Challenges and strategies of subtitling humour : a case study of the American sitcom Seinfeld, with particular reference to English and Arabic
The present study investigates issues in the subtitling of humour in the American sitcom, Seinfeld. The study also identifies the subtitling strategies used by Arab translators to solve the technical, linguistic and cultural problems of translating humour in Seinfeld, and it uncovers the factors that might have affected the subtitlersâ decisions. The study draws on the General Theory of Verbal Humour (GTVH; Attardo & Raskin 1991, Attardo 1994, Attardo 2001, Attardo 2002) and Pedersenâs (2005) model of subtitling cultural references. Applying the GTVH and Pedersenâs (2005) model to the subtitling of humour between English and Arabic will test their reliability (i.e., the analysis of the data using these theories will reveal their strengths and weaknesses). The findings show that different types of humour were used in the selected data (eight types). These types were rendered into Arabic using a variety of strategies which were governed by a number of parameters, including cultural and linguistc differences between the source and target languages and cultures, intersemiotic redundancy, intertextuality, media-specific constraints, viewersâ knowledge of the show, and the simplicity of the humour in the
Alharthi, A. A. A.
Challenges and strategies of subtitling humour : a case study of the American sitcom Seinfeld, with particular reference to English and Arabic. The present study investigates issues in the subtitling of humour in the American sitcom, Seinfeld. The study also identifies the subtitling strategies used by Arab translators to solve the technical, linguistic and cultural problems of translating humour in Seinfeld, and it uncovers the factors that might have affected the subtitlersâ decisions. The study draws on the General Theory of Verbal Humour (GTVH; Attardo & Raskin 1991, Attardo 1994, Attardo 2001, Attardo 2002) and Pedersenâs (2005) model of subtitling cultural references. Applying the GTVH and Pedersenâs (2005) model to the subtitling of humour between English and Arabic will test their reliability (i.e., the analysis of the data using these theories will reveal their strengths and weaknesses). The findings show that different types of humour were used in the selected data (eight types). These types were rendered into Arabic using a variety of strategies which were governed by a number of parameters, including cultural and linguistc differences between the source and target languages and cultures, intersemiotic redundancy, intertextuality, media-specific constraints, viewersâ knowledge of the show, and the simplicity of the humour in the
strategy subtitle humour case_study american particular_reference english_arabic present_study investigate_issue subtitle humour american study also_identify subtitle strategy_use arab translator solve technical linguistic_cultural problem_translate humour uncovers factor_might affect subtitlers decision study_draw general_theory verbal humour and model subtitle cultural reference applying model subtitle humour english_arabic test reliability analysis_data use theory reveal strengths_weakness finding_show different_type humour use select data type type render arabic use_variety strategy govern number parameter include cultural difference source_target languages culture redundancy intertextuality media specific constraint viewer knowledge show simplicity humour