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Access Type
Campus Access
Document Type
thesis
Degree Program
Japanese
Degree Type
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Year Degree Awarded
2013
Month Degree Awarded
May
Keywords
manga, translation, norms, comics, Japanese, onomatopoeia
Abstract
This paper addresses the issues inherent in comics translation, with specific regard to the translation of Japanese manga into English. In North America, the norms of manga translation have undergone several radical shifts in the past few decades, with strong preference being shown alternately for domesticating and foreignizing translations. Such paradigm shifts suggest differences between readerships, which have a strong influence on translators’ and publishers’ decisions. This understanding of the current translation situation then provides the backdrop for a novel method of translation that is centered around an initial textual analysis, which is itself rooted in a form-focused understanding of the comics medium. This understanding of the medium also sheds light on some of the translation issues specific to the Japanese context, particularly those of flopping and treatment of onomatopoeia. At all points in the translation process, the translator must keep in mind that comics is a medium that utilizes multiple overlapping, intertwining sign-systems, which can only be translated effectively when considered in relation to one another. The paper concludes with two short manga translations, which represent the culmination of these ideas.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/4036145
First Advisor
Amanda C Seaman
Second Advisor
Bruce P. Baird
Dancing on Colored Snow
klundy_mr-okumuras-eggplant.pdf (175856 kB)
Mr. Okumura's Eggplant