This paper deals with the errors in translating TV-Comedy, which lead to humorous effects being lost. A case study of the series "How I met your mother" exemplifies such losses.
I picked "How I Met Your Mother" due to its incredible amount of funny aspects and the great diversity thereof, which opens up the content of the show to a wide range of viewers.
In this paper, humor shall be looked at from the angle of translation. In order to demonstrate that certain humorous elements are being changed while translating, I observed the comedy series "How I Met Your Mother" in English as well as in German. With the help of former scholarly works, I tried to establish a pattern of categories for the very complex aspect of humor and will try to connect these categories to the variables they are depending on.
Since this paper deals with the translation of humor I researched the interrelation of both, which is not fully elaborated yet and bares lots of difficulties. By looking at the differences between the original and the translated versions of "How I Met Your Mother", I will try to demonstrate the above mentioned difficulties of translating humor and show how these
problems affect the perception of the TV show in the target language when it comes to funniness.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Aspects of humor
2. Aspects of translation
3. Problems of translation
3.1 Problems of translating humor
3.1.1 Linguistic problems of translating humor
3.1.1.1 Ambiguity
3.1.1.2 More semantic aspects
3.1.1.3 Rhetorical devices
3.1.1.4 A pragmatic occurences
3.1.1.5 A phonological occurence
Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the linguistic and cultural challenges involved in translating humor from English to German, specifically analyzing the TV comedy series "How I Met Your Mother". The primary research goal is to identify how humorous elements—such as puns, wordplay, and idiomatic expressions—are altered during the translation process and how these changes impact the target audience's perception of comedic effect.
- Analysis of linguistic strategies in translating verbal humor.
- Investigation of semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic challenges in subtitle and dubbing translation.
- Evaluation of the loss of comedic intent through literal translation versus adaptation.
- Study of cultural barriers and the impact of vulgarity in target language adaptations.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.1.1 Ambiguity
There are two forms of ambiguity. The first one is concerned with lexicology, whereas one word inherits multiple meanings, therefore lexical ambiguity can be related to the field of semantics. The second one, structural ambiguity, means the differentiating sense one sentence can inherit, thus belonging to the syntactical field (Yule 102, 118).
Lexical ambiguity is difficult to translate, since the translated term would need to be of ambigous character as well. The following scene taken from the episode “Aldrin Justice” (Season 2, Episode 6) demonstrates the problem on several levels. The episode revolves around Ted's job and his mean boss at this point. Lily acquires a job at his firm as well. The current building of the firm looks like male genitalia and was designed by Ted's boss. After observing the building in the office, Ted and Lily meet at McLaren's, the bar in which the group meets every day.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the scope of the paper, focusing on the universal yet subjective nature of humor and the specific difficulties of translating comedy series like "How I Met Your Mother".
1. Aspects of humor: Explores the definition of humor from psychological and linguistic perspectives, noting its reliance on individual interpretation and cultural context.
2. Aspects of translation: Discusses the inherent loss of comedic nuance in translation and the challenge of mediating between different linguistic code systems.
3. Problems of translation: Investigates specific linguistic hurdles, including the lack of exact equivalents and the impact of cultural identity markers on translation.
3.1 Problems of translating humor: Analyzes the complications of translating humorous discourse, emphasizing that humor often relies on exploiting specific linguistic options that are not easily transferable.
3.1.1 Linguistic problems of translating humor: Focuses on the core issue that source and target languages rarely share identical linguistic options required to replicate a joke.
3.1.1.1 Ambiguity: Examines lexical and structural ambiguity through case studies of puns and wordplay in the series.
3.1.1.2 More semantic aspects: Addresses idiomatic expressions, neologisms, and catch-phrases, demonstrating how literal translation often fails to preserve comedic impact.
3.1.1.3 Rhetorical devices: Analyzes the translation of complex forms like poetry, where form is an integral part of the intended meaning.
3.1.1.4 A pragmatic occurences: Looks at how pragmatic rules influence whether a joke is perceived as appropriate or funny by the target culture.
3.1.1.5 A phonological occurence: Discusses co-articulation effects and how phonological wordplay poses extreme challenges for translators.
Conclusion: Summarizes that while humor can be translated, significant loss is inevitable, confirming hypotheses about the tendency for translations to be more literal or simplified.
Keywords
Humor, Translation Studies, How I Met Your Mother, Linguistic Ambiguity, Semantic Aspects, Wordplay, Pragmatics, Cultural Barriers, Idioms, Subtitling, Comedy Translation, Equivalence, Rhetorical Devices, Neologisms, Socio-linguistics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The paper focuses on the translation of humor in TV sitcoms, specifically exploring the difficulties of maintaining comedic impact when transitioning from English to German.
What are the primary thematic areas?
The study covers linguistic problems, cultural adaptation, pragmatic rules, and the specific challenges of translating wordplay, puns, and idiomatic expressions.
What is the central research question?
The work seeks to determine how humorous elements are changed during translation and how these alterations affect the viewer's perception of the show's funniness.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author uses a comparative analysis method, evaluating original English scenes from "How I Met Your Mother" against their German dubbed counterparts to identify translation strategies and failures.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body examines lexical ambiguity, semantic challenges like neologisms, the translation of poetic structures, and the impact of pragmatic and phonological factors on humor.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include humor, translation studies, linguistic ambiguity, pragmatics, wordplay, and cultural adaptation.
How does the author view the translation of the "Winne-Bango" list?
The author considers it a successful case of metalinguistic humor where the translators creatively adapted terms to relate to the new context of sexual connotation.
What does the author conclude about the "suit up" catchphrase?
The author notes that the translation failed to preserve the "you" emphasis, which is essential to the character of Barney and his specific obsession with suits.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Sarah Steppke (Autor:in), 2014, Translating TV-comedy. How humorous elements seem to have changed in the German version of "How I Met Your Mother", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/340219
