DEFINING TRANSLATION ERRORS IN RENDERING SONGS IN AUDIOVISUAL TEXTS

Abstract

Assessment of the audiovisual translation quality is an important matter of modern language studies since the amount of video materials has become unprecedented these days, and the popularity and spread of unedited amateur and automated translations keep growing. The concept and defining criteria of a translation error have been developed by many linguists, but these criteria are hardly universally applicable, and their practical value frequently depends on the type of a text and the format of its presentation to the audience. This paper reviews various approaches to the concept of translation error in general and in audiovisual translation in particular. Special attention is paid to the controversial nature of audiovisual translation of songs when they are an integral element of the storyline. The analysis of translation errors in Russian and Spanish versions of the animated movie Moana was used to develop specific criteria of distinguishing translation errors, based on intertextuality, technical compliance, and language norm.