Film Dialogue Translation And The Intonation Unit : Towards Equivalent Effect In English And Chinese

This thesis proposes a new approach to film dialogue translation (FDT) with special reference to the translation process and quality of English-to-Chinese dubbing. In response to the persistent translation failures that led to widespread criticism of dubbed films and TV plays in China for their artificial \u27translation talk\u27, this study provides a pragmatic methodology derived from the integration of the theories and analytical systems of information flow in the tradition of the functionalist approach to speech and writing with the relevant theoretical and empirical findings from TS and other related branches of linguistics. It has developed and validated a translation model (FITNIATS) which makes the intonation unit (IU) the central unit of film dialogue translation. Arguing that any translation which treats dubbing as a simple script-to-script process, without transferring the prosodic properties of the spoken words into the commensurate functions of TL, is incomplete, the thesis demonstrates that, in order to reduce confusion and loss of meaning/rhythm, the SL dialogue should be rendered in the IUs with the stressed syllables well-timed in TL to keep the corresponding information foci in sync with the visual message. It shows that adhering to the sentence-to-sentence formula as the translation metastrategy with the information structure of the original film dialogue permuted can result in serious stylistic as well as communicative problems. Five key theoretical issues in TS are addressed in the context of FDT, viz., the relations between micro-structure and macro-structure translation perspectives, foreignizing vs. domesticating translation, the unit of translation, the levels of translation equivalence and the criteria for evaluating translation quality. lf equivalent effect is to be achieved in all relevant dimensions, it is argued that \u27FITness criteria\u27 need to be met in film translation assessment, and four such criteria arc proposed. This study demonstrates that prosody and word order, as sensitive indices of the information flow which occurs in film dialogue through the creation and perception of meaning, can provide a basis for minimizing cross-linguistic discrepancies and compensating for loss of the FIT functions, especially where conflicts arise between the syntactic and/or medium constraints and the adequate transfer of cultural-specific content and style. The implications of the model for subtitling arc also made explicit

DEVELOPING LISTENING COMPREHENSION SKILLS BY INTERPRETER TRAINEES THROUGH PROSODY TEACHING: DOES METHODOLOGY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

This study investigates the effect of explicit vs. implicit prosody teaching on developing listening comprehension skills by Farsi-English interpreter trainees. Three groups of student interpreters were formed. All were native speakers of Farsi who studied English translation and interpreting at the BA level at the University of Applied Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Participants were assigned to groups at random, but with equal division between genders (6 female and 6 male students in each group). No significant differences in English language skills (TOEFL scores) could be established between the groups. Participants took a pretest of listening comprehension skills before starting the program. The control group listened to authentic audio tracks and did exercises in listening comprehension skills. The first experimental group received implicit instruction of English prosody through the use of recasts. The second experimental group received explicit instruction of English prosody and did exercises based on the theoretical explanation which was provided by their Iranian instructor. The total instruction time was the same for all the groups, i.e. 10 hours. Students then took a posttest in listening comprehension skills. The results showed that explicit teaching of prosody had a significantly positive effect on developing listening comprehension skills. These results have pedagogical implications for interpreter training programs, EFL curriculum and all who are involved in language study and pedagogy

The Effect of Using Authentic Videos on English Major Students' Prosodic Competence

This study aims to investigate the effect of using authentic videos on the prosodic competence of foreign language learners. It is hypothesized worldwide that authentic videos have a positive effect on the EFL learners' supra segmental competence. The population of the study included 32 students majoring in English Language at Taibah University in KSA during the academic year 2011/2012. The sample consisted of two sections, a control group and an experimental one. A pretest was administered to both groups to ensure that they were homogeneous. The control group was taught supra segmental aspects of language using a traditional approach while the experimental group was taught authentic videos. About four months later, a posttest was administered. The results of the study showed that there was much progress in the experimental group which significantly outperformed the control group in the different aspects of prosody. These findings confirm the hypothesis which read videos can have a positive effect on the EFL learners' supra segmental competence.  Keywords :Supra segmental competence, authentic videos ,Saudi English major students as  EFL learners, Intonation, Pronunciation, Stress, Pause , Juncture , Rhyme ,  and Prosodic aspects of language

Prosody in Simultaneous Interpretation: a Case Study for the German- Italian Language Pair

Prosody in simultaneous interpretation (SI) is a recent research field receiving increasing attention but still insufficiently explored for certain language pairs. The present contribution discusses the prosodic features of interpreted texts as such and in relation to the source text (ST) for the German-Italian language pair. The target texts (TTs) of six professional interpreters were transcribed and analysed according to the following analysis criteria: speech rate, pauses (filled and unfilled and their position in the text) and syllable lengthening, intonation and prominence. The objective of the study was to analyse the prosody of professional interpreters through the perceptual method, assessing the features of prosody as observed in interpreting practitioners. Since the ST is an example of impromptu speech, the study also aimed at understanding the role played by spontaneous speech in the interpreting process. The results concerning interpreters’ speech rate and intonation confirmed consolidated theories in SI, whereas categories such as pauses, stress on words and the sub-category of syllable lengthening raised new points, showing that some specific behaviour is intentionally produced by interpreters to deal with difficult portions of text through the use of prosodic features

What makes business speakers sound charismatic? A contrastive acoustic-melodic analysis of Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg

Phonetic research on the prosodic sources of perceived charisma has taken a big step towards making a speaker’s tone-of-voice a tangible, quantifiable, and trainable matter. However, the tone-of-voice includes a complex bundle of acoustic features, and a lot of parameters have not even been looked at so far. Moreover, all previous studies focused on political or religious leaders and left aside the large field of managers and CEOs in the world of business. These are the two research gaps addressed in the present study. An acoustic analysis of about 1,350 prosodic phrases from keynotes given by a more charismatic CEO (Steve Jobs) and a less charismatic CEO (Mark Zuckerberg) suggests that the same tone-of-voice settings that make political or religious leaders sound more charismatic also work for business speakers. In addition, results point to further charisma-relevant acoustic parameters related to rhythm, emphasis, pausing, and voice quality - as well as to audience type as a significant context factor. The findings are discussed with respect to implications for future perception-oriented studies and perspectives for a computer-based measurement, assessment, and training of a charismatic tone of voice.La investigación sobre las características prosódicas de la percepción del carisma ha mostrado que el tono de voz de un orador es una característica tangible, cuantificable y entrenable. Sin embargo, el tono de voz incluye un conjunto complejo de rasgos acústicos y muchos parámetros no han sido estudiados hasta ahora. Además, los estudios previos se han centrado en el análisis del carisma de líderes políticos o religiosos y han dejado de lado el análisis de un gran número de mánagers y directores ejecutivos en el mundo de los negocios. En este estudio presentamos un análisis acústico de cerca de 1,350 frases prosódicas procedentes de discursos realizados por uno de los directores ejecutivos más carismáticos (Steve Jobs) y por uno menos carismático (Marc Zuckerberg). Los resultados sugieren que los ajustes del mismo tono de voz que hace que los líderes políticos y religiosos suenen más carismáticos también funcionen para oradores del mundo de los negocios. Además, los resultados muestran la relevancia de más parámetros acústicos, aparte del tono, para la percepción del carisma como son el ritmo, el énfasis, las pausas y la calidad de la voz - así como también el tipo de público como un factor significativo de contexto