Undertextning den nordiska modellen

Transcription

1 Undertextning den nordiska modellen Nordisk konferens för medieöversättare Stockholm september /09/2013 / Jan Pedersen, Ph.D, The Institute for Interpretation

2 Scandinavia is a bastion of subtitling Jan Ivarsson

3 A rich history of subtitling From 1933 to mid-50s, Scandinavian companies were among those dominating the European subtitling market (Ivarsson 2002: 8). DR introduced subtitles in 1955, giving up on voice-over (Gottlieb and Grigaravičiūtė (1999/2001: 76). Time code introduced at different points in time in the 1980s. Up to 1980s, subtitling norms developed in parallel. In the EU (15 countries), the number of TV channels has grown from 47 in 1989 to more than 1500 in 2002 (Gambier 2003: 182). Things changed then

4 More about that later, first a word or two about other forms of subtitling.

5 Intralingual subtitling Marginally for educational purposes. For the deaf and the hard-of-hearing. All or nearly all prerecorded programming on public service TV. Live subtitling: Velotype in Sweden since 1988 Respeaking in Denmark, nominally since 2006 Norway using regular keyboards (lower quantities).

6 Audio (spoken) subtitles Using voice-synthesizing software. Pioneered in Scandinavia by Sweden. Improved vastly with digitization. Best with informative text. Sweden: 100% of subtitled programming, yet extra receiver box. Denmark: 100% except when audio description is on; separate channel. Norway: From the summer of 2013.

7 This is later, so back on track! How Scandinavian subtitling norms have developed lately.

8 Norm convergence From the 1960s, the norms of the public service companies prevailed in Scandinavia. Label: 1980s norms. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, these were challenged by norms of pan-scandinavian AVT companies. By the new millennium, the national norms had converged to the degree that it makes sense to talk about common Scandinavian norm. Label: 2000s norm. 8

9 Quantitative convergence: Technical norms Expected reading speed. The number of characters displayed per second. Subtitle density. The rate with which subtitles appear on screen, as measured by the total number of subtitles per film. Condensation rate. The size of the TT as a percentage of the ST. 9

10 CPS Expected reading speed Sweden Norway Denmark 's Norm 2000's 10

11 Subtitles/film Subtitle density 's 2000's Sweden Norway Denmark Norm 11

12 % of original word count Condensation rate Sweden Denmark 's 2000's Norm 12/09/2013 Jan Pedersen, Department of English, Stockholm University 12

13 Scandinavian segmentation example Swedish Välj livet. Välj jobb, välj karriär, välj familj, välj en jävligt stor TV. Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television. Danish Vælg livet. Vælg et job. Karriere. Familje. Et stort lorte-tv. 12/09/2013

14 So much for numbers but how have the actual translations developed?

15 Translation norm convergence: the case of Extralinguistic Cultural References ECRs are names of places, people, institutions, customs, food etc. that are specific to a certain culture, and which you may not know even if you know the language in question. 15

16 Transcultural Monocultural Infracultural Halloween Poppy Day My cousins paddle boat company 12/09/2013 Jan Pedersen, Department of English, Stockholm University 16

17 How viewers access ECRs Encyclopaedically or intertextually: Through knowledge of the world or other texts (Transcultural ECRs). Deictically: Through the co-text or Polysemiotics. Translatorically : Through interventional strategies used by the subtitler (Monocultural ECRs).

18 He is a professor at NYU. Retention: Han är professor på NYU. Specification: Han är professor på New York University. Direct Translation: Han är professor på New Yorks Universitet. Generalization: Han är universitetsprofessor. Substitution: Han är professor på Stockholms Universitet. Omission: Han är professor.

19 I watched a hundred hours of the Three Stooges. Every time I felt like smiling, I jabbed myself in the stomach M*A*S*H with a cattle prod. Jeg så Gøg og Gokke film i 100 timer. 12/09/2013 Jan Pedersen, Department of English, Stockholm University 19

20 Substitution The Three Stooges Gøg og Gokke 12/09/

21 Official Equivalent Retention Direct Translation Minimum Change ECR Transfer strategies Intervention Omission Specification Generalization Substitution Addition Completion Paraphrase Cultural (Pedersen, Leppihalme 1997) 21

22 Senator Thurmond is not in your closet. 12/09/2013 Jan Pedersen, Ph.D., Department of English, Stockholm University

23 Strom Glistrup

24 Using templates A first-generation translation is made, and distributed as a Master Template File. (cf. e.g. Ivarsson 1989: 110). The time code of the MTF is used in second-generation translations. The first-generation translation is often used as a pivot translation. This saves about a third of the cost for secondgeneration versions. Simply put: Danish reading speeds and condensation rates, but Swedish subtitle density. 24

25 12/09/2013 Jan Pedersen, Ph.D., Department of English, Stockholm University

26 Swedish subtitles: -Är du galen? -Nej, jag är helt normal. Det är ni som borde öppna ögonen. När bestämde vi att vi skulle fånga orm? Danish subtitles: - Er du sindssyg? - Nej, jeg er helt normal. Det er jer, der skulle åbne øjnene. Hvornår besluttede vi, at vi skulle fange slanger? Fattar ni att ni är mitt i djungeln? Fatter I ikke, at I er midt i junglen? Ni bara ifrågasätter och kritiserar- I stiller spørgsmål og kritiserer - -men ingen av oss vet ett skit om läget just nu. - men ingen af os ved en skid om situationen lige nu. Men jag vet vem som gör det. Han där. 12/09/2013 Jan Pedersen, Department of English, Stockholm University Men jeg ved, hvem der gör. Ham her.

27 Same strategy for rendering Transcultural ECRs (e.g. Barack Obama) 22% Independent 11% Master files Same Strategy 89% Different Same Strategy Different 78% 27

28 Same strategy for rendering Monocultural ECRs (e.g. Strom Thurmond) Independent Master files 13% 43% Same Strategy Same Strategy 57% 87% Different Different 28

29 Breakdown of strategies 12% Sweden 6% 14% Denmark 6% 21% 22% Direct Translation Generalization Omission Official Equivalent 39% 4% 6% 12% 42% 2% 4% 10% Specification Retention Substitution 12/09/2013 Jan Pedersen, Department of English, Stockholm University 29

30 Thank you, Jack fucking Webb - Tak, fucking Jack Webb... - Hvem fanden er han? 12/09/2013 Jan Pedersen, PhD, Department of English, Stockholm University 30

31 Reasons for norm convergence New (and similar) technology. (e.g. Ivarsson 2002: 10). Increased influence of English language and culture in Scandinavia. (e.g. Gottlieb 2001: ). Changes in mediascape: More TV channels Multinational AVT companies. More media forms: espec. influence from DVD. Master template or Genesis files. 31

32 So In Scandinavia, the national norms, created by the public service broadcasters, have been levelled to the point where it makes sense to talk about a Scandinavian subtitling norm. An increase in operators has ironically led to less norm variation in Scandinavia. 32

33 12/09/2013 / Jan Pedersen, Ph.D., Department of English, Stockholm University And now for something slightly different

34 European AVT outlook AVT choice of subbing, dubbing or voice-over based on: Language policy Tradition Financial aspect Genre Medium Who you are

35 Sub Sub Sub Dub Voice over Dub Sub Dub Dub 12/09/ Sub

36 12/09/2013 / Jan Pedersen, Ph.D., Department of English, Stockholm University

37 12/09/2013 / Jan Pedersen, Ph.D., Department of English, Stockholm University

38 Subtitles in subbing and dubbing countries Traditional dubbing countries have: Higher subtitling density rates Less condensation Higher expected reading speeds than traditional subtitling countries. (cf. e.g Georgakopoulou 2010; Sokoli 2009) Mainly due to influence from Anglophone Genesis files and a lack of a strong domestic subtitling tradition.

39 So There is more subtitling in dubbing countries than ever before. Viewers in dubbing countries, who, for being such, are thus unused to subtitling and reading while watching film, have to deal with higher reading speeds, presumably making them less interested in subtitling as a mode of AVT. I find that somewhat counterproductive.

40 Thanks for