Recent Publications – January 2006

(for recent publications on conference interpreting, see the CIRIN site)

 

 

Theses

(contributed by Delia Chiaro)

 

Cortellini, Valeria. April 2005. Measuring Exhilaration: the dubbing and subtitling of ‘The Office’. Graduation thesis, SSLiMIT, Università degli Studi di Bologna, at Forlì. Supervisors: Chiaro/Antonini/Nocella.

Abstract This experimental study examines variations in the Humour Response of Italian and UK audiences to the sitcom The Office. It also sets out to see whether Italians found the dubbed version or the subtitled version funnier. Statistically elaborated data point to the incidence of a translational impact which lowers the appreciation of Verbally Expressed Humour in the Italian sample as well as a marked preference for the dubbed version.

 

Erizi, Laura. June 2005  ‘Qualità e Percezion: Humour, Doppiaggio e Riferimenti Culturali in ‘Futurama’ Graduation thesis, SSLiMIT, Università degli Studi di Bologna, at (English title: Qualità and Perception: Humour, Dubbing and Cultural References in Futurama) Supervisors: Chiaro/Antonini/Nocella.

Abstract An especially robust and varied sample of respondents was collected for this experimental study in audience perception of translated Verbally Expressed Humour contained in the sitcom Futurama. The perception of culture-specific references in one episode were investigated on four separate samples of Italians, Mainland Spaniards, Mexicans and North Americans.

 

Latini, Matteo. December 2004. Harry Potter e la magia della traduzione. Graduation thesis, SSLiMIT, Università degli Studi di Bologna, at  Forlì.(English title: “Harry Potter: the magic of translation”) Supervisors: Chiaro/Bernardini.

Abstract A scrupulous examination of the translational strategies of the incalculable number of proper names which occur in the Italian versions of the Harry Potter novels.

 

Maccario, Francesca. June 2005  ‘Humour e riferimenti culturali: il caso di ‘The Nanny’ Graduation thesis, SSLiMIT, Università degli Studi di Bologna, at (English title: “Humour and Cultural References: the case of The Nanny) Supervisors: Chiaro/Antonini/Nocella.

Abstract This field study examines how much Italian audiences understand of the culture specific references in the sitcom The Nanny. Despite the fact that the sitcom is localized to an extreme in its Italian version substituting all references to Kosher Culture with Southern Italian culture and that not all references were understood by Italian respondents tested, the Humour Response in the Italian tended to remain high thus revealing a low Translational Impact.

 

Madrigali, Matteo.  December 2005  ‘Traduzione e Percezione: il caso Benigni’ Graduation thesis, SSLiMIT, Università degli Studi di Bologna, at (English title: ‘Translation and perception: the case of Roberto Benigni’) Supervisors: Chiaro/Nocella/Antonini.

Abstract This experimental study consists of an analysis of the Humour Response of a sample of British people exposed to a series of sketches featuring Benigni subtitled into English. As well as attempting to measure the impact of translation of the sample’s Humour Response, elaboration of data also seeks to compare respondents’ reaction to the comedian’s non-verbal humour too. The resulting data was compared to parallel data from an Italian control group.

 

Mazzarol, Pietro. April 2005  L’umorismo nel doppiaggio in ‘Futurama’: un indagine culturale e linguistica. Graduation thesis, SSLiMIT, Università degli Studi di Bologna, at (English title: “Humour in the dubbed version of ‘Futurama’” . a cultural and linguistic investigation) Forlì. Supervisors: Chiaro/Antonini/Nocella.

Abstract This field study examines how much Italian audiences understand of the numerous culture specific references in the sitcom Futurama. As expected, the North American control group tended to understand much more than the Italian respondents interviewed. Nevertheless, disparity in respondents’ Humour Response (HR) was far from uniform throughout the episode on which they were questioned. For example, humour based upon irony and nonsense gained a similar HR while age and gender displayed interesting divergences in the appreciation of humour based on culture-specific references.

 

Pifferi, Roberta. April 2005. Percezione umoristica del prodotto doppiato e sottotitolato nell’età pre-adolescenziale: il caso ‘Shrek’. Graduation thesis, SSLiMIT, Università degli Studi di Bologna, at Forlì. (English title: “How pre-adolescents perceive dubbed and subtitled humour in ‘Shrek’”) Supervisors: Chiaro/Antonini/Nocella.

Abstract This experimental study examines the different reactions to the movie Shrek, watched by two groups of children via two different translational means: dubbing and subtitling. The experiment especially focussed on difficulties encountered in interpreting Verbally Expressed Humour (VEH) translated with the use of  subtitles as opposed to dubbing. Results reveal that VEH is harder for children to perceive in the subtitled form both owing to the inability of children to watch the visuals and read the captions at the same time and to the limited exposure Italian children have to this form of audiovisual translation.

 

Pizzuto, Daniela. December 2005  ‘Emilia-Romagna on line: un’analisis delle aziende agro-alimentari e del loro rapporto con Internet’ Graduation thesis, SSLiMIT, Università degli Studi di Bologna, at (English title: ‘Emilia-Romagna on line- an analysis of agro-food companies and their relationship with  Internet’) Supervisors: Chiaro/Stewart.

Abstract This dissertation examines 50 agro-food companies in the Emilia-Romagna region and the way they promote their products on the Internet.

 

Ponza, Elisa. April 2005.  ‘Sex and the City: Italiani e Americani a confronto sull’umorismo a fondo sessuale. Graduation thesis, SSLiMIT, Università degli Studi di Bologna, at (English title: “Sex and the City : American and Italian audiences') Forlì. Supervisors: Chiaro/Antonini/Nocella.

Abstract This experimental study based on a sample of 180 respondents in Italy and the USA examines variations in the Humour Response to humour based on sex in the two cultures. Results show significant divergences on both sides of the Atlantic in terms of age and gender.

 

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Chiaro, Delia. 2005. The Wisecracking Dame: An overview of the representation of Verbally Expressed Humour produced by women on screen. Mediazioni  www.mediazionionline.it/articoli/chiaro.htm

* A paper which shows that the comedic styles of female actors in movies tend to be founded on their physical attributes or on situations they spark off rather than on language. When they do resort to Verbally Expressed Humor, they tend to adopt a specific variety of VEH.

 

Kellett Bidoli, Cynthia Jane. 2005. From voice to gesture: methodological aspects in the compilation of a terminological, tri-lingual, multimodal dictionary. The Interpreters’ Newsletter n°13. 71-85.

* Focusing on Italian sign-language, English and Italian.

 

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From Janzen, Terry (ed). 2005. Topics in Signed Language Interpreting. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins:

* This is a fascinating book which presents and discusses many aspects of sign(ed) language interpreting. While it may not be very innovative for Sign(ed) Language interpreters, it offers

to spoken-language interpreters and to translators not only information, but also food for thought. Recommended reading. (DG)

 

Janzen, Terry. 2005. Introduction to the theory and practice of signed language interpreting. In Janzen (ed). 3-24.

 

Wilcox, Sherman and Barbara Shaffer. 2005. Towards a cognitive model of interpreting. In Janzen (ed). 27-50.

* A discussion of various models of the role of the signed language (SL) interpreter, from “helper” and “conduit” models to sociological, pedagogical, bilingual-bicultural and text analysis and discourse analysis models. The authors show in particular that the conduit model in the form of interaction in which SL interpreters participate is naïve because of the complexity of the social interactions in communication between the Deaf and the Hearing.

 

Leeson, Lorraine. 2005. Making the effort in simultaneous interpreting. In Janzen (ed). 51-68.

* A chapter explaining Gile’s Effort Model of simultaneous interpreting for spoken languages and its application to SL interpreting.

 

Janzen, Terry. 2005. Interpretation and language use. In Janzen (ed). 69-105.

* Numerous interesting considerations on the use of language in interpreting and on the importance of mastering the relevant SL when interpreting in a professional context where much of the interpreting is done into the interpreter’s B language.

 

Malcolm, Karen. 2005. Contact sign, transliteration and interpretation in Canada. In Janzen (ed). 107-133.

* One of the papers in this volume which show the complexity of the linguistic landscape of SLs, which high variability, and in particular the existence of a whole range of varieties of SL in terms of the presence of spoken-language structures in them. This poses serious challenges to interpreters.

 

Russell, Debra. 2005. Consecutive and simultaneous interpreting. In Janzen (ed). 135-164.

* The author looks at the use of consecutive vs. simultaneous SL interpreting and argues in favor of increased use of consecutive. Note that this probably refers to consecutive rendering of very short speech segments, not what spoken conference interpreters call “true consecutive”, with long segments and note-taking.

 

Janzen, Terry and Donna Korpiniski. 2005. Ethics and professionalism in interpreting. In Janzen (ed). 165-199.

* A particularly interesting chapter explaining ethical issues in SL interpreting, which show inter alia the importance of cultural issues in interpreting between the Deaf and the Hearing, as well as the importance of the interpreter’s attitude towards the Deaf community and its perception by the Deaf community.

 

Demers, Hubert 2005. The working interpreter. In Janzen (ed). 203-230.

* A paper covering different practical aspect of SL interpreting with advice on the interpreters’ attitude toward users of their services with a special emphasis on the importance of the “right attitude” which will make them acceptable to the Deaf community. Inter alia, the author presents various types of employment, underlines how much interpreters themselves can gain from interpreting by expanding their knowledge, refers to “zones of discomfort” in terms of learning.

 

Stratiy, Angela. 2005. Best practices in interpreting. In Janzen (ed). 231-250.

* A particularly welcome paper on the viewpoint of a Deaf person, who can point out issues that interpreters and Hearing people may be unaware of. One point is the sociologic importance of Name signs, which have a specific value in the Deaf community. Other points discussed include how interpreters negotiate topics, the use of consecutive interpreting rather than simultaneous wherever this is possible, the use of first and third person pronouns, monitoring feedback from users of interpreting services. Throughout this paper, the sensitivity of the Deaf, a community which has suffered from oppression by the Hearing around the world, comes through as an important factor which should be duly taken into account.

 

Leeson, Lorraine. 2005. Vying with variation. In Janzen (ed). 251-291.

* A paper which shows the high variability in signed languages with historical explanations of the origin of gender-based differences, regional differences and language contact and a discussion of European sign-language issues.

 

Conrad, Patricia and Susan Stegenga. 2005. Case studies in education. In Janzen (ed). 293-322.

* A discussion of SL interpreting in educational settings, of the roles and responsibilities of the interpreters (who in this case, may be much more than interpreters), of language issues in the classroom, again of issues of power and control where the importance of the concept of oppression in the context of the Deaf community comes through, questions of ethics.

 

Boudreault, Patrick. 2005. Deaf interpreters. In Janzen (ed). 323-353.

* Another very interesting paper which introduces the role of Deaf interpreters for the Deaf. While the idea may seem surprising at first sight, the usefulness of the concept is amply demonstrated in the paper, which also includes some practical considerations, in particular on the positioning of interpreters in various contexts.

 

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List of recent publications posted in 2005