Direct and Indirect Non-binary Language in English to Spanish Translation
Presenter Title/Affiliation
Universidade de Vigo
Start Date
21-5-2021 2:00 PM
Event Name
Panel discussion
Panel Number
4
Panel Chair Name
Kris Knisely
Zoom URL to Join
https://ciis.zoom.us/j/91432731066
Zoom Meeting ID
914 3273 1066
Abstract
As non-binary and trans people and communities become more visible in the media, we begin to see more examples of translations of those identities. However, translating gender can bring its own set of problems, particularly when the target language is very clearly binary. In the clash between human gender and grammatical gender, and between norm and transgression, the translator often must take some risks. When translating a non-binary character, the choice is not simply to misgender or to translate correctly as there are two alternatives to misgendering: visibilizing the person’s gender or hiding it entirely.
The speaker will give an overview of several Netflix original series and the ways in which the trans or non-binary characters were translated from English into Spanish. They will look at four different Spanish translations for each series (subtitles and dubbing, both for Latin America and for Spain) to determine what queer meaning was lost or maintained in each translation and what translation techniques could be used to deliver a product that is simultaneously attractive to Netflix’s subscribers and faithful to the original, queer message.
Presenter Contact
artemis@queerterpreter.com
Direct and Indirect Non-binary Language in English to Spanish Translation
As non-binary and trans people and communities become more visible in the media, we begin to see more examples of translations of those identities. However, translating gender can bring its own set of problems, particularly when the target language is very clearly binary. In the clash between human gender and grammatical gender, and between norm and transgression, the translator often must take some risks. When translating a non-binary character, the choice is not simply to misgender or to translate correctly as there are two alternatives to misgendering: visibilizing the person’s gender or hiding it entirely.
The speaker will give an overview of several Netflix original series and the ways in which the trans or non-binary characters were translated from English into Spanish. They will look at four different Spanish translations for each series (subtitles and dubbing, both for Latin America and for Spain) to determine what queer meaning was lost or maintained in each translation and what translation techniques could be used to deliver a product that is simultaneously attractive to Netflix’s subscribers and faithful to the original, queer message.
https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/lavlang/2021/friday/8
