As offensive and taboo language is becoming increasingly common in day-to-day life, this type of language has also become a part of our entertainment media, including in subtitles. Offensive and...Show moreAs offensive and taboo language is becoming increasingly common in day-to-day life, this type of language has also become a part of our entertainment media, including in subtitles. Offensive and taboo language can be used for many different reasons and to create many different effects in the source text. This means that offensive and taboo language can also be used for a character’s characterisation, meaning it will be a way for them to express their own personality, their intent, or to form a relationship with the people around them. However, subtitlers often deal with spatio-temporal constraints that will not allow them to retain every single instance of offensive and taboo language in the target text. This means offensive and taboo language is often the first to be omitted, and this could potentially negatively affect the characterisation of certain characters. This study is an analysis of the offensive and taboo language in the first season of Netflix’s Sex Education and the characterisation of four characters in the English and Dutch subtitles. Ávila-Cabrera’s (2016) taxonomy of offensive and taboo language was used to categorise the offensive and taboo language that was found in the target text. Pinker’s (2007) and Dynel’s (2012) typologies of function were used to classify the functions of the offensive and taboo language. Lastly, a combination of Vinay & Darbelnet’s (2000) and Díaz Cintas & Remael’s (2007) translation strategies were used. The results show that, even though all four characters had parts of their offensive or taboo language omitted during the translation process, their characterisation was not negatively affected. This entails that the Dutch subtitles did not portray an entirely different personality compared to the English source text.Show less
Several studies have focused on the definition of culture-specific items (CSIs), the categorization of CSIs into different types, and the different procedures that can be used to translate them....Show moreSeveral studies have focused on the definition of culture-specific items (CSIs), the categorization of CSIs into different types, and the different procedures that can be used to translate them. Furthermore, many studies have investigated the potential existence of translation norms, which are not directly observable entities that are present within different cultural groups and which influence translation behavior. This study combines the topics of CSIs and translation norms to formulate a potential norm that governs English-to-Dutch subtitling of CSIs in non-fiction television that generally values either source- or target-oriented translations. The two genres of non-fiction television analyzed in this study are reality and documentary television. The existence of a potential translation norm is investigated through data triangulation, which, in this study, means that a corpus as a textual source and a questionnaire as an extratextual source are analyzed. Observable patterns identified in the corpus and potentially normative statements gathered using the questionnaire indicate the existence of a translation norm that values mainly source-oriented translations of CSIs in English-to-Dutch subtitling of non-fiction television. Furthermore, the results indicate that the preferred CSI translations in the documentary series subtitles tend to be more source-oriented than CSI translations in the reality show subtitles. The results also show that the thematic category of CSIs can function as an indicator of whether their translation is generally more source- or target-oriented. Further research is needed to test whether the audiovisual television productions analyzed are representative of English-to-Dutch subtitled reality and documentary television, and whether the questionnaire results, based on a relatively low number of questions and participants, are representative of how a general Dutch audience evaluates CSI translations.Show less
USA reality competition television series RuPaul’s Drag Race has seen a rise in popularity since it first aired in 2009 and can be watched in several countries across different platforms. This...Show moreUSA reality competition television series RuPaul’s Drag Race has seen a rise in popularity since it first aired in 2009 and can be watched in several countries across different platforms. This global interest causes the need to translate the series’ English language into other languages. The use of language that is specific to the drag community and gay community, one that is tied to both gender and sexuality, as explored in this thesis, causes the translator to have to deal with community-specific words. A fairly recent phenomenon, the concept of translating this community-specific language and its translation into Dutch has not yet been extensively discussed. This thesis aims to find patterns that are visible in the translation procedures used (based on the concept of translation procedures by Newmark) for the translation of language tied to the drag and gay community, for the Dutch Netflix subtitles of three episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Some of this language is maintained in the audiovisual translation, while other language is modified or removed. This modification or removal might possibly cause a different viewing experience for the Dutch viewer as compared to a viewer who only uses the source text, and causes a loss of meaning of cultural elements related to the drag community.Show less
The objective of this thesis is to research the possibilities a subtitler has when subtitling humoristic instances from English into Dutch using subtitles from the American sitcom How I Met Your...Show moreThe objective of this thesis is to research the possibilities a subtitler has when subtitling humoristic instances from English into Dutch using subtitles from the American sitcom How I Met Your Mother as a corpus. The research and analysis will be executed by discussing the different types of humoristic instances, as well as the various strategies a subtitler can opt for. These will be compared with one another and a conclusion will be drawn discussing which humoristic instances are translated using which translation strategy. The hypothesis that subtitlers have to settle for the omission of words or phrases to fit the spatial and temporal constraints belonging to audiovisual translation will be tested by researching the various alternative strategies a subtitler can choose from, and which have been chosen by the subtitler of the abovementioned sitcom. An overall conclusion will be drawn, with reference to the results and their analysis, concluding that a subtitler can use a wide variety of strategies, and how subtitlers can use those strategies when subtitling humoristic instances in other, similar, films or series. (177 words)Show less
This thesis analyzes the techniques applied to translate medical terminology in the Dutch subtitles of three episodes of the American medical TV series Grey’s Anatomy (2005-present, Rhimes). The...Show moreThis thesis analyzes the techniques applied to translate medical terminology in the Dutch subtitles of three episodes of the American medical TV series Grey’s Anatomy (2005-present, Rhimes). The model for analysis is based on the taxonomy of Molina and Hurtado (2002), which distinguishes between fifteen different translation techniques. It was found that, as expected, established equivalents are used most commonly, and that most of these established equivalents are literal translations. This can be explained by three factors: medical concepts and culture are similar in English and Dutch, they have both been strongly influenced by Greek and Latin, and Dutch has been influenced by English as the current lingua franca of medicine. The latter was also supported by the high number of borrowings from English found in the Dutch subtitles. Moreover, it was found that generalization, reduction and amplification are commonly used techniques. These techniques can be part of simplification and explicitation strategies, which confirms the hypothesis that medical texts for a lay audience are de-terminologized. Lastly, the relatively high number of inadequate equivalents has led to a twofold recommendation: the development of specialized AVT training and the compilation of term bases.Show less
The Netherlands is a country with a subtitling tradition. This tradition would suggest that Dutch viewers generally have a more positive attitude towards Dutch subtitling compared to Dutch dubbing....Show moreThe Netherlands is a country with a subtitling tradition. This tradition would suggest that Dutch viewers generally have a more positive attitude towards Dutch subtitling compared to Dutch dubbing. However, this subtitling tradition does not seem to have been established at the hand of the attitudes of Dutch viewers towards both modes, considering these attitudes have received nearly no coverage in academic work. This is problematic, since a lack of data on these attitudes makes it challenging for translators of audiovisual media to create translations that are suitable for a Dutch audience. Therefore, this thesis collected data on the attitudes of 53 Dutch participants towards Dutch subtitling and dubbing in the Netherlands through an online questionnaire. The results show that the participants prefer Dutch subtitles over Dutch dubs, but also rate the overall quality of both modes in a similar manner and even list slightly more disadvantages for Dutch subtitles than Dutch dubs. There also appears to be a consensus amongst the participants that children are the main target audience for Dutch dubs, and most participants indicated that Dutch dubs are the most suitable for children’s programs, cartoons and commercials. Furthermore, 69.8% of the participants believe that there is a negative stigma surrounding Dutch dubs and 88.7% of the participants stated that they do not desire for more audiovisual media to become available with Dutch dubs. Additionally, 49.1% of the participants indicated they do not desire for more audiovisual media to become available with Dutch subtitles either. Although 56.6% of the participants indicated they do not feel restricted by Dutch subtitles, the majority of the participants stated that they frequently disagree with the translation choices in Dutch subtitles. Finally, 66% of the participants indicated that they prefer English subtitles over Dutch subtitles. While these findings only represent the attitudes of 53 Dutch viewers, they can form a starting point for future research regarding attitudes towards both modes in the Netherlands.Show less
With the popularization of courtroom dramas, fictional legal subtitling is in high demand. However, correct legal subtitling might be difficult to achieve due to the nature of legal translation and...Show moreWith the popularization of courtroom dramas, fictional legal subtitling is in high demand. However, correct legal subtitling might be difficult to achieve due to the nature of legal translation and the constraints of subtitling. This study is a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the legal terms in the Dutch subtitles of the first season of Suits. Pedersen’s (2005/2011) taxonomy of translation strategies to transfer Extralinguistic Cultural References (ECRs) was used to identify which translation strategies were used for the translation of legal terms in the subtitles and Pedersen’s (2017) FAR model for error assessment in subtitles was used to assess the subtitles that contained legal terms according to functional equivalency, acceptability and readability. The results showed that direct translation was the most used translation strategy in the Dutch subtitles of the first season of Suits. Error assessment showed that the subtitles were at least 80% functionally equivalent, acceptable and readable. Applying Pedersen’s (2005/2011) translation strategies in combination with his (2017) FAR model to other courtroom dramas can help generate more data and formulate which translation strategies work best for legal subtitling as a general recommendation for future legal subtitlers.Show less
This thesis studied the translation of the Scots dialect according to a model provided by Pinto (2009) for two types of translations: Annemarie Lodewijk’s Dutch translation of Diana Gabaldon’s...Show moreThis thesis studied the translation of the Scots dialect according to a model provided by Pinto (2009) for two types of translations: Annemarie Lodewijk’s Dutch translation of Diana Gabaldon’s novel Outlander (ST1), De Reiziger (TT1), and the Dutch subtitles (TT2) of the Outlander DVD (Starz, 2014-) (ST2), which is the first season of ST1’s adaptation on television. In addition, it was studied how the differences in the procedures adopted by the translators have affected characterisation and character relationships. A final aspect of this thesis’ research is the inclusion of one of the translators’ views and approach to dialect translation. Based on the results of this study, it was found that the main procedure adopted in both translations is the use of only a standard variety of language, followed by omission, and finally the direct import of dialect vocabulary. As a result of the first two procedures, there is a major loss of meaning and characterisation in the translation. However, this loss is compensated in TT1 mostly through the inclusion of dialect vocabulary and in TT2 through other visual and audible means that result from ST2 and TT2 being perceived simultaneously. Finally, it is the translator of TT1’s view that there is no way of including ST dialect in the translation without making the translation incomprehensible. However, second languages in translations can be retained, and depending on the knowledge of the TT audience, the translator is allowed to retain some lexical instances of dialect in the translation.Show less
Subtitlers often find themselves choosing between adhering to subtitling constraints and improving the target audience's understanding of the source material. In other words, they make choices...Show moreSubtitlers often find themselves choosing between adhering to subtitling constraints and improving the target audience's understanding of the source material. In other words, they make choices between condensation and accessibility. This thesis examines how references to political discourse are translated in Netflix's series House of Cards, from English to Dutch. These references were categorized by using a translation taxonomy (Pedersen, 2005/2011). This categorization process demonstrated how the Official Equivalent translation strategy can be problematic, and a tendency to choose (cultural) accessibility over condensation in general.Show less
This study considers the main research gaps that are important for future studies regarding the improvement of the quality of interlingual live subtitling. To identify these gaps, this thesis...Show moreThis study considers the main research gaps that are important for future studies regarding the improvement of the quality of interlingual live subtitling. To identify these gaps, this thesis provides a literature review of the available research on this topic, as well as an updated outline of the current situation of interlingual live subtitling in the Netherlands.Show less
This thesis explores the characterization of Frank Underwood in the Netflix Original Series House of Cards, and more specifically how Frank’s characterization changes due to certain translation...Show moreThis thesis explores the characterization of Frank Underwood in the Netflix Original Series House of Cards, and more specifically how Frank’s characterization changes due to certain translation choices. James R. Keller (2015) argues that Frank resembles the ‘vice’ – a figure from the early modern stage that is also related to the well-known villain – and describes a number of traits. These traits are linked to Frank’s language use by using Culpeper’s stylistic framework of characterization cues (2001), resulting in a qualitative analysis of the Frank’s language use. Next, Vinay and Darbelnet’s procedures (1995) and Gambier’s subtitling procedures (2006) are used to analyze the way in which Frank’s character statements and metaphors have been translated. The analysis shows that fewer information than expected was omitted in the translation, despite the spatiotemporal constraints and technical limitations inherent in subtitling. Any changes seemed to result in a change in emphasis, but not in characterization interpretation. Other information sources, such as video and audio that complement the subtitles, also confirm the character traits.Show less
The aim of this thesis was to test the hypothesis that teaching secondary students English by means of the audiovisual translation mode subtitling will increase students’ vocabulary on a...Show moreThe aim of this thesis was to test the hypothesis that teaching secondary students English by means of the audiovisual translation mode subtitling will increase students’ vocabulary on a predetermined topic. Little research on watching subtitled television programmes for English language acquisition has yet been conducted in the Netherlands and no research has been conducted in which the focus was on one specific topic of vocabulary. To test the hypothesis, a six-week study was held among secondary school students who watched an English-spoken programme either with or without English subtitles. The vocabulary used in this programme was similar to the vocabulary used in the course books at the school. One group of participants served as the control group and watched the programme without any subtitles, while another group of participants served as the experimental group and watched the programme with intralingual subtitles (subtitles in the same language as the soundtrack). The results of this six-week study show that watching an English-spoken programme with English subtitles is an effective approach to learning new vocabulary on a specific topic.Show less
The purpose of this thesis is to discern whether Dutch gamers and non-gamers want to play games in Dutch and if so, what they think of existing translations. In order to investigate the research...Show moreThe purpose of this thesis is to discern whether Dutch gamers and non-gamers want to play games in Dutch and if so, what they think of existing translations. In order to investigate the research question, an online survey was created and distributed amongst a Dutch sample audience consisting of five different types of gamers, including non-gamers; questions involved the subject’s opinions on several areas of videogame translation and localisation, with a focus on subtitling and dubbing. My hypothesis was that the target group would be willing to play more games if a higher number of them were translated into Dutch in the first place, or if current videogame translations were improved upon in some way. Only the first part of the hypothesis turned out to be false.Show less
The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of dubbing and subtitling on EFL competence in dubbing and subtitling countries in the EU. If significant differences exist in EFL competence...Show moreThe purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of dubbing and subtitling on EFL competence in dubbing and subtitling countries in the EU. If significant differences exist in EFL competence between dubbing and subtitling countries in the EU, this might have implications for dubbing countries, especially in the light of the 2002 Barcelona objective, which states that citizens of the EU should speak two languages in addition to their mother tongue. Since English is the most commonly learned foreign language in the EU, and because the majority of dubbed or subtitled material in the EU is anglophone in origin, this paper asks how dubbing and subtitling affect EFL competence in dubbing and subtitling countries in the EU. To answer this question, secondary data from a number of large-scale EU studies were analyzed. The results of the analysis showed a clear link between subtitling countries and relatively high EFL competence; EFL competence was found to be lower in dubbing countries. However, there were exceptions to this general trend, suggesting that other factors such as quality and quantity of exposure and issues related to formal education also play an important part in determining overall EFL competence.Show less
Are instances of wordplay that are important for plot or characterization maintained more often in the subtitling than instances that are not important for plot or characterization? This article...Show moreAre instances of wordplay that are important for plot or characterization maintained more often in the subtitling than instances that are not important for plot or characterization? This article discusses theories from Zabalbeascoa, Delabastita, Nash, and Gottlieb, and the included case study discusses the relationship between plot importance and translation approaches in the subtitling of wordplay of Sherlock and The Big Bang Theory.Show less
