Title
"Kulturspezifica" in the AVT classroom. Ethnic and gender slur in German-to-Spanish and German-to-English subtitling
Conference name
1st International conference on didactic audiovisual translation and media accessibility
City
Country
Spain
Modalities
Date
22/03/2023-24/03/2023
Abstract
Audiovisual translation professionals and, specifically, subtitling professionals must make difficult decisions when translating offensive and taboo words from one language into another, because they may offend the sensibilities of the target audience, and the solution is often to omit such terms, given the restrictions of this modality of translation. However, if the terminology represents cultural references that are not commonly known to the target audience, as is the case with German ones, it is in many cases unavoidable to find a sufficiently meaningful translation.
The model of analysis and taxonomy of offensive/taboo language in subtitling proposed by ÁvilaCabrera (Ávila-Cabrera, 2015), as well as the classifications for English and Spanish by Wajnryb (2005) and Pérez, Huertas and Gómez (2017) respectively, have been applied in this work to translation units taken from two German series currently broadcast on two of the main video-ondemand platforms, Netflix and HBO. In Dogs of Berlin (2018) we find offensive language of a xenophobic and homophobic nature in the cultural environment of organized far-right groups, as well as in the relations between Germans and Turks in general. In 4 Blocks (2017) we find offensive language between Germans, Turks and Lebanese. All of them within an environment of fear and violence.
The transfer of offensive and taboo language within these contexts from German into Spanish and English is analysed using a descriptive method, and conclusions are drawn about the frequency and use of such terms in the target language, together with the use of the strategies available to the professional, as well as the possible influence of EN>ES audiovisual translation on the choice of terminology in the target language. Valuable tools and insights are also offered for future audiovisual translators of these combinations.
The model of analysis and taxonomy of offensive/taboo language in subtitling proposed by ÁvilaCabrera (Ávila-Cabrera, 2015), as well as the classifications for English and Spanish by Wajnryb (2005) and Pérez, Huertas and Gómez (2017) respectively, have been applied in this work to translation units taken from two German series currently broadcast on two of the main video-ondemand platforms, Netflix and HBO. In Dogs of Berlin (2018) we find offensive language of a xenophobic and homophobic nature in the cultural environment of organized far-right groups, as well as in the relations between Germans and Turks in general. In 4 Blocks (2017) we find offensive language between Germans, Turks and Lebanese. All of them within an environment of fear and violence.
The transfer of offensive and taboo language within these contexts from German into Spanish and English is analysed using a descriptive method, and conclusions are drawn about the frequency and use of such terms in the target language, together with the use of the strategies available to the professional, as well as the possible influence of EN>ES audiovisual translation on the choice of terminology in the target language. Valuable tools and insights are also offered for future audiovisual translators of these combinations.