Verbal irony

Verbal irony is a source of humour in Seinfeld, especially between the characters in the show. This type of irony is used to show the character’s anger, disappointment, or misfortune. This can be seen in one of the scenes in which George calls Elaine professor after she took the IQ test and scored 85, which is a low mark. George’s utterance reflects his disappointment over Elaine’s poor

performance in the test. This contradiction or discrepancy between what George says and what he means generates humour in the scene.

Example 31, The Cafe

ST TT

George: Oh, hello professor.
 Elaine: George, I cannot believe...

George: Please...


Elaine: No there has got be a mistake.


!ةﺓذﺫﺎﺘﺳﻷاﺍﺎﮭﻬﯾﻳأﺃ ًﻼھﮪﮬﻫأﺃ

Back translation:

Hello Professor!

Script Opposition (SO) Expected vs unexpected; Literal meaning vs intended

meaning

Logical Mechanism (LM) Highlighting the literal falsity of the utterance

Situation (SI) Context

Target (TA) Elaine

Narrative Strategy (NS) Picture/Dialogue/Sound

At the LA level, the irony in the previous example was successfully transferred through the use of the strategy of official equivalent; professor was translated into Arabic as “ةﺓذﺫﺎﺘﺳُﻷاﺍ”. Moreover, to convey the sense of irony in George’s utterance, the translator used the exclamation mark “!”. This procedure indicates that s/he was aware of the irony in the scene and tried to make the utterance humorous in Arabic. As a result, the ST utterance and the TT subtitle share the same KRs, except for language parameter.

Translation strategy Official equivalent/Using a punctuation mark (!)

Factors affecting the subtitler’s decision

- The source text contains irony. - To achieve humorous effects.

Verbal irony in Seinfeld, as in example 31, is deliberately utilised to provoke laughter. This is because this type of irony is easy to understand; and therefore can be appreciated by the intended audience. Consequently, the translation of verbal irony does not require applying interventional strategies since the strategy of official equivalent can serve the purpose. Let us consider example 32, in which Monica, who is going out with George, wants George to take the IQ test as a part of her Master’s project. George does not want to take the test because he thinks he is not smart. As a result of his lack of confidence, he decides to convince Elaine to take the test without telling Monica. George pretends that he is taking the test in Monica’s house and manages

to hand the test out of the window to Elaine so that she can complete it in a Pakistani restaurant where the waiter drops the food on the papers, leaving some stains on them. When George hands in the test to Monica, she asks him about the stained papers, and he tells her that he went to the café through the window:

Example 32, The Cafe

ST TT

Monica: You climbed out the window?


George: Of course.


Monica: Why didn't you go out the door?


George: The door? Why would I go out the door? The window is right here.

Monica: You are a fascinating man, George Costanza.

ﺶھﮪﮬﻫﺪﻣﻞﺟرﺭﺖﻧأﺃ

"اﺍﺰﻧﺎﺘﺳﻮﻛجﺝرﺭﻮﺟ" ﺎﯾﻳ

Back translation

You are an amazing man, George Costanza.

Script Opposition (SO) Stupid vs smart; Normal vs abnormal; Literal meaning vs

intended meaning

Logical Mechanism (LM) Highlighting the literal falsity of the utterance

Situation (SI) Context

Target (TA) George

Narrative Strategy (NS) Picture/Dialogue/Sound

In example 32, Monica’s utterance: You are a fascinating man, George Costanza is the source of humour. Monica is confused because of George’s unexpected and weird behaviour. In fact, her line, in addition to her facial expression, suggests that she is ironically describing George as a fascinating man, meaning the opposite. At the LA level, the subtitler rendered Monica’s utterance into Arabic as “اﺍﺰﻧﺎﺘﺳﻮﻛ جﺝرﺭﻮﺟ ﺎﯾﻳ ﺶھﮪﮬﻫﺪﻣ ﻞﺟرﺭ ﺖﻧأﺃ” (You are an amazing man, George Costanza), using the strategy of official equivalent. The Arabic translation and Monica’s facial expression worked sufficiently in terms of making the irony in the scene more comprehensible. Accordingly, the ST and TT are believed to have the same KRs (except Language) and the same humour force. Translation strategy Official equivalent Factors affecting the subtitler’s decision

- To achieve irony in the TT.

In some cases, verbal irony is used to emphasise the qualities of characters in the show. This is evident in different scenes in which George and Kramer are ironically addressed by other characters. This is because they normally act in the wrong way without paying attention to the consequences of their conduct. In Example 33, Lloyd Braun spent a few months in an institution as a result of a nervous breakdown. Kramer tells Jerry and George that Lloyd is doing a lot better because he (Kramer) has taken him under his wing. Jerry responds in a very ironic way, saying that he is not worried about Lloyd as long as Kramer guides him.

Example 33, The Gum

ST TT

Kramer: Well, he did. You know, after that, he had a nervous breakdown? Had to spend a few months in an institution.

George: Really?


Kramer: Yeah, but he's doing a lot better now. I've taken him under my wing.

Jerry: Oh, then I'm not worried.
 ﻚﻟذﺫﺪﻌﺑ،٬ﻞﻌﻔﻟﺎﺑ ﻲﺒﺼﻋرﺭﺎﯿﻴﮭﻬﻧﺎﺑﺐﯿﻴﺻأﺃ ﺔﺤﺼﻤﻟاﺍﻲﻓﺮﮭﻬﺷأﺃﺔﻌﻀﺑﻲﻀﻘﯾﻳنﻥأﺃﮫﻪﯿﻴﻠﻋنﻥﺎﻛ ًﺎﻘﺣ ﺮﯿﻴﺜﻜﺑﻞﻀﻓأﺃنﻥﻵاﺍﮫﻪﻨﻜﻟوﻭ،٬ﻢﻌﻧ ﻲﺣﺎﻨﺟﺖﺤﺗﮫﻪﺗﺬﺧأﺃﺪﻘﻟ ًﺎﻘﻠﻗﺖﺴﻟﺎﻧأﺃنﻥﻵاﺍ،٬هﻩوﻭأﺃ Back translation

Oh, now I’m not worried.

In the previous example, Jerry’s response to Kramer’s statement constitutes humour in the scene because Jerry uses irony to indirectly refer to Kramer as an unreliable person who cannot take people under his wing and guide them. In other words, Jerry’s utterance means the opposite; he is worried about Lloyd being guided by an ignorant character like Kramer.

Script Opposition (SO) Reliable vs unreliable; Literal meaning vs intended meaning

Logical Mechanism (LM) Highlighting the literal falsity of the utterance

Situation (SI) Context

Target (TA) Kramer

Narrative Strategy (NS) Picture/Dialogue/Sound

To convey the sense of irony in the scene, the translator, at the LA level, utilised the strategy of paraphrase, in which Jerry’s line Oh, then I’m not worried was rendered into Arabic as “ ًﺎﻘﻠﻗ ﺖﺴﻟ ﺎﻧأﺃ نﻥﻵاﺍ ،٬هﻩوﻭأﺃ” (Oh, now I’m not worried). In fact, the word then was rendered as “نﻥ ْﻵاﺍ” (now), which is not the official equivalent (the official equivalent of then is “ًاﺍذﺫإﺇ”). This suggests that the subtitler was aware of the verbal irony in the scene and made a notable effort to choose the Arabic expression that best served the purpose. In fact, the translation of irony in the scene

was determined by the need to preserve the ironic sense, which is the main skopos of the TT. In GTVH-terms, the ST and the TT share the same KRs, with the exception of Language.

Translation strategy Paraphrase

Factors affecting the subtitler’s decision

- To achieve ironic sense.

- Utilising official equivalent would kill humour in the scene.

When looking at the collected data, it was obvious that there were a considerable number of instances in which phrases that expressed verbal irony were used. These expressions include words like great! (!ﻢﯿﻴﻈﻋ), This is great! (!ﻢﯿﻴﻈﻋاﺍﺬھﮪﮬﻫ), and That’s nice! (!ﻒﯿﻴﻄﻟاﺍﺬھﮪﮬﻫ). Such expressions were maintained successfully in the Arabic subtitles, meaning that their ironic references became clear and can be understood easily by the Arab-speaking audience.

In addition to the short expressions mentioned above, the data revealed some instances in which the whole line uttered by a particular character in the show is full of verbal irony, which expresses the character’s disappointment over certain situations. This is evident in example 37, in which Elaine is trapped in a stopped train and she looks desperate and furious and her inside voice is describing the situation in an ironic way:

Example 37, The Subway

ST TT

Elaine's voice: Oh, this is great. This is what I need, just what I need.

ﻊﺋاﺍرﺭاﺍﺬھﮪﮬﻫ

.ﻲﻨﺼﻘﻨﯾﻳﺎﻣاﺍﺬھﮪﮬﻫ

Back translation

This is great. This is what I need.

Script Opposition (SO) Usual vs Unusual; Literal meaning vs intended meaning

Logical Mechanism (LM) Highlighting the literal falsity of the utterance

Situation (SI) Context

Target (TA) The situation

Narrative Strategy (NS) Picture/Dialogue/Sound /Inner voice

In example 37, at the LA level, the sense of irony was transferred through the use of the strategy of official equivalent, posing no problems for the subtitler since Elaine’s line is simple and does not include any element that require further explanation. What is notable in the translation of the example is the utilisation of the strategy of omission in which Elaine’s last utterance: just what I need was omitted to avoid repetition in Arabic. However, despite the

deletion of the utterance, the meaning and the ironic force are reserved in the TL, suggesting that the ST and TT share the same KRs, except for the language parameter.

Translation strategy Official equivalent/ Omission

Factors affecting the subtitler’s decision

- To achieve ironic effect in the TL.

- To avoid creating repetition of the utterance in Arabic.

The notion to achieve ironic sense in the TL could be the main motive behind the subtitler’s interventional strategies. This notion is apparent in many instances of irony that required a sort of explicitation. Let us take example 38 in which the Arabic subtitler put notable effort into reformulating and recreating irony in the TT. George smashed Jerry’s car, and it cost him 2000 dollars. After the accident, the two sat in the café and had their drinks. When Jerry asks for the bill, George wants to pay it to compensate Jerry for the cost, something that seems to Jerry unreasonable and provoking.

Example 38, The Alternate Side

ST TT

The waitress brings the check.

Jerry: Let me get that.

George: No no no, I got it.

Jerry: Please.

George: No come on, let me, let me. I smashed your car, it cost you over two thousand dollars.

Jerry: Yeah, a cup of coffee should cover it. ﻊﻓدﺩأﺃﻲﻨﻋدﺩ .ﻊﻓدﺩﺄﺳﺎﻧأﺃ .ﻻ كﻙﻮﺟرﺭأﺃ ﻚﺗرﺭﺎﯿﻴﺳﺖﻤﻄﺣﺪﻘﻟ،٬ﻲﻨﻋدﺩ .رﺭﻻوﻭدﺩﻲﻔﻟأﺃﻦﻣﺮﺜﻛأﺃﻚﺘﻔﻠﻛﺪﻗوﻭ ﻖﺣﻚﻌﻣﻢﻌﻧ ةﺓﻮﮭﻬﻘﻟاﺍبﺏﻮﻛﻦﻤﺛﺪﯿﻴﻛﺄﺘﻟﺎﺒﻓ .ﺔﻔﻠﻜﺘﻟاﺍﺪﺴﯾﻳ Back translation

Yes, you are right.

Of course, the price of a cup of coffee covers the cost.

Script Opposition (SO) Usual vs unusual; Literal meaning vs intended meaning

Logical Mechanism (LM) Highlighting the literal falsity of the utterance

Situation (SI) Context

Target (TA) George

Narrative Strategy (NS) Picture/Dialogue/Sound

In the previous example, Jerry’s ironic response is the source of humour in the scene. Jerry’s utterance suggests indirectly that a cup of coffee cannot compensate for his loss. To convey this sense of irony in the TT, the subtitler used two main interventional strategies, namely paraphrase and addition. In terms of addition, certain words were added to guide the TT audience and make the TT as ironic as the ST. Accordingly, at the LA level, Yeah, which is usually omitted

from ST utterances since it is one of the words that are not important to the understanding of the ST, is translated into Arabic as “ﻖﺣﻚﻌﻣﻢﻌﻧ” (Yes, you are right). Furthermore, “_{ﺪﯿﻴﻛﺄﺘﻟﺎِﺑ}” (of course, surely) was added to make Jerry’s utterance humorous and to create a sort of exaggeration in Arabic. As for the strategy of paraphrase, the subtitler succeeded in merging the added words with the actual utterance of the character in a way that served the purpose.

Therefore, the ironic sense of the ST along with intended meaning of Jerry’s utterance are retained in the Arabic subtitle. This retention suggests that the ST and its translation share the same KRs (except Language); and accordingly, they are believed to have the same ironic force.

Translation strategy Addition/ Paraphrase

Factors affecting the subtitler’s decision

- To achieve ironic effect.

- To guide TT audience to the irony in the scene.