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Subtitling and Dubbing Songs in Musical Films

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Subtitling and Dubbing Songs in Musical Films SUBTITLING AND DUBBING SONGS IN MUSICAL FILMS FECHA DE RECEPCIÓN: 4 de marzo FECHA DE APROBACIÓN: 17 de abril Por: Pp. 107-125. Martha García Gato Abstract Audiovisual translation (AVT) is a type of translation subjected to numerous constraints. Until now, many studies have been carried out about subtitling and dubbing in films. In musical films, which have been less studied, language transfer is mainly made through songs and, due to their characteristics, their translation is additionally constrained. This article provides some insights into some elements that make translation of songs for dubbing and subtitling a complex task using songs from the musical film My Fair Lady. Keywords Subtitling, Dubbing, Musicals, Translation, My Fair Lady. Comunicación, Cultura y Política Revista de Ciencias Sociales Subtitling and Dubbing Songs in Musical Films Resumen La traducción audiovisual (AVT) es un campo de la traducción sujeto a numerosos condicionantes. Hasta la fecha se han desarrollado múltiples estudios sobre la subtitulación y el doblaje de películas. En los musicales, menos estudiados, la transferencia lingüística recae en gran medida en las canciones y, por sus características, su traducción está sujeta a limitaciones adicionales. El presente artículo proporciona un análisis sobre algunos elementos que hacen de la traducción de las canciones para subtitular y doblar musicales una labor compleja, usando como ejemplo el musical My Fair Lady. Palabras clave Subtitulación, doblaje, musicales, traducción. 108 109 Martha García Vol.4-No.1:Enero-Junio de 2013 Introduction use of DVDs as one of the technologi- cal devises has benefited subtitling and The term ‘subtitling’ is used to refer dubbing; it is possible to watch films in to an activity which consists of adding the original version, with subtitles or printed words on a foreign film to trans- dubbed in different languages. late the dialogue, or any other linguistic element, bearing in mind the variables Dubbing and subtitling are practices the translation is subject to. Dubbing which make part of the generic term consists of replacing the original sound- ‘audiovisual translation’ (AVT). There track of a film by another soundtrack is not an agreement on the exact num- on which the translation of the original ber of AVT modalities. AVT, apart from version has been recorded, and it is also dubbing and subtitling, also encom- subjected to extra-linguistic variables passes many other practices like voice- over or subtitling. Ana Isabel Fernandez Subtitles came into existence due to the and Gustavo Mendiluce (2005) have need to convey the linguistic content of raised information about the multiple the film in a foreign language. It was opinions on the number of practices decided to insert titles on the screen. which are included in AVT. Due to the In the 1930s, Jacob Karol invented a explosion of technology development recording system by which it was pos- the list will probably continue being sible to synchronize the movement of not delimitated. For the purpose of this the lips of an actor in the film with the article, we will only refer to subtitling voice in another language of another and dubbing. actor who was in the recording studio. Ever since, we have witnessed a deve- In subtitling, apart from translating the lopment of the subtitling and dubbing dialogue and overcoming the linguistic industry. Tendencies in the different problems of translation when dealing countries towards one or the other only with written texts, the translation modality differ. The reasons why a must be adjusted to the space provi- country is more pro-dubbing or favors ded for the subtitle and to the time the subtitling have been of interest for speakers are on the screen. On the other many researches1. With the advent of hand, when dubbing a film the transla- technological progress the film indus- tion must also be adapted to the time the try has also developed and the wider original statement lasts and there must ____________ 1 Some of the scholars who have examined this issue in depth are Josephine Dries (1995) and Georg-Michael Luyken et al (1991). 108 109 Comunicación, Cultura y Política Revista de Ciencias Sociales Subtitling and Dubbing Songs in Musical Films be a synchronization of the actor’s lips made when transferring songs between to the translated speech. In the trans- two languages in musical films are lation for both dubbing and subtitling similar to those taken when translating coherence between image and sound dialogues in films. However, the num- must be maintained. Several constra- ber of elements present in the songs ints, thus, have to be taken into account of musical films, which are intrinsic in both cases. to them, is an aspect that should not be overlooked. These elements shape Christopher Titford (1982, p. 113-116) the choices that have to be made in the first used the term ‘constrained trans- process of translating. Several scholars lation’ when he referred to subtitling. have thoroughly examined language Soon after, Roberto Mayoral, Dorothy transfer in films in general. Although Kelly and Natividad Gallardo (1988) some have considered how songs in made wider use of this term by applying films are or should be approached when it to screen translation2. Constrained translating (Jorge Díaz Cintas, 2003, p. translation refers to limitations impo- 272-276; Ella Shohat & Robert Stam, sed on the translation which prevent us 1985, p. 37; and Jan Ivarsson & Mary from translating freely, as opposed to Carroll, 1998, p. 158), there is a lack of translating isolated written prose. These in-depth research into the translation of limitations include restricted space and songs in musical films in the literature time in the case of subtitling (adapting available. the translation to the time the original utterance lasts) and synchronizing the The objective of this article is to contri- movements of bilabial consonants and bute to the research by examining and open vowels in the original language assessing a non-exhaustive list of cons- with those of the dubbing language. traints in songs from the musical film My Fair Lady (1964) and their trans- In the case of musical films the ele- lations into Spanish for subtitling and ments that constraint the translation are dubbing. particularly evident. This type of films cannot be considered as conventional 1. Song analysis ones. In musical films, a large part of the language contents lies in songs which We have identified some constrai- combine music with a linguistic ele- ning elements for the translation of the ment (the lyrics). Some of the decisions songs from the musical film My Fair ____________ 2 Screen translation is a broader term which included localization. Lately multimedia translation is gaining ground. See Mayoral http://www.ugr.es/~rasensio/docs/TAV_Sevilla.pdf 110 111 Martha García Vol.4-No.1:Enero-Junio de 2013 Lady for dubbing and subtitling and we that we will mention further on) must have grouped them into three catego- be taken into account. ries: repetitions (rhyme and intratextual sentences), equivalences (accents and Let’s take the first six lines of the first distinctive phonetic characteristics, uni- song in My Fair Lady and its subtitles3 versal referents and cultural references and dubbing in Spanish as an example. and stereotypes) and technical aspects (presentation rules for subtitling and The dubbed version keeps the rhyme image-sound coherence for dubbing). and opts for a more poetic translation. .The rhyme, the fidelity to the original 2. Repetitions and the image-sound coherence have to be led by the music. Díaz Cintas 2.1 Repetition of sounds: believes that ‘Conviene conservar, si Rhyme es posible, la rima- o al menos, cierto ritmo- de las canciones, aun a costa de Rhyme is one of the best-known featu- traicionar levemente el texto original’ res of songs, although it is not always (2003, p. 275). Translating a song for as evident as it is in written poetry. Get- dubbing is possible, and the musical ting lines to rhyme is time-consuming film My Fair Lady is a good example and a distinctive activity of creativity. of it; but it is far from easy, as can be By such a practice the musicality of any seen in María del Mar Cortés Ramal’s language is highlighted, even more so analysis of scores of a song from the when combined with other elements musical Grease. in musicals, such as music, the plot or actors’ actions. Rhymes are obtained In the subtitled Spanish translation, by the repetition of terminal sounds of the English end rhyme has comple- words or of verse lines. It is noticed by tely disappeared and the choices for the audience of the same language and the translation have the tendency to be it is also evident to the audience who more stick to the original. This lack of speak a foreign language. In the trans- rhyme in the subtitles, however, is not lation for songs, as happens with writ- due to physical constraints such as the ten poetry, the meaning has to be con- limited spaces for the subtitles veyed and also the poetic aspect has to be transmitted. In musicals, moreover, also music (amongst other elements ____________ 3 The subtitles have been literally copied from the DVD, including the Spanish quotation marks 110 111 Comunicación, Cultura y Política Revista de Ciencias Sociales Subtitling and Dubbing Songs in Musical Films Table 1. Why Can’t The English By right, she “Ahorcarla deberían Original Subtitles Dubbing should be taken out and hung, “Look at her, “Mírela, Mira a ese a prisoner of prisionera de desecho de la For the cold-bloo- “Por el asesinato de the gutters los suburbios calle ded murder of the la lengua inglesa a English tongue sangre fría.” “Condemned “Condenada lo mismo by every por cada habla que This is what the “Esto es lo que la syllable she sílaba que una conde- British population, población británica, utters.
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