Specialized Translators in Documentary Audiovisual Texts: Terminology and Audience Considerations
Specialized translators in documentary audiovisual texts require a broad knowledge across various topics, from anthropology to medicine, including sub-topics like anatomy and quantum physics. Understanding the target audience, which may range from children to scientists, helps determine the level of specialization and language used in translations. Translators face challenges such as choosing between terms for different types of beetles in documentaries. Providing glosses in images may aid in conveying specialized terms to a general audience.
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DOCUMENTARIES AUDIOVISUAL TEXTS Translators Translators not not specialised specialised. . A minimum A minimum knowledge knowledge of a maximum of of a maximum of topics topics. . Terminological Terminological research wildlife wildlife, etc. , etc. research in in many many specialised specialised areas areas, from , from anthopology anthopology to medicine to to medicine to And And then then sub sub- -topics topics within within each each area area But But experts experts in a mode (AVT) in a mode (AVT)
SUB-TOPICS Medicine, Medicine, anatomy anatomy, , cardiology cardiology, , heart heart surgery surgery, etc. , etc. Physics Physics, quantum , quantum physics physics, , Higg s Higg s boson boson, etc. , etc. Sport, football, Sport, football, European European Championships Championships, etc. , etc.
SKOPOS AND TARGET Audiences Audiences may children children, , foreigners foreigners, , but may be more or be more or less but will less technically technically educated will still still contain contain some educated scientists some level level of of specialisation scientists, general public, , general public, specialisation. . Do Do we themselves themselves or the we use the use the specialised or the terms specialised language terms found found in language adopted in term term banks adopted by the banks/ /dictionaries dictionaries/ /glossaries by the scientists scientists/ /technicians glossaries. . technicians It It has has to to depend depend on the audience. on the audience.
BEETLES: RECORD BREAKERS For For example example the types types of of beetle the documentary documentary Beetles beetle: : Beetles: Record : Record Breakers Breakers uses uses 15 15 different different terms terms for for stag stag beetle beetle, , tiger tiger beetle beetle, , diving diving beetle beetle, , bloody bloody nose nose beetle beetle, , oil oil beetle beetle, etc. , etc. There There many seagull seagull or many types or types of of seagull seagull. The . The translator translator must decide must decide between between the the generic generic black black- -headed headed gull gull , , guillemot guillemot , , herring herring gull gull , etc. , etc.
HOW TO HELP For a general public the For a general public the juxtaposition problems problems,. ,. If If not not, , provide provide a a gloss juxtaposition of image and of image and wording gloss to a to a specialised specialised term wording may term. . may solve solve identity identity The narrator (of the The narrator (of the documentary interview interview with a more with a more simple documentary) ) rewords simple explanation explanation ( (Matamala rewords what Matamala). ). what a a specialist specialist might might have have said said in an in an
ORAL UTTERANCE OF A WRITTEN TEXT Voice Voice- -over: over: interviews interviews, , talking talking heads heads Dubbing Dubbing Off Off- -screen screen dubbing dubbing OR OR subtitling subtitling
INFORMATIVE GENRE CAN BE CAN BE narrative narrative descriptive descriptive persuasive persuasive expository expository All All text text types types and and registers registers
TERMINOLOGY Main Main problems problems to be to be found found in domain in domain- -specific specific lexis lexis. . Identifying Identifying terms terms Understanding Understanding terms terms Finding Finding the right the right equivalent equivalent Dealing Dealing with the with the absence absence of a right of a right equivalent equivalent Dealing Dealing with with denomination denomination variation variation Avoiding Avoiding wrong wrong transcriptions transcriptions THIS TAKES TIME! THIS TAKES TIME!
TIME CONSTRAINTS When When a a documentary documentary deals translate translate it it immediately immediately. . deals with with current current newsy newsy issues issues there there may may be a be a need need to to Eg Eg. a . a documentary documentary about done done in in one one day day as about the as the the Cirque Cirque was the Cirque Cirque Soleil to be Soleil to be translated was to to begin begin performing translated into performing the into Catalan Catalan had the next next day day. . had to be to be
TOOLS Dictionaries Dictionaries Glossaries Glossaries Similar Similar texts texts Data Data- -banks banks Translation Translation memory memory tools tools where where there there is is Terminology Terminology extraction extraction systems systems repetition repetition And And if if possible possible, a , a transcription transcription!? !? Which Which may may in in any any case be full of case be full of errors errors. .
ERRORS Errors Errors occur occur principally principally with with specialised specialised terminology terminology and and real real names names. . Jungle Jungle Reinhard Reinhard Django Django Reinhardt Reinhardt Jorn Jorn Asten Asten Jane Jane Austen Austen Magnus Magnus Axle Axle - - Aldous Aldous Huxley Huxley
WHAT TO DO? Merv Merv was centre centre contains contains the insight insight into into the 16 BC. 16 BC. was one one of the of the most the secrets the populations populations movements most prestigious prestigious of the secrets of of five five great movements, , their of the ancient ancient cities great eras eras. The . The archeologists their way of life way of life The first city cities of Central Asia. of Central Asia. This archeologists can can continually The first city dates This urban urban continually gain dates back to gain back to BUT BUT sources sources such such as as the the British British Museum Museum tell tell us us that that the first city the first city dates dates back to 6 BC. back to 6 BC.
MIXTURE Documentaries Documentaries contain recurring recurring terminology terminology. . contain general general utterances utterances, domain , domain- -specific specific terminology terminology and and We We hear hear general (semi) (semi) spontaneous spontaneous talk (hesitation, false talk (hesitation, false starts interviewee interviewee may may not not speak speak good general utterances utterances for for example example in in interviews interviews along starts, etc.) , etc.) which English and this this must be along with the with the other which are are removed must be addressed addressed. . other features features of removed. The . The of good English and
FEATURES Semantic Semantic field field Collocations Collocations Norms Norms Intertextuality Intertextuality
ECHO OF THE ELEPHANTS A nature A nature documentary documentary dealing dealing with with elephants elephants. . A A multimodal multimodal text text Generic Generic structure structure with with obligatory obligatory and optional and optional features features Intertextual Intertextual properties properties
GENRE Nature Nature documentary documentary Sub Sub- -genre genre: : a a nature nature documentary documentary dealing dealing with with wild wild African African animals animals Sub Sub- -sub sub genre genre a a nature nature documentary documentary dealing dealing with with elephants elephants Genrelets Genrelets specific specific scenes etc etc. .) ) scenes of of the the life life of of elephants elephants ( (eating eating, , travelling travelling, ,
OBLIGATORY FEATURES OF THE GENRE Pictures Pictures of nature, of nature, animals animals, etc. , etc. Sounds of nature Sounds of nature Off Off- -screen narrator screen narrator
OPTIONAL FEATURES COULD BE Music Music A A second second speaker speaker Etc. Etc.
OBLIGATORY FEATURES IN ECHO Elephants Elephants, , grass grass, , birds birds, acacia, , acacia, Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro, , svannah svannah Trumpeting Trumpeting, , tweeting tweeting, , wind wind, , leaves leaves rustling rustling David Attenborough David Attenborough
OPTIONAL FEATURES IN ECHO Music Music Cynthia Cynthia Moss Moss
LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS Place Place and time and time markers markers: : Here in the Here in the Amboseli Amboseli National Park National Park As As the the rainy rainy season season approaches approaches Minor Minor clauses clauses: : The The great great forest forest
LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS CONT. (semi) (semi) scientific scientific language language: : Patrick Patrick is is in in musth musth, , she she is is in in oestrus oestrus
LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS CONT. Pseudo Pseudo- -poetic poetic language language: : The The majestic majestic presence presence ofthe ofthe male male juggernaut juggernaut stills stills the jungle community the jungle community
VERBAL AND VISUAL In In multimodal multimodal, , documentary in the in the sense sense that that they documentary texts they are are worked texts, the , the verbal worked out out beforehand verbal and beforehand. . and visual visual elements elements are are manipulated manipulated The text The text is is thus thus reasonably reasonably predictable predictable. . BUT BUT manipulable manipulable
FORMS OF COMMUNICATION Interpersonal Interpersonal eg eg. . conversation conversation Broadcast Broadcast eg eg. TV and radio . TV and radio Documentary Documentary eg eg. . newspapers newspapers, books , books
MANIPULATION Communication Communication is is more ( (spontaneuous spontaneuous conversation politician s politician s speech speech). ). more manipulable manipulable as conversation) to the as we most documentary documentary (a we move move from the from the most (a newspaper newspaper editorial most interpersonal interpersonal ) to the most editorial, a , a Documentary Documentary films films lie lie along along this this cline. cline.
DOCUMENTARY TRANSLATION The The translator translator works works with a with a pre pre- -existng existng framework framework reflecting reflecting the the genre genre. . S/he must S/he must adapt paratactic paratactic sentences adapt the target the target language sentences. . language to to this this structure structure eg eg. a . a predominance predominance of short, of short,
EXAMPLE There s There s a a group group of of vultures vultures on the on the ground ground in the far in the far distance distance. . The The birds birds were were squabbling squabbling over the over the remains remains of of what what could could be an be an elephant s elephant s placenta. placenta. (the (the visual visual image image frames frames this this text by text by gradually gradually moving moving closer closer to the to the birds birds) ) TRY A TRANSLATION TRY A TRANSLATION
THERE MIGHT BE A TEMPTATION in the in the interest interest of of concision concision, to create a single , to create a single hypotactic hypotactic sentence sentence: : In lontananza, sul suolo, si scorge un gruppo di avvoltoi intenti a disputarsi In lontananza, sul suolo, si scorge un gruppo di avvoltoi intenti a disputarsi
BUT There There is is a a deliberately deliberately structured sentences sentences: : structured pause and pause and silence silence in the in the original original. . This This requires requires two two In lontananza, sul suolo, si scorge un gruppo di avvoltoi. In lontananza, sul suolo, si scorge un gruppo di avvoltoi. Gli uccelli sono intenti a disputarsi Gli uccelli sono intenti a disputarsi
TENSE USAGE Note: Note: Ther There s e s a a group group of of vultures vultures on the on the ground ground in the far in the far distance distance. . The The birds birds were were squabbling squabbling over the over the remains remains of of what what could could be an be an elephant s elephant s placenta. placenta. The The tenses tenses ( (present tense/time tense/time conundrum present then conundrum. . then past past) ) seem seem incongruous incongruous, , but but the the visuals visuals confirm confirm the the
SO TRANSLATE using using the the Italian Italian norm norm ie ie. . present present tenses tenses. . Cf Cf. . But But the the calf calf was was still still in in difficulty difficulty and he and he has has to to reach reach up and up and find find Echo s Echo s nipple nipple. . Ma il cucciolo ha ancora grosse difficolt , deve alzarsi per poter trovare il capezzolo Ma il cucciolo ha ancora grosse difficolt , deve alzarsi per poter trovare il capezzolo della madre. della madre.
REPETITION The The term term elephant elephant appears appears 22 22 times times, 5 , 5 times times in in one one paragraph paragraph. . Italia style Italia style might might suggest suggest some some synonyms synonyms eg eg pachidermi . pachidermi .
VISUAL CLUES The English text The English text refers refers constantly constantly to to elephants elephants legs legs. . In In translation translation neither the case of the the case of the injured neither gambe gambe not injured calf calf, , it it is is the not zampe are zampe are totally the visuals visuals that totally appropriate appropriate but that suggest suggest the but, for , for example example, in the solution solution ginocchia . ginocchia . , in
ENID RETURNING TO THE CALF Enid s Enid s sudden sudden run reversal reversal of the of the verb run is is accompanied accompanied by a verb components components to create by a dramatic dramatic pause and to create emphasis emphasis, , assisted pause and then assisted also then the deliberate the deliberate also by by intonation intonation: : back back she she came came In In Italian Italian the the adverbial adverbial marker Eccola che torno indietro plus marker Eccola che torno indietro plus intonation intonation. .
SPECIFIC TO GENERIC This This may unknown unknown to may be be necessary necessary with to most most native speakers and native speakers and comes with obscure obscure vocbulary vocbulary. For comes from Urdu. from Urdu. . For example example the the term term in in musth musth is is The The Italian Italian equivalent equivalent is is in calore in calore but but this this only only applies applies to to females females. . Thus Thus the the need need for a more general for a more general term term eccitati , sessualmente attivi eccitati , sessualmente attivi
