Manipulation of subtitles on social media : a case study of manner
The Internet is a fertile ground for new subtitling practices. Unbound by subtitling norms, amateur subtitlers on the Internet produce subtitles in their own manner and set new trends. Among which, the creative subtitling practice which constitutes subtitles that depart from the original dialogue...
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| Format: | Theses and Dissertations |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10356/78889 |
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| Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | The Internet is a fertile ground for new subtitling practices. Unbound by subtitling norms,
amateur subtitlers on the Internet produce subtitles in their own manner and set new trends.
Among which, the creative subtitling practice which constitutes subtitles that depart from the
original dialogues in meaning has caught the attention of academics in the audiovisual
translation field. These subtitles are intentionally mistranslated (or “manipulated” in the words
of Hermans (1985)) for different purposes. In this study, we call these subtitles “fake subtitles”.
On the Internet, Manner, a Macau-based production company that has an active presence on
various social media platforms, is a producer of fake subtitles. Videos produced by Manner
often contained English subtitles that did not deliver the message of the original Cantonese
dialogues. In this study, we investigate how this subtitling practice is practised on social media
using Manner as a case study. Data were collected from five videos produced by Manner for
analysis. It was found that Manner’s English subtitles contained features such as romanised
Cantonese, profanities, non-standard typography, etc. In terms of content, the English subtitles
were manipulated through addition and replacement of elements, as well as through the use of
hyperbole. It was found that ideology on three levels, namely the Internet environment, Manner,
and Manner’s translator, has influenced the way Manner’s subtitles were manipulated. In
addition, the manipulated English subtitles sometimes pose ethical concerns due to its sexist
content. Such a phenomenon highlighted the need for academics to re-evaluate the role and
function of subtitles, as well as the need to adapt existing translation theories to embrace new
audiovisual trends. |
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