2022 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Creativity in Film Subtitling: The Creative Translation Approach of Japanese Subtitlers
| Project/Area Number |
21K19955
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| Research Institution | Tsukuba Gakuin University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-08-30 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | Film subtitles / Subtitle translation / Translation norms |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
After this study has looked into the history of the translation of subtitles of foreign movies in Japan from the 1930s until the 2000s and clarifying the translation norms that were established during this time, more recent changes in the subtitling process in Japan were analyzed in the second year of this study. These changes were clarified through comparing the translation of swear words and the use or non-use of female language in the past and today. For this, especially translations made by Natsuko Toda, who represented the common style of Japanese subtitle translation for more than three decades, was compared to subtitle translations of movies made in the 2010s and 2020s. While most detected changes regarding swear words were of a subtle nature, a more pronounced change has been detected in the recent use, or non-use, of female language, especially in films with strong female characters. Furthermore, with more films exploring topics related to LGBTQ, the use of female language in Japanese subtitles has transcended its original function as marker for female speech. Furthermore, the analysis of changes in the subtitling process related to the development of new technologies showed a departure from a male-dominated world of film subtitling to a diversification of translators and more possibilities to enter the subtitling industry.
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