Factors (parameters) affecting the subtitler’s decisions

This section serves to present the findings of the study in relation to the factors that might govern the Arab subtitler’s decisions and choices. It also tries to answer the second part of the second research question 2(b):

2(b) What are the factors that might affect Arab subtitlers’ decisions and strategies?

The analysis of the data, as illustrated in fig. 5, revealed a considerable number of parameters which are believed to have an impact on the subtitler’s implementations of the subtitling strategies to translate humour in Seinfeld into Arabic. Some of these factors are related to the linguistic and cultural differences between English and Arabic languages and cultures, the subtitler’s attempts to achieve the humorous effects, the subtitler’s failure to spot humour in the ST, and the excessive use of neologisms and catchphrases. Others are linked to the constraints of subtitling, the visual elements of the ST, the TT viewers’ knowledge of the show, intersemiotic redundancy, intertextuality, priority of humour, and the need to guide the TT audience by spelling out the intended meaning of the ST elements.

The linguistic differences between English and Arabic might have a great influence on the subtitler’s choices, especially when dealing with wordplay, neologisms, and catchphrases. This lack of phonetic and semantic similarities between the ST and TT might force the Arab subtitler to translate, for example, wordplay literally into Arabic without any modifications, leading to a

complete loss of the wordplay in the TT. Similarly, in some examples that contained catchphrases, the subtitler had to deal with elements that have no preformed equivalents in Arabic. However, in some rare cases, the Arabic translations of wordplay were successful because of the existence of the wordplay in Arabic. This applies to the translation of some catchphrases because they could be replaced by some words that have close meanings in Arabic.

Fig 5. Parameters that might have affected the subtitler’s decisions to translate humour in Seinfeld

Another factor that, in most cases, might stifle the Arab subtitler’s task and affect his/her decisions was the use of ECRs in the ST and the degree of their transculturality. Some of these references were transcultural, i.e. they are known by the ST and TT audience, and therefore they did not pose serious challenges for the subtitler. In contrast, other ECRs were monocultural i.e. they are only known by the ST audience, and consequently might not be understood by the

Parameters

Media-specific constraints

Lack of phonetic and semantic similarity between SL and TL Achieving

humorous effects Priority of _humour Transculturality of ECR Neologisms Taboo words Existence of wordplay in TL Intersemiotic redundancy Centrality of ECR Simplicity and starightforwardness of humour Intertextuality

TL viewers' knowledge of the show and its characters

Avoiding repetition The need to guide the

TT viewers The need to make TT natural ST contains compounds Catchphrase has cultural connotation Ignoring visual elements

Arabic-speaking viewers, unless they were replaced or explained. Unfortunately, most of these references, as in the examples which contained satire, were transliterated and retained in Arabic.

Having said that, the media-specific constraints, i.e. the temporal and spatial restrictions, did not allow much freedom to explain the cultural references or catchphrases in the ST. Subtitling is governed by certain rules that ensure the relaxation and comfort of the viewers and that they are not bothered by a large amount of text (subtitles) which may prevent them from watching the action on the screen.

It is worth mentioning that, despite the restrictions of subtitling, the nature of subtitling, specifically the overlap between the images, sounds, and subtitles could make the subtitler’s task easier. This overlap between these elements may help the TT audience to understand the humour in the ST without the need to implement any interventional strategies.

The analysis of the data revealed that the TT viewers’ knowledge of Seinfeld, as shown in fig. 5, could affect the Arab subtitler’s implementation of the subtitling strategies. Humour travels from one episode to another, and therefore understanding the plotlines of the show can play a crucial role in the comprehension and appreciation of humour. If the viewers are not aware of the intertextual references in the show, they might not understand the humour even if the subtitler manages to render the ST adequately.

The findings of this study in relation to the parameters that might affect the subtitler’s task when dealing with the different types of humour will contribute to the overall knowledge of the factors that could play crucial role in determining the utilisation of subtitling strategies. Some of these findings on the linguistic and cultural aspects of humour are in line with previous studies (e.g., Delabastita 1996, 1997 & 2004, Vandael 1996, 2002, Attardo 2002, Chiaro 2004, 2005, 2006, Rossato & Chiaro 2010, and Zabalbeascoa 2005). Other findings of this study, especially on the role of the subtitler, tie in well with some previous studies, such as Asimakoulas (2004), Kostovčík (2009) and Veiga (2009).

However, in addition to the thorough analysis of the linguistic and cultural factors, and the role of the subtitler, this study presents some other parameters, which have received less attention in the literature on the subtitling of humour. These factors include intersemiotic redundancy, intertextuality, priority of humour, the TT audience’s knowledge of the sitcom, the use of neologisms and catchphrases, and the use of taboo. These parameters were discussed in great detail in this study, and their analysis will contribute to the understanding of the various difficulties involved in the subtitlers’ task when dealing with humour.