Cover not available
Article published In:
Audiovisual Translation: Theoretical and methodological challenges
Edited by Yves Gambier and Sara Ramos Pinto
[Target 28:2] 2016
► pp. 248–260

From Translation Studies and audiovisual translation to media accessibility

Some research trends

| University of Antwerp
| University of Antwerp
| University of Antwerp

Recent developments in Translation Studies and translation practice have not only led to a profusion of approaches, but also to the development of new text forms and translation modes. Media Accessibility, particularly audio description (AD) and subtitling for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH), is an example of such a ‘new’ mode. SDH has been evolving quickly in recent decades and new developments such as interlingual SDH and live subtitling with speech recognition bring it closer to established forms of translation and interpreting. On the one hand, interlingual SDH reintroduces Jakobson’s (1959) ‘translation proper’ while the use of speech recognition has led to the creation of a hybrid form that has affinities with both subtitling and interpreting. Audio description, for its part, cannot even be fitted into Jakobson’s ‘intersemiotic translation’ model since it involves translation from images into words. Research into AD is especially interesting since it rallies methods from adjacent disciplines, much in the same way that Holmes ([1972] 1988) described TS when it was a fledgling discipline. In 2008, Braun set out a research agenda for AD and the wealth of topics and research approaches dealt with in her article illustrate the immense complexity of this field and the work still to be done. Although AD and SDH research have developed at different paces and are concerned with different topics, converging trends do appear. Particularly the role of technology and the concept of multimodality seem to be key issues. This article aims to give an overview of current research trends in both these areas. It illustrates the possibilities of technology-driven research – particularly popular in SDH and live-subtitling research – while at the same time underlining the value of individual, human-driven approaches, which are still the main ‘modus operandi’ in the younger discipline of AD where much basic research is still required.

Keywords: Translation Studies, audiovisual translation, media accessibility, subtitling for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, audio description
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Subtitling for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
  • 3.Audio Description
  • 4.Concluding remarks
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 9 August 2016
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/target.28.2.06rem
References
Arma, Saveria
2012 “ ‘Why Can’t You Wear Black Shoes Like the Other Mothers?’ Preliminary Investigation on the Italian Language of Audio Description.” In Perego 2012, 37–55.Google Scholar
Braun, Sabine
2008 “Audio Description Research: State of the Art and Beyond.” Translation Studies in the New Millenium 61: 14–30.Google Scholar
2011 “Creating Coherence in Audio Description.” Meta 56 (3): 645–662. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Braun, Sabine, and Pilar Orero
2010 “Audio Description with Audio Subtitling – an Emergent Modality of Audiovisual Localisation.” Perspectives: Studies in Translatology 18 (3): 173–188. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bywood, Lindsay, Martin Volk, Mark Fishel, and Panayota Georgakopoulou
2013 “Parallel Subtitle Corpora and Their Applications in Machine Translation and Translatology.” Perspectives: Studies in Translatology 21 (4): 595–610. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cabeza-Cáceres, Cristóbal
2010 “Opera Audio Description at Barcelona’s Liceu Theatre.” In New Insights into Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility, ed. by Jorge Diaz-Cintas, Anna Matamala, and Joseélia Neves, 227–237. Amsterdam: Rodopi. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Chmiel, Agnieszka, and Iwona Mazur
2012 “AD Reception Research: Some Methodological Considerations.” In Perego 2012, 57–80.Google Scholar
Cronin, Michael
2013 Translation in the Digital Age. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Freddi, Maria, Maria Pavesi
2009 “The Pavia Corpus of Film Dialogue: Methodology and Research Rationale.” In Analysing Audiovisual Dialogue: Linguistic and Translational Insights, ed. by Maria Freddi, and Maria Pavesi, 95–100. Bologna: CLUEB.Google Scholar
Fryer, Louise
2010 “Audio Description as Audio Drama – A Practitioner’s Point of View.” Perspectives: Studies in Translatology 18 (3): 205–213. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Fryer, Louise, and Jonathan Freeman
2012 “Presence in Those with and without Sight: Implications for Virtual Reality and Audio Description.” Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation 5 (1): 15–23.Google Scholar
Gambier, Yves
2013 “The Position of Audiovisual Translation Studies.” In The Routledge Handbook of Translation Studies, ed. by Carmen Millán, and Francesca Bartrina, 45–59. New York: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hirvonen, Maija
2013a “Perspektivierungsstrategien und -mittel kontrastiv: Die Verbalisierung der Figurenperspektive in der deutschen und finnischen Audiodeskription.” Trans-kom: Zeitschrift für Translationswissenschaft und Fachkommunikation 6 (1): 8–38.Google Scholar
2013b “Sampling Similarity in Image and Language – Figure and Ground in the Analysis of Filmic Audio Description.” SKY Journal of Linguistics 261: 87–115.Google Scholar
Holland, Andrew
2009 “Audio Description in the Theatre and the Visual Arts: Images into Words. Audiovisual Translation.” In Language Transfer on Screen, ed. by Jorge Diaz Cintas, and Gunilla Anderman, 170–185. Basingstroke: Palgrave MacmillanGoogle Scholar
Holmes, James S
(1972) 1988 “The Name and Nature of Translation Studies.” In Translated! Papers on Literary Translation Studies, ed. by Raymond van den Broeck, 67–80. Amsterdam: Rodopi.Google Scholar
Hurtado Jimenez, Catalina, and Silvia Soler Gallegoa
2013 “Multimodality, Translation and Accessibility: a Corpus-based Study of Audio Description.” Perspectives: Studies in Translatology 20 (4): 577–594. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Igareda, Paula
2011 “The Audio Description of Emotions and Gestures in Spanish-Spoken Films.” In Audiovisual Translation in Close-up: Practical and Theoretical Approaches, ed. by Adriana Şerban, Anna Matamala, and Jean-Marc Lavaur, 223–238. New York: Peter Lang.Google Scholar
2012 “Lyrics against Imaged. Music in Audio Description.” MONTI: Multidisciplinary in Audiovisual Translation 41: 233–254. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Jakobson, Roman
1959 “On Linguistic Aspects of Translation.” In On Translation, ed. by Reuben A. Brower, 232–239. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kaindl, Klaus
2013 “Multimodality and Translation.” In The Routledge Handbook of Translation Studies, ed. by Carmen Millán, and Francesca Bartrina, 257–269. Routledge.Google Scholar
Kruger, Jan-Louis
2012 “Making Meaning in AVT: Eye Tracking and Viewer Construction of Narrative.” Perspectives: Studies in Translatology 20 (1): 67–86. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Maszerowska, Anna, Anna Matamala, and Pilar Orero
eds. 2014 Audio Description. New Perspectives Illustrated. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.Google Scholar
Matamala, Anna
2016 “Machine Translation and Audio Description? Comparing Creation, Translation and Post-editing Efforts.” Journal of Translation and Interpreting 9(1): 64–87.Google Scholar
Mazur, Iwona, and Agnieszka Chmiel
2012 “Towards Common European Audio Description Guidelines: Results of the Pear Tree Project.” Perspectives: Studies in Translatology 20 (1): 5–23. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Neves, Josélia
2012 “Multi-Sensory Approaches to (Audio) Describing Visual Art.” MONTI: Multidisciplinary in Audiovisual Translation 41: 277–293. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
O’Hagan, Minaka
2012 “Entertainment and Translation in the Digital Era.” Translation Spaces 11: 123–141. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Orero, Pilar
2012 “Film Reading for Writing Audio Descriptions: A Word Is Worth a Thousand Images?” In Perego 2012, 13–28.Google Scholar
Orero, Pilar, and Anna Vilaro
2012 “Eye Tracking Analysis of Minor Details in Films for Audio Description.” MONTI: Multidisciplinary in Audiovisual Translation 41: 295–312. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
O’Sullivan, Carol
2013 “Introduction: Multimodality as Challenge and Resource for Translation.” The Journal of Specialised Translation 201: 2–14.Google Scholar
Perego, Elisa
ed. 2012 Emerging Topics in Translation: Audio Description. Trieste: EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste.Google Scholar
Pereira, Ana, and Veronica Arnáiz Uzquiza
2010 “A Comprehensive Bibliography on Subtitling for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing from a Multidisciplinary Approach.” In Listening to Subtitles. Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, ed. by Anna Matamala, and Pilar Orero, 219–227. Bern: Peter Lang.Google Scholar
Remael, Aline
2007 “Sampling Subtitling for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing in Europe.” In Media for All. Subtitling for the Deaf, Audio Description, and Sign Language, ed. by Jorge Díaz-Cintas, Pilar Orero, and Aline Remael, 23–52. Amsterdam: Rodopi. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2012a “Audio Description with Audio Subtitling for Dutch Multilingual Films: Manipulating Textual Cohesion on Different Levels.” Meta 57 (2): 385–407. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2012b “For the Use of Sound. Film Sound Analysis for Audio Description: Some Key Issues.” MONTI: Multidisciplinary in Audiovisual Translation 41: 255–276. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Remael Aline, and Nina Reviers
2015 “Recreating Multimodal Cohesion in Audio Description: The Case of Audio Subtitling in Dutch Multilingual Films.” In New Voices in Translation Studies 131: 50–78.Google Scholar
Remael, Aline, Luuk Van Waes, and Mariëlle Leijten
2014 “Live Subtitling with Speech Recognition: How to Pinpoint the Challenges.” In Media and Translation: An Interdisciplinary Approach, ed. by Dror Abend, 121–148. New York: Bloomsbury.Google Scholar
Remael, Aline, and Gert Vercauteren
2010 “The Translation of Recorded Audio Description from English into Dutch.” Perspectives. Studies in Translatology 18 (3): 155–171. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Reviers, Nina
2012 “Audio Description and Translation Studies: A Functional Text Type Analysis of the Audio Described Dutch Play Wintervogelchen .” In Audiovisual Translation across Europe: An Ever-Changing Landscape, ed. by Silvia Bruti, and Elena Di Giovanni, 193–207. Bern: Peter Lang.Google Scholar
Forthcoming. “On Context and Intersemiotic Cohesion in Audio Description.” Nitra: Department of Translation Studies FA CPU.
Reviers, Nina, Aline Remael, and Walter Daelemans
2015 “The Language of Audio Description in Dutch: Results of a Corpus Study.” In New Points of View on Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility, ed. by Anna Jankowska, and Agnieszka Szarkowska. Oxford: Peter Lang.Google Scholar
Romero-Fresco, Pablo
2009 “Standing on Quicksand: Hearing Viewer’s Comprehension and Reading Patterns of Respoken Subtitles for the News.” In New Insights into Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility. Media for All 2, ed. by Jorge Díaz-Cintas, Anna Matamala, and Josélia Neves, 175–194. Amsterdam: Rodopi.Google Scholar
2011 Subtitling through Speech Recognition: Respeaking. Manchester: St. Jerome.Google Scholar
Salway, Andrew
2007 “A Corpus-Based Analysis of Audio Description.” In Media for All. Subtitling for the Deaf, Audio Description, and Sign Language, ed. by Jorge Díaz-Cintas, Pilar Orero, and Aline Remael, 151–174. Amsterdam: Rodopi. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Szarkowska, Agnieszka
2011 “Text-to-Speech Audio Description: Towards Wider Availability of AD.” The Journal of Specialised Translation 151: 142–162.Google Scholar
Szarkowska, Agnieszka, and Anna Jankowska
2012 “Text-to-Speech Audio Description of Voiced-over Films. A Case Study of Audio Described Volver in Polish.” In Perego 2012, 81–98.Google Scholar
Vandaele, Jeroen
2007 “What Meets the Eye. Cognitive Narratology for Audio Description.” Perspectives: Studies in Translatology 20 (1): 87–102. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Van der Veer, Bart
2007 “De tolk als respeaker: een kwestie van training [the interpreter as respeaker: a matter of training].” Linguistica Antverpiensia NS-Themes in Translation Studies 61: 315–328.Google Scholar
Van Waes, Luuk, Mariëlle Leijten, and Aline Remael
2013 “Live Subtitling with Speech Recognition. Causes and Consequences of Text Reduction.” Across Languages and Cultures 14 (1): 15–46. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Vercauteren, Gert
2012 “Narratological Approach to Content Selection in Audio Description. Towards a Strategy for the Description of Narratological Time.” MONTI: Multidisciplinary in Audiovisual Translation 41: 207–231. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Weaver, Sarah
2010 “Opening Doors to Opera. The Strategies, Challenges and General Role of the Translator.” In TRAlinea 121. [URL]. Accessed February 22, 2016.
Zabalbeascoa, Patrick
2008 “The Nature of the Audiovisual Text and its Parameters.” In The Didactics of Audiovisual Translation, ed. by Jorge, Díaz-Cintas, 21–38. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cited by

Cited by 6 other publications

Eng, Thérèse
2023. Visual Interpretation of Film Translation. Translation Studies: Theory and Practice 3:2 (6) ► pp. 80 ff. DOI logo
Greco, Gian Maria & Anna Jankowska
2020. Media Accessibility Within and Beyond Audiovisual Translation. In The Palgrave Handbook of Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility [Palgrave Studies in Translating and Interpreting, ], ► pp. 57 ff. DOI logo
Holsanova, Jana
2020. Att beskriva det som syns men inte hörs. HumaNetten :44 DOI logo
Li, Jingjing
2023. Video news framing: the contribution of audiovisual translation. The Translator 29:3 ► pp. 327 ff. DOI logo
Reviers, Nina
2018. Studying the language of Dutch audio description. Translation and Translanguaging in Multilingual Contexts 4:1 ► pp. 178 ff. DOI logo
Reviers, Nina
2020. Studying the language of Dutch audio description. In Audiovisual Translation in Applied Linguistics [Benjamins Current Topics, 111], ► pp. 182 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 8 april 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.