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Article published In:
Target
Vol. 11:2 (1999) ► pp.263–288

Thump, Whizz, Poom

A Framework for the Study of Comics under Translation

| University of Vienna
Notwithstanding their importance as a segment of high-volume translation, comics have largely been neglected in Translation Studies. This paper presents a theoretical framework for studying the translation of comics as a social practice. On the premise that the production and reception of texts is dependent on their position and relative value in a given society, comics are first analyzed as a social phenomenon with the help of Bourdieu's theory of the cultural field. The translation-relevant elements of comics are then identified on the linguistic, typographic, and pictorial levels, and concepts of rhetoric are used to establish a classification of translation strategies which applies to both verbal and nonverbal textual material. Finally, a number of examples are discussed to highlight the diversity of translation strategies for the various elements of comics.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • 1.A Sociological Foundation for Comic Translation
  • 2.The Position of Comics in the Social Field
  • 3.A Translation-Relevant Anatomy of Comics
  • 4.A Typology of Translation Procedures
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 24 March 2000
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/target.11.2.05kai
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