make the care of his/her patients the first concern
treat patients politely and considerately
listen to patients
be honest and open
round character
contests viewers’ expectations
subverts modes of conduct/behaviour
provides a challenge
Educated doctor
Brilliant, eerily smart
Recluse
Arrogant, self-centred
Rude, uncouth
Childish
Needs others
Attractive and irresistible
House is like a car wreck – you can’t help but look. (Jacoby, 2009:17)
Source Text Target Text Back translation / comment
If you don't trust steroids, you shouldn't trust doctors.
Se não confia nos esteróides, não confia nos médicos.
ST – adviceTT – affirmation
I don't ask why patients lie. I just assume they all do.
Não pergunto porque mentem os doentes. Depreendo que mentem todos.
Register between “assume” and “depreendo”
Becoming a doctor doesn't make you a healer.
Ser-se médico não faz de nós curandeiros.
“healer” SL standard English = “doctor”“curandeiro” – TL “witch doctor”
Source Text Target Text Back translation / comment
As the philosopher Jagger once said "you can't always get what you want"
Mas como Jagger, o filósofo, "Nem sempre temos o que queremos"
Retention of the termSentence structure causes difficulty + direct translation of ECR
(…) for most of you, this job could be done by a monkey with a bottle of Motrin.
Para muitos de vocês, estar aqui um macaco ou eu é igual.
TL – omission as means of simplifying interpretation; not successful because “monkey” metaphor
... as long as there’s enough left over for a Reuben sandwich to go, no fries, hold the pickles.
...desde que sobre para uma sanduíche de Reuben em pão de centeio, sem pickles.
Retention of the term: culture bump; additional cognitive effort for viewer
Source Text Target Text Back translation / comment
H: Page Dr. Occam. He's gonna want to hear about this.
Chama o Dr Occam. Esta é boa.
Inference based on intertextuality with ST
I've got a cane and I know how to use it.
Tenho uma bengala e sei usá-la.
Inference based on intertextuality with ST
Partridge in a pear tree missed it too.
Ninguém viu. Inference based on intertextuality with ST
Source Text Target Text Back translation / comment
Foreman: I think your argument is specious.H: I think your tie is ugly.
O seu argumento é ilusório.A tua gravata é feia.
Transgresses Gricean maxim of cooperationContributing to his child-like traits
Wilson: That smugness of yours is really an attractive quality.H: Thank you, it was either that or get my hair highlighted. Smugness is easier to maintain.
Essa tua presunção é uma qualidade muito atraente.Obrigado, era isso ou fazer madeixas no cabelo. A presunção é mais fácil de manter.
Transgresses Gricean maxim of quantity, quality and relevance.Direct translation causes redundancy in TL
Source Text Target Text Back translation / comment
Patient: What's that? What are you doing?H: Painkillers.P: Oh, for you, for your leg.H: No, 'cause they're yummy. Do you want one?
P: O que é isso? O que está a fazer?H: Analgésicos.P: Para a sua pernaH: Não, porque sabem bem. Quer um?
(...)H: No, because they taste good. Do you want one?Translation does not capture nor replicate House’s use of language
This is Vicodin. It’s mine. You can’t have it.
Isto é Vicodin. É meu, não vos dou.
RetentionSL sentence structure confers child-like language usage;TL sentence structure is formal
Gee, I wish my idea was as cool and with it as yours, and what is yours, do you have one?
Gostava de ter uma ideia tão fixe como a tua. Já agora, tens alguma ideia?
Omission: Gee"fixe" (translation for both cool and with it)attempt to make register informal and cool but syntax is formal
Source Text Target Text Back translation / comment
C: I need to speak to you now.H: I think I have to go pee pee.
Preciso de falar consigo. H: Tenho de ir à casa de banho
Difference in relationship w/Cuddy "você" in PT Omission: pee pee
Girl in the boy’s bathroom. How dramatic.
Uma mulher na casa de banho dos homens. Que dramático.
Pragmatic meaning of ST completely disappears. Facial expression quite neutral which means PT audience will not notice the difference.
(to Cameron) Why are you here? Did you buy me a poney?
Porque estás aqui? Compraste-me um pónei?
In SL expression conveys the child’s anxiety on receiving birthday presents; TL expression completely out of context and could be substituted by equivalent expression “Compraste-me um presente?”
Omissions of:• Interjections• Child vocabulary
Changes in register (+ formal)
Changes in sentence structure
Results in changes of character’s personality• More adult• More formal• Loss of uniqueness
Possible explanations• Translators influenced by existing AVT norms• Lack of awareness towards multimodal approach
to translation
THANK YOU!
Isabel Fernandes Silva [email protected] Rodrigues Duarte [email protected] for Linguistic, Comparative and TEL StudiesUniversidade Autónoma de Lisboa, Portugal