ISSN: 1579-9794
Hikma 22(2) (2022), 343 - 348
MEJÍAS CLIMENT, LAURA & CARRERO MARTÍN, JOSÉ
FERNANDO. NEW PERSPECTIVES IN AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION.
TOWARDS FUTURE RESEARCH TRENDS. VALÈNCIA, UNIVERSITAT DE
VALÈNCIA, 2021, 212 PP., ISBN 978-84-9134-924-2
The ever-greater presence of audiovisual content in people’s lives,
alongside the expansion of television channels, streaming platforms and
social media, have contributed to the establishment of audiovisual translation
(AVT) as an area of study of its own (Díaz Cintas and Neves, 2015, p. 1;
Romero Fresco, 2018; Valdeón, 2022). The localisation and consumption of
audiovisual products have also benefited greatly from the use of digital
technologies (Chaume, 2018, p. 41). Approaching the study of various
professional practices from a booming field, editors Mejías Climent and
Carrero Martín explore the reshaping of the traditional audiovisual landscape.
They undertake this task together with the help of early-career researchers’
insights, which are a breath of fresh air in shedding newer light on current
research trends in AVT, media localisation and accessibility.
The edited volume entitled New Perspectives in Audiovisual
Translation. Towards Future Research Trends (2021) is targeted at
professionals, translator trainees and researchers working in the fields of
translation studies, language teaching and communication studies. The
contributions presented in this book constitute a succinct sample of what is
currently being done in academia, but they provide an overview of research,
professional and educational perspectives and do not solely focus on
academic approaches to the study of AVT. In other words, this book
introduces AVT as an interdisciplinary domain (see Szarkowska and
Wasylczyk, 2018) and succeeds in establishing connections between the AVT
industry and academia.
The book is divided into nine chapters. The introduction provides a
general overview of the current approach to AVT as a discipline, whereas the
rest mostly seem to have been produced by early-career researchers.
Therefore, this book serves as a platform for these researchers to share their
findings and experience in specific domains within AVT. In their introductory
chapter, the editors review the evolution of AVT as a professional field and
highlight the current impact of mass media and technologies in the industry.
They also elaborate on the latest research avenues being explored by
researchers in recent years.
344 Reseñas
Hikma 22(2) (2022), 343 - 348
The second chapter, “Audiovisual Translation Migrates to the Cloud:
Industry, Technology and Education” by Bolaños García- Escribano, focuses
on cloud technologies in the context of AVT. The author reviews the academic
and professional landscapes of AVT and exposes how “today’s migration of
media localisation work into cloud environments” (p. 28) requires educators
and trainees to use the latest cloud-based AVT tools. He covers quality
parameters, such as functional suitability, performance efficiency,
compatibility and portability by analysing a specific cloud-based subtitling tool,
OOONA Tools (https://ooona.ooonatools.tv). Finally, he explores the uses of
cloud-based systems in pedagogical practices, claiming they have proved to
have “the potential to be adapted in the [AVT] classroom” (p. 37), since they
also “have facilitated the industry’s growth, ultimately boosting productivity
and stimulating the AVT sector’s wealth” (p. 39).
The third chapter, “Audiovisual Translation for Inclusive Language
Education: The Case of the EOI Centres of the Valencian Community” by
Reverter Oliver, is a study the role AVT may play in inclusive education in
foreign language classrooms with pupils with visual and hearing impairments.
To do so, she conducts a theoretical review of AVT in FL learning and
teaching, focusing on the profiles of students with sensory disabilities and the
state of the art at official foreign language schools for adult learners in Spain
(Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas). She analyses “the accessibility of the EOI
websites, the adaptation of materials and classroom practices and the
adaptation of the official certification exams” (p. 60). The author concludes
that AVT has a scarce presence in EOI English-language classrooms and,
drawn from the data obtained, is used in a small percentage of cases of the
adaptation of the material.
The fourth chapter, entitled “Trans* Representations and Translations:
Two Pictures, Two Spaces, Two Moments”, is authored by Iván Villanueva
Jordán and Antonio Jesús Martínez Pleguezuelos. They explore the
representation of trans* identities in the audiovisual media since it “has
branched out and mutated to adapt to diverse spatial, temporal and cultural
contexts” (p. 77) by analysing the subtitles of two films from a queer approach:
Paris Is Burning (Jennie Livingston, 1990) and Loxoro (Claudia Llosa, 2011),
referring to Halberstam’s (2005) concepts of “queer time” and “queer space”
(p. 79). In both films, translation becomes a new layer of meaning in the form
of open subtitles since they are a part of the characters’ representation
through certain linguistic strategies. In their conclusions, the authors posit
“that it is only possible to speak and conceive gender from a continuously
translated perspective” (p. 95) and that “we can neither understand nor define
gender through a monolingual lens” (p. 96).
Luz Belenguer Cortés 345
Hikma 22(2) (2022), 343 - 348
The fifth chapter, written by García Celades, is “May the Intertextuality
Be with You. The Translation of Star Wars Comics”. Through a case study of
the aforementioned comic saga, the author reviews the concept of
intertextuality and seeks to determine “to what extent intertextuality is
respected in the translation of the comics of this franchise into Spanish using
clear examples taken from the books” (p. 102). To do so, he discusses the
Star Wars narrative and the impact intertextuality has on derived products of
the saga, and reflects upon documentation, intertexts and terminological
unification (pp. 116-117). His analysis of the first compilation of the main
regular collection of Marvel Comics, entitled Star Wars Book I: Skywalker
Strikes and published in Spain by Planeta Comic in 2016, confirms that
intertextuality is respected in the Spanish Star Wars publications using
referential translations for intertexts and therefore complies with the
established terminological unification.
The sixth chapter, “Approaching the Concept of Localisation and its
Place in Translation Studies” by Vázquez Rodríguez, focuses on localisation
and considers whether there is a difference between the terms translation and
localisation (p. 121). To do so, he conducts a theoretical review of different
definitions of localisation in different AVT modalities, such as the localisation
of videogames, software and web pages. Subsequently, Vázquez Rodríguez
analyses the contributions of many researchers in these fields chronologically
“in order to establish the trends that can help us find the proverbial needle in
a haystack” (p. 131) since “we are still far from reaching a consensus in order
to resolve this controversy” (p. 135).
The seventh chapter of the book is “Technology as a Driving Force in
Subtitling” by Athanasiadi. The author reflects upon the impact of technology
on subtitling practice “to better comprehend the subtitling process and to
explain the raison d’être of phenomena like romhacking, fansubbing and
crowdsourced subtitling” (p. 139). Athanasiadi conducts a historical analysis
of the development of subtitling in light of new multimedia technologies. She
also offers a theoretical review of AVT and subtitling, describing current
subtitling practices in distribution platforms, focusing on video on demand
(VoD) services, fansubbing, romhacking and crowdsourcing subtitling. Finally,
she reflects upon future tools, such as translation memory and machine
translation tools, cloud ecosystems and virtual reality. In her words,
technology “also allows for new avenues to emerge” (p. 160), which shows
the immediate need for further research in subtitling technologies and and the
unprecedented possibilities they offer.
The eighth chapter, written by López Rubio and Martí Sansaloni, is
entitled “Media Accessibility Services at the Valencian Regional TV Station À
Punt Mèdia. A Professional Overview”. The authors offer “an in-depth review
346 Reseñas
Hikma 22(2) (2022), 343 - 348
of the processes, tools and professional approach of À Punt Mèdia to creating
accessible content” (p. 167). They reflect on the origins of accessibility,
focusing on the case of À Punt Mèdia, the regional TV channel of the
Valencian Community, Spain. The authors analyse the channel’s general
standards and guidelines of subtitling for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH)
established by the Valencian Media Corporation (CVMC, 2021). The authors
then discuss subtitling strategies for both live productions and pre-recorded
audiovisual content, as well as for hybrid content (i.e., a combination of pre-
recorded and live material). Whereas in live productions immediacy is a key
factor to avoid considerable delays, hybrid content has to do with materials
that are broadcasted live but have written text that can be used during the
process, such as news written by journalists. Access to professional hardware
and the software, including offline and online subtitling editors, is discussed.
This is followed by an analysis of the audio description assignments carried
out at the TV station. The authors conclude by underlining the importance of
an ever-improving service to guarantee the acceptance and quality of subtitles
and audio descriptions.
The last chapter of the book is Hayes’s “Linguistic Variation in Netflix’s
English Dubs: Memetic Translation of Galician-Spanish series Fariña
(Cocaine Coast).” She analyses the importance of accents and dialects “as
units of cultural transmission or, in other words: memes” (p. 185). To do so,
she offers a theoretical review of dialectal memes in audiovisual texts in both
Castilian Spanish and English together with the interpretational specificity of
foreign accents and their impact on versions dubbed in English and Spanish.
Specifically, Hayes examines the current state of dubbing as the new standard
AVT format for English-speaking audiences through an analysis of
foreignising strategies (Spiteri Miggiani, 2021; Hayes, 2021; Hayes and
Bolaños García-Escribano, 2022; Sánchez-Mompeán, 2023) focusing on
linguistic variation in the original version and the English dubbed version of a
Galician-Spanish series. Her reflections on Hispanic accents and the impact
the foreignising strategy has on dubbing and in the acceptance of dubbing
texts provides solid insight and is a welcome addition to the field due to “the
lack of industry precedents in the nascent mainstream English-dubbing
industry” (p. 207).
This book constitutes an essential read for those wishing to become
more familiar with new flourishing research perspectives coming from
promising early-career researchers. It might appear that the studies presented
in this book differ from one another in terms of topics, methodologies and
purposes, but it is precisely this variety that readers will find helpful to fully
appreciate the wide spectrum AVT scholarship can offer. Readers are sure to
gain a deeper understanding of the latest trends in AVT research. Indeed, this
Luz Belenguer Cortés 347
Hikma 22(2) (2022), 343 - 348
book is a cutting-edge contribution that enlightens our knowledge in this
burgeoning area of AVT research.
R
EFERENCES
Chaume, F. (2018). An overview of audiovisual translation: Four
methodological turns in a mature discipline. Journal of Audiovisual
Translation, 1(1), 40-63. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v1i1.43
(CVMC) Corporació Valenciana de Mitjans de Comunicació (2021). Llibre
d’estil de la Corporació Valenciana de Mitjans de Comunicació.
Generalitat Valenciana.
Cintas, J. D., & Neves, J. (Eds.). (2015). Audiovisual translation: Taking stock.
Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Halberstam, J. (2005). In a Queer Time and Place. Transgender Bodies,
Subcultural Lives. New York University Press.
Hayes, L. (2021). Netflix disrupting dubbing: English dubs and British
accents. Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 4(1), 1-26.
Hayes, L. & Bolaños García-Escribano, A. (2022). (Main) streaming English
Dubs: A Snapshot of Netflix’s Playbook on Dubbing Strategies. Journal
of Audiovisual Translation, 5(2), 213-233.
Livingston, J. (1990). Paris Is Burning. Academy Entertainment and Off White
Productions.
Llosa, C. (2011). Loxoro. Turner Network Television (TNT).
Romero-Fresco, P. (2018). In support of a wide notion of media accessibility:
Access to content and access to creation. Journal of Audiovisual
Translation, 1(1), 187-204.
Sánchez-Mompeán, S. (2023). Engaging English Audiences in the Dubbing
Experience: A Matter of Quality or Habituation? Íkala, Revista de
Lenguaje y Cultura, 28(2), 1-18.
Spiteri Miggiani, G. (2021). English-language dubbing: challenges and quality
standards of an emerging localisation trend. The Journal of Specialised
Translation 36, 2-25.
Szarkowska, A. & Wasylczyk, P. (2018). Five things you wanted to know about
audiovisual translation research, but were afraid to ask. Journal of
Audiovisual Translation, 1(1), 8-25.
https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v1i1.41
348 Reseñas
Hikma 22(2) (2022), 343 - 348
Valdeón, R. (2022). Latest trends in audiovisual
translation. Perspectives, 30(3), 369-381.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2022.2069226
[LUZ BELENGUER CORTÉS]
