The "visible" translator : challenges and limitations in musical translation
This thesis project puts forward a case study in translating an English-language Singapore musical, Forbidden City. It points out a gap in Singapore’s arts scene, where local stage productions – including musicals – are generally not translated, and aims to fill that gap by producing a performabl...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Theses and Dissertations |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2017
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10356/72407 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | This thesis project puts forward a case study in translating an English-language
Singapore musical, Forbidden City. It points out a gap in Singapore’s arts scene, where local
stage productions – including musicals – are generally not translated, and aims to fill that gap
by producing a performable Chinese-language version of Forbidden City. In particular, the
project highlights the factors and requirements necessary for the translation of songs, in the
context of Peter Low’s Pentathlon Principle, as well as the strategies and considerations
involved in the translation of a musical. Through the discussion, it demonstrates the challenges
and limitations in the translation of musicals, and how it is not always possible for the translator
to remain “invisible”. It then explores the potential applications of musical translations,
including surtitles and audio description of musicals and stage performances for the blind and
visually impaired. This thesis concludes with an assessment of the author’s translation of
Forbidden City, noting that while it is functional in its current form, it is still a work in progress
and needs refining before it is truly performance-ready. |
|---|