RE-INTERPRETING THE SPIRITING AWAY OF SEN AND CHIHIRO: A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS AND TRANSLATION OF JAPANESE ANIMATION by Lisa Sanders Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree MA Applied Language Studies Translation and Interpreting in the Department of African Languages at the UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA FACULTY OF HUMANITIES SUPERVISOR: Dr HC Kruger-Roux October 2018 i UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA FACULTY OF HUMANITIES RESEARCH PROPOSAL & ETHICS COMMITTEE DECLARATION Full name: Lisa Sanders Student number: 29100454 Degree/Qualification: MA (Applied Language Studies) Title of dissertation: Re-interpreting the Spiriting Away of Sen and Chihiro: A Semiotic Analysis and Translation of Japanese Animation I declare that this dissertation is my own original work. Where secondary material is used, this has been carefully acknowledged and referenced in accordance with university requirements. I understand what plagiarism is and am aware of university policy and implications in this regard. _____________________________ _______________ SIGNATURE DATE ResPEthics Documentation NE 46/04 05/2004 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I’d like to thank my teachers and mentors over the years—Hiromi Spinola, Helena Kruger-Roux (who supervised this dissertation), Renée Marais, Karen Harris, Ria van der Merwe, Julie du Bois, and Leanne Mandim. Thank you all for pushing me in the right direction, encouraging me to pursue my passion and providing me with countless opportunities to learn and grow. This dissertation would not have been at all possible without you. My heartfelt thanks as well to all the people who helped me when I was stuck with a translation, particularly with regard to difficult kanji: Sonja Yonehara, Con Momberg, Tomoko Kawakita, Satoko Olivier and, as always, my patient and yet enthusiastic sensei, Hiromi Spinola, who deserves to be thanked much more than twice. 本当に ありがとうございました。 いつもお世話になっております。 Thanks also to Sandy van der Merwe and Idette Noomé for helping me polish my dissertation and making sure there weren’t too many hinky things left in it. Many thanks to Mom and Dad, for your endless patience and all the encouragement you’ve always given me. Tons of extra-special thanks to my Lae, for never allowing me to give up. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you! iii ABSTRACT Both within the field of translation studies and outside of the academic realm entirely, audiovisual translation is becoming an increasingly relevant and important topic, especially considering the rapid rate of globalisation thanks to the widespread prevalence of broadband internet. In the wake of the fansubbing phenomenon, the ‘traditional’ means of translating for the screen could be seen as becoming outdated and inappropriate for modern audiences, especially those who seek to connect and interact more with the source cultures of the media they consume, such as the typical audiences of Japanese animation (anime). By exploring and evaluating alternative means of translating audiovisual material, more of what is lost by the typically reductive methods of translating for the screen, especially where subtitling is concerned, could potentially be salvaged. This study introduces, applies and evaluates a semiotic model for the subtitling of a Japanese Animated film: Miyazaki’s 2001 Spirited Away. Subtitles created for the film according to this model are compared with those distributed along with the DVD version of the film, highlighting the key differences; namely the significant loss of information that occurs when subtitling according to traditionally prescribed methods and how this can be prevented by working from a semiotic framework. Key terms audiovisual translation, subtitling, semiotics, Japanese film, anime, Spirited Away, translation of Japanese. iv CONTENTS Declaration ................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... ii Abstract ..................................................................................................................... iii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background ................................................................................................... 1 1.2 The research problem ................................................................................... 3 1.3 The purpose and objectives of the study ....................................................... 3 1.4 The research questions ................................................................................. 4 1.5 Delineations and limitations of the study ....................................................... 4 1.6 Dissertation structure and chapter overviews ............................................... 4 1.6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 5 1.6.2 Literature review ..................................................................................... 5 1.6.3 Methodology ........................................................................................... 5 1.6.4 Data analysis .......................................................................................... 5 1.6.5 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 5 1.7 Definitions and Terms ................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................ 7 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Translation theory ......................................................................................... 7 2.2.1 A new discipline ...................................................................................... 8 2.2.2 Carrying meaning across ........................................................................ 9 2.3 Semiotics..................................................................................................... 10 2.3.1 Finding meaning ................................................................................... 11 2.3.2 Barthes’s Empire .................................................................................. 12 2.3.3 Translating meaning: Semiotics and Translation .................................. 14 2.3.4 The question of equivalence: semiotics, translation, and Japan ........... 15 v 2.4 Subtitling ..................................................................................................... 18 2.4.1 Translating for a viewing audience ....................................................... 19 2.4.2 Subtitling semiotically ........................................................................... 22 2.4.3 Subtitling techniques in practice ........................................................... 23 2.4.4 AVT Anarchy—Abusive subtitling and the Fansub revolution ............... 24 2.5 Spirited Away .............................................................................................. 25 2.5.1 Hidden by the Gods .............................................................................. 26 2.5.2 Empty centres ....................................................................................... 27 2.5.3 Le voyage de Chihiro (aux États-Unis) ................................................. 28 2.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................. 29 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .......................................................... 31 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 31 3.2 Research design ......................................................................................... 31 3.2.1 Case studies and translation studies .................................................... 32 3.2.2 Limitations of the case study as a research design .............................. 33 3.3 Methodology................................................................................................ 34 3.3.1 Data collection ...................................................................................... 35 3.3.2 Data analysis: the semiotic model and subtitling .................................. 35 3.3.3 Limitations ............................................................................................ 40 3.3.4 Ethical considerations ........................................................................... 41 3.4 Conclusion .................................................................................................. 41 CHAPTER 4: SUBTITLES AND ANALYSIS ............................................................. 42 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 42 4.1.1 Choosing suitable clips ......................................................................... 42 4.2 Applying the semiotic model........................................................................ 44 4.2.1 Cultural references, linguistic and extralinguistic .................................. 44 4.3 Translation strategies .................................................................................. 53 vi 4.3.1 Retention .............................................................................................