Description
Οn the interplay of pragmatics and audiovisual translation (Nikos Stamatoulakis)
The present thesis seeks to explore the interplay of pragmatics and audiovisual translation in the modern era of streaming television, and the possible ramifications of subtitling on identity construal. The character of Jessica Jones, a superhero-private investigator, and her distinct pragmalinguistic choices as regards im/politeness are discussed, and the official Greek subtitles for the series are examined. The main aim of this analysis is to determine whether specific elements of subtitling, like its spatiotemporal constraints and reading speed, as well as toning down of emotionally charged language have an effect on elements of characterization expressed through language. The findings showed that the im/politeness choices of Jessica were transferred to the target language without significant changes and, consequently, no significant effect on characterization. However, this can largely be attributed to the fact that reading speed limits were quite frequently exceeded, and condensation was not always a priority, as it usually is in subtitling. This raises some questions on whether viewing experience could be hindered. This thesis is an attempt to contribute to the ever-growing field of research in the interface of audiovisual translation and pragmatics, which remains rather limited (Desilla, 2019).
