In this session, JA>EN audiovisual (AV) translator Katrina Leonoudakis described how translation theory provides a problem-solving toolbox that she relies on in her work localizing Japanese video games and animated TV shows. Translation theory, she argued, can help translators in our daily work by keeping us aware of the processes we use and by helping us to reverse engineer problems when we get stuck on a thorny translation challenge. These challenges are particularly acute in the AV domain, which imposes strict constraints in terms of timing, length, and placement of text.
The three main translation theory approaches she cited were Equivalence (which encourages reformulating the text to convey an equivalent experience), Functionalism (which encourages a focus on the function rather than the form of the text), and Polysystem Theory (which takes into account the many layers of culture that influence a piece of content and the expectations of its audience).
“Don’t let the linguistic structure of the source text hold you hostage,” she exhorted, citing the example of reformulating “Come with me if you don’t want to die” to the much snappier “Come with me if you want to live.”
One of the game examples she cited was her translation of the name of the skill 保有魔力上昇（小）. A literal translation would be something like “Increased Magic Power Store (Small),” which would never fit into the tiny box allocated to it on the screen. Analyzing the function of the string, Leonoudakis came up with “Increased MP 1,” which not only fits into the box, but also communicates to the player what the skill does, signals that there are higher levels of this skill (beyond 1), and sounds like gaming terminology to the player.
As a technical and financial translator who is kept on a short leash by clients who prefer literal translations, I found myself envious of the remarkable creativity that Leonoudakis and her colleagues in the AV world are able to deploy in the face of the strict constraints imposed by the format. ■ (John Fry)
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