Serhiy Hnatenko
Kamianets-Podilsky Ivan Ohienko National University
Сomputer Games: Basic concepts of audiovisual translation
Анотація
У роботі розглянуто широке розуміння терміну «аудіовізуальний переклад» та його основні типи, які застосовуються при локалізації комп’ютерних ігор.
Ключові слова: аудіовізуальний переклад, локалізація, комп’ютерна гра, озвучування, субтитри.
Over the past two decades, audiovisual translation has developed into an independent separate theory within the framework of the science of translation [1; 2]. However, in Ukrainian this problem has not been sufficiently developed, especially in terms of game content. The aim of this paper is to state the basic audiovisual concepts as related to game localization.
The term “audiovisual translation” itself has not been added to the most popular English dictionaries such as Oxford Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary or Muller Dictionary. At this time the definition can be found only in works of researchers and practicing translators. The most appropriate one is the following: “Audiovisual (multimedia, screen translation) translation is an interlanguage transmission of the content not only of artistic movies and video films (this term is hyperonymic to the term “movie / video translation”), but also computer programs, television programs and news, commercials and theater plays” [1]. This definition covers all and any kinds of computer games content as subject to audiovisual translation.
Researchers identify more than 10 types of audiovisual translation which can be both interlanguage and intralingual [1], and fit into 2 strategies: re-voicing and subtitling. In the discourse of this work we will focus on the role and the impact of appropriate translation of numerical values in subtitling. By re-voicing they mean voice-over (half-dubbing), narration, audio description, adaptation, or free commentary, simultaneous interpretation, dubbing.
All these types of video translation are appropriate and can be used in game content translation depending on the game localization strategy, handled text purpose and structure, target audience, and the budget for the game localization project.
References:
- Bernal-Merino M. A. Translation and Localisation in Video Games: Making Entertainment Software Global / M. A. Bernal-Merino. –
New York : Routledge, 2015. – 302 p. - Chandler H. M. The Game Localization Handbook / Heather Maxwell Chandler. Massachusetts: Charles River Media INC., 2005. – 376 p.