Spotting the Differences: Culture-bound terms and Swearing in the Subtitling of Trainspotting

Walmsley Ortiz, John
Hornero Corisco, Ana María (dir.)

Universidad de Zaragoza, FFYL, 2017
Filología Inglesa y Alemana department, Filología Inglesa area

Graduado en Estudios Ingleses

Abstract: This essay is an analysis of the Spanish subtitles in the DVD release of Trainspotting (1996).The purpose of this study is to show how Audiovisual Translation differs from “traditional” translation, but also to prove that both are equally valid types of translation. It deals specifically with two different issues: culture-bound terms and swearing. These two aspects of the film are the ones that are more complex to translate in the case of this film. In order to understand why these features are relevant to the translation process, we will be using Christiane Nord’s model of extratextual and intratextual factors. The two issues (culture-bound terms and swearwords) are divided into the categories defined by Hatim and Mason, in this case the semiotic and communicative dimensions of translation. Some of the rules and conventions of subtitling are also commented on: in the analysis we will see that the translator follows most of these rules, but he chooses to ignore others if it is justified.

Tipo de Trabajo Académico: Trabajo Fin de Grado