Master thesis in English language: Equivalence in the Vietnamese translation of Sherlock from Netflix

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The thesis goal is to examine the dynamic equivalence in the Vietnamese subtitles of Sherlock series on Netflix. To achieve the goal of this thesis, three main targets need to be implemented include finding out the existence of translation universals and laws in translating subtitles of Sherlock on Netflix, investigating the behavior of translation universals in Vietnamese subtitles, evaluating the relationship between English and Vietnamese subtitles of Sherlock based on the descriptive translation study theory.

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Nội dung Text: Master thesis in English language: Equivalence in the Vietnamese translation of Sherlock from Netflix

VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Tạ Trí Đức EQUIVALENCE IN THE VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION OF SHERLOCK FROM NETFLIX MA THESIS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE HO CHI MINH CITY, 2020
VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Tạ Trí Đức EQUIVALENCE IN THE VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION OF SHERLOCK FROM NETFLIX Field: English Language Code: 8.22.02.01 Instructor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phạm Hữu Đức HO CHI MINH CITY, 2020
DECLARATION BY AUTHOR Except where reference has been made in the text, this thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person. I, Tạ Trí Đức, hereby state that this thesis is the result of my own research and the substance of the thesis has not, wholly or in part, been submitted for any degrees to any other universities or institutions. Author’s Signature Tạ Trí Đức Approved by SUPERVISOR Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phạm Hữu Đức Date:…………………… i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of this thesis is credited to many people’s contributions and support. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all most sincerely, knowing that my thanks are never adequate. First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and deep appreciation to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phạm Hữu Đức, my supervisor, for his helpful and warm encouragement as well as his insightful comments on my work from the beginning to the end of the study. In addition, I would like to thank all of the lecturers who gave me interesting lessons, dedication and advice during my study at Graduate Academy of Social Sciences. I also offer my special thanks to my beloved friends whose support and encouragement help me to have this thesis accomplished. Last but not least, I must express my gratitude to my family. It is their endless love and expectations that have motivated me to complete this thesis. I am immensely thankful for all the assistance they have given me. ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DECLARATION BY AUTHOR I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS II ABSTRACT V CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 RATIONALE 1 1.2 AIM(S) OF THE STUDY 2 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 2 1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 3 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 3 1.6 RESEARCH METHODS 3 1.7 STRUCTURE OF THE STUDY 4 CHAPTER 2. LIRTERATURE REVIEW 5 2.1 SHERLOCK FROM NETFLIX 5 2.2 SUBTITLE TRANSLATION 6 2.2.1 Subtitle and subtitle translation 7 2.2.2 Subtitle constraints 10 2.3 EQUIVALENCE IN TRANSLATION 12 2.3.1 Different approaches to translation equivalence 13 2.3.2 Descriptive Translation Studies 16 2.3.3 Translation universals 17 2.3.4 Categories of Translation Universals 20 2.4 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 26 2.5 CHAPTER SUMMARY 28 CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY 30 3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN 30 3.2 SAMPLING AND METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION 30 3.3 ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY 31 3.4 CHAPTER SUMMARY 33 iii
CHAPTER 4. TRANSLATION UNIVERSALS AND TRANSLATION LAWS IN SHERLOCK 34 4.1 TRANSLATION UNIVERSALS IN SHERLOCK 34 4.1.1 Explicitation 34 4.1.2 Simplification 39 4.1.3 Normalization 45 4.1.4 Omission of repetition 50 4.1.5 Exaggeration of Target Language Features 52 4.2 TRANSLATION LAWS IN SHERLOCK 53 4.2.1 Law of growing standardization 53 4.2.2 Laws of interference 59 4.3 CHAPTER SUMMARY 62 CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSION 64 5.1 RECAPITULATION 64 5.2 CONCLUDING REMARKS 65 5.3 IMPLICATIONS FOR ENGLISH TRANSLATION TEACHING AND LEARNING 66 5.4 LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES 68 REFERENCES 70 APPENDIX: SAMPLES OF ENGLISH TRANSCRIPT AND VIETNAMESE SUBTITLE OF SHERLOCK FROM NETFLIX I iv
ABSTRACT This study evaluated the equivalence in the Vietnamese translation of Sherlock on Netflix. Most previous studies used the formal equivalence approach, which focused mainly on the form and content relationship between source text and target text. This study uses dynamic equivalence approach, which describes functional relationship in translation. Dynamic equivalence is considered to be a more suitable approach for evaluating equivalence in film subtitle translation because of the specific characteristics of subtitle translating. Subtitle translators must ensure that the translated text can be read within the exact duration of the scene as well as ensure that the audience still has time to watch the images while preserving the meaning and effect. Descriptive translation study of translation universals and laws is used as a theoretical framework applied to evaluate the dynamic equivalence in subtitle translation. The Vietnamese subtitles of Sherlock on Netflix were analyzed on the basis of a theoretical framework derived from Baker's hypotheses on translation universals and Toury’s translation laws. Research has shown that there are translation universals and laws in Vietnamese subtitles, through which functional relationship between the original and Vietnamese subtitles of Sherlock on Netflix are found. Most of the translation universals is used to shorten or minimize the subtitles in order to meet the constraints of subtitle translation. The parts that are omitted are mostly repetitive words or can be understood through images on film. This shortening hardly affects the content that the audience needs. On the other hand, some translation universals and laws are used to normalize grammar as well as explain cultural features that can be confusing to the audience. However, this research also pointed out some of the audience’s experiences are sometimes lost due to circumstances such as repetition or lack of grammar is intended by the filmmaker to create humor or represent the character. v
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale When more and more people watch movies not only to relax, but also to study foreign languages and cultures, subtitles translation has become a major problem. Translation was considered language macro skill. Netflix is an American leading streaming service that allows members to watch a wide variety of television shows, movies, documentaries, etc. Netflix has over hundred million international subscribers, making it one of the world's largest entertainment services. The subtitles programs of Netflix are translated into many languages in the world including Vietnamese. Netflix-translated subtitles can be seen to have a major impact on the public and have played a large part in transmitting foreign languages and cultures to Vietnamese. Sherlock is a British television series based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. Sherlock has been praised for the quality of its writing, acting, and direction. Recent film subtitling research studies in European countries have concentrated primarily on content aspects, from a European viewpoint and as a representation of “a multi-talented challenge” (Gottlieb 2004). Scholars in the field of translation studies have founded the theoretical branches of Audio- Visual Translation, the most important of which are Chaume (2004), Diaz- Cintas (2004), Gambier (2009) and Gottlieb (2001). Their respective studies have formed the theoretical structure for subtitle translation and integrated successful translation strategies. There have also been a few studies on translation and equivalence in the translation of subtitles in Vietnam such as the study by Nguyễn Thị Thu Hà on subtitles for translating some selected films from the website kst.net.vn, the 1
research by Lê Thị Nhung about the equivalence in translating English subtitles of some documentary films. However, there are no research studies on translation and dynamic equivalence based on descriptive translation study in the translated subtitles by Netflix, an American service, as well as a famous TV series like Sherlock. Therefore, I chose to do a thesis on “EQUIVALENCE IN THE VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION OF SHERLOCK FROM NETFLIX” 1.2 Aim(s) of the Study The thesis goal is to examine the dynamic equivalence in the Vietnamese subtitles of Sherlock series on Netflix. To achieve the goal of this thesis, three main targets need to be implemented include finding out the existence of translation universals and laws in translating subtitles of Sherlock on Netflix, investigating the behavior of translation universals in Vietnamese subtitles, evaluating the relationship between English and Vietnamese subtitles of Sherlock based on the descriptive translation study theory. 1.3 Research Questions This thesis is implemented to answer the following questions: - What are the translation universals and laws used in translating subtitles of Sherlock on Netflix? - What are the behaviors of translation universals in Vietnamese subtitles of Sherlock on Netflix? - What is the relationship between English and Vietnamese subtitles of Sherlock on Netflix? 2
1.4 Scope of the Study This thesis focuses on equivalence of original English transcript and Vietnamese subtitle version of Sherlock on Netflix. Samples were taken from 9 episodes throughout 3 seasons of the series. The research only focuses on dynamic equivalence, which is evaluated based on translation universal and law analysis of descriptive translation study. Therefore only the most outstanding representative samples were selected for dynamic equivalence analysis. 1.5 Significance of the Study Theoretical significance: This thesis gives an overview of subtitle translation. This thesis also strengthened the theory of descriptive translation study and the theory of dynamic equivalence. Practical significance: This thesis supports subtitle translators by giving the translation universals and laws used for subtitle translation as well as providing the behavior of translation universals, which draw the relationship, equivalent, in translating movie subtitles. This thesis also aims to arouse the interest of English translation students with subtitle translation in particular and translation study in general. 1.6 Research Methods Qualitative methods were applied to implement this thesis. The data obtained were evaluated on the basis of a theoretical framework derived from Baker's hypotheses on translation universals and Toury’s translation laws. Subtitle translation equivalence assessment would be explored by using dynamic equivalence framework combining with descriptive translation study in subtiles. One-by-one translation universals and laws will be discussed by looking at their behaviors in nine episodes of Sherlock. Only the most striking instances of each 3
translation universals or laws will be investigated because the scope of this thesis does not allow a detailed examination of every single occurrence. 1.7 Structure of the Study The thesis consists of five chapters: Chapter 1 is the Introduction which describes the reasons for the choice of the topic, the aims, the scope, method, significance, and organization of the study. Chapter 2 provides the literature review of subtitle translation, equivalence in translation and descriptive translation study. Chapter 3 gives the translation universals used in translating Sherlock on Netflix. Chapter 4 gives the translation laws used in translating Sherlock on Netflix. Chapter 5 is the Conclusion and suggestion for further study. 4
CHAPTER 2. LIRTERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Sherlock from Netflix Netflix, an American streaming application with over hundred million international subscribers, becoming one of the world's largest entertainment services. Sherlock, a modern adaptation of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is a 90-minute, incredibly fast-paced television show created and written by Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss and occasional guest writers. Sherlock Holmes is a brilliant consulting detective who excels in solving crimes by deducing clues from apparently insignificant matters. His brilliant intellect, however, is countered by his poor social skills. The stories are narrated by his friend, Dr. John Watson, a general practitioner who was injured when he was an army doctor. Sherlock has been praised for the quality of its writing, acting, and direction. It has been nominated for numerous awards including Emmys, BAFTAs and a Golden Globe, winning several awards across a variety of categories. Sherlock has been sold to 180 territories. On Netflix, Sherlock is translated into many languages in the world including Vietnamese. Out of all the odd habits of Sherlock, deductions are likely to give the most trouble to a subtitle translator. They are littered with marked words. The sentences are remarkably long, and they are delivered at an impressive pace. Since the word count in these deductions is extremely high, the subtitles will most likely be forced to omit details. Most likely, important information that drives the story forward will be retained in the subtitles, while non-essential information will be the first to be removed. Sherlock's companion, John Watson, on the other hand, seems to be a simpler man than Sherlock. He is humble and 5
thoughtful, and he aims to change people’s lives by healing the sick as a general practitioner. The “opposites attract” language certainly refers to these two men because, despite their obvious disagreements, Sherlock and John are best friends. John Watson, unlike Sherlock, can be seen as a “normal man”. His personality will probably hardly influence his language, and so the subtitler would have no extra trouble to contend with. However, John is the storyteller, and so the viewer is simply John Watson. It will be fascinating to see if John's position in the narrative will lead to subtitling issues. Therefore, this thesis selects the famous series Sherlock on the world’s largest service platform Netflix as one of the most typical examples in subtitling translation to evaluate the equivalence in subtitle translation. 2.2 Subtitle translation Subtitling is a form of literary translation that deviates significantly from other types of translation. In order to achieve a satisfactory result, more attention must be paid to the subtitle than just the source text. The visual images and sound effects of the original product, together with the space and time constraints that are inextricably linked to subtitling, are just a few issues that a subtitled translator must keep in mind. According to Henrik Gottlieb, a subtitle translator needs to have a variety of skills in order to produce a decent translation: “Apart from being an excellent translator of foreign-language lines, a good subtitler needs the musical ears of an interpreter, the no-nonsense judgment of a news editor, and a designer's sense of esthetics. In addition, as most subtitlers do the electronic time-cueing themselves, the subtitler must also have the steady hand of a surgeon and the timing of a percussionist” (Gottlieb 2004). This idea certainly sets high standards for every subtitle translator. 6
2.2.1 Subtitle and subtitle translation The Oxford English Dictionary defines “subtitles” as “a subtitles that appear across the lower part of a cinema screen, or in the frame of a television program, video recording, etc., and typically provide a translation of a dialog or a version of it for the benefit of the deaf or the hard of hearing”. Thus, the spoken dialog is changed into a written text that must be read from the screen instead of being heard by the audience. This is what Henrik Gottlieb calls “diagonal translation” because the subtitle deals with “diagonal” translation from spoken to written, rather than “horizontal” translation from written to written or spoken to spoken (Ying-Ting 2006). Gottlieb expands this notion by explaining that subtitling uses a set of channels other than the translation of a written text. An example of a monosemiotic text is a book without pictures or drawings. The only channel used in this book is a written channel. No other channels, such as visuals or sounds, are present and the translator is therefore able to translate 100% of the source text. The translation of this book is an example of an isosemotic translation because there is no channel switching; the written source text is translated into the written target text. Therefore, this form of translation can be included in what Gottlieb calls “horizontal translation” (Ying-Ting 2006). Films and other forms of multimedia can be found in polysemiotic texts. These texts use a variety of channels, such as visuals and audio, to convey the story to the audience. Subtitles created in film and television translation fall within the category of diasemiotic translation. The spoken dialog is transferred to the written text in the form of subtitles. Films and other forms of multimedia contain four channels that play a key role in their translation: 7
1. The verbal audio channel, including dialogue, background voices, and sometimes lyrics. 2. A non-verbal audio channel, including music, natural sound and sound effects. 3. The verbal visual channel, including the superimposed titles and the written sign on the screen. 4. Visual non-verbal channel: image composition and flow . In a non-translated television program or film, the verbal audio channel takes the most prominent position. The audience follows the course of the narrative by listening to the characters on the screen in a spoken dialog. When subtitles are added to the program, the priority of this channel is shifted to the priority of the verbal visual channel. However, unlike dubbing where the source language is completely replaced by the target language, the subtitling leaves the complete verbal audio channel exactly as it does in the non-translated version of the program. The only difference is that the verbal auditory channel loses its primary position on the verbal visual channel. However, since the source text is still present in the translated version, the translator must be aware that the audience may have knowledge of the source language. Today, in the 21st century, the exposure of people in the world to English is so high that people understand English more or less. It is therefore important that the translator should try to remain as close as possible to the original text in terms of how the text is constructed. If grammatical and linguistic structures deviate too much from the original text, the audience may be distracted from the narrative. These inconsistencies remind the audience “that they read a translation, and feel that something is missing or wrong, and thus lose confidence in the subtitles” (Sanchez 2004). If the audience notices inconsistencies that are too striking, the translator will not only be criticized for 8
his or her work, but the emphasis will also be drawn on the subtitles rather than on the film or the program itself. As we have seen, Gottlieb argues that subtitling is a diagonal translation by shifting channels from the oral to the written channel. However, Ying-Ting Chuang argues that this notion of diasemiotic translation does not entirely cover the field of subtitles of translation. She explains that other features of the multimedia are capable of conveying information that can be of paramount importance in the creation of subtitles. Thus, Ying-Ting argues that a subtitle translator should not only pay attention to spoken dialogue but also consider other modes when creating subtitles. For this form of translation, the term “intersemiotic translation” is used by Roman Jakobson. This term is defined as “an interpretation of verbal signs by means of non-verbal sign systems” (Munday 2008). Indeed, this definition applies to subtitling, because all modes of subtitling translation are interconnected in order to create a single form of multimedia, be it film, television series or documentary. Ying-Ting presents “five semiotic modes most frequently represented in film text: spoken mode, written mode, mode of music, mode of sound effects and mode of moving images” (Ying-Ting 2006). In other words, the subtitles of the translator should take into account, in addition to the dialog: the written text on the screen, the film score and accompanying sound effects, and the actual visual images on the screen showing the actions of the actors. Ying-Ting concludes that the information obtained from all of these modes can replace the information presented in the dialogue. “[...] the translator does not have to render everything in the dialogs into subtitles, but he can choose to ignore the meanings represented in other semiotic modes. Thus, there are not one-to-one relationships in the translation subtitles, but many-to-many” (Ying-Ting 2006). The fact that other modes are capable of 9
transferring information to the translator may reduce the number and length of the subtitles shown on the screen. This could be seen as a positive development, because subtitles are essentially a tool for informing a foreign audience about what is being said on the screen. Subtitles do, however, contain most information, so that exclusion should not be taken lightly. I agree that any semiotic modes that Ying-Ting puts forward should be taken into account when creating subtitles. However, in many situations, other modes will not be able to provide the same amount of information and therefore subtitle omissions will not be possible. For example, if other modes are not present or if the information they carry is not sufficiently conclusive. It is of the utmost importance that the audience understands how the story is developing. Therefore, the translator should not make changes and only use this method if he or she is absolutely certain that the audience will be able to follow the narrative. 2.2.2 Subtitle constraints Audio-visual translation differs from other forms of translation in that it is subject to a number of constraints. These constraints force the translator to make certain translation decisions that might not have been taken if these constraints were not linked to the translation of the subtitles. Paola Guardini sets out a list of three different categories of constraints that affect the translation of audiovisual products. These include technical constraints, textual limitations and linguistic constraints. Technical limitations are concerned with the “time and space of presentation imposed by the original work” (Guardini 1998). In subtitling, the limits on the number of characters per subtitle line with a maximum of two lines per six to seven seconds belong to this category. The amount of time that two subtitles can be displayed on the screen varies depending on the speed of speech 10
and the way the visuals are edited, but six to seven seconds is the average duration. The second group of constraints is what Guardini refers to as a textual constraint. These limitations exist because of “the presence of the visual and verbal elements of the original, the spatial constraints that imply the reduction of the original and the change in the medium” (Guardini 1998). This category of constraints is linked to technical constraints, as time and space constraints may require the translator to reduce the text dramatically. If, in a short period of time, a speaker in a film or television program uses a large number of words, the translator is obliged to reduce the number of words in his or her translation in order to comply with the technical constraints. Also, in accordance with Ying- Ting theory, visuals played a vital part in storytelling, so that the translator needs to pay close attention to avoid any inconsistencies between image and audio. Frederic Chaume supports this notion by saying that “audio-visual translation differs from other types of translation in that the non-existence of an image linked to verbal text in these other types allows for the free translation of an existing sentence, or a play with words, or a joke, for example, without causing errors of coherence in the semiotic construction of the target text” (Chaume 19). Images restrict the freedom of the translator because the presence of images requires the audio to remain as close to the source text as possible. In the end, this may lead to a loss of stylistic features in the target text. Wordplay or other forms of humor may be lost in the translation subtitles if the visuals reduce the translation options of the translator. Linguistic constraints are the final category of constraints found in audiovisual translation. Guardini divides this category into two subcategories, namely the “intra-linguistic” category, which deals with “the differences in syntax and grammar between the two languages” and the “extra-linguistic” 11
category explained as “the problems relating to the surrounding reality” (Guardini 1998). Intra-linguistic constraints deal with grammatical and syntactic issues of which there is no equivalent in the target language. In such cases, the translators must devise other grammatical constructions in order to perform a satisfactory translation. Extra-Linguistic constraints are related to the source and target culture. All types of text are influenced by the culture in which the author resides. The audience with the same cultural background will not be consciously aware of these cultural influences. However, these features will be noted by a foreign audience who are not familiar with the customs of the source culture. In order to avoid a confused audience, the translator needs to provide missing information. As Denton (2007) elaborates: “Again, this may prove to be a challenge if the technical constraints of space and time are also taken into account. Information on the cultural background needs to be added, but information also needs to be removed, as the dialog is often too long to fit into the dual subtitles”. 2.3 Equivalence in translation Equivalence is the relationship between the source text (ST) and the target text (TT) that allows the TT to be considered as a ST translation. Equivalence is considered to be a key concept in translation. Some theorists define translation in terms of equivalence relations (Catford, 1976; Nida and Taber, 1969; Toury, 1995; Koller, 1990) while others reject the theoretical notion of equivalence, claiming that it is either irrelevant or harmful (Gentzler, 2001) to translation studies. Other theorists take the middle course. One of them is Baker (1993) who uses the notion of equivalence “or the sake of convenience—because most of the translators are used to it rather than because it has any theoretical status”. 12
2.3.1 Different approaches to translation equivalence The theorists gradually adopted the theory of equivalence and introduced different approaches to translation equivalence. - Function-based approach: Functional equivalence highlights the impact of the message on the target language and on the source language reader. Šarčević (Sarčević 1989) describes the legal functional equivalent as a term in the target legal system that designates a principle or institution, the function of which is the same as that of the source legal system. Weston (1991) explains the importance of functional equivalence in legal translation by implying that the approach of using a functional equivalent can be considered the optimal form of translation. Nida and Taber (1974) proposed two different types of equivalence:  Formal equivalence: this type of equivalence can be accomplished if the source language and target language match the form and content of the message as closely as possible. They also add that there is not always such a perfect fit between the two languages and recommend that formal equivalence should be used wherever possible. Formal equivalence attempts to translate word-by-word.  Dynamic equivalence: unlike formal equivalence, dynamic equivalence puts more emphasis on equivalent effects. In other words, this is a kind of equivalence in which translators try to express meaning in a way that has the same impact on the target audience as it does on the source language. - Form-based approach: Form-based or structure-based equivalence is defined as a more or less direct transmission of source text structures to the corresponding structures in the target language. It is a process in which the 13