Chris Taylor University of Trieste

1. Audiovisual Translation ScenariosCopenhagen 1-5 May, 2006“I knew he was going to say that” A consideration of the predictability of language use in film Chris Taylor University of Trieste

2. Talking Points • Film Language • Genre • Predictability • Translation (dubbing, subtitling)

3. Film Language The thesis that film language differs appreciably from ordinary, everyday, spontaneous language has been recognised, and little criticised, since the beginnings of the cinema.

4. Visual Grammar With the advent of the cinema, for the first time, pictures succeeded one another, creating patterns of occurrence and repetition that resembled the linear flow of speech. The innovation that cinema provided is to be seen in this visual grammar (Kress & van Leeuwen), integrated with the verbal grammar in a multimodal text.

5. APS But the flow of images was (and is) created by film directors, cameramen, set designers, etc. in the construction of an artificial situation. Similarly the language (and grammar) of film was a scripted construct created by writers, altered by directors and actors, in the creation of an “artificially produced situation” (APS)

6. Silent Films The early silent films were not actually wordless; ‘intertitles’ were used, firstly on placards and later inserted into the film itself. Often they were, by today’s standards, farcically artificial.

7. Intertitles: ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ 1927 Phineas outwits the slave traders Eliza escapes across the river on floating ice Rocky Pass. Reunion of Eliza and Geo. Harris Moonlight bathing the old Kentucky home in radiance – romance in the winged and perfumed breezes of the night

9. Talkies But even with the talkies, the level of artificiality did not drop. Film language remained theatrically influenced.

11. The Big Trail 1930 • A silent film slowly being adapted to sound. • Along the way the actors were allowed to leave the stilted, theatre-like acting; • Marguerite Churchill very much looks like a typical early silent movie heroine at the beginning of the film, but at the end is allowed finer expressions. • BUT …

12. John Wayne • "No great trail was ever blazed without hardship...and you gotta fight! That's life..and when you stop fightin', that's death." and even later …

13. Robin Hood 1938 Friar Tuck: Robber and thief! Give me back my mutton joint!... I’m a girdled friar and vowed to poverty. Robin Hood: If this is poverty, I’ll be glad to share it with you. Friar Tuck: Give me back my mutton joint!... Robin Hood: Not so close, my thunderous one! and even today …

14. ‘Dawson’s Creek’ • Creator Kevin Williamson makes it clear that he does not strive for authentic dialogue. • In fact his cast of teenagers talk like thirty-somethings.

15. Who writes a film? A film is a team effort, with a consequent downplaying of its paternity. The ‘authors’ of a film (and its translated version) consist of: screenplay writers, directors, cameramen, editors, actors, translator/adaptors, dubbing directors, dubbing actors, subtitlers, producers...

16. An open text It is an open text: written to be acted and synchronised with the visual. A film lacks a single text of reference (unlike theatre and radio discourse), in that various transpositions succeed one another (subject, script, dialogue list, transcription, translation, etc.)

17. Film text components • There is a co-existence of written language features (no hesitation, no repetition, no self-correction, no unarticulated sounds, no overlapping speech, etc.) and spoken discourse (eg. recourse to para and extralinguistic elements).

19. Filmese? • Compare the language of film with a spoken corpus of English. • Bank of English • Bergen • etc.

20. Examples chosen • NOW • WELL • RIGHT • SO • OK • YES

21. Realistic films - total • Words 995,746 • now 377 • well 1179 • right 260 • yes 238 • OK 670 • so 1032

22. Bank of English • Words 1,000,000 circa • now 620 • well 2990 • right 3650 • yes 3830 • OK 1150 • so 4800

23. Comparison realistic/corpus

24. Tag questions - totals compared • Total tag questions in Films • 488 • Total tag questions in Corpus • 1,194

25. Genre Genre analysis (Swales, Halliday, Hatim & Mason, Ventola, Aston et al) has produced some interesting work on classifying language use. At a macro-level we can talk of literary language, the language of journalism, scientific discourse, etc.

26. Subgenre But genres generate subgenres: novels, poetry, detective stories… tabloids, qualities, magazines…. nuclear physics, medicine, biochemistry

27. ..and little fleas have littler fleas Genrelets instances or instantiations of language use associated with very particular sub-sub genres: love story dialogue weather forecast medical conference abstract “a social occasion enshrined in language”

28. Film genres • Of course the expression ‘film genre’ will bring to mind such types as western, spy story, comedy, etc. • But films too have their sub-genres and genrelets.

29. Film genres 2 • And it is these genrelets that are of interest in the question of predictability. • E.g., telephone conversations, presentations, mealtime dialogue, bar talk, etc.

30. Predictability ‘breakdown in public transport system scenario’ “On these occasions (English) passengers suddenly seem to become aware of each other. Our actions are always the same and minutely predictable, almost as though they had been choreographed” (Fox). “Huh, typical!” “What is it this time?” “Wrong kind of leaves, I suppose”.

31. Optional and obligatory features Genres, sub-genes and genrelets are identifiable by obligatory features associated with any number of optional features (Halliday & Hasan). Emergency phone call Recipe Indian food recipe Phone-in Indian food recipe

32. Intertextuality • In genrelets such as love scenes, telephone call protocols, presentations, service encounters, etc. there is little room for creative language use. The same formulae are used over and over again, with the same cues and the same response mechanisms.

33. Priming Hoey: words and expressions are PRIMED to appear in particular environments. e.g., I love you too.

34. And … • In winter … • During the cold season … • In the winter months … • When frost’s tentacles do wrap us …

35. Film language • The language of film tends to accentuate the aspects outlined in the previous slides. • Especially in stylised genres (traditional westerns, medieval dramas, quickly produced cop and sci-fi series, etc.) but even in more realistic genres, language use is that much more cued and crafted and thus more PREDICTABLE.

36. Translation In translation, all this becomes ever more apparent.

37. Translation process • Subject • treatment • screenplay • script [written dialogues] • Spoken dialogue • Continuity script (transcription and postsynchronization) • Translation • adaptation • dubbing • mixage • translated spoken dialogue • subtitles

38. Il grande sentiero 1931 • Film created for foreign audiences by use of multi-versions.

41. Translation of Dawson’s Creek. • Given the original’s stated intention of not aiming at authentic dialogue the dubbed version on Italian television, follows suit … only more so.

42. ‘Dawson’s Creek’ in Italian • According to Zandegù: The language can be given the label ZERO ORALITY referring to the reduction in variation at a stylistic, sociocultural and dialectal level.

43. This leads to higher levels of predictability, including the repeated use in Italian of terms that don’t (or didn’t) appear in the ordinary spoken language: Buon pomeriggio Calmati figliolo! Fottiti amico! Obiezione! increased predictability

44. Translation Memory At times the predictability is so pronounced that an element of translation memory technique, technologically aided or otherwise, could prove useful. At least the predictability factor should be taken into account in order to save time and particularly to ensure consistency.

45. Testing predictability Various films have been analysed in terms of their genre structure, and sub-genres and ‘genrelets’ were identified.

47. On the phone

48. Kramer versus Kramer (phone conversations compared with corpus findings) • Yeah, hi, Ted Kramer • Listen … OK? • Yeah, OK, you too, thanks a lot. • Hi Margaret, this is Ted. Is my wife there? • Yeah, yeah … • If she comes, tell her to come over or just give me a ring …yeah • If she comes, tell her to give me a ring • Thanks a lot

49. Yeah? Oh, wait a minute. It’s for you, pick up 461 Who is it? Ah, hi Billy. What’s up? No … Look I can’t tell you now, I’m busy. We’ll talk about it later when I get home, right? Hello. Mr. Kramer’ Yes. Hold on please, Mr. Shaunessy. Ted? Yeah, hi John. How are you? What’s happening? Oh look, I’ve gotta tell you something. Hello Yeah, I’m still here

50. Kramer versus Kramer • Yeah, hi, Ted Kramer • Listen … OK? • Yeah, OK, you too, thanks a lot. • Sì, pronto, Ted Kramer • Senti … OK? • Ah, OK, anche tu, grazie tante.