soma i -…izmiješala sam soma i TangTang

General termsGeneral terms

……an arrangement of perfect little an arrangement of perfect little lisianthuslisianthus-…-…aranžman od ljubičastih aranžman od ljubičastih lisianthusalisianthusa

b) Retention with adaptationb) Retention with adaptation

e.g. General termse.g. General terms……I got her at I got her at UNICEFUNICEF fair in high school-… fair in high school-…

posvojila sam je na posvojila sam je na UNICEF-ovomUNICEF-ovom sajmu sajmu u srednjoj školiu srednjoj školi

Popular culturePopular culture……you’re doing the you’re doing the TonightTonight ShowShow-…-…

nastupaš u nastupaš u Tonight ShowuTonight Showu

3. SPECIFICATION-ECR in its untranslated form, but 3. SPECIFICATION-ECR in its untranslated form, but adding information that is not present in the STadding information that is not present in the ST

a) Explicitationa) Explicitatione.g. General termse.g. General terms……you had you had LamazLamaz?-…išli ste na ?-…išli ste na tečaj za trudnicetečaj za trudnice??

b)Additionb)Additione.g. Popular culturee.g. Popular culture……Michelle Pfeiffer won glory in Michelle Pfeiffer won glory in SomethingSomething

PersonalPersonal-…Michelle Pfeiffer se tako proslavila u -…Michelle Pfeiffer se tako proslavila u filmu Nešto posve osobnofilmu Nešto posve osobno

4. GENERALIZATION-replacing an ECR referring 4. GENERALIZATION-replacing an ECR referring to something specific by something more to something specific by something more generalgeneral

e.g. General termse.g. General terms

……at at Kinko’sKinko’s-…u -…u fotokopirnicifotokopirnici

Popular culturePopular culture

……have you ever seen a have you ever seen a BarettaBaretta?-…gledaš li ?-…gledaš li ikad ikad TV-serijeTV-serije??

5. DIRECT TRANSLATION-names of 5. DIRECT TRANSLATION-names of companies, official institutions etc.companies, official institutions etc.

e.g. Popular culturee.g. Popular culture

……it reminded me of it reminded me of ModMod revolutionrevolution--…podsjećalo me to na …podsjećalo me to na modovsku modovsku revolucijurevoluciju

6. SUBSTITUTION-removing the ST ECR and 6. SUBSTITUTION-removing the ST ECR and replacing it with something elsereplacing it with something else

a) Cultural substitutiona) Cultural substitutione.g. Popular culturee.g. Popular culture……a black from the a black from the ModMod SquadSquad-…crnac iz -…crnac iz Večernje Večernje

školeškole

b) Paraphrase with sense transferb) Paraphrase with sense transfere.g. General termse.g. General terms……Cinco deCinco de MayoMayo-…-…Dan domovinske Dan domovinske

zahvalnostizahvalnosti

7. OMISSION-it simply means replacing 7. OMISSION-it simply means replacing the ST ECR with nothingthe ST ECR with nothing

e.g. Products and trademarkse.g. Products and trademarks

……he was wearing my he was wearing my ArmaniArmani jacket-… jacket-…nosio je moj sakonosio je moj sako

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

translation acts as a magical translation acts as a magical bridgebridge

between languages and culturesbetween languages and cultures embracing our own but also a embracing our own but also a

foreign heritageforeign heritage