Master Thesis

The Faculty of Arts and Education MASTER THESIS Study programme: Literacy Studies Spring term, 2020 Open Author: Barbara Waloszek ………………………………………… (signatur author) Supervisor: Oliver Martin Traxel Title of thesis: Audiovisual Translation of Puns and Cultural References in the First Season of the TV Series ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Keywords: Audiovisual Translation, Pages: 92 Subtitling, Translation Strategies, Puns, + attachment/other: 107 Cultural References Stavanger, 11 May 2020 Abstract This master thesis investigates a topic from the field of audiovisual translation. The research is focused on the subtitling of puns and cultural references in the American TV series ‘How I Met Your Mother’. It aims to analyse the characteristics of each of these two translation problems in the source text and the translation strategies applied to render them in the target text. For these purposes, the research material is analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively to provide comprehensive data on the subject. The theoretical framework is based on the concept of relevance theory as proposed by Sperber and Wilson (2004), which constitutes a valid explanation of numerous translators’ decisions. This master thesis also includes a practical framework with information on the character of the film as an audiovisual medium. The analysed material provides a representative sample of the translation of puns and cultural references from English to Norwegian. The discussed examples show translation difficulties and factors which need to be considered while translating, such as inter-semantic redundancy and screen space limitations. In addition, the analysis of source-text puns allows for drawing conclusions on the language distance between these two languages. In relation to cultural references, the research indicates a potential distance between the American and the Norwegian culture. The conducted research also proves the usability of the relevance theory and the triangulated method of analysis for translation studies. 2 Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude towards my supervisor, Oliver M. Traxel, for his invaluable assistance in writing this master thesis. I appreciate your guidance in the writing process and patience in answering my numerous questions. I would also like to thank my friends Greta, Rebecca and Jone. Greta, thank you for helping me out with all the references to the American culture and other linguistic complexities. Rebecca and Jone, I am grateful for sharing with me your knowledge of Norwegian. I am also grateful for the encouragement of my friends in Stavanger and back in Poland. Finally, I would like to thank my family who supports my endeavours far away from home. 3 Table of Contents List of Figures ............................................................................................................................ 8 List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. 8 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 9 1.1 Outline of the Thesis ......................................................................................................... 9 1.2 Relevance ........................................................................................................................ 10 1.3 Overview of Chapters ..................................................................................................... 12 2. Theoretical Background ....................................................................................................... 13 2.1 Short History and Review of Previous Studies .............................................................. 13 2.2 Latest Studies in the Audiovisual Translation of Humour ............................................. 15 2.3 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................... 18 2.3.1 Humour .................................................................................................................... 18 2.3.2 Humour and Intertextuality ...................................................................................... 19 2.3.3 The Semantic-Script Opposition Theory ................................................................. 20 2.3.4 The General Theory of Verbal Humour ................................................................... 21 2.3.5 The Relevance Theory ............................................................................................. 23 2.4 Practical Framework ....................................................................................................... 26 2.4.1 Film as an Audiovisual Medium .............................................................................. 26 2.4.2 Semantic Codes included in the Film ...................................................................... 27 2.4.3 Audiovisual Translation as a Type of Translation ................................................... 31 2.4.4 Subtitles and their Taxonomy .................................................................................. 31 2.4.5 Semiotics of Film Subtitling .................................................................................... 32 2.5 Translation Problems ...................................................................................................... 32 2.6 Translation Problem 1: Pun ............................................................................................ 33 2.6.1 Definition of Pun ...................................................................................................... 33 2.6.2 Pun Taxonomies ....................................................................................................... 35 2.6.3 Translation Strategies for Puns ................................................................................ 36 2.7 Translation Problem 2: Cultural References .................................................................. 37 2.7.1 Definition of Cultural References ............................................................................ 37 2.7.2 Identification of Cultural References ....................................................................... 38 2.7.3 Domains of Cultural References .............................................................................. 39 2.7.4 Strategies for the Translation of Cultural References .............................................. 40 2.7.5 Translation Approach to Cultural References .......................................................... 43 3. Material and Methodology ................................................................................................... 44 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 44 4 3.2 Research Objective ......................................................................................................... 44 3.3 Research Material ........................................................................................................... 44 3.4 Criteria for Material Selection and Identification of Translation Problems ................... 46 3.5 Method of Data Collection ............................................................................................. 47 3.6 Method of Data Analysis ................................................................................................ 47 4. Results .................................................................................................................................. 50 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 50 4.2 Translation Problems ...................................................................................................... 50 4.3 Taxonomies of Puns ....................................................................................................... 51 4.4 Pun Translation Strategies .............................................................................................. 52 4.4.1 Pun to Pun ................................................................................................................ 54 4.4.2 Pun to No Pun .......................................................................................................... 59 4.4.3 Direct Copy .............................................................................................................. 61 4.4.4 Transference ............................................................................................................. 62 4.4.5 Punoid ...................................................................................................................... 64 4.5 Categories of Cultural References .................................................................................. 64 4.6 Translation Approach and Strategies for Translation of Cultural References ................ 65 4.6.1 Retention .................................................................................................................. 67 4.6.2 Direct Translation .................................................................................................... 71 4.6.3 Generalisation .......................................................................................................... 72 4.6.4 Substitution .............................................................................................................

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