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Target
Vol. 23:2 (2011) ► pp.178–205

Explicitations and other types of shifts in the translation of irony and humor

| Bar Ilan University

The goal of this article is to examine the differences in the use of explicitation strategies when translating irony and humor, based on a comparative model that distinguishes between cues for the two phenomena. The study suggests that translations of irony manifest more explicitations, whereas translations of humor yield more non-explicitating shifts. This finding can be interpreted as indicating that while the explicitation of humor may override its function altogether, the explicitation of irony does not necessarily do so, since the implied criticism is not eliminated. This finding further strengthens the claim that irony is inherently critical, whereas humor is not.

Keywords: irony, humor, translation, explicitation, shift
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The first stage of the model: Pragmatic cues for interpreting irony and humor
  • 3.Explicitation versus non-explicitating shift
    • 3.1Explicitation
    • 3.2Non-explicitating shifts—obligatory versus non-obligatory
  • 4.Applying the model and classification
    • 4.1Non-obligatory explicitation
    • 4.2Obligatory explicitation
    • 4.3Non-obligatory non-explicitating shift
    • 4.4Obligatory non-explicitating shift
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 22 December 2011
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/target.23.2.03hir
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