The Question of French Dubbing: Towards a Frame for Systematic Investigation1

Goris, Olivier

doi:10.1075/target.5.2.04gor

Article published In: Target
Vol. 5:2 (1993) ► pp.169–190

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The Question of French Dubbing

Towards a Frame for Systematic Investigation

Olivier Goris | Comparative Literature, KU Leuven

Published online: 1 January 1993

https://doi.org/10.1075/target.5.2.04gor

Abstract

In order to analyze how "international messages" such as films are appropriated by a specific target system, I studied the French dubbed versions of a number of films. This analysis revealed a set of norms which seem to be at work on various text levels in the dubbed translations: a linguistic standardization, which affects three types of language use, a naturalization strategy, in which visual synchrony plays an important role, and a strategy which aims in various ways at making the translation more explicit than the original. The presentation of this tentative set of norms proposes a first synthetic view of the policy concerning dubbing in France.

Résumé

Afin de rendre compte de l'assimilation par un système d'arrivée spécifique de films en tant que "messages internationaux", j'ai examiné un nombre de films doublés en français. Cette analyse a révélé une série de normes actives à plusieurs niveaux textuels: une standardisation linguistique qui affecte trois types d'usage, une stratégie de naturalisation, dont la synchronie visuelle est un aspect important, et une stratégie qui consiste à expliciter l'original. Ces trois types de normes hypothétiques conduisent à une première vue synthétique sur la politique française en matiere de doublage.

Article outline

Introduction
1.Dubbing as a Translational Phenomenon
2.Towards an Analysis of Norms in Dubbing
- 2.1.Linguistic Standardization
- 2.2.Naturalization
- 2.3.Explicitation
- 2.4.Secondary Norms
3.Dubbing, Subtitling and Translation Studies
4.Dubbing, Subtitling and Societies
Notes
Select Bibliography

References (28)

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[no author supplied]

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