TY - JOUR
T1 - Collaborative translation
T2 - an instrument for commercial success or neutralizing a feminist message?
AU - Kang, Ji Hae
AU - Kim, Kyung Hye
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2020/7/3
Y1 - 2020/7/3
N2 - This study examines the ways in which collaboration in audiovisual translation is approached and portrayed by different parties involved in the transnational distribution and consumption of cultural products. It considers the case of the Korean translation of Spy, an American action comedy spy film that was praised by many critics for its feminist message. Prior to its release in Korea, the film became widely known for its translators, which included a high-profile comedian, comedy scriptwriters, and a professional translator. Drawing on the concepts of ‘framing’ and ‘voice’, the present study shows how collaborative translation was used as a tool by the distributor to promote and market the film and to extend its commercial reach. The paper also argues that today’s viewers are not passive audiences. Empowered by social networks and digital devices, they actively share reviews and engage in discussions concerning translation method and quality, translators’ identities, and translation effects. Linking collaborative translation to what they see as the ‘flattening’ of a feminist voice and the insertion in the film of humor that reinforces unequal gender relations, many audiences actively resisted the distributor’s portrayal of collaborative translation as an optimal way to translate the film. The findings have implications for enhancing our understanding of collaborative translation work, translation of humor within the Korean cultural context, and perceptions on the connection between translation quality and collaborative translation.
AB - This study examines the ways in which collaboration in audiovisual translation is approached and portrayed by different parties involved in the transnational distribution and consumption of cultural products. It considers the case of the Korean translation of Spy, an American action comedy spy film that was praised by many critics for its feminist message. Prior to its release in Korea, the film became widely known for its translators, which included a high-profile comedian, comedy scriptwriters, and a professional translator. Drawing on the concepts of ‘framing’ and ‘voice’, the present study shows how collaborative translation was used as a tool by the distributor to promote and market the film and to extend its commercial reach. The paper also argues that today’s viewers are not passive audiences. Empowered by social networks and digital devices, they actively share reviews and engage in discussions concerning translation method and quality, translators’ identities, and translation effects. Linking collaborative translation to what they see as the ‘flattening’ of a feminist voice and the insertion in the film of humor that reinforces unequal gender relations, many audiences actively resisted the distributor’s portrayal of collaborative translation as an optimal way to translate the film. The findings have implications for enhancing our understanding of collaborative translation work, translation of humor within the Korean cultural context, and perceptions on the connection between translation quality and collaborative translation.
KW - audiovisual translation (AVT)
KW - collaborative translation
KW - film audience
KW - framing
KW - Subtitling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85065530235&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/0907676X.2019.1609534
DO - 10.1080/0907676X.2019.1609534
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85065530235
SN - 0907-676X
VL - 28
SP - 487
EP - 503
JO - Perspectives: Studies in Translation Theory and Practice
JF - Perspectives: Studies in Translation Theory and Practice
IS - 4
ER -