The translation and/or rendering of humour into another language is a particularly difficult task for any translators. When humour depends on cultural references and linguistic effect, conveying it into a different language is particularly difficult. In such cases, humour needs to be changed radically in order to trigger an equivalent effect - something which is very difficult, if not impossible, in simultaneous interpreting. In the case of the simultaneous interpreting of television programmes for a live audience, this task becomes even more challenging. The present paper aims at providing an analysis of the perception of interpreted humour during the live broadcast of the Academy Awards Ceremony in Italy. Interpreters normally do not have enough time at their disposal to find a satisfying alternative solution. For media interpreters, given the very nature of entertainment on TV, this task is made more complicated by the fast pace of on-screen dialogues and the stress of having to come up with a translation that will trigger the same humorous response in the target audience. For this reason, they need to follow the TV host, word by word, in order to ensure they do not miss the punch line or the start of the following joke, or to avoid mistiming their interpretation and making it coincide with a subsequent joke, causing confusion in the audience. Against this background, this paper will analyse the reactions of a sample of Italian TV viewers to the translated humour of the Academy Awards Ceremony, better known as "The Oscar Night."
Antonini R. (2010). And the Oscar goes to…: A study of the simultaneous interpretation of humour at the Academy Awards Ceremony. LONDON : Continuum.
And the Oscar goes to…: A study of the simultaneous interpretation of humour at the Academy Awards Ceremony
ANTONINI, RACHELE
2010
Abstract
The translation and/or rendering of humour into another language is a particularly difficult task for any translators. When humour depends on cultural references and linguistic effect, conveying it into a different language is particularly difficult. In such cases, humour needs to be changed radically in order to trigger an equivalent effect - something which is very difficult, if not impossible, in simultaneous interpreting. In the case of the simultaneous interpreting of television programmes for a live audience, this task becomes even more challenging. The present paper aims at providing an analysis of the perception of interpreted humour during the live broadcast of the Academy Awards Ceremony in Italy. Interpreters normally do not have enough time at their disposal to find a satisfying alternative solution. For media interpreters, given the very nature of entertainment on TV, this task is made more complicated by the fast pace of on-screen dialogues and the stress of having to come up with a translation that will trigger the same humorous response in the target audience. For this reason, they need to follow the TV host, word by word, in order to ensure they do not miss the punch line or the start of the following joke, or to avoid mistiming their interpretation and making it coincide with a subsequent joke, causing confusion in the audience. Against this background, this paper will analyse the reactions of a sample of Italian TV viewers to the translated humour of the Academy Awards Ceremony, better known as "The Oscar Night."I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.