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Article published In: Target
Vol. 34:1 (2022) ► pp.67–97

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On norms and taboo

An analysis of professional subtitling through data triangulation

ORCiD logo with link | University of Lisbon
Published online: 25 May 2021
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/target.20020.xav
Abstract
Within Audiovisual Translation Studies, many studies have been dedicated to the subtitling of taboo words. Most of this research has been restricted to quantitative and qualitative data about translation strategies, with comparably less attention given to translation norms. As norms cannot be directly observed, their investigation raises methodological challenges for empirical studies. This paper proposes a model for the investigation of translation norms by triangulating data on observed regularities in the English to Portuguese subtitling of taboo words in a corpus of movies broadcast on Portuguese FTA (free-to-air, open-signal) television between 2001 and 2015, with questionnaire data on subtitlers’ attitudes towards the subtitling of taboo words on television. The results enable the identification of the most frequent subtitling strategies, their possible motivations, and the relevance of two contextual variables (time period and channel typology). Using the results, a (potential) norm regarding the subtitling of taboo words in Portugal is formulated. However, some of the data, both textual and extratextual, raise the question of whether there is also a competing norm at play.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical background: Norms, taboo and subtitling
    • 2.1Translation norms
    • 2.2Taboo language
    • 2.3The subtitling of taboo words
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Data triangulation in the investigation of norms
    • 3.2Research design
      • 3.2.1Textual sources: Corpus analysis
      • 3.2.2Extratextual sources: Questionnaires
  • 4.Findings and discussion
    • 4.1Corpus-related findings
      • 4.1.1A typology of strategies
      • 4.1.2Results: Frequency of strategies in the corpus
      • 4.1.3Contextual variables
    • 4.2Questionnaire findings
      • 4.2.1Respondents’ perceptions of frequently used translation strategies in the subtitling of taboo words on Portuguese television
      • 4.2.2Respondents’ attitudes towards translation strategies for the subtitling of taboo words on Portuguese television
      • 4.2.3Respondents’ attitudes towards the six specific translation strategies for the subtitling of taboo words on Portuguese television
      • 4.2.4Respondents’ motivations for the omission strategy
      • 4.2.5Respondents’ motivations for the maintenance strategy
      • 4.2.6The existence of guidelines or instructions for the subtitling of taboo words
  • 5.Concluding remarks
  • Notes
  • Filmography
  • References
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