A necessity of multimodal translation has arisen in the last century with the upcoming occurrence of international series, films, advertisements that have to be translated from one target language to the source language.
Multimodality describes thereby the phenomenon of the interactive combination of audiovisual with verbal elements. That means that the translation has to include the non-verbal dimension to the verbal one because all these dimensions constitute (combined) the overall meaning that is conveyed through various inter-semiotic correlating channels.
The following paper deals therefore with the difficulties of multimodal translation in advertisements and conducts a comparative analysis based on the Brazilian and American-English advertisement for the product „Garnier Nutrisse Creme“ (a coloration for the hair)" to demonstrate that there occur a lot of differences in the translation because of cultural adaptation, the functions that these advertisements are fulfilling, and the aimed effect on the receptors.
Furthermore, the method of eye-tracking will be included to capture the movements to retrace the cognitive comprehension and translation process of the ad watcher and to support the hypotheses that were worked out in the analysis. The analysis include cultural, semantic, and pragmatic differences that are linked to focus shifts in the text. These shiftings appear in the written and the oral text. The method of eyetracking is used to emphasize the hypothesis that are made up in the previous analysis of the written and the oral text.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Multimodality in advertisements
3. Eye tracking and dubbing translation
4. Analysis and comparison of the advertisement of the product ‚Garnier Nutrisse‘
4.1 Cultural differences
4.2 Linguistic differences
4.2.1 Spoken Text
4.2.2 Written differences
5. Eye-tracking experiment
5.1 Eye-tracking experiment: analysis of formal differences
5.2 Eye-tracking Experiment
5.3 Eye-tracking Experiment: data collection
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Topics
The primary objective of this work is to examine the complexities of multimodal translation by comparing Brazilian and American-English television advertisements for the hair care product "Garnier Nutrisse". The study investigates how cultural, semantic, and pragmatic differences influence the reception and meaning of advertisements when translated for different target audiences, using eye-tracking technology to map cognitive processing.
- Multimodal translation strategies in audiovisual media.
- Comparative analysis of verbal and non-verbal elements in advertisements.
- Impact of cultural adaptation on consumer perception.
- Application of eye-tracking to measure cognitive effort and attention shifts.
- Syntactic and semantic shifts between source and target language versions.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Cultural differences
At the first look the settings, the content and the product presentation of both advertisements are very different. The woman who's representing the product in Brazil is a local celebrity. This marketing strategy is used to bring the ad closer to the receptors of the target culture. Another difference is the setting where the advertisement is taking place. First the celebrity is at home with the product (in the Brazilian ad) then she goes to a party where she glows and slays because of her new hair coloration. A typical stereotype of the Brazilian culture is that the people like to party and to go out with friends. Hence the focus of the two spots lies on different aspects what is also underlined by the used language (oral and written). The focus of the Brazilian spot is to look good at public places while the other one could be interpreted as self-care and looking good for oneself.
The american-english advertisement shows the actress at home. The TV-spot shows various stages of the everyday life of the protagonist (this effect emerges from the fact that the protagonist is wearing different outfits) to demonstrate that the color stays and remains the same for a long period. Another difference is that the american-english advertisement includes just one actress while the Brazilian spot shows a lot of people at the end (with another co-protagonist that strikes out).
However a common feature/similarity is the length of the spot that lasts 33 seconds.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the relevance of audiovisual translation in a globalized communication context and highlights the necessity of analyzing inter-semiotic constructs.
2. Multimodality in advertisements: Discusses the interaction between verbal and non-verbal signs and how they collectively build meaning within diverse cultural contexts.
3. Eye tracking and dubbing translation: Explains how the methodology of eye-tracking serves as an analytical tool to trace cognitive processing and attention shifts during audiovisual consumption.
4. Analysis and comparison of the advertisement of the product ‚Garnier Nutrisse‘: Conducts a detailed comparative evaluation of the Brazilian and American-English commercial versions, focusing on cultural and linguistic nuances.
5. Eye-tracking experiment: Outlines the experimental design involving bilingual participants and discusses the analysis of formal, semantic, and cognitive findings obtained via eye-tracking data.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes how translation and attention shifts affect the reception and interpretation of advertising messages in different countries.
Keywords
Multimodal translation, Audiovisual translation, Eye-tracking, Garnier Nutrisse, Inter-semiotic analysis, Cultural adaptation, Cognitive processing, Semantic differences, Pragmatic analysis, Advertising, Media communication, Translation studies, Verbal elements, Non-verbal communication, Reception analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
This paper explores the challenges and mechanisms of multimodal translation in TV commercials, specifically examining how a single product advertisement is adapted for different cultural and linguistic markets.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The work covers audiovisual translation, cultural stereotyping in marketing, the interplay between verbal and non-verbal semiotic signs, and cognitive reception processes.
What is the core research question of this study?
The research asks how cultural and linguistic adaptations in multimodal advertising influence the viewer's interpretation and whether eye-tracking can demonstrate these shifts in cognitive attention.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author uses a comparative linguistic analysis supplemented by an eye-tracking experimental design to monitor fixations and gaze patterns as indicators of cognitive processing.
What specific aspects are covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section details the semiotic composition of ads, analyzes the translations of the 'Garnier Nutrisse' campaign, and discusses the use of eye-tracking to validate hypotheses regarding cultural and focus shifts.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Multimodal translation, Audiovisual translation, Eye-tracking, Cultural adaptation, and Inter-semiotic analysis.
How do the Brazilian and American-English versions of the commercial differ in terms of cultural appeal?
The Brazilian version emphasizes social status and public appearance (party setting), while the American version focuses on self-care, daily utility, and product effectiveness.
What role does the eye-tracking experiment play in the final conclusion?
The experiment provides empirical evidence that differences in advertisement structure and content lead to observable shifts in viewer attention, confirming that translations are not merely linguistic but cultural re-codings.
- Citar trabajo
- Anonym (Autor), 2018, Eye movement behavior across four different types of reading task by Arnt Lykke Jakobson and Kristian T.H. Jensen, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1365103
