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Article published In: Specialised Translation in Spain: Institutional dimensions
Edited by José Santaemilia-Ruiz and Sergio Maruenda-Bataller
[Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics 30:2] 2017
► pp. 538–558

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The audio describer as a cultural mediator

 | Universitat de València
Published online: 26 March 2018
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.00006.san
Abstract
Audio Description (AD) is a modality of audiovisual translation that consists of making cultural products accessible to people who are blind or partially-sighted. Our study focuses on the contrastive analysis of the AD of four films in English and Spanish, our objective being to determine how the same visual cultural reference is described in two languages and for two target cultures. Using a descriptive methodology, we categorise and analyse cultural references following Díaz Cintas, J., & Remael, A. (2007). Audiovisual translation: Subtitling. Manchester: St Jerome.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar classification and determine the translation strategies used. Our research shows that the decisions that the describer makes are conditioned by the distance, not only geographical but above all cultural, that exists between the audience and the culture that is reflected in the film. The describer becomes a mediator between cultures; that is why the greater the cultural distance, the higher their presence and involvement.
Resumen
La audiodescripción (AD) es una modalidad de traducción audiovisual que consiste en hacer accesibles productos culturales para personas ciegas o con baja visión. Nuestro estudio presenta un análisis contrastivo de la audiodescripción de cuatro películas en inglés y en español, siendo nuestro objetivo determinar cómo los mismos referentes culturales visuales se describen en dos lenguas y para dos culturas meta distintas. Mediante una metodología descriptiva, categorizamos y analizamos las referencias culturales siguiendo la clasificación de Díaz Cintas, J., & Remael, A. (2007). Audiovisual translation: Subtitling. Manchester: St Jerome.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar y determinamos las estrategias de traducción elegidas. Nuestra investigación muestra que las decisiones del descriptor están condicionadas por la distancia, no solo geográfica, sino sobre todo cultural, que existe entre la audiencia y la cultura que se refleja en el filme. El descriptor se convierte en un mediador entre culturas, por lo que a mayor distancia cultural, mayor presencia e implicación del descriptor.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The profile of the describer
  • 3.Cultural references and AD
  • 4.Descriptive comparative analysis of the AD of cultural references
  • 4.1Quantitative analysis of strategies used in the AD of cultural references
    • 4.2Qualitative analysis of the AD of cultural references
      • 4.2.1Geographical references
      • 4.2.2Ethnographic references
        • 4.2.2.1Art and popular culture
        • 4.2.2.2Religion
        • 4.2.2.3Food and drink
        • 4.2.2.4Clothing
        • 4.2.2.5Transport
      • 4.2.3Socio-political references
  • 5.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
References (38)
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Filmography
Broken embraces (Almodóvar, 2009)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Inglourious basterds (Tarantino, 2009)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Memoirs of a geisha (Marshall, 2005)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Slumdog millionaire (Boyle, 2008)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Little Miss Sunshine (Dayton & Faris, 2006)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
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2025. What goes on behind the scenes? Exploring status perceptions, working conditions and job satisfaction of audio describers. Perspectives 33:3 ► pp. 563 ff. DOI logo
Ogea Pozo, María del Mar & Beatriz Ruiz Espejel
2024. Enhancing Foreign-Language Creativity: A Didactic Approach through Audio Description. Complutense Journal of English Studies 32 ► pp. e97317 ff. DOI logo
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2023. Authorial (audio) description. Translation and Translanguaging in Multilingual Contexts 9:3 ► pp. 419 ff. DOI logo

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