Vol. 19:2 (2019) ► pp.173–204
Comparing introductory sections in city audio guides in Italian and English
The aim of this paper is to analyse introductory sections in Italian, British/Irish and American city audio guides from a contrastive perspective, in order to identify possible differences in the type and distribution of content. Three main content types and their corresponding subtypes were identified in the introductions of fifty professional city audio guides and were both quantitatively and qualitatively compared across the three groups. Differences between audio guides in Italian and in English are identified and discussed in reference to Hall’s ‘contexting’ theory (1983, 1990), and the findings are then compared to existing guidelines for audio guides production provided by scholars and professionals in the field. Finally, on the basis of the results, translation issues are addressed by providing a list of aspects that could be taken into account when producing English versions of Italian audio guides.
Article outline
- 1.The audio guide genre: An overview
- 2.The study: Key assumptions
- 2.1The data
- 2.2Theoretical background
- 2.2.1Classification of content types: Savoir, vouloir, pouvoir
- 2.2.2Contexting
- 2.2.3Existing guidelines for creating audio guides
- 3.Analysis of content types in the introductions
- 3.1 Savoir content in the introductions
- 3.2 Pouvoir content in the introductions
- 3.3 Vouloir content in the introductions
- 4.Summary and discussion
- 5.Implications for producing audio guides
- Notes
-
References -
Websites of the audio guides (all last accessed February 2015)
https://doi.org/10.1075/lic.16017.fin
References
Websites of the audio guides (all last accessed February 2015)
ITA corpus
http://www.cittametropolitana.bo.it/turismo/Engine/RAServePG.php
http://www.cagliariturismo.it/it/area-download/audioguide
http://www.listentosicily.it/audioguide
http://www.ferraraterraeacqua.it/it/audioguide/audioguide-di-ferrara-e-provincia
http://www.galatamuseodelmare.it/cms/mirador-11837.html
http://www.materacittanarrata.it/downloads.asp
http://turismo.provincia.milano.it/turismo/audio_video/audioguide/index.html
http://www.visitmodena.it/it/audioguide
http://www.padovanet.it/informazione/i-padova-percorsi-turistici-audioguidati it
http://www.leaudioguide.net/a-it/Perugia
http://www.riminiturismo.it/audioguida
http://www.savonaguide.it/home/audioguide/
www.novelune.eu/audioguide/
http://www.comune.torino.it/torinoplus/Portrait_nuovo/itinerari/
Br+I corpus
http://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/sightseeing-and-tours/audio-tours
leicester.audio-guide.co.uk
http://www.citysounds.travel/downloads/london-around-houses-parliament/
http://www.footnotesaudiowalks.co.uk/walks.php?/Northampton/6/
www.portsmouth-guide.co.uk
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/archaeology/community-outreach/neoclassical
USA corpus
http://www.albany.org/visitors-center/walking-tour/
http://interactive.wttw.com/loop/take-loop-tour
http://www.audisseyguides.com/houston-downtown-2/
http://www.cityofelgin.org/index.aspx?NID=1771
http://www.frommers.com/rss/frommers_walking_tours.xml
http://www.visitlexingtonmo.com/audio-tours.html
http://www.littlerock.com/things-to-do/audiotour/
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-tours/london
http://nyharborparks.org/visit/tour-new-amsterdam-self-guided.html
http://www.audiosteps.com/audioguides/products.php?cat=Philadelphia
http://www.theconstitutional.com/audio-tours/audio-tours
http://dcwalkabout.com/capitol-hill-tour.php
http://www.audioviator.com/en/Audio-tour-Washington-D-C-National-Mall