If we look at the existing publications addressing topics related to the audiovisual translation mode of subtitling and the rendering of humour into another language, we shall notice that there has been an undeniable growth within these branches of translation studies. Nonetheless, this statement does not apply to the specific field of translation of stand-up comedy humour by means of interlingual subtitles. The literature related to this research field reveals a significant gap especially when the focus is on how audiences respond to this type of translated audiovisual products, and when the source language and the target language are respectively British English and Italian.
The present PhD project was designed to fill the aforementioned research gap and, in order to attain this purpose, some sketches selected from three of Eddie Izzard’s stand-up comedy shows (Dress to Kill, Circle and Stripped, for which Italian subtitles are available in the official DVDs) were played to a sample of 103 Italians based in Italy so as to observe their reaction.
In order to study the specific research field outlined above, the project was made even more original and innovative by adopting a twofold methodology that combines the use of a survey questionnaire with the eye-tracking technology for the data collection.
The ultimate aims of this research project were to discover: 1) whether the import of audiovisual products involving British stand-up comedy humour with interlingual subtitles can be deemed as successful in a dubbing country like Italy; 2) the role played by factors such as age, level of English and habit of watching video material in English in the Italian participants’ degree of appreciation of this type of product, as well as in their attention distribution between subtitles and images; and 3) whether a triangulated methodological approach can help to obtain more reliable findings.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Premise
- The Experiment
- The Research Questions
- The Structure of the Dissertation
- Translation of Humour, Subtitling and Reception Studies
- Introduction
- Humour and Translation Studies
- Subtitling (of Humour)
- Reception Studies and Eye Tracking
- Conclusions
- Eddie Izzard, the Shows and the Clips
- Introduction
- Eddie Izzard's Humour: The Media Reception and His Own Perception
- A note on Italian humour
- The Shows and the Selected Clips
- Dress to Kill
- Circle
- Stripped
- A Comparative Analysis of English Audio Scripts and Italian Subtitles
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This PhD project aims to investigate the reception of British stand-up comedy humour with interlingual subtitles in Italy, specifically focusing on the work of Eddie Izzard. It employs a combined methodology of survey questionnaires and eye-tracking technology to analyze the reactions of Italian viewers.
- The success of importing audiovisual products involving British stand-up comedy humour with interlingual subtitles in a dubbing country like Italy
- The influence of factors like age, English proficiency, and habit of watching video material in English on the appreciation and attention distribution of Italian viewers
- The effectiveness of a triangulated methodological approach in achieving more reliable research findings
- The interplay between humour, translation, and cultural reception in the context of audiovisual products
- The role of subtitling in facilitating or hindering the understanding and appreciation of humour across languages
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introductory chapter sets the premise for the research, outlining the experiment, research questions, and structure of the dissertation. Chapter 2 provides a comprehensive overview of the relevant literature on humour translation, subtitling, reception studies, and eye-tracking technology. Chapter 3 introduces the work of Eddie Izzard, his comedic style, and the selected clips from his shows that form the basis of the study.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
British stand-up comedy, interlingual subtitles, reception studies, eye tracking, humour translation, audiovisual translation, cultural reception, Eddie Izzard, Italy, Italian audience, English proficiency, translation strategies.
- Citation du texte
- Teresa Filizzola (Auteur), 2016, Italians’ Perception and Reception of British Stand-Up Comedy Humour with Interlingual Subtitles, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1297098
