Home Linguistics & Semiotics Chapter 12. The impact of AVT mode on audience reception
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Chapter 12. The impact of AVT mode on audience reception

  • Olga Łabendowicz
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
To Publisher Page
Eye Tracking and Multidisciplinary Studies on Translation
This chapter is in the book Eye Tracking and Multidisciplinary Studies on Translation

Abstract

Each mode of Audiovisual Translation (AVT) requires a slightly alternate approach. Whether a given audiovisual material is translated by the means of subtitling, dubbing or voice over often results in a very different translation of the same Source Text (ST), which is not surprising taking into consideration various technical constraints and translation tendencies typical of a given AVT mode. At the same time, audiences approach a given AV material with a prior set of expectations, which often include AVT mode preferences. Moreover, viewers’ prior knowledge and fluency in Source Culture (SC) affects their perception of the end translation. According to Marchant et al. (2009: 154), “the overt visual attention detected by an eye-tracker gives us a window on internal systems” what, in turn, may be crucial for translators to improve their performance. The presented article is an attempt to show how audience really watches AV materials and how various modes of AVT affect viewers’ reception of a given production. The main objective of the paper is to answer the question: How a mode of AVT affects audience’s reception of humorous audiovisual materials deeply rooted in Source Culture? The analysis is based on the research involving eye-tracking devices conducted in May-July 2016 in Warsaw (Poland), during which the participants were asked to watch five short fragments of various humorous American productions deeply rooted in American culture (animated tv series: The Simpsons and South Park; animated feature film: Madagascar; tv series with actors: Gilmore Girls).

Abstract

Each mode of Audiovisual Translation (AVT) requires a slightly alternate approach. Whether a given audiovisual material is translated by the means of subtitling, dubbing or voice over often results in a very different translation of the same Source Text (ST), which is not surprising taking into consideration various technical constraints and translation tendencies typical of a given AVT mode. At the same time, audiences approach a given AV material with a prior set of expectations, which often include AVT mode preferences. Moreover, viewers’ prior knowledge and fluency in Source Culture (SC) affects their perception of the end translation. According to Marchant et al. (2009: 154), “the overt visual attention detected by an eye-tracker gives us a window on internal systems” what, in turn, may be crucial for translators to improve their performance. The presented article is an attempt to show how audience really watches AV materials and how various modes of AVT affect viewers’ reception of a given production. The main objective of the paper is to answer the question: How a mode of AVT affects audience’s reception of humorous audiovisual materials deeply rooted in Source Culture? The analysis is based on the research involving eye-tracking devices conducted in May-July 2016 in Warsaw (Poland), during which the participants were asked to watch five short fragments of various humorous American productions deeply rooted in American culture (animated tv series: The Simpsons and South Park; animated feature film: Madagascar; tv series with actors: Gilmore Girls).

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  4. Chapter 2. A mapping exercise 11
  5. Part I. Method
  6. Chapter 3. Overcoming methodological challenges of eye tracking in the translation workplace 33
  7. Chapter 4. Eye tracking as a measure of cognitive effort for post-editing of machine translation 55
  8. Chapter 5. Analysing variable relationships and time-course data in eye-tracking studies of translation processes and products 71
  9. Part II. Process
  10. Chapter 6. Recognition and characterization of translator attributes using sequences of fixations and keystrokes 97
  11. Chapter 7. Problem solving in the translation of linguistic metaphors from Chinese into Portuguese 121
  12. Chapter 8. Working styles of student translators in self-revision, other-revision and post-editing 145
  13. Chapter 9. Visual attention distribution in intralingual respeaking 185
  14. Part III. Product
  15. Chapter 10. Subtitling of British stand-up comedy into Italian 205
  16. Chapter 11. Towards a quantitative measurement of equivalent effect and a tentative conceptualisation of cognitive equivalence 225
  17. Chapter 12. The impact of AVT mode on audience reception 259
  18. List of abbreviations 287
  19. Contributors 289
  20. Subject index 293
https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.143.12lab

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  4. Chapter 2. A mapping exercise 11
  5. Part I. Method
  6. Chapter 3. Overcoming methodological challenges of eye tracking in the translation workplace 33
  7. Chapter 4. Eye tracking as a measure of cognitive effort for post-editing of machine translation 55
  8. Chapter 5. Analysing variable relationships and time-course data in eye-tracking studies of translation processes and products 71
  9. Part II. Process
  10. Chapter 6. Recognition and characterization of translator attributes using sequences of fixations and keystrokes 97
  11. Chapter 7. Problem solving in the translation of linguistic metaphors from Chinese into Portuguese 121
  12. Chapter 8. Working styles of student translators in self-revision, other-revision and post-editing 145
  13. Chapter 9. Visual attention distribution in intralingual respeaking 185
  14. Part III. Product
  15. Chapter 10. Subtitling of British stand-up comedy into Italian 205
  16. Chapter 11. Towards a quantitative measurement of equivalent effect and a tentative conceptualisation of cognitive equivalence 225
  17. Chapter 12. The impact of AVT mode on audience reception 259
  18. List of abbreviations 287
  19. Contributors 289
  20. Subject index 293
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 29.12.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/btl.143.12lab/html
Scroll to top button