What Are the Difficulties of Translating Humour from English Into Spanish Using the Subtitled British Comedy Sketch Show Little Britain as a Case Study?
WHAT ARE THE DIFFICULTIES OF TRANSLATING HUMOUR FROM ENGLISH INTO SPANISH USING THE SUBTITLED BRITISH COMEDY SKETCH SHOW LITTLE BRITAIN AS A CASE STUDY?
Charles Harrison
BA (Honours) Applied Languages
University of Portsmouth
School of Languages and Area Studies
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences March 2012
Table of Contents
Abstract…………………………………………………………………...1
Introduction………………………………………………………………2
Chapter 1: Humour and Subtitling……………………………………...4
1.1 What is Humour?................................................................................4
1.2 Overview of Theories of Humour……………………………………4
1.2.1 Humour of Little Britain ………………………………………5
1.2.1.1 The Schema Theory………………………………........6
1.3 Humour in Spain……………………………………………………...7
1.4 What is Subtitling?................................................................................8
1.4.1 Limitations and Constraints of Subtitling Humour…………….9
Chapter 2: Humour, Translation and Culture……………………………..11
2.1 Translating Humour……………………………………………………...11
2.1.1 Target Parameter (TA)…………………………………………...13 2.1.1.1 Stereotypes…………………………………………………...14
2.1.2 Language Parameter (LA) – Intertextual Features……………….14 2.1.2.1 Verbal Allusion…………………………………………14 2.1.2.2 Verbal Irony…………………………………………….15
2.2 Translating Humour Linked to Culture………………………………...16
2.2.1 Translation Loss………………………………………………….16
2.2.2 Cultural Transposition…………………………………………….17
2.2.2.1 Exoticism……………………………………………….18
2.2.2.2 Cultural Transplantation………………………………..18
2.2.2.3 Communicative Translation……………………………………19
2.3 Audiovisual Aspects of Translating Humour…………………………...19
Chapter 3: Case Study of ‘Little Britain’…………………………………….21
3.1 The Deleted Scenes..……………………………………………………….21
3.2 Misinterpretations – Translation Loss……………………………...........22
3.3 Intertextuality Issues……………………………………………………...23
3.3.1 Verbal Allusion…………………………………………………...23
3.3.2 Verbal
Charles Harrison
BA (Honours) Applied Languages
University of Portsmouth
School of Languages and Area Studies
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences March 2012
Table of Contents
Abstract…………………………………………………………………...1
Introduction………………………………………………………………2
Chapter 1: Humour and Subtitling……………………………………...4
1.1 What is Humour?................................................................................4
1.2 Overview of Theories of Humour……………………………………4
1.2.1 Humour of Little Britain ………………………………………5
1.2.1.1 The Schema Theory………………………………........6
1.3 Humour in Spain……………………………………………………...7
1.4 What is Subtitling?................................................................................8
1.4.1 Limitations and Constraints of Subtitling Humour…………….9
Chapter 2: Humour, Translation and Culture……………………………..11
2.1 Translating Humour……………………………………………………...11
2.1.1 Target Parameter (TA)…………………………………………...13 2.1.1.1 Stereotypes…………………………………………………...14
2.1.2 Language Parameter (LA) – Intertextual Features……………….14 2.1.2.1 Verbal Allusion…………………………………………14 2.1.2.2 Verbal Irony…………………………………………….15
2.2 Translating Humour Linked to Culture………………………………...16
2.2.1 Translation Loss………………………………………………….16
2.2.2 Cultural Transposition…………………………………………….17
2.2.2.1 Exoticism……………………………………………….18
2.2.2.2 Cultural Transplantation………………………………..18
2.2.2.3 Communicative Translation……………………………………19
2.3 Audiovisual Aspects of Translating Humour…………………………...19
Chapter 3: Case Study of ‘Little Britain’…………………………………….21
3.1 The Deleted Scenes..……………………………………………………….21
3.2 Misinterpretations – Translation Loss……………………………...........22
3.3 Intertextuality Issues……………………………………………………...23
3.3.1 Verbal Allusion…………………………………………………...23
3.3.2 Verbal
Bibliography: The schema theory has been described by Simpson (2004,p.89) as: “…an umbrella term covering a range of individual cognitive models at the heart of which are situated the core concept schema and the attendant concepts frame, scenario and script”. Cook (1994, p.11) states that schemata are “organised packages of knowledge based on previous experience of objects, events and situations, which are stored in memory; they may be defined as mental representations of typical instances”.