mutlimodal subtitling of compliments a cross-lingusitic perspective what women want mutlimodal...

MUTLIMODAL SUBTITLING OF MUTLIMODAL SUBTITLING OF COMPLIMENTSCOMPLIMENTS

a cross-lingusitic perspectivea cross-lingusitic perspectiveWhat Women WantWhat Women Want

Nancy Meyers, staring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt, 2003

Anna BączkowskaKazimierz Wielki University

Dept. of English StudiesBydgoszcz, Poland

annabaczkowska.com

COMPLIMENTS, AVT, COMPLIMENTS, AVT, MULTIMODALITYMULTIMODALITY

• Publications devoted to audiovisual translation, including subtitling,loom large and rapidly gain popularity (Díaz Cintas 2009, Díaz Cintasand Ramael 2007, Orero 2004, Chiaro et al. 2008).- interest has been shown recently towards compliments (Herbert 1986,Holmes 1986, 1988, 1995, Lewandowska-Tomaszczyk 1989, Boyle2000). -Reports on compliments in subtitles are scarce (Bruti 2006,2009, in press),

• multimodal approach to subtitles (Taylor 2003, 2009, Pettit 2007)Perego 2009, Chuang 2006, 2009, Bączkowska a, in press),• multimodality analysed in the context of pragmatic issues in subtitleshas not been an object of extensive research as yet (see Mubenga2009, Desilla 2009, Bączkowska b, c, in press.

COMPLIMENTS

SUBTITLES

MULTIMODALITY

SUBTITLESPRAGMATIC ISSUES

COMPLIMENTS CROSS-LINGUISTIC

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION: ELEMENTS TYPES OF COMMUNICATION: ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATIONOF COMMUNICATION

Gunther Kress, socio-semiotic theory of communicationKay O’Halloran – teaching, advertisementsAnthony Baldry – advertisementsPaul Tibault – turn-takingChristopher Taylor – 2003, 2009, multimodal transcriptionYing Ting Chuang

Multimodality-lab.netPoland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Taiwan, Sweden, UAE , Belgium

Kress

Baldry

Taylor

Perego

Chuang

MULTIMODALITYMULTIMODALITY

MULTIMODALITY AND AVTMULTIMODALITY AND AVT

MultimodalityMultimodality looks at how non-verbal signals visual and gestural signals, kinesics and proxemics interact with verbal signals in the construction of meaning. These operate in parallel in the same context and “create meaning seamlessly and synergistically” (Matthiessen 2009).

MULTIMODALITY AND AVTMULTIMODALITY AND AVTMultimodalityMultimodality looks at how non-verbal

signals Previously, language has been viewed as constituting the central channel in interaction, and nonverbal channels have been viewed as being subordinated to it. While much valuable work on the interplay between the verbal and nonverbal has been established, I believe that the view which unquestionably positions language at the center limits our understanding of the complexity of interaction. (Norris 2004: 2).

COMPLIMENTSCOMPLIMENTS WHAT IS? A compliment is a speech act which explicitly or

implicitly attributes credit to someone other than the speaker, usually the person addressed, for some ‘good’ (possession, characteristic, skill, etc.) which is positively valued by the speaker and the hearer. (Holmes 1986: 485).

WHEN USED? -creating solidarity and a common ground, -expressing goodwill, praise and encouragement -maintaining rapport (Holmes 1995).

TAXONOMYTAXONOMY-Kerbrat-Orecchioni (1987) : direct and indirectstraightforward act of attributing positive values to an addressee v being

expressed by making reference to another (third) person. You are beautiful is a direct compliment You are as beautiful as your mother-Holmes (1995): direct v indirect (You’re looking good v Is that a new suit)Indirect > covertWhat a polite child. Thank you, we do our best. -Boyle (2000): explicit v implicitYour daughter is very nice, she has the same beautiful eyes as her motherINDIRECT: X AS ADJ AS Y: 2 PERSONS COMPLIMENTEDIMPLICIT: greater epistemic difference-Bruti(2009): overt, covert, dishonest/false (irony, criticism) ,

sincere/spontaneousFormulaic (a. appearance), noncanonical/creativeSTRATEGIES OF RESPONSEHerbert (1986) : 12 strategies (approval, contradiction, comment, attenuation,

asking for interpretation, questioning, etc.

PERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVESDirect: Direct: You You perspectiveperspectiveIndirect: Indirect: II perspective or perspective or He He perspectiveperspective

Kate to Peter: Peter, you’re a genius (YOU are a Kate to Peter: Peter, you’re a genius (YOU are a genius)genius)

Kate to Peter: Peter, you are my idol (I perspective)Kate to Peter: Peter, you are my idol (I perspective)Kate to Peter: Peter, you remind me of Brat Pitt, who Kate to Peter: Peter, you remind me of Brat Pitt, who

is so handsome (HE perspective as the atributes is so handsome (HE perspective as the atributes describe Pitt directly, but Peter indirectly)describe Pitt directly, but Peter indirectly)

ANALYSISANALYSISDATA: What Women WantLanguages: Polish, Italian,

Swedish, Portuguese, Spanish (Arabic)

61 scenes183 dialogues (in 3 lang.)

Each scene numbered and entitled

Quantitative analysisQuantitative analysis

SSmaller no of compliments in TTsmaller no of compliments in TTsDirect translated into indirectDirect translated into indirect

Some compliments are added by subtitlersSome compliments are added by subtitlersRESEARCH QUESTIONSRESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. ARE NONVERBAL (EXTRALINGUISTC LINGUISTIC) SIGNALS ALLOWED 1. ARE NONVERBAL (EXTRALINGUISTC LINGUISTIC) SIGNALS ALLOWED FOR IN SUBTITLESFOR IN SUBTITLES

2. ARE THERE ANY SHIFTS IN COMPLIMENT TRANSLATIONS2. ARE THERE ANY SHIFTS IN COMPLIMENT TRANSLATIONS

Qualitative analysisQualitative analysis1.Shift in perspective

Compliment preserved in Pol., attenuated in It.Verbal and nonverbal signals in harmony

• 2. English direct > indirect

Compliment attenuatedVerbal and nonverbal signals in harmony

• 3 lack of synchrony

Compliment preservedV and NV signals semi-compatible in Polish -one gesture left

without description, in Swedish-incompatible, compatible in Italian

• 4 no visual signals allowed for

Compliment preservedV and NV signals – incompatible in Polish

• 5 cross-cultural differences in forms of address

• Compliment – preserved• V and NV signals – compatible (nv signals complement

lack of explicit form of address)

RESEARCH QUESTIONSRESEARCH QUESTIONS1.1. ARE NONVERBAL (EXTRALINGUISTC LINGUISTIC) ARE NONVERBAL (EXTRALINGUISTC LINGUISTIC)

SIGNALS ALLOWED FOR IN SUBTITLESSIGNALS ALLOWED FOR IN SUBTITLESNOT ALWAYS (LACK OF SYNCHRONY WITH VISUAL NOT ALWAYS (LACK OF SYNCHRONY WITH VISUAL

SIGNALS)SIGNALS)2. ARE THERE ANY SHIFTS IN COMPLIMENT 2. ARE THERE ANY SHIFTS IN COMPLIMENT

TRANSLATIONSTRANSLATIONSYESYES

DIRECT INTO INDIRECT IN ITALIANDIRECT INTO INDIRECT IN ITALIANMORE DIRECT IN POLISH THAN IN ITALIANMORE DIRECT IN POLISH THAN IN ITALIANNOT ALL COMPLIMENTS ARE TRANSLATEDNOT ALL COMPLIMENTS ARE TRANSLATED

Linguistic conventions play a role!Linguistic conventions play a role!

CONCLUSIONS-DISCUSSION-CONCLUSIONS-DISCUSSION-IMPLICATIONSIMPLICATIONS

TT SHOULD ALLOW FOR :TT SHOULD ALLOW FOR :ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK AND VISUAL SIGNALSORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK AND VISUAL SIGNALS

TRANSLATOR TRAINING IMPLICATIONSTRANSLATOR TRAINING IMPLICATIONS

COMPLIMENTS SHOULD NOT BE CHANGED, SHIFTEDCOMPLIMENTS SHOULD NOT BE CHANGED, SHIFTEDTRANSLATOR TRAINING IMPLICATIONS?TRANSLATOR TRAINING IMPLICATIONS?

THANK YOUTHANK YOUYou are great audience!You are great audience!

MUTLIMODAL SUBTITLING OF MUTLIMODAL SUBTITLING OF COMPLIMENTSCOMPLIMENTS

a cross-lingusitic perspectivea cross-lingusitic perspectiveWhat Women WantWhat Women Want

Nancy Meyers, staring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt, 2003

Anna BączkowskaKazimierz Wielki Unviersity

Dept. of English StudiesBydgoszcz, Poland

annabaczkowska.com