Thesis agosto 2005

357 Pages·2005·3.01 MB·English

Audiovisual Translation:
Subtitling for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing

by
Josélia Neves BA, MA

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of PhD

School of Arts, Roehampton University
University of Surrey
2005
Abstract

The present thesis is a study of Subtitling for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (SDH) with
special focus on the Portuguese context. On the one hand, it accounts for a descriptive
analysis of SDH in various European countries with the aim of arriving at the norms that
govern present practices and that may be found in the form of guidelines and / or in actual
subtitled products. On the other hand, it is the result of an Action Research project that
aimed at contributing towards the improvement of SDH practices in Portugal. These two
lines of research are brought together in the proposal of a set of guidelines – Sistema de
Legendagem vKv – for the provision of SDH on Portuguese television.
This research positions itself within the theoretical framework of Translation Studies (TS) by
taking a descriptive approach to its subject. Nonetheless, it takes a step beyond to seek
reasons and to propose change rather than to simply describe objects and actions. Given its
topic and methodological approach, this research also drank from other fields of
knowledge such as Deaf Studies, Sociology, Linguistics and Cinema Studies, among others.
In this context, SDH is addressed as a service to Deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, thus
implying a functional approach to all that it entails. In order to arrive at an encompassing
understanding of the subject, in the body of this work, we may find a summary of the
history of SDH, as well as an overview of the overriding and specific issues that characterise
this type of subtitling. Following this, the Portuguese situation is made known through the
account of five case studies that were carried out in the course of 2002 and 2003.
In response to the needs and requirements of Portuguese Deaf and hard-of-hearing
viewers, the proposed set of guidelines is based on the special concern for adequacy and
readability and is envisaged as a useful tool for students and practitioners of SDH.
Acknowledgements

“A utopia está para cá do impossível.”

One can only believe that any dream is worth pursuing when it is shared with and by
others. I am among those lucky few who have had the privilege to live what true
collaborative research means. Time, knowledge and companionship were precious gifts
that many offered me, placing these three years among the most fruitful of my life. All
those who contributed towards this research are far more than can be named. My
gratitude goes to all who made me believe that utopia is, in fact, there for the taking.

My special thanks go to:
− My PhD supervisors, Professor Jorge Díaz-Cintas and Professor Maria Teresa Roberto, for
their knowledgeable advice, their patience and their kindness. They were the first to teach
me the meaning of perseverance and excellence. I see them as models to be followed and
friends to be cherished.
− To my examiners, Professor Ian Mason and Professor Frederic Chaume, for their valuable
comments and contributions that helped me to give this piece of work its final touches.
− My research companions, Ana Maria Cravo and Maria José Veiga, for all the long hours
working together, for reading this thesis through, and for all those special moments that
were seasoned with tears and laughter.
− My (ex-)students, Rita Menezes, Marco Pinto, Tânia Simões, Inês Grosa, Catarina Luís, Tânia
Guerra, Carla Marques, Inga Santos, Pedro Gonçalves and Sérgio Nunes for all their hard
work and generosity. They make me believe that the future has much in hold.
− All those professional subtitlers and translators, in Portugal and abroad, who taught me
that there is so much more to the job than comes in books. A special thank you goes to
Ana Paula Mota and Maria Auta de Barros, who took SDH at heart and shared the difficult
task of introducing new subtitling solutions in Portugal and to Chas Donaldson and Mary
Carroll for their sound advice.
− To the many scholars and researchers who generously shared their knowledge, among
them, my gratitude goes to Professor Yves Gambier, Professor José Lambert and all the
2003 CETRA staff who helped me to question anew and to take a step forward.
− To the staff working on SDH at RTP and at SIC, and particularly to Mr. Rhodes Sérgio and
Mr. Teotónio Pereira (RTP), and to Mr. Silva Lopes (SIC), for their willingness to push
forward improvement.
− My newly found Deaf friends, for teaching me how to listen with my eyes and my heart. By
making this research their own, they have contributed towards our better understanding of
the special needs of the Deaf and HoH addressees. A word of gratitude to Helder Duarte
(APS), Rui Costa (APS Leiria), Armando Baltazar (AS Porto) and Daniel Brito e Cunha (APTEC)
for their enthusiastic collaboration.
− My colleagues Cecília Basílio for sharing her knowledge, Maria João Goucha for her
meticulous corrections and Maria dos Anjos for her expertise in statistical studies.
− The Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão do Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, its directors
and staff, for giving me the means, the time and the space to carry out this research. A
special word of thanks to Professor Pedro Matos and Professor Carlos Neves for their
support and incentive.
− To my family and friends, who were always there to encourage when I lost hope and to
celebrate each small achievement: Dora, Aurete, Tony, Lúcia, Guida, Perpétua, Sandra, Zé,
Eugénia, Zé António, Susana, João, Adriano, Paula, Helena, Susana Ribeiro, João Paulo,
Lourdes, and my smaller friends Beatriz, Telmo, João, Patrícia and Francisco… I couldn’t
have done it without them.
− To my son, Pedro, for understanding that every dream has a price and is all the more
valuable for it; and to my husband, Neves, for the unconditional support and all his hard
work. This thesis would have never come to be without his technical expertise and loving
care.
Table of Contents

Abstract..................................................................................................................................................2
Acknowledgements...............................................................................................................................3
Table of Contents...................................................................................................................................5
List of Figures.........................................................................................................................................7
Appendices...........................................................................................................................................10
Shortened Forms..................................................................................................................................13
Specific Terms.......................................................................................................................................14
I. Introduction.......................................................................................................................................15
II. Theoretical and Methodological Framework.................................................................................31
2.1. Underlying Translation Studies Theoretical Constructs.................................................................31
2.2. Translation Studies Research Methods........................................................................................42
2.3. Action Research as a Methodological Approach..........................................................................46
2.4. Action Research Log...................................................................................................................51
III. Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Addressees..........................................................................................76
3.1. Hearing and Deafness.................................................................................................................77
3.2. Deaf vs. Hard-of-hearing............................................................................................................83
3.3. Communication, Language and Deafness...................................................................................87
3.4. Visual-Gestural vs. Oral Languages.............................................................................................93
3.5. Deafness and Reading................................................................................................................97
IV. Subtitling for the Deaf and HoH..................................................................................................103
4.1. Historical Overview....................................................................................................................107
4.2. Theoretical and Practical Overriding Issues.................................................................................120
4.2.1. The importance of determining the profile of SDH receivers...............................................122
4.2.2. Gaining access to audiovisual texts....................................................................................126
4.2.3. Readability.........................................................................................................................131
4.2.4. Verbatim vs. Adaptation....................................................................................................140
4.2.5. Translation and adaptation (Transadaptation).....................................................................151
4.2.6. Linguistic transfer of acoustic messages.............................................................................155
4.2.7. Relevance..........................................................................................................................159
4.2.8. Cohesion and Coherence...................................................................................................163
4.3. Specific Issues – Towards Norms................................................................................................168
4.3.1. On actual practices and guidelines.....................................................................................172
4.3.2. Television programme genres............................................................................................174
4.3.3. Time Constraints: Synchrony and reading speed.................................................................180
4.3.4. Text presentation...............................................................................................................185
4.3.4.1. Font...........................................................................................................................186
4.3.4.2. Colour.......................................................................................................................193
4.3.4.3. Layout.......................................................................................................................201
4.3.5. Verbal component.............................................................................................................204
4.3.5.1. From speech to writing..............................................................................................205
4.3.5.2. Paralinguistic information...........................................................................................220
4.3.6. Non-verbal component......................................................................................................231
4.3.6.1. Identification, description and location of human voice..............................................235
4.3.6.2. Sound effects............................................................................................................243
4.3.6.3. Music........................................................................................................................252
4.3.7. Beyond Translation: Methodological and technical matters.................................................258
4.3.7.1. In and around translating...........................................................................................259
4.3.7.2. In and around reception.............................................................................................267
V. The Portuguese Case.....................................................................................................................274
5.1. Portugal, the Portuguese Language and the Portuguese People.................................................277
5.1.1. The Portuguese Deaf.........................................................................................................280
5.2. Television viewing in Portugal....................................................................................................282
5.3. Portuguese Analogue Television Channels: A Short History........................................................285
5.4. Portuguese Television Channels Today.......................................................................................287
5.5. Access to Television for the Portuguese Deaf and HoH...............................................................289
5.5.1. Case-study 1: 24 hours of Portuguese analogue television..................................................289
5.5.2. Case Study 2: Deaf community – Accessibility to the audiovisual text..................................295
5.5.3. Case Study 3: Subtitlers working on SDH and on subtitling in general ...............................299
5.5.4. Case Study 4: The Mulheres Apaixonadas project...............................................................302
5.5.5. Case Study 5: Three months of SDH on Portuguese analogue channels .............................306
VI. Conclusions and Suggestions for Further Research...................................................................309
Bibliography.......................................................................................................................................319
Filmography.......................................................................................................................................357
List of Figures

Fig. 1 – Subtitler doing live subtitling at the Forum Barcelona (June 2004)..............................................25
Fig. 2 – Live subtitling at the Forum Barcelona (June 2004).....................................................................25
Fig. 3 – Live subtitling at conference (Voice Project)...............................................................................26
Fig. 4 – Video conference (Voice Project)................................................................................................26
Fig. 5 – Action Research Chronogram....................................................................................................52
Fig. 6 – Missing characters in teletext (SIC – Portugal)...........................................................................189
Fig. 7 – Spacing before punctuation (RTL – Germany)............................................................................190
Fig. 8 – Spacing before punctuation (TV5 Europe – Switzerland)...........................................................190
Fig. 9 – Punctuation with no spacing (TVE2 – Spain)..............................................................................191
Fig. 10 – Punctuation with no spacing (ITV1 – UK)................................................................................191
Fig. 11 – Punctuation spacing (SIC – Portugal).......................................................................................192
Fig. 12 – Punctuation spacing (RTP1 – Portugal)....................................................................................192
Fig. 13 – Upper case used for emphasis (BBC2 – UK).............................................................................192
Fig. 14 – Upper case for information about music (RTP1 – Portugal)......................................................192
Fig. 15 – Blue lettering over yellow background (TVE2 – Spain).............................................................193
Fig. 16 – Blue lettering over white background (TVE2 – Spain)..............................................................193
Fig. 17 – Karaoke style subtitle colouring (Canal Sur – Spain)...............................................................194
Fig. 18 – Different colours to identify speakers (RTL – Germany)............................................................194
Fig. 19 – Different colour for character identification label (TVi – Portugal)...........................................194
Fig. 20 – Subtitle in magenta with poor legibility (RAI uno – Italy).........................................................197
Fig. 21 – White on black for speech (SIC [MA] – Portugal).....................................................................198
Fig. 22 – Yellow over black for translator’s comments (SIC [MA] – Portugal)..........................................199
Fig. 23 – Cyan over black for information about music (SIC [MA] – Portugal).........................................199
Fig. 24 – Cyan over black for song lyrics (SIC [MA] – Portugal)...............................................................199
Fig. 25 – Yellow on black for emoticons followed by white on black for speech (SIC [MA] – Portugal)...200
Fig. 26 – Left aligned subtitles (RAI uno – Italy).....................................................................................202
Fig. 27 – Left aligned subtitles (RTL – Germany)....................................................................................202
Fig. 28 – Subtitles covering speaker’s mouth (A 2: – Portugal)...............................................................203
Fig. 29 – Subtitle segmentation (RTL – Germany)..................................................................................213
Fig. 30 – Subtitle segmentation (BBC Prime – UK).................................................................................213
Fig. 31 – Subtitle splitting sequence (BBC Prime – UK)...........................................................................214
Fig. 32 – Ending triple dots (RAI uno – Italy)..........................................................................................214
Fig. 33 – Double linking dots (RAI uno – Italy).......................................................................................214
Fig. 34 – Ending triple dots (TVE2 – Spain)............................................................................................215
Fig. 35 – Triple linking dots (TVE2 – Spain)............................................................................................215
Fig. 36 – Flavour of orality (BBC Prime – UK).........................................................................................217
Fig. 37 – Flavour of orality (BBC Prime – UK).........................................................................................217
Fig. 38 – A touch of foreign language (BBC2 – UK)...............................................................................217
Fig. 39 – Labelling caption for foreign language (BBC2 – UK)................................................................217
Fig. 40 – Taboo words (TV3 – Spain).....................................................................................................218
Fig. 41 – All caps for emphasis (BBC2 – UK)..........................................................................................222
Fig. 42 – Caption on tone of voice (TVi – Portugal)................................................................................222
Fig. 43 – Caption expressing emotion (TVi – Portugal)...........................................................................223
Fig. 44 – Punctuation expressing emotion (BBC Prime – UK)..................................................................223
Fig. 45 – Emoticons (SIC [MA] – Portugal).............................................................................................229
Fig. 46 – Emoticons (SIC [MA] – Portugal).............................................................................................229
Fig. 47 – Emoticons (SIC [MA] – Portugal).............................................................................................229
Fig. 48 – Emoticons (SIC [MA] – Portugal).............................................................................................229
Fig. 49 – Explanation of emoticons teletext (SIC [MA] – Portugal)..........................................................230
Fig. 50 – Expressive punctuation (SIC [MA] – Portugal)..........................................................................231
Fig. 51 – Introduction of dash for second speaker (TVE1 – Spain)..........................................................236
Fig. 52 – Introduction of dash for both speakers (TVE2 – Spain)............................................................236
Fig. 53 – Three speakers on a three-liner using three different colours (BBC Prime – UK)........................237
Fig. 54 – Name label to identify on-screen speaker (SIC [MA] – Portugal)...............................................238
Fig. 55 – Identification of off-screen speaker (TV3 – Spain)....................................................................238
Fig. 56 – Unidentified speaker from off-screen (BBC2 – UK)..................................................................238
Fig. 57 – Identification of speaker and source (TV3 – Spain)..................................................................239
Fig. 58 – Identification of speaker and source (RAI uno – Italy)..............................................................239
Fig. 59 – Icon to identify speech through phone (vKv proposal).............................................................239
Fig. 60 – Simultaneous speech (SIC – Portugal).....................................................................................240
Fig. 61 – Simultaneous yet imperceptible speech (SIC – Portugal)..........................................................241
Fig. 62 – Background speech (BBC2 – UK)............................................................................................241
Fig. 63 – Identification of on-screen inaudible speech (BBC Prime – UK)................................................242
Fig. 64 – Voice drowned by music (SIC [MA] – Portugal)........................................................................242
Fig. 65 – Label on sound effect (SIC [MA] – Portugal)............................................................................244
Fig. 66 – Label on sound effect (BBC Prime – UK)..................................................................................244
Fig. 67 – Sound effects sequence (SIC [MA] – Portugal).........................................................................245
Fig. 68 – Long explanation of sound effect (RTL – Germany).................................................................245
Fig. 69 – Sound-effect (BBC Prime – UK)...............................................................................................246
Fig. 70 – Sound effect (ITV1 – UK)........................................................................................................246
Fig. 71 – Sound effect (RTP1 – Portugal)...............................................................................................246
Fig. 72 – Sound effect (TV3 – Spain).....................................................................................................246
Fig. 73 – Label on sound effect (SIC [MA] – Portugal)............................................................................247
Fig. 74 – Label about repeated sound effect (BBC Prime – UK)..............................................................247
Fig. 75 – Onomatopoeia (RTP1 – Portugal)............................................................................................248
Fig. 76 – Onomatopoeia (BBC Prime – UK)............................................................................................248
Fig. 77 – Beginning of sound (BBC Prime – UK).....................................................................................249
Fig. 78 – End of sound (BBC Prime – UK)..............................................................................................249
Fig. 79 – Icon for sound effect (vKv – Proposal).....................................................................................250
Fig. 80 – Label about rhythm (TVE2 – Spain)........................................................................................253
Fig. 81 – Label indicating singing (TV3 – Spain).....................................................................................253
Fig. 82 – Identification of theme music (ITV1 – UK)...............................................................................253
Fig. 83 – Lyrics (BBC2 – UK)..................................................................................................................253
Fig. 84 – Thematic music (SIC [MA] – Portugal).....................................................................................255
Fig. 85 – Thematic music with comment (SIC [MA] – Portugal).............................................................255
Fig. 86 – Detailed information about music (SIC ( MA) – Portugal).........................................................255
Fig. 87 – Detailed information about music (SIC [MA]- Portugal)...........................................................255
Fig. 88 – Exact identification of musical pieces (SIC – Portugal)..............................................................256
Fig. 89 – Music score with karaoke technique (Portugal).......................................................................257
Fig. 90 – Information about programme carrying SDH (SIC – Portugal)..................................................268
Fig. 91 – Identification of programmes offering SDH (Bild + Funk 51 – Germany)..................................269
Fig. 92 – Identification of programmes offering SDH (RTP – Portugal)....................................................269
Fig. 93 – Teletext page on subtitled programmes (RAI – Italy)................................................................269
Fig. 94 – Teletext page about SDH (RTP – Portugal)...............................................................................270
Fig. 95 – Teletext page about SDH (RTP – Portugal)...............................................................................270
Fig. 96 – Teletext page about SDH (RTP – Portugal)...............................................................................270
Fig. 97 – Teletext page about SDH (RTP – Portugal)...............................................................................270
Fig. 98 – Hanging subtitle from previous programme (TVE2 – Spain).....................................................271
Fig. 99 – Part of subtitle missing (SIC [MA] – Portugal)..........................................................................271
Fig. 100 – Subtitle over caption and crawl subtitle (RTP1 – Portugal).....................................................272

List of Tables

Table 1 – Hearing loss and degree of handicap .....................................................................................80
Table 2 – Subtitling in Europe in 2002..................................................................................................114
Table 3 – Listing of professional guidelines types under analyses...........................................................173
Table 4 – Figures on gradual introduction of iDTV in the USA...............................................................188
Table 5 – Television viewing 1st semester 2002......................................................................................282
Table 6 – Leisure Activities in Portugal .................................................................................................283
Table 7 – Average time children spend watching TV ............................................................................284
Table 8 – Vieweing hours / 24h project.................................................................................................290
Table 9 – Subtitling on Portuguese analogue television – 10 October 2002...........................................293
Table 10 – Quality assessment – SDH on Portuguese television 2003.....................................................307
Appendices

Appendix I

vKv Subtitling System / Sistema de Legendagem Vozes K se Vêem

Appendix II

2.1. Deafness
2.1.1. Causes for hearing loss
2.1.2. How to read an audiogram
2.1.3. Hearing aids
2.1.4. Glossary of terms on deafness
2.1.5. Visual glossary

2.2. Case Study 1: 24 Hours of Portuguese television
2.2.1. Full report

2.3. Case Study 2: Deaf Community – Accessibility to audiovisual text
2.3.1. Full report
2.3.2. Questionnaire
2.3.3. List of Deaf associations in Portugal

2.4. Case Study 3: Subtitlers Working on SDH and on standard subtitling
2.4.1. Questionnaires to subtitlers working on SDH at RTP
2.4.2. Questionnaire to subtitlers working on standard subtitling
2.4.3. Meeting – 6 September 2003

2.5. Case Study 4: The Mulheres Apaixonadas project
2.5.1. Mid-project report
2.5.2. Final report
2.5.3. APTEC reports
2.5.4. Complaints on breakdown
2.5.5. Trainees’ reports
2.5.6. Revision checklist