universidad veracruzana translation of shrek 2

UNIVERSIDAD VERACRUZANA
FACULTAD DE IDIOMAS
SOME CULTURAL REFERENCES IN AUDIOVISUAL
TRANSLATION OF SHREK 2
TESINA
QUE PARA OBTENER EL TÍTULO DE:
LICENCIADO EN LENGUA INGLESA
PRESENTAN:
ALEJANDRA POZOS RODRÍGUEZ
ARACELI SIMÓN GÓMEZ
ASESORES DE CONTENIDO Y LENGUA:
JOSÉ LUIS PÉREZ CHÁVEZ
ENRIQUE VEZ LÓPEZ
CO-COORDINADORA:
BARBARA SCHOLES
XALAPA ENRIQUEZ, VER.
SEPTIEMBRE 2012
AGRADECIMIENTOS
Agradezco a mi madre por creer en mí,
ya que siempre estuvo impulsándome en
los momentos más difíciles de mi carrera.
Mil palabras no bastarían para agradecerte
tu apoyo y comprensión.
A mí familia y a mis amigos, espero no
defraudarlos y contar siempre con su valioso,
sincero e incondicional apoyo.
A mis tutores, gracias por darme la oportunidad
y por el tiempo que han dedicado para leer este trabajo
Alejandra
Son muchas las personas a las que me gustaría
agradecer todo su apoyo y ánimo que me brindaron
durante esta importante etapa de mi vida.
Quiero agradecer a mis padres por ser el pilar
fundamental en todo lo que soy,
en mi educación y en la vida.
A mis hermanos que me han brindado su apoyo
incondicional y han sido un ejemplo.
A mis maestros por su gran apoyo, paciencia y
tiempo compartido para culminar este trabajo
e impulsar el desarrollo de nuestra
formación profesional.
A todos aquellos familiares y amigos que
me brindaron su apoyo absoluto.
Este trabajo ha sido posible agracias a ellos.
Araceli
INDEX
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 4
METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................... 6
1. AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION .......................................................................................................... 7
1.1TYPES OF DUBBING ....................................................................................................................... 8
1.2 ISSUES IN DUBBING .................................................................................................................... 10
1.3 CULTURAL REFERENCE ............................................................................................................. 11
1.4 TYPES OF JOKES ......................................................................................................................... 16
1.5 TRANSLATION STRATEGIES ..................................................................................................... 19
1.6 TECHNICAL CARD ........................................................................................................................ 22
ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................................... 24
CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................... 52
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................ 55
APPENDIX ............................................................................................................................................... 58
INTRODUCTION
Movies are a great means of communication. They let us know through text and
images about the culture of other countries. When films are in a language that is
different from our own language, they are translated in order to be broadcasted in
the language of the place where the film will be seen. In this process, translators
become mediators between two languages as well as two cultures. Culture here is
understood as:
…a system of competence shared in its broad design and deeper
principles, and varying between individuals in its specificities, is
then not all of what an individual knows and thinks and feels about
his/her world. It is his/her theory of what his/her fellows know,
believe, and mean, his or her theory of the code being followed,
the game being played, in the society into which he/she was born.
(Keesing cited by Gudykunst, 2003; 8)
This task is considered challenging for translators because they have to
achieve in viewers the same reaction as in the source language, but also make
films understandable at the same time while trying to keep the original meaning of
the message. As culture is implicit in the film dialogues, translators try to adapt
them or find equivalences for these discourses: this is particularly important in
comedy films where dialogues including jokes are sometimes difficult to translate
because jokes have cultural references from their source country. For translators,
cultural differences between source language and target language are more
complicated to translate than grammatical structures of language because the
translation must be acceptable in the receptive society.
4
In the cinema, the main purpose in comedy films is that the audience can
laugh at the jokes in the films and so enjoy the movies. When a movie has to be
translated into a different language, translators have to make the audience laugh at
the jokes too. This work becomes more difficult because the films have be adapted
and some elements have to be changed so that the “new audience” (target
audience) can laugh at the jokes. Hence,
The translator´s reluctance to go beyond the text and to replace an
untranslatable joke with another one which is completely different
from the original, but would be effective and communicative.
(Chiaro 1992 cited by Jorge Cintas n/d: 85)
Focusing on cultural references as elements of the source language
markers. This work has the following objectives: to identify and analyze some
cultural references in the movie Shrek 2, and to show how cultural references were
dealt with in the translation (dubbing), as well as what strategies were used by the
translator to convey the same sense of humor in the movie. It is important to
mention that this work is not an exhaustive study so we only focus on the most
significant and funny scenes. This topic caught our attention because we
considered that it would be interesting to find out how jokes from the source
language (SL) are translated while keeping in mind some cultural aspects in the
target language (TL). However, these aspects make the translation process
complicated when there is not an equivalent word or a solution in the target
language. We choose the movie Shrek 2 because it is for children, but at the same
time it has elements dedicated to adults since it is a combination of black and white
humor.
5
METHODOLOGY
We analyzed some cultural references in Shrek 2 (an animated 92-minutes-long
movie). We focused on jokes in order to clarify how to translate jokes. Also we will
analyze how cultural references can be adapted and which strategies can be used.
In order to analyze this, we will compare the original English Version with the Latin
Spanish Version.
First, we created a technical card about the movie which includes actors,
director, producer and duration of the movie. Then we watched the movie in
English and took notes about the scenes, we wrote cultural references cards,
especially regarding jokes. We wrote on a card the dialogue that shows a cultural
reference. After that, we watched the Shrek 2 movie in the Latin Spanish Version
and took notes about cultural references in the dialogues and write the time that
occurs too. We also wrote a comment about what the cultural reference is, based
on Larsen´s (1993) classification (see page 14), why it changed and what strategy
was used according to the strategies of Vinay and Darbelnet (Venuti 2000, see
page 18). We organized the jokes using the following card model:
Number Card :
Minute:
Cultural Referent:
Type of joke:
Context:
Source version dialogue
Latin Spanish dubbing dialogue
.
Comment:
6
1. AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION
Audiovisual translation (AVT) or screen translation was first used in the 1920‟s and
early 1930‟s when talking movies appeared. AVT has grown in recent years and is
considered an important area of translation in the twenty-first century (Blinn, 2008).
AVT refers to materials which are audible and visible for example films, TV
programs, videos, videogames, etc. Diaz Cintas (1998 cited by Reich, 2006; 8)
defines it as “the translation of products in which the verbal dimension is
supplemented by elements in another media.” Serban (2004) divides AVT into two
main groups: intralingual translation when the source language is the same as the
target language, and interlingual which is when television programs or films are
translated into a foreign language. She also makes a subdivision in interlingual
translation that includes subtitling, dubbing and voice-over where a voice different
from the original language is heard on top of the original soundtrack (Orero 2009).
Intralingual translation includes subtitling for the deaf, audiovisual description for
the blind, live subtitling and surtitling for opera and theatre, surtitling is similar to
subtitling:
…while subtitles are translated text displayed below the
image…surtitles are displayed above the stage, in live opera or
theatre performances.
(Burton 2009; 58)
Subtitling and dubbing are the two most common methods of translating
movies and are best known by the audiences in several countries. Countries such
as Germany, Italy, France and Spain prefer dubbing to subtitling because people
argue that they cannot read and appreciate the images in movies at the same time,
7
especially when the audience are children. However, the rest of the countries in
Europe prefer subtitling because it is considered that dubbing deprives the
audience of the opportunity to appreciate the voices and verbal acting of actors
(pen name, Rufus, 2011). In the case of animated movies the use of dubbing is
better so that children can understand and enjoy dubbed films. Dubbing also is
suitable for audiences whose reading skills are limited.
1.1 TYPES OF DUBBING
First of all, it is important to define what dubbing is. Dubbing is understood as the
process of replacing an audio track in a musical CD, movie or TV show. Luyken
(1991, cited by Orero 2004; 57) defines dubbing as
…the replacement of the original speech by a voice-track which is
a faithful translation of the original speech and which attempts to
reproduce the timing, phrasing and lip movements of the original.
Dubbing is basically the replacement of dialogues from the source language
(SL) to the target language (TL). It must be done in optimal conditions because it is
not just to codify linguistically, it also has to take into account professional dubbing
actors and economy, since dubbing is more expensive than subtitling (Orero 2004).
Dubbing has two categories (Dirt 2011): Non-Lip sync dubbing and Lip sync.
The first one is when an actor in the target language re-records the original voice,
but this voice is not synchronized to the lip movements of the person on the
screen. This kind of dubbing is often used in documentaries or interviews. The
second lip sync dubbing is when an actor in the target language re-recorders the
original voice and the translation is synchronized to the screen character‟s lip
8
movements. In this kind of dubbing viewers do not notice the differences between
the speech of the target language and the source language; it is commonly used
for television series, movies and animation. In Lip sync dubbing synchronization is
one important factor in the framework that takes into account the lip movements,
body movements, shots, etc. Agost (1999) points out that synchronization is when
the articulatory speech movements and the sounds are presented in a good way to
viewers. Chaves (cited by Orero 2004; 43) points out that:
…to achieve this, [the dialogue writer] substitutes the words that
do not coincide phonetically with the screen actors‟ lip
movements for others that do…The dialogue writer is also
responsible for synchronizing the pace of the dubbing actor, at
times through modifications to the text received from the
translator.
Synchronization is very important in order for films to have harmony on the
screen; actors´ lips move in synchronization with what they are saying and this
causes a good impression in viewers because viewers can appreciate the films
and trust that the translation is faithful. Viewers also pay more attention to the
content of the message or dialogue and they are not distracted by the actors´
lips movements. Synchronization is more commonly used in films because it
gives the story realism and viewers do not notice any mismatch between lips
movements and the words they hear.
9
1.2 ISSUES IN DUBBING
There are several issues in dubbing. Adapting a film from the source language to
the target language is not easy. The translator has to take into account some
aspects; for example the verbal elements and the structure of the image. These
are important because they have to synchronize and make sure there is coherence
between the dialogues and the images. AVT also presents intralinguistic and
extralinguistic problems; Agost (2001) points out that some problems are
metaphors, puns, humor translations, cultural elements, language register, accents
etc. Specifically in humor translations; the first issue are the visual elements, they
bring and communicate their own message. It is necessary that dialogues have the
same impact and that the viewers appreciate these images in the same way.
Another issue is how to translate colloquialisms and idiomatic expressions.
Sometimes there is no equivalence in the target language.
Martinez (2009) denotes that humor is an occurrence in a social context and
it characterizes the interaction of people in cultural situations. This means that
when translators translate humor movies they cannot translate everything
effectively from the source culture to the target culture. The source culture and
target culture can have similarities, but the relevance of these similarities may have
a different value for each culture. Some jokes are very rooted in the source
language and they are hard to translate because they have a cultural load so it is
difficult to achieve a faithful translation. This may be because the translator might
not explain a joke since it will destroy the fun in the movie. The translator has to
10
keep a sense of humor in the target language without losing the original meaning.
Bergson (1980, cited by Martínez, nd; 172) points out that:
…to understand laughter, we must put it back into its natural
environment, which is society, and above all we must determine
the utility of its function, which is a social one… laughter must
answer to certain requirements of life in common. It must have
social signification.
All of these problems in dubbing are the reasons why the translation may
not be completely faithful. It then becomes a combination between target language
aspects and source language aspects so that viewers can appreciate the movies.
1.3 CULTURAL REFERENCE
Translation of movies is understood as the final product of two cultures because in
the end it is a combination of aspects of both the source and target languages.
Mayoral (n/d) affirms that translators look for ways to adjust the source culture to
the target culture in order to create a good product (translation). In this process of
adjustment, culture plays a major role in creating the final product; Mayoral (n/d)
also states that the translation of humor also implicates culture. Culture is linked,
not only to word games, but also to stereotypes that may be unfamiliar or unknown
to target viewers. He also points out that different cultures have different senses of
humor and laugh at different situations. Kenuninck (2010) agrees with Mayoral
(n/d) and he points out that the translation of words is not enough; culture is implicit
in dialogues and every word in movies. The complexities of cultural references
influence translation and the process of the audience´s interpretation. According to
Ramiere (2007) understanding these kinds of issues in translation is important to
ensure the success of movies. If there is a good translation, movies will be
11
accepted by viewers. Translators must know not only how to interpret the "marks"
of two cultures in a correct way, they also need to know how to identify stereotypes
and assumptions that one society has of another.
As Hatim and Manson (1997) mention the term culture has a broad
definition and should not be defined too restrictively. It is fundamental to explain
what culture is in order to understand how it influences in dubbing. According to
Malinowsky (1922) culture is understood as: procedures, techniques ideas, habits
and values that one society has and creates. Language takes part in culture and it
is very important, language is a group of oral habits not just a system of tools. A
second meaning of culture is Ginter´s (2002; 27) definition:
Culture is to be understood not only in the narrower sense of
man‟s advanced intellectual development as reflected in the arts,
but also in the broader anthropological sense of all socially
conditioned aspects of human life, as a totality of knowledge,
proficiency and perception. Culture has thus to do with common
factual knowledge, usually including political institutions, education,
history and current affairs as well as religion and customs.
Vermeer and Reiss (1984) are two important researchers who consider
culture as part of translation, they define translation as a transcultural activity, and
therefore a translator should be bicultural. Holz Mänttäri (1984) also agrees with
Vermeer and Reiss that translation is an interaction between cultures. Holz (1984)
considers the translation as an „act of communication‟ or „intercultural
communication‟. In sum, it is important to understand intercultural communication
as:
…a process which involves two distinct parts: that of source text
(ST) production in a source communicative situation, and that of
12
target text (TT) production in a target language communicative
situation.
(Nord 1991 cited by Karamitroglou. 2000; 68)
Mass media (because of the impact of the television and cinema in our daily
lives) has created cultural bridges because of the exchange of information among
cultures through films. Though, the main point here is cultural references, cultural
references have been given many names, for example: Nedergaard Larsen (1993)
used the term „culture-bound elements‟, Pedersen (2005) used the term
„extralinguistic culture-bound references‟, Nord (1997) calls them „cultureme‟ while
Agost (1999) calls the term just „cultural references‟ which is the term we used
here. Nord (1997) defines a cultural reference as an element which is verbal or
paraverbal that has a specific cultural load. When it is conveyed to another culture
it may cause an invalid or different transfer from the original. However, Agost
(1999) gives another definition; she understood cultural references as elements
that make a society different from another and some of these elements are:
specific places from a city or countries, aspects related with history, art, costumes,
food, etc.
There are many classifications of these cultural references. For example
Martinez (n/d) divides cultural references into three categories:

Socio-cultural: include the social environment of the source and target
culture (places, foods, songs, newspapers, social customs and practices,
beliefs, social class, national concepts).

Artistic and literary: include artists, writers, literary works, characters, etc.
13

History, political or economy: include historical characters, political events
and economic aspects.
However, Nedergaard Larsen´s (1993) classification seems be more
applicable in this research. Firstly, it makes a general classification in four groups:
geography, history, society and culture. Secondly, it divides them into
subcategories as shown in the following table.
14
Extralinguistic culture-bound problem types
Geography
History
Society
geography
meteorology
biology
mountains, rivers
weather, climate
flora, fauna
cultural geography
regions, towns
roads, streets, etc
buildings
monuments, castles, etc
events
wars, revolutions, flag days
people
well-known historical persons
industrial level
(economy)
trade and industry
energy supply, etc
social organization
defence, judicial system
police, prisons local and central authorities
state management, ministries
electoral system, political parties
politicians, political organisations
groups, subcultures
living conditions, problems
politics
social conditions
Culture
ways of life, customs
housing, transport, food, meals
clothing, articles for everyday use
family relations
religion
churches, rituals, morals
ministers, bishops religious holidays, saints
schools, colleges, universities
lines of education, exams
education
media
Culture,
activities
TV, radio, newspapers, magazines
leisure museums, works of art
literature, authors, theatres, cinemas,
actors, musicians, idols, restaurants,
hotels, nightclubs, cafés
sports, athletes
(Kylä-Harakka 2008; 20)
15
1.4 TYPES OF JOKES
In order to analyze cultural references in audiovisual jokes it is important to classify
them. Patrick Zabalbeascoa (1996) and Juan José Martínez Sierra (2005) classify
jokes into different types by taking into account the linguistic, non-linguistic and/or
visual-humorous elements. Zabalbeascoa (1996) divides them into six categories:
international jokes, national-culture-and-institution jokes, national-sense-of-humor
jokes, language-dependent jokes, visual jokes and complex jokes. While Martínez
Sierra (2005) classifies jokes into eight categories: community and institutions,
community-sense-of-humor, linguistic, visual, graphic, paralinguistic, non-marked,
and sound elements. Although, Martinez Sierra´s (2005) classification has two
more categories, both classifications are similar. Hence, we grounded our analysis
of the movie based on both of these authors´ classifications.
International jokes are the ones that can be translated into any language
and are understandable and appreciated by the target audience. Zabalbeascoa
(1996) states that an international joke:
…is a funny story or one-liner where the restrictive force of the
language and cultural differences are greatly reduced insofar as
the comic effect does not depend on either language-specific
wordplay or familiarity with unknown specific aspects the source
culture.
(Zabalbeascoa 1996; 17)
Two examples of international jokes are the following:
1. China, Russia, and Poland venture to space. China says they'll
go to Pluto because it's the farthest. Russia says they'll go to
Jupiter because it's the biggest. Poland says they'll go to the
16
Sun. Russia and China warn them that they'll melt. They reply,
"We'll go at night."
2. El ratero le dice a la víctima: esto es un asalto. ! Deme todo su
dinero! Óigame, ¿usted no sabe con quién se está metiendo?
Soy
un
político
muy
influyente.
En ese caso, ¡Devuélvame todo mi dinero!
National jokes are exclusively connected to the sense of humor typical of a
certain country or community. These kinds of jokes are not recognized or are
unknown by the target audience as they are “rooted and tied to a specific culture”
(Sierra 2005; 290). National jokes are sometimes lost because it is necessary “to
adapt cultural references of the original to retain the humorous effect for a foreign
audience” (Zabalbeascoa 1996; 18).
E.g. En México, antes del año 2000, los cigarros se encendían con
Zedillos; y después, con Fóxforos.
The previous joke refers to the political situation in Mexico. Mexico was governed
by Ernesto Zedillo from 1994 to 2000. In 2000, there were elections and Vicente
Fox won. He governed for 6 years. The joke is a word game with the presidents´
last name with the instruments to light a cigarette because of the similar sound:
“cerillos” sounds like “Zedillos” and “fósforos” sounds like “fox-foros”.
Linguistic jokes, these jests are based on linguistic features. Zabalbeascoa
(1996) is more specific in this category, he says that the words cause an effect
when they are expressed and he divides these words into:
•
Polysemy when “a word or phrase has more than one meaning, e.g. fox
meaning an animal and a sly person”.
•
Homophony when two words sound alike, but are different in meaning, e.g.
see and sea.
17
•
Zeugma when “one word is made to refer to two or more other words, but
has to be differently understood in different contexts (1996; 19)”, in other words
a zeugma is a figure of speech in which two or more parts of a sentence are
joined with a single common verb or noun. E.g. She went to the States and
bankrupt/ he carried a strobe light and the responsibility for the lives of his men.
The combinations of these phrases or words result in funny misunderstandings,
funny anecdotes or dialogues such as: riddles (a question or phrase which has
double sense or is a kind of puzzle), taunts (a comment or sarcastic phrase), puns
(it is a word play that exploits many meanings or sounds of a word), etc. These are
some examples:
-
Why is six afraid of seven? Because seven eight (ate) nine.
-
What does “Mill + Walk + Key?” The answer is Milwaukee.
-
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever
they go.
Visual jokes are those that rely on information or communication in the
image, such as: body movements, the physical appearance of the characters or
actors, gestures or the exaggerated performance of some characters.
Paralinguistic jokes are non-verbal elements used to convey emotions, and
they include intonation, rhythm, tone, volume, etc. Martínez Sierra (2005) defines
them as:
non-verbal qualities of a voice…which are associated with
expressions of emotions such as screams, sighs or laughter.
(2005; 291)
18
Finally, sound jokes “are sounds that by themselves or in combination with
others may be humorous (Martínez Sierra 2005; 291).” Sound jokes include
soundtracks, special effects, and noises in general funny audio files.
1.5 TRANSLATION STRATEGIES
Translators use different strategies when dealing with dubbing. In addition to
linguistic issues, these strategies also take into account culture. These strategies
used correctly by the translator will help the audience understand the message in
movies. As the translation of comedy movies is difficult. Translators have to choose
between two options: translate literally the source text without considering its
function of the message or as Vermeer (1978 cited by Venuti 2000) states with
Skopos theory that the translation of any text should achieve the function of the
source text in the target text. If the translator chooses the first option, the translator
may be faithful to the source message, but movies may not be successfully
translated because most of the audience may not be familiar with the source
language.
In AVT Lawrence Venuti (1995) has made a great breakthrough with the
idea of the „invisibility‟ of the translator. He regards a translated text acceptable
…when it reads fluently, when the absence of any linguistic or
stylistic peculiarities makes it seem transparent [...], the
appearance, in other words, that the translation is not in fact a
translation, but the ‛original’.
(Venuti, 1995: 1)
According to Vinay and Darbelnet (Venuti 1995) there are seven strategies
that translators use for translating that are considered to achieve the invisibility.
19
The first strategy is borrowing in which a word or expression is taken from
the source language and used in a target language, but in a naturalized way. There
are many words that are borrowed. For example from English to Spanish: software,
hardware, catcher, umpire, poster, sandwich, spray etc. The second one is calque;
translators borrow an expression from another or imitate the manner or structure of
the source text. A common example of calque is the use of word “ratón” in
Spanish, it is a part of a computer, and the word is a calque of word “mouse” in
English. Another example is the word “baloncesto” in Spanish which is a calque of
basketball in English.
A literal translation is another strategy, which is to translate word by word in
a grammatically correct way. As an example: “the team is working to finish the
report” in Spanish would be “el equipo esta trabajando para terminar el informe”
(Fawcett 1987; 4). Another strategy is transposition in which one word is replaced
with another, but without changing the meaning of the message. An example of
this technique would be in English “Hand knitted” and in Spanish it would be
transposed to “tejido a mano”. Modulation is another method which is a variation of
the form of the message. Basically, the same idea is expressed but in a different
way. As an example of modulation Spanish-English; “te lo dejo” means literally “I
leave it you” but it sounds better as “you can have it”.
Another strategy
is
equivalence when using different stylistic and structural methods, for example, the
expression “it is raining cats and dogs”, cannot be translated in a literal way. It is
necessary to use an equivalent expression so that the target audience can
20
understand the meaning; the expression in Spanish would be “Esta lloviendo a
cantaros”.
The last one is adaptation; changing the content and the form of the source
language in a way that is appropriate for the grammatical rules and culture in the
target language. Translators do not change all the meaning of language, but
enough for target audience to laugh and understand jokes. Adaptation is the most
common strategy used in dubbing. The goal of this strategy is that target viewers
understand the movie and laugh with jokes. It is not possible to change the
message completely, but it is possible to change some aspects in order for viewers
to understand.
21
1.6 TECHNICAL CARD
Shrek 2 a comedy animated movie was made in 2004. It was produced by
Dreamworks and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon.
This is the second part of the Shrek film series. It was made in United States with a
running time of 92 minutes. The movie was dubbed in the source language by Mike
Myers (Shrek), Eddie Murphy (Donkey), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), Julie
Andrews (Queen Lillian), Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots), John Cleese (King
Harold), Rupert Everett (Prince Charming) and Jennifer Saunders (Fairy
Godmother) while in the Latin Spanish version, it was dubbed by Alfonso Obregón
(Shrek), Eugenio Derbez (Donkey), Dulce Guerrero (Princess Fiona), Rosanelda
Aguirre (Queen Lillian), Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots), Maynardo Zavala (King
Harold), Ricardo Tejedo (Prince Charming) and Simone Brook (Fairy Godmother).
In the Latin Spanish version the translation was by Nora Guitiérrez and Eugenio
Derbez and Gus Rodriguez helped in the adaptation.
Synopsis: In this second part, after Shrek and Fiona got married and come back
from their honeymoon, they received an invitation from Fiona´s parents to
celebrate Fiona and Shrek‟s marriage. Shrek, Fiona and Donkey went to “Far Far
away” to meet Fiona´s parents. At the beginning, Harold, Fiona´s father, did not
agree with Fiona and Shrek‟s marriage because Fiona had adopted an ugly
appearance when she fell in love with Shrek. Harold and the Fairy Godmother had
made a deal that Prince Charming had to rescue Fiona so that she would become
a beautiful princess, but Prince Charming failed in his attempt. Harold and the Fairy
Godmother tried and found a way to separate Shrek from Fiona. Harold hired
22
Puss in Boots to kill Shrek but when Puss in Boots tried to kill him, he realized that
Shrek was bigger than him and decided to tell him the deal that he and King Harold
had made; at the end they become friends. Then Shrek, Donkey and Puss in Boots
stole the potion “Happily Ever After”, Shrek and Donkey drank it to please Fiona‟s
parents and be a happy family. However, the Fairy Godmother learned about the
theft of the potion and sent Prince Charming to the castle, where he posed as
Shrek to win Fiona‟s love. Shrek became aware of the Fairy Godmother‟s
intentions and he and his friends tried to prevent this.
23
ANALYSIS
Our analysis is based on the cultural references of the film Shrek 2. This movie
deals with many cultural issues in the United States such as: race, language,
power, socioeconomic levels, mainstream industry giants and multinational
industries. Shrek 2 is developed on a typical stage of the Middle ages with
dragons, carriages, armors, but with some features of modern society. The movie
is basically a parody of the life style of American society mixed with awkward
versions of characters from popular fairy tales in Western culture such as:
Cinderella, Snow White, Pinocchio, Jack and the beanstalk, and so on. There are
some other elements taken from the American way of life to represent them in a
Medieval funny way such as: fast food restaurants, entertainment, TV programs
(e.g. E! Entertainment), cinema, places (Los Angeles, Hollywood, Berverly Hills)
and other leisure activities. Although almost the whole movie is about the United
States culture, the movie also satirizes the media culture because it includes a lot
of well-known references around the world, especially in a visual way, about
trademarks (Burger King, Versace, etc.) and songs of famous movies, one
example is the Mission Impossible theme and the Oscar awards, an international
event. This movie has many socio-cultural references taken from American and
British societies. In spite of being an animated movie the references create jokes
that make the movie entertaining for audiences of all ages.
To begin with the analysis, we had to watch the movie in an objective way in order
to explain through the comparison between the original version and the dubbed
version, the jokes with a cultural load. As it was previously mentioned, the movie is
24
a parody and has lots of cultural connotations directed at American society, and so
it is necessary to give a brief description of the most important characters.
Shrek: a fat, stinking ogre with poor manners married Fiona, an ogre Princess.
Fiona: a sweet, sensitive ogre Princess that has good manners.
Donkey: a talkative, funny donkey with poor manners, ignorant and energetic.
Puss in Boots: a small cat who can fight against several opponents and has the
reputation of being a womanizer and a criminal.
Harold: Fiona´s father, the king of a huge castle. He disapproves of Shrek and
Fiona´s relationship because Shrek is an ogre.
Fairy Godmother: a scheming, conniving opportunist woman. She is not the typical
good woman that helps in fairy tales. She just wants to get the best for her son,
Prince Charming.
Prince Charming: the typical good-looking Prince, but he is arrogant, vain and
selfish. He wants to marry Fiona just to be king.
What makes this movie different, is the use of jokes or dialogues with double
meanings, the linguistic variations that each actress or actor gives to the
characters in the English movie, as well as in the Spanish version. All these
cultural references to the American society in this parody involve hard work for the
translator since he must try to keep the essential function of the movie: to entertain.
25
There are many cultural references in the original movie that hinder the translation
of the target movie. It could be said that there was something lost in the target
version translation, the losses were when there was no equivalence or the joke
was not funny for the target audience. Because of the many cultural references in
the movie, we only explain some examples taken from the following scenes.
Example Scenes
Scene 1: The following scene parodies good and bad manners used in society.
Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and Fiona´s parents are in the dining room for a welcome
dinner. They are arguing, and Donkey decides to go out because of the discussion,
but in that moment the chef arrives with the food so Donkey decides to stay.
Source version
Donkey: I got to go to the bathroom.
Chef: Dinner is served.
Donkey: Never mind. I can hold it.
Chef: Bon appetite.
Donkey: Oh, Mexican food! My favorite.
Dubbed version
Burro: Voy a mi arbolito.
Chef: La cena está lista.
Burro: Mmm… Mejor aprieto juerte.
Chef: Bon appetite.
Burro: Oh, bon appetite. ¡Comida griega!
In this scene the change of register in the target version gives the character
(Donkey) poor manners, when Donkey mentions that he wants go to the bathroom.
While the source text uses a standard linguistic register, in the dubbed version a
26
very informal and rude expression is used: Ir a mi arbolito is euphemistic
expression meaning going to urinate and this change is made although Donkey did
not say specifically what he would do in the bathroom. When Donkey is saying that
he wants go to the bathroom, the chef arrives with the meal and Donkey says that
his visit to the bathroom can wait. The translator omitted the first phrase and adds
an interjection in this part. The joke makes reference to Donkey´s gluttony. In both
versions the joke is almost the same except for the change of register.
The second joke in this scene has to do with the image of donkeys in many parts of
the world. They are stereotyped as silly or ignorant. In Mexico the word and the
animal are a symbol of ignorance. In this case the joke is introduced when the chef
says “Bon appetite”, which is an expression taken from French language, but since
Donkey is an ignorant, he does not know this and thinks that the chef is speaking
in Spanish and replies “Oh, Mexican food.” In the dubbed version, Mexican food
was changed to Greek food. The translator used an equivalence to keep the
humorous effect.
Scene 2: In this scene the context is as follows: Harold is kidnapped by the Fairy
Godmother with the help of two bodyguards and Prince Charming. They complain
to Harold about Fiona‟s marriage and Harold says that it is all the fault of Prince
Charming because he arrived late to the tower. The movement that the two
bodyguards make when they clench their fingers gives the impression that they will
hit or do something bad to Harold. At the same time, the Fairy Godmother says
something that seems like a threat but suddenly, when a woman welcomes them to
a restaurant, the mood of the scene changes.
27
Source version
Fairy Godmother: Stop the car! Harold, you force me to do something I really don´t want
to do.
Harold: Where are we?
Cashier: Hi, welcome to Friar´s Fat Boy! May I take your order?
Fairy Godmother: My diet is ruined! I hope you´re happy. Er…okay. Two Renaissance
Wraps, no mayo... chili rings...
Prince Charming: I´ll have the Medieval Meal.
Dubbed version
Hada madrina: ¡Detén el auto! Harold, me obligas hacer algo que en verdad no quiero
hacer.
Harold: ¿Dónde estamos?
Cajera: ¡Bienvenidos a la fonda del Renacimiento! Su orden, por favor.
Hada madrina: ¡Voy a romper mi dieta! Ya estarás contento. Eh… yo quiero, dos tacos
renacimiento, sin cebolla ni picante…
Príncipe encantador: Yo quiero una cajita Medieval feliz.
In the source version the cashier says the name of the restaurant, which is a joke
that parodies Big Boy restaurants in the USA. This joke is national because this
fast food restaurant is only known in the United States. The target audience
understands the parody of fast food restaurants because this part of the American
culture is well known, and sometimes shared, all over the world. The translators
adapted this part because when the name of the restaurant is mentioned in
Spanish, the translator changed it and used another kind of place. A fonda is
similar to a restaurant, but only because they sell food. The name used in the
translation has virtually nothing to do with the original film script. The relationship
between the names Big Boy and Friar’s Fat Boy is lost. The translator may have
used the name of a famous American fast food restaurant known in Mexico in
order to keep the same relationship with the original instead of the strategy used.
28
Furthermore, the translator did not take into account the visual elements either; the
fast food restaurant uses a statue as their symbol. The one in the film is similar to
Big Boy´s, the statue has the same stance as the one of Big Boy (see appendix II).
The statue in the movie is not a boy but a friar because of the name of the
restaurant and the reference to the Middle Ages. The translator should have taken
into account this fact.
When the Fairy Godmother asks for her order, the translator uses an equivalence,
and changed the word ruined for romper because the literal translation of the word
ruined is not appropriate in this context. Additionally, there is a collocation in
Spanish; the proper expression is romper la dieta.
The text Renaissance Wraps, which are a kind of burrito made of wheat-flour
tortilla served with mayonnaise and chili rings was replaced by tacos. In this case
the meaning did not change because a wrap is similar in shape to Mexican tacos,
but the translator changed the rest of the ingredients since in Mexico tacos are
typically served with onion and chili. The translator therefore, used an adaptation in
this case.
Finally, in the same scene Prince charming asks for a Medieval Meal which makes
reference originally to Happy Meal Boxes used for children in a famous fast food
chain and in which a toy is typically included. In this case the toy is a huge axe. In
this text, the literal translation through the cultural equivalent Cajita Feliz renders
the meaning, but misses the parody effect of the text in English.
29
Scene 3: In this part the jokes point to cultural leisure activities such as music. The
joke is classified as visual because an image with the shape of a famous singer is
used. The joke is also national because in the source language a famous singer
from the USA is mentioned and in the dubbed version a famous singer from
Mexico is mentioned, so the joke functions in the national context of each country.
The scene is developed in the forest, Harold offered Shrek to go to the forest to
hunt in order to make peace, so Shrek and Donkey go to the forest to meet King
Harold in the old oak, but they get lost, so Donkey and Shrek start to discuss the
instructions that the king had given them.
Source version
Shrek: Face it, Donkey! We´re lost.
Donkey: We can´t be lost. We followed the King´s instructions exactly. Head to the darkest
part of the woods…
Shrek: Aye
Donkey: Past the sinister trees with scary-looking branches.
Shrek: Check
Donkey: The bush shaped like Shirley Bassey!
Shrek: We passed that three times already!
Dubbed version
Shrek: Acéptalo Burro, nos perdimos.
Burro: Me cae que no. Seguimos las instrucciones a la pata de la letra. Ahí decía “derecho
hasta lo más profundo y oscuro del bosque…”
Shrek: Sí.
Burro: Pasan los árboles siniestros con ramas tenebrosas.
Shrek: Sí.
Burro: Hasta un arbusto en forma de Paquita la del Barrio.
Shrek: ¡Ya pasamos este arbusto tres veces!
In the source text there is not a joke at the beginning of the extract; however, the
linguistic register is changed to make the dialogue funny. “We can’t be lost!” is an
30
expression used in standard English, but the phrase used in Spanish is only used
at colloquial level among young people or by adults in very informal situations. The
translator kept the negative response by using modulation but in a very colloquial
way. On the other hand, the translator took too much freedom in the translation
and omitted some parts of the text, when Donkey mentions the reasons why they
cannot be lost, the translator omitted the King and the word “exactly”. Then he
uses the Spanish idiom seguir las instrucciones al pie de la letra which means do
something step by step but as Donkey is an animal, instead of saying pie he says
pata to make it funny in the target version.
Next, the translator added and changed some words, for instance, the translator
changed head for derecho which is not the same because “head” is just go to a
place without specific direction. Also, profundo was added while in the source
version, it just says darkest but in Spanish it sounds a little strange to say lo más
oscuro, that is why “profundo” was added, this is a kind of collocation in Spanish.
Then, when Donkey is explaining the instructions, they mock Shirley Bassey
because of her weight. The writer uses a bush as a reference to the famous singer.
We can see the bush, but this is a national joke that the target audience would
understand. Shirley Bassey was a popular, famous singer outside the USA a long
time ago, but nowadays we know nothing about her. The connection for the bushBassey joke is regained by using Paquita la del Barrio who is a well-known singer
in Mexico and Latin America with almost the same build (see appendix III). The
translator used an adaptation in this part made the situation understandable for
Hispanic audiences.
31
Scene 4: The scene is presented when Puss in Boots, after failing to kill Shrek,
begs for his life because Shrek and Donkey want to do something bad to him while
they are in the forest.
Source version
Shrek: What should we do with him?
Donkey: Take the sword and neuter him. Give him the Bob Barker treatment.
Puss in Boots: Oh, no! Por favor! Please! I implore you! It was nothing personal, señor. I
was doing it only for my family. My mother, she is sick. And my father lives off the
garbage! The King offered me much in gold and I have a litter of brothers…
Dubbed version
Shrek: ¿Qué sugieres que hagamos con él?
Burro: Pus pa’ mí que deberíamos de hacerle la vasectomía con su propia espada.
Gato: ¡Ay mamá! No por favor. Piedad. Os lo suplico. No era nada personal, señor. Sólo lo
he hecho por mi familia. Mi madre está enfermita y mi padre vive de la basura. El rey me
ofreció mucho oro, tengo una camada de hermani-…
The joke is national and presented when Donkey makes reference to say the act of
spaying or neutering of a dog or cat in a popular way, in the United States,. This
expression “Bob Barker treatment”, which is used colloquially, was inspired by Bob
Barker who is a game show host and a supporter of animal-rights. Bob Barker
treatment comes out because at the end of all the episodes of the Price is Right,
an American game show, Bob Barker reminds the viewers to spay or neuter their
pets. For this reason, people relate the action of spaying animals with Bob Barker,
another meaning that this phrase has is the act of a male being publicly
embarrassed by a female. In the TLT (target language text) the meaning was
changed; the translator used vasectomía, which is a formal and common method
32
for the sterilization of man instead of castrarlo, which implies the removal of sexual
organs, a more radical method of sterilization. In English, Donkey tells Shrek what
to do using the imperative, but in Spanish the text is rendered in subjunctive using
the plural form of the 1st person.
In this scene, when Puss in Boots speaks there is no joke, but it is interesting to
note that the SLT (source language text) mixes Spanish and English words to
illustrate the “nationality” of the character, but this could not be done in the TLT. To
cope up with this a change in dialect and register was made; thus the expression I
implore you! (subject-verb- indirect object structure with an archaic verb) turns into
¡Os lo suplico! (indirect object - direct object – verb structure with a standard verb).
The use of the pronoun Os is common in Spain and some parts of South America,
but not in Mexico.
Although in Spanish there were some changes, most of the translation of the
dialogue was literal. Some minor changes were made at the beginning. For
example, in order to maintain literal negation¡Ay mamá! was used to express fear.
Additionally, in this section explicitness was used to add piedad. The SLT uses the
meaning of the word please twice: one in Spanish and one in English, but doing
the same in the TLT would be iterative because the dubbed version is in Spanish.
However, Piedad is not a mistranslation of Please but a trick to complete the sound
segment.
Scene 5: The scene takes place when after Puss in Boots failed in his attempt to
kill Shrek on King Harold‟s orders. Shrek is sad because he realizes that Harold
33
will never accept his marriage with Fiona. Then he took out of his pocket a card
that the Fairy Godmother had given him to be happy, but as the card is magic it is
activated with a tear so Shrek tries to make Donkey cry in order to activate the
magic card. Donkey starts to tell him sad stories. In this scene the joke refers to a
Mexican custom adopted in USA.
Source version
Shrek: Donkey! Think of the saddest thing that´s ever happened to you!
Donkey: Aw, man, where do I begin? First there was the time that old farmer tried to sell
me for some magic beans. Then this fool had a party and he has the guests trying to pin
the tail on me. Then they got drunk and start beating me with a stick, going "Piñata!!"
What is a piñata, anyway?
Dubbed version
Shrek: ¡Burro! Piensa en lo más triste que te haya pasado en la vida.
Burro: Uy, ¿pu’s por dónde empiezo? Una vez un granjero me quiso cambiar por un kilo de
frijoles mágicos; eso nunca la superé. Otro día en una fiesta jugaron a ponerle la cola al
burro conmigo y ¿qué crees? me picotearon las nachas. Luego gritaron todos ¡piñata,
piñata! Y que todos me agarran a palos.
Shrek makes Donkey remember bad things that made him unhappy and Donkey
talks about sad things that have happened to him. Donkey says that a previous
owner, an old farmer tried to sell him for some magic beans, this is a clear
reference to the tale Jack and the Beanstalk in which the beans were exchanged
for a cow. In this section, the meaning of the verb sell was translated as cambiar,
the meaning is different; moreover, in the dubbed version the translator added the
expression un kilo while in the source version the amount of beans is not specified.
Then Donkey remembers a party made by the farmer and says that the guests
used him to play the game “to pin the tail on the donkey”. In Spanish the name of
34
the game is ponerle la cola al burro, it is a game for children and some kind of tape
is used. In English, however, to pin means to put something with a pin. A
modulation /compensation was made to render pin as picotear and the translator
added the word nachas, which is a colloquial way of saying buttocks, to make the
scene funnier. Then the guests at the party got drunk, but the translator omitted
this. This is important because in the same scene there is a reference to a Mexican
tradition the piñatas, which are known in many places of the United States due to
the emigration of Mexicans. In that country this tradition has been adopted. In the
source version the joke is that Donkey does not know what a piñata is and the
guests hit him with a stick. The joke is that everybody knows what a piñata is and
when they shouted Piñata!!! Donkey should have run, but he did not and he was
beaten. That is why the pun in English is “What is a piñata anyway?” But in Mexico
we know what a piñata is so the translator changed (adapted) the text to make it
understandable for the target audience.
Scene 6: Shrek, Donkey and Puss in Boots went to the Fairy Godmother‟s factory
in order to find a potion for Shrek and Fiona´s happiness. They pretended to be
inspectors from the labor union in order to get into the factory.
Source version
Shrek: Hi. I’m here to see the…
Clerk: The Fairy Godmother. I’m sorry. She is not in.
Fairy Godmother: Jerome! Coffee and a Montecristo. Now!
Clerk: Yes, Fairy Godmother. Right away. Look, she’s not seeing any clients today, OK?
Shrek: That’s OK, buddy. We’re from the union.
Clerk: The union?
Shrek: We represent the workers in all magical industries, both evil and benign.
35
Clerk: Oh! Oh, right.
Shrek: Are you feeling at all degraded or oppressed?
Clerk: Uh…a little. We don’t even have dental.
Shrek: They don’t even have dental. Okay, we’ll just have a look around. Oh. By the way. I
think it’d be better if the Fairy Godmother didn’t know we were here.
Dubbed version
Shrek: Hola, quisiera ver…
Clerk: Al hada madrina. Lo siento no se encuentra.
Fairy Godmother: Jerónimo, un café y una pizza con queso doble. ¡Ahora!
Clerk: Sí hada madrina, ahí voy. Mire el día de hoy no recibe a nadie, entiende.
Shrek: Tranquilo amigo somos del sindicato.
Clerk: ¿Del sindicato?
Shrek: Representamos a los trabajadores de la industria de la magia negra y blanca.
Clerk: ¡Uh! Oh, entiendo.
Shrek: ¿Ha sido víctima de malos tratos o presiones?
Clerk: Ah…un poco. No tengo ni seguro social.
Shrek: No tiene seguro social. Qué afortunado. Vamos a inspeccionar. Ah, a propósito será
mejor que el hada madrina no sepa que estamos aquí.
Shrek, Donkey and Puss in Boots ask to see the Fairy Godmother. A clerk tells
them that she is not in but, suddenly the Fairy Godmother´s voice can be heard
over the intercom asking for food.
The Fairy godmother asked the clerk for some coffee and a Montecristo. This is a
very popular sandwich in USA whose origins can be traced back to French cuisine.
In Spanish it was changed for pizza with double cheese. So the translator used a
modulation since Montecristos are not well-known in Latin America countries. The
change was an obligatory procedure in this case, but having switched the meals in
the way they did was a mistake. Although the audience might not have noticed, it
is important to mention that the translation contrasts with the image, because the
36
Montecristo and the coffee appears in the next scene but it is a small detail. The
audience perhaps did not notice the incoherence between the text and the image.
The disrespectful and overbearing way in which the Fairy Godmother treats her
employees is helpful for Shrek and his friends as it is used to pretend to be
inspectors from the “Union”. The role of Unions, or sindicatos in Spanish and in
Western cultures is the same and the use of an equivalent is fine. In the same
section there is an obligatory modulation of signs; when Shrek says that they
represent to workers of magical industries. Evil (mal) was traduced as negra
(black) while benign (benigna) was traduced as blanca (white). The clerk
complains of the working conditions as he does not have dental service. But in TL
the translator used a modulation from particular to the general because in Spanish
the clerk says that he does not have seguro social.
Then, Shrek is supposed be negatively impressed because of the clerk‟s working
situation; in SLT Shrek uses the expression Okay as a response they are going to
help the workers, but in TL it was translated as ¡Que afortunado! The phrase in
Spanish could be understood as a sarcastic comment because of the bad
reputation of the IMSS but the sound edition deleted the effect and the expression
seems incoherent.
Scene 7: In this scene there are several funny linguistic situations involved. Shrek,
Donkey and Puss in Boots are in the Fairy Godmother‟s factory to ask her for help
so that Shrek and Fiona will be happy forever but the Fairy Godmother refuses to
37
help them. So they go to the potions room and try to find a potion to turn Shrek into
a handsome prince but when Puss in Boots is searching for a potion among the
bottles he only found laxatives.
Source version
Shrek: What do you see?
Puss in boots: Toad Stool Softener?
Donkey: I´m sure a nice BM is the perfect solution for marital problems.
Puss in boots: Elfa Seltzer?
Shrek: Uh-uh!
Puss in boots: Hex Lax?
Dubbed version
Shrek: ¿Qué es lo que ves?
Gato: ¿Lax-Santiamén?
Burro: Mejor busca algo para sus apestosos gases. Sería la solución a sus problemas
maritales.
Gato: ¿Alfa Seltzer?
Shrek: ¡Eh, eh!
Gato: ¿Leche sola?
As a parody of American society, a consumer product society, they always mix the
names of well- known products in dialogues, drugs in this case, but make small
changes in the names of the brands so as to give them a Medieval look. The first
one that Puss in Boots refers to is a medication to relieve constipation (Stool
Softener) but also a kind of mushroom (Toadstool). But in the film it is pronounced
as separate words and makes reference to a toad a typical animal used in fairy
tales. In the dubbing, the translator used a wordplay mixing the first letters of the
word laxante, with Santiamén, which means in a short period of time. These words
38
together mean a fast laxative; the translator tried to keep the wordplay but lost the
reference to fairy tales.
Then, Puss in Boots mentions Elfa Seltzer which is parody of a brand name of an
antacid. The name is almost the same, but in English instead of Alka, Elfa was
used, as a reference to the elves, characters in many fairy tales too. Nevertheless,
in Spanish the word used in the translation caused ambiguity and/or the loss of the
joke since people may understand the relation of the word Alfa with elves but
others may get confused and connect it with the word alphabet because of the
similar sound in Spanish.
Finally, Puss in Boots says Hex-Lax which also makes reference to a laxative. The
real name of the well-known laxative in the United States is Ex-Lax, but in English,
they added the letter H to mean witchcraft or a charm. In the dubbed text, the
translator did not keep the wordplay and even adapted this part as he did not use
the name of a commercial brand, but completely changed the name of the laxative
for leche sola (plain milk) that does not have anything to do with the previous
potion‟s names.
In the middle of the scene Donkey and Puss in Boots get involved in a situation.
They get on badly because both want to be Shrek‟s best friend; in this part Shrek
asks Puss in Boots to look for the potion and Donkey gets jealous. As a result,
when Puss in Boots tells the names of the “potions” he had found, Donkey makes
a sarcastic comment using the abbreviation BM (Bowel moment), which means to
39
defecate. However, in Spanish, the translator changed this abbreviation for
apestosos gases and changed the intention of this joke.
Scene 8: In this scene there are many cultural references to the media, but most of
them are represented in a visual way. In the castle, there is a Royal Ball to
celebrate Fiona and Shrek´s marriage and this Royal Ball is transmitted by TV
because the most important characters of the fairy tales are there.
Source version
Announcer: The abs are fab and it´s gluteus to the maximus here at tonight’s Far Far Away
Royal Ball blowout! The coaches are lined up as the cream of the crop pours out of them
like Miss Muffet’s curds and whey.
Presenter: Everyone who’s anyone has turned out to honor Princess Fiona and Prince
Shrek. And, oh my, the outfits look gorgeous!
Dubbed version
Locutor: ¡Ah, tenemos las caras más bonitas y los cuerpos más atléticos en este baile del
reino Muy, muy lejano! Los carruajes se alinean a medida que celebridades como el
pequeño Cri-Cri descienden, ¿lo dejarán pasar?
Presentadora: La crema y nata se ha reunido en honor a la princesa Fiona y el príncipe
Shrek. ¡Guau! Sus atuendos son soberbios.
The scene is a parody of a TV network called E! Entertainment. It deals with news
about the film industry, the fashion world, and the music industry, among some
others. It also broadcasts award ceremonies such as the Oscars, Grammys, and
Emmys. The presenter introduces a character who is actually a caricature of Joan
Rivers who is always at the red carpet of the Oscars and other events. She is the
lead presenter of the program Fashion Police in which she criticizes the outfits of
40
celebrities (actors, actresses, models, musicians, and so forth) but in this case the
“celebrities” are characters of fairy tales.
Some elements of the parody are visual and translation is not required. For
example, the name of TV network is changed from E! (which stands for
Entertainment) to ME (the first letters of Medieval Entertainment). Another cultural
element is related to the carriages; most of them are common normal carriages but
Sleeping Beauty and Fairy Godmother‟s vehicles look like a caricature of huge, out
of proportion limos used by some celebrities nowadays when they arrive at the red
carpet.
The first phrases said by the announcer are expressions about the beautiful
appearance of famous Hollywood celebrities. There is a rhyme using the words
abs (shorter for Abdominal muscles) referring to good shape that celebrities have
with fab (short for fabulous) and gluteus with maximus. The modulations used: an
element for another element and generalization changed the meaning of the
source version. The allusions to body fitness and shape became an allusion to
beauty and another one (very general) to fitness. The rhyme of the expressions in
the target language was replaced by grammatical concordances in gender and
number; carAS bonitAS and cuerpOS atléticOS.
In addition in the TL, the translator minimized the importance of the Royal Ball
when it was translated as en este baile, as if it was any Far Far Away‟s party. In
this context, Far Far Away Royal Ball is an important and special social event; it
41
even includes a Red Carpet. El Gran Baile Real or a similar expression would have
been a better option.
The idiom “the cream of the crop”, which means the best of all or high society, was
omitted. The translator used celebridades which means something different and
only took into account the context and not the content of the dialogue.
The next reference is a well-known children‟s rhyme Little Miss Muffet, although
the meaning is not clear at all because nowadays this image of Little Miss Muffet
(see appendix IV) has a sexual connotation (a third person term a lady may use
when speaking of her pussy in polite society). The translator replaced Little Miss
Muffet for Cri-Cri the nickname of a famous Mexican singer-songwriter; here the
joke is lost because Cri-Cri is not a character in fairy tales. The translator used
adaptation because the English rhyme is not common in Spanish, but did not keep
any connection to fairy tales and did not have a sexual connotation either. This
adaptation is not good at all since there is not any connection with the original text.
Scene 9: Shrek, Donkey and Puss in Boots are going to the castle to talk to Fiona,
but on the way, they got detained by the knights of Far Far Away.
Source version
Reporter: Tonight on “Knights”…
Gingy: Now here’s a good show!
Knight: We got a white Bronco heading east into the forest. Requesting backup.
Reporter: It´s time to teach these madcap mammals their “devil may care” attitudes just
won’t fly.
Knights: Hey! Quiet! Come on!
Donkey: Why you grabbing me? Police Brutality! Police brutality!
42
Shrek: Come on! I have to talk to Princess Fiona!
Knight: We warned you!
Shrek: Ow! Ow!
Reporter: Did they get away with it? or did someone let the cat out of the bag?
Puss in Boots: You capitalist pig dogs!
Knight: Oh! Get it off!
Knight: Catnip!
Puss in Boots: That's not mine.
Dubbed version
Reportero: Esta noche en “Caballeros”…
Gengibre: ¡Ah, ese sí es un buen programa!
Caballero: Un corcel blanco a la fuga en la zona sur. Necesitamos refuerzos.
Reportero: Los hombres de acero les enseñan a estos mamíferos que no hay nadie por
encima de la ley.
Caballeros: ¡Alto! ¡Quietos! No se muevan.
Burro: Ésto es brutalidad policiaca. Me quejaré con derechos equinos.
Shrek: Ya estuvo, ya estuvo. Por favor. Tengo que hablar con la princesa Fiona.
Caballero: ¡Te lo advertimos!
Shrek: ¡Au, au!
Reportero: ¿Se saldrán con la suya o aquí habrá gato encerrado?
Gato: Vamos, brutalidad policial.
Caballero: ¡Quítenmelo!
Caballero: ¿Qué traes ahí? Arena para gato.
Gato: Eso no es mío.
In this part the reference is to media culture; the scene is a parody of reality shows
about police activities such as COPS. In this movie the show is called Knights
keeping the connection with the Middle Ages atmosphere and the name in Spanish
is translated literally: Caballeros. Shrek realized that the Fairy Godmother wants to
Fiona falls in love of Prince Charming so he heads for the Castle. In COPS chase
are made by police cars, while a helicopter follows with a camera filming what is
happening. But now instead of following a car, policemen follow a white horse and
instead of using a helicopter they use hot-air balloons.
43
The joke starts when the police in the balloon says, “We got a white Bronco
heading east into the forest. Requesting backup.” This is a fine joke in English
because the word Bronco denotes a horse not trained and dangerous; nowadays it
is also a kind of car which is/was very popular in USA. However, in the TL this
reference was lost and because of that the joke too because this show is not wellknown in Mexico. Keeping the link by translating bronco as corcel was something
positive although it is not exactly the same. The meanings in the phrase heading
east into the forest (Se dirige al Este por el bosque) have absolutely nothing to do
with a la fuga en la zona sur on any level, syntactic, semantic, and/or discursive.
Another social reference in this scene has to do with the judicial system in the
United States. Police officers cannot carry out an arrest with brutality because
people may complain about them and even sue them. Sometimes criminals are
excused from felonies because of brutality; this is reflected in society and in this
film our characters do so too. As Shrek and his friends are being detained, Donkey
started to complain about police brutality, but he is only trying to scare the Knights
and avoid the arrest.
However, in TL the translator kept the reference to Police Brutality (and restructure the text.) The first sentence in SLT was completely changed. Donkey
says Why you grabbing me? (¿Por qué me están agarrando?) In the TLT the
translator wrote: Me quejaré con derechos equinos. In this case derechos equinos,
refers to a Human Rights association (originally in charge of human rights) but, as
the complainer is a donkey the word humans was substituted for equinus, thus
creating a joke where there was none.
44
In addition the translator took many liberties because he/she added text that was
not necessary when Shrek speaks. For example in SL, Shrek just says come on! a
persuasive phrase which was acceptably translated as ¡por Favor! In contrast the
expression ya estuvo was added a couple of times, a very colloquial phrase which
changes the tone and intention of the dialogue.
In this section a reporter is describing what is happening and he poses a couple of
questions about the scene. They are made in the past tense. The reporter wonders
whether Shrek, Donkey and Puss in Boots got away by themselves or if someone
had helped them in their escape. In the TLT, these questions are in the future
tense; that implies that he wants to know if they will be arrested, changing the
meaning but not affecting the scene. The adaptation used in the first sentence was
good. However, the linguistic joke (a pun) is presented using the idiom “let the cat
out of the bag”, in the second sentence. Although this expression originally means
telling a secret or exposing secret information unintentionally, the SLT only uses
the literal meaning of this idiom. The use of an expression with the word cat was
the source of laugher. In TLT, an idiom was used also; hay gato encerrado (in
future, which was explained before) but that means suspicious of something that is
not clear. Neither idioms referred to their figurative meaning, but to their
denotation, the translator produced a good dynamic equivalence since in TL,
he/she used an idiom that also has the word cat even if the semantic equivalence
turned out to be slightly skewed at the end.
45
When Shrek is arrested, Puss in Boots gets angry and insults the police-knights.
He calls them capitalist pig dogs, but this phrase is a combination between the
meanings of capitalist, a person who follows a corrupt government in which the rich
flourish and survive, while the poor and middle classes suffer, and the word pig
derogatory term for a police officer. However, in the dubbed version the translation
was completely changed from an insult to a complaint.
Moreover, when a couple of police officers are arresting Puss in Boots, they frisked
him and found a bag with something called catnip, which is a plant used as
medicine for colds or flue. This plant has a strong minty smell that attracts cats and
causes some effects such as: rubbing on the plant, rolling in the ground, pawning,
in general, cats behave very playfully. This plant is a parody on drugs but in the
target language, the joke is lost because catnip was translated as arena para gato
that has no connection what so over this was a bad adaptation.
Scene 10: After Shrek, Donkey, and Puss in Boots tried to enter the castle without
success because of the Fairy Godmother´s orders; the police arrested them and
take them to jail.
Source version
Donkey: You can´t lock us up like this! Let me go! What about my Miranda rights? You´re
supposed to say I have the right to remain silent. Nobody said I have the right to remain
silent!
Shrek: You have the right to remain silent. What you lack is the capacity.
46
Dubbed version
Donkey: ¡Sáquenme de aquí! Tengo que salir pa’ fuera. ¡Bájenme pa’ bajo! Ni siquiera me
leyeron mis derechos. Me tenían que decir que tengo derecho a guardar silencio. ¡Nadie
me dijo que tengo derecho a guardar silencio!
Shrek: Burro, tienes derecho a guardar silencio; lo que no tienes es la capacidad.
In this scene, the referent is American society and its judicial system. In the first
turn, Donkey uses five statements to complete the dialogue. Direct and oblique
translation accounts for most of the texts (S & TLT) in an efficient way. However,
the message of the first sentence in the SL was omitted. The expression Let me
go! was translated (using a modulation) as ¡Sáquenme de aquí! but was placed in
a different order.
Then, some pleonastic phrases such as: salir para afuera and bajar para abajo, for
which there was no coreferent of any kind in the SL. These sentences were just
added. Once again, a joke was created where there was none. This may have
been done to compensate for the section omitted at the beginning, although the
sentence You can´t lock us up like this, which refers to the fact that there is not any
reason for Donkey and friends to be arrested, could have been translated as ¡No
tienen derecho a encerrarnos!
Next, Donkey mentions the Miranda warning. This is given to criminal suspects by
the United States law at the time they are arrested and consists of the follow
statements:
-you have the right to remain silent
- anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law
47
-you have a right to an attorney
-if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you
The joke is made using the first statement of Miranda warning. The author makes
fun of Donkey‟s talkative nature, and when he said that the first right of the Miranda
warning was violated; Shrek tells Donkey that in fact he has the right but not the
capacity to remain silent.
In this cultural reference to the American judicial system, the translator used
modulation from a specific law to a general law, when Donkey asks What about my
Miranda rights? as in the TL there is not a specific name for this law, it was
translated as ni siquiera me leyeron mis derechos. Although, in Mexico there is not
a specific name for this law, there is a similar law written in the Political
Constitution of the Mexican United States in article 20 (see appendix V) in which
the right to remain silent is also mentioned. The strategy was useful to transfer this
fake from the American system to the Mexican audience.
The rest of the text was translated literally, only in Shrek‟s dialogue there was a
small determiner transposition as the pronoun you was changed by the vocative
Burro, and the remainder of the translation was literal.
Scene 11: In this scene, the references are about society and culture. After Shrek,
Donkey and Puss in Boots are rescued from the prison, they and their friends plan
how to enter the Castle to interrupt the Fairy Godmother and Prince Charming‟s
evil plan. So Shrek and his friends ask the baker for help to make a giant cookie.
48
Source version
Gingy: Folks, it looks like we're up chocolate creek without a Popsicle stick. What?
Shrek: Do you still know the Muffin Man?
Gingy: Well, sure! He’s down on Drury Lane. Why?
Shrek: Because we’re gonna need flour. Lots and lots of flour.
Dubbed version
Jengibre: Bien chicos, parece que nuestra misión imposible resultó… ser imposible. ¿Qué?
Shrek: ¿Sigues siendo amigo del pastelero?
Jengibre: Claro, siempre voy a verlo a la pastelería. ¿Por qué?
Shrek: Porque necesitaremos harina. Mucha, mucha harina.
This scene shows some interesting problems. To begin with, there is a variation of
the idiomatic expression “Up the creek (without a paddle)” which means to be in a
difficult situation with no easy way out. This phrase has its origin based on the idea
of being in a small boat in a stream and not having a paddle with which to move it.
There is a vulgar version of it, but in that case they add the word shit (up shit
creek.) We think that this is the expression taken by the writer, and he only
changed shit for chocolate to reduce the vulgarity, make it funny and keep the
relationship candies-Gingy. In the second part of the expression, which is optional,
there is a reference to a popular brand of ice pop from United States, Popsicle.
Gingy replaced paddle for Popsicle stick.
In Spanish, the whole text was changed. There is compulsory modulation (change
of symbol) because of the cultural referents: an idiom and a commercial brand. But
the translator could have kept closer to the source sense. While the meaning in SL
is to be in trouble with a possible solution, in the dubbed text the expression used
implies that there is no solution at all.
49
The other problems have to do with intertextuality, which was rebuilt by the
translator at different moments. This first allusion to culture (idiom) and to a
commercial brand (Popsicle) was in the film and they shifted to another segment
(within the same element.) The introduction of this scene is a parody of a scene in
the film Mission Impossible and even uses its musical theme. These intertextual
elements (MI I and this scene) are visual and cannot be modified but, in Shrek, the
translator uses the expression: Bien chicos parece que nuestra misión imposible
resultó ser imposible which connects this expression in Spanish with the
introductory scene.
When Shrek asks Gingy if he still knew the Muffin man, a reference to The Muffin
Man, a traditional nursery rhyme of English origin, the author uses intertextuality to
connect this film with the previous movie in which questions about the Muffin Man
were made. Nevertheless, in Spanish intertextuality was lost.
In the Spanish
version of Shrek I, The Muffin Man was replaced by another song Pin Pon (and
therefore another character). The Muffin Man (originally a door to door baker in
England) is a coherent character in the dialogue and film, not so Pin Pon. In Shrek
2, the Muffin Man was translated as Pastelero, which is another unfortunate
mistranslation, instead of Panadero. When Gingy talks about the whereabouts of
the Muffin Man, he said that he was on Drury Lane, another intertextual element
from the rhyme (see appendix VI), but this address was changed by bakery
(pastelería) and intertextuality between the two films was lost.
50
Scene 12: Shrek and his friends arrive at the Royal Ball to stop Fiona from kissing
Prince Charming, then a fight starts and Shrek´s friends try to get Fairy
Godmother´s wand.
Source version
Shrek: Pinocchio! Get the wand!
Pig: I see London! I see france!
Dubbed version
Shrek: Pinocho, ¡la varita mágica!
Puerco: Le veo hasta la conciencia
The reference is about society, especially in children‟s groups, because of a
popular rhyme. When Pig is launched to get the wand, he fails and is hanging from
one of the Fairy Godmother´s legs. When he looks upwards, he sees her
underwear and says: “I see London! I see France...” the first verse of the popular
child rhyme in English. It is funny, but it is even funnier if you consider the whole
text (see attachment VII). The translator used a semantic equivalence by using
another phrase that in Mexico means the same, but in a colloquial register, to avoid
a taboo situation. The end result of the joke was not the same as the intertextuality
effect was lost.
51
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the audiovisual translation process the translator is the mediator
between the source culture and the target culture. Cultural references play an
important role when movies are translated to another language since they show us
the ways of life, traditions or expressions of a certain country that may be not
understood by the audience that see the film. Transferring cultural references to
another language sometimes means omitting some of them, but without prejudicing
the content or intentions of the author. Hence, the translator has to accomplish the
main objectives of keeping allegiance to the original work, and maintaining the
translator´s invisibility in the target work.
In the translation from the source text to the target text, especially in animated
comedy movies, the translator has to make use a lot of factors such as intratextual
as well as extratextual elements to achieve a good equivalent translation for the
target audience. The translator cannot just translate words, he also has to take into
account the verbal elements and the structure of the images which show the
audience a message that is not written and achieve the synchronization in the
dubbing too. Hence the translator must be a highly-trained professional because
he/she needs to be not just bilingual, but also bicultural.
In the case of the Shrek 2 movie, which has many cultural references rooted in the
original version, the translator was successful in making the target audience laugh.
Although, the cultural references show us the ways of life, expressions, traditions,
etc. from another country, some of them were not changed completely since some
of them are well known by the Mexican audiences, because of the globalization of
52
USA culture. In the dubbed version, the translator needs to be careful in the
strategy that he/she uses in order to achieve the main objectives previously
mentioned. In the case of the Shrek 2 movie, the jokes such as the dialogues with
double meanings or comic phrases with a cultural loan were difficult for the
translator because he/she had to find the equivalence or adapt the jokes,
depending on their intention, for the new audience
Most of the strategies used in the Shrek 2 movie were adaptation, equivalence and
modulation so that the target audiences could understand the jokes and the movie
would be fun for them. In the analysis of the Shrek 2 movie, we realized that there
were many cultural references, and some of them may not always be changed
because there is not equivalence, or adaptation, that works with intelligible for the
target audience. In our opinion, the dubbing of Shrek 2 movie is a good translation
because in the work also interfere some actor´s ideas. Eugenio Derbez, who
interpreted the character of Donkey, used vocabulary of his characters in other
series (the register was lower than the original), which is only understood by target
audience. Moreover, from our point of view, the translator compensated the cultural
references and jokes lost in the film very well with the use of many words, phrases,
regionalisms and expressions that are well known in Mexico. However, in the case
of dubbing where there are many cultural references, the translator must be very
careful no adapt the original version too much because the target version could be
considered an unwise translation.
By means of this research process, we learned about the different types of
audiovisual translation, especially in dubbing. In addition, we discovered that a
53
translator sometimes has to use his/her creativity in order to find a solution for
issues that the translation strategies may not resolve. An example of these issues
are the cultural elements and their implications (synchronization, images, sounds,
etc.) that a translator may have difficulty with when translating. Therefore, this
analysis of cultural elements in the movie Shrek 2 could be useful example for
students as to how to develop their ability to analyze the translation of movies.
However, in order to do this, students also need to extend their knowledge in
foreign language and culture. We also think that this work could be helpful for
translators to reflect on what is the main objective in translation work. If the
translation may be literal, word by word or if it needs to keep the function of the
source text although it has to be adapted to the target culture as Skopos theory
(1978) states.
54
References
Agost, R. (2001). La traducción en los medios audiovisuales. Edita: Publications de la
Universidad Jaume I, ed. IV. Títol. V. Sèrie.
Agost, R. (1999). Traducción y doblaje: palabras, voces e imágenes. Barcelona: Ariel.
Blinn, M. (2008). The dubbing standard: Its History and Efficiency Implications for Film
Distributors in the German Film Market. London. Doctoral Program Research on
Organizational Paths School of Economics and Business Administration, Freie University
Berlin.
Díaz, J. (n/d). Aspectos semióticos en la subtitulación de películas cómicas. University of
Surrey Roehampton, London.
Diaz, J. (2008). The didactics of audiovisual translation. The Netherlands. John Benjamins
Publishing Co.- P.O. Box 36224 1020 ME Amsterdam.
Díaz J. & Anderman G. (2009). Audiovisual Translation: language transfer on screen.
Printed and bound in Great Britain by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham and Eastbourne.
First published by Palgrave Macmillan.
Doblaje Wiki (n/d). Shrek 2. http://doblaje.wikia.com/wiki/Shrek_2
Duke, Steven B. (2007). "Does Miranda Protect the Innocent or the Guilty?.” Faculty
Scholarship Series. Paper 828. http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/fss_papers/828
Ebneter, T. (1982). Lingüistica Aplicada : introducción. Editorial Gredos.
Ginter, A. (2002). Cultural issues in translation Studies about languages. Lodz, Poland.
Gómez, C. (2006). La importancia de enseñar la cultura en el aprendizaje de un idioma.
Revista de educación del CeP de Toledo N°8.
Gudykunst, B. (2003). Cross-cultural and intercultural communication. London.
Hatim B. and Manson I. (1997). The translator as communicator. Simultaneously published
in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Ave, New York 10016.
Hatim y Mason, in Molina Martinez. (2006). Estudio traductológico de los referentes
culturales extralingüísticos en la subtitulación.
55
Karamitroglou, F. (2000). Towards a methodology for the investigation of norms in
audiovisual translation. Editions Rodapi B.V., Amsterdam-Atlanta, Ga.
Keuninckx, K. (2010). Universiteit Utrecht. Cultural transference and other translation
challenge in Red Dragon.
Kylä-Harakka, P. (2008). Translation strategies for Finnish cultural realia in the English
translations of two of Matti Yrjänä Joensuu’s crime novels. Deparment of English
University of Helsinki.
La butaca (2004). Images, synopsis and notes about Shrek 2. DreamWorks and Pacific Data
Images. Valencia, Spain. http://www.labutaca.net/films/23/shrek2.htm
Longley, R. (n/d). US Government Info
http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/mirandarights/a/miranda_2.htm
Marín, C. (2007). La traducción para el doblaje de películas multilingües: Babel.
Universidad de las palmas de Gran Canaria, facultad de traducción e interpretación.
Master en subtitulado y audiodescripción.
Martinez, J. (2005). Translating audiovisual Humor. A case study. In Henrik Gottlieb
(ed.) Perspectives: Studies in Translatology, Copenhagen: Routledge. Vol. 13, N°4, 289-296.
Martínez, M. (nd). La traduccion del humor: las comedias inglesas en español. Servicio de
Publicaciones Universidad de Oviedo.
Martín, C. (2009). Traducción de los referentes culturales en el doblaje de la serie "Érase
una vez... el hombre" al español. Universidad de Málaga. Entre culturas Número 1. ISSN:
1989-5097.
Mayoral, R. (n/d). Traducción audiovisual, traducción subordinada, traducción
intercultural.
Molina, L. (2001). Análisis descriptivo de la tradicción de los culturemas árabe-español.
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Department de Traducció i d´Interpretació.
Online Dictionary of Playground Slaang (n/d).
http://odps.org/glossword/index.php?a=term&d=3&t=391
Orero P. (2004). Topics in Audiovisual Translation Edited by Universitat Autònoma de
Barcelona, Spain.
56
Ramiere, N. (2007). STRATEGIES OF CULTURAL TRANSFER IN SUBTITLING AND DUBBING.
PhD Thesis, School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies, University of
Queensland.
Reich, P. (2006). The film and book in translation. Masaryk University, Faculty of Arts.
Department of English and America Studies.
Romero, M. (2006). La verdad sobre la traducción. Spain. Publisher Routledge. Informa Ltd
registered in England and Wales registered number : 1072954 registered office.
Rufus. (2011). ¿Subtítulos o doblaje? http://cinechat.es/%C2%BFsubtitulos-o-doblaje.html
Serban, A. (2004). Introdution to Audiovisual Translation. Centre for translation studies,
University of Leeds. http://www.slideshare.net/yiling666/introduction-to-audiovidualtranslation-by-adriana-serban
Snell-Hornby, M. (1999). Estudios de la traducción: hacia una perspectiva integradora.
Volumen 4 de la Biblioteca de Traducción/Ediciones Almar Series.
Subtítulos vs doblaje. (nd). http://cine.byethost18.com/vs.php
This layout is based on YAML © by Dirk Jesse (2011) http://ecolomedia.unisaarland.de/courses/video-overview/dubbing/classification.html
Vazquez, G. (1977). Introducción a la traductología. Georgetown University.
Venuti L. (2000). The translation studies readers. Edition Taylor & Francis e- Library 2004
Methodology for translation.
Venuti, L. (1995). The translator´s invisibility: A history of translation. Simultaneously
published in the USA and Canada by Routledge, New York.
Zabalbeascoa P. (1993). Translating jokes for dubbed television situation comedies.
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. The translator. Volume 2, Number 2, 235257, ISBN 1-900650-01-0.
57
APPENDIX I
Character
Actor of original movie
Actor of dubbing
Shrek
Mike Myers
Alfonso Obregón
Donkey
Eddie Murphy
Eugenio Derbez
Princess Fiona
Cameron Díaz
Dulce Guerrero
Puss in Boots
Antonio Banderas
Antonio Banderas
Prince Charming
Rupert Everett
Ricardo Tejedo
King Harold
John Cleese
Maynardo Zavala
Queen Lillian
Julie Andrews
Rosanelda Aguirre
Fairy Godmother
Jennifer Saunders
Simone Brook
Gingy
Conrad Vernon
Jesús Barrero
Pinocchio
Cody Cameron
Eduardo Garza
Big bad Wolf
Aron Warner
Carlos Aguila
Magic mirror
Chris Miller/ Mark Moseley
Mario Filio
Doris (Ugly stepsister)
Larry King
Mario Arvizu
Joan Rivers (presenter)
Joan Rivers
Liza Willert
Pig 1
Pig 2
Luis Daniel Ramírez
Cody Cameron
Pig 3
Cashier (in Friar´s Fat
Victor Ugarte
Carlos Enrique Bonilla
Kelly Cooney
Rossy Aguirre
Conrad Vernon
Herman López
Boy)
Cedric
58
APPENDIX II
Friar’s Fat Boy
Big Boy
APPENDIX III
Shirley Bassey
Paquita la del barrio
59
APPENDIX IV
Little miss Mufett
Little Miss Muffet
Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away
APPENDIX V
Miranda rights
The basic "Miranda Rights" statements, along with related excerpts from the Supreme Court's
decision.
1. You have the right to remain silent.
The Court: "At the outset, if a person in custody is to be subjected to interrogation, he must first
be informed in clear and unequivocal terms that he has the right to remain silent."
2. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.
The Court: "The warning of the right to remain silent must be accompanied by the explanation
that anything said can and will be used against the individual in court."
3. You have the right to have an attorney present now and during any future questioning.
The Court: "...the right to have counsel present at the interrogation is indispensable to the
protection of the Fifth Amendment privilege under the system we delineate today. ... [Accordingly]
we hold that an individual held for interrogation must be clearly informed that he has the right to
consult with a lawyer and to have the lawyer with him during interrogation under the system for
protecting the privilege we delineate today."
4. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you free of charge if you wish.
The Court: "In order fully to apprise a person interrogated of the extent of his rights under this
system then, it is necessary to warn him not only that he has the right to consult with an attorney,
but also that if he is indigent a lawyer will be appointed to represent him. Without this additional
warning, the admonition of the right to consult with counsel would often be understood as
meaning only that he can consult with a lawyer if he has one or has the funds to obtain one.
60
Longley, R. (n/d) US Government Info
http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/mirandarights/a/miranda_2.htm
Does Miranda Protect the
Innocent or the Guilty?
Steven B. Duke*
1
Miranda v. Arizona is probably the most widely recognized court decision ever
rendered. Thanks to movies and television, people the world over know about
"Miranda rights." Governments around the globe have embraced Miranda-like
rights. Suspects in South Korea must receive their "Miranda warning" before being
interrogated2. So must those in Mexico3, Canada4, and most European countries5.
Miranda's notoriety surely has something to do with the decision's kaleidoscopic
symbolism. To some, Miranda embodies the respect due to criminal suspects.
* Professor of Law, Yale Law School. This article is an elaboration of remarks made at the
Chapman Law Review Symposium: Miranda at 40: Applications in a Post-Enron, Post-9/11 World
(Jan. 26, 2007). I am indebted to Theresa Cullen, Sarah Raymond and Geoffrey Starks for their
research assistance.
1 384 U.S. 436 (1966).
2 The Korean Constitution protects the right against self-incrimination and Korean courts have
held that, in "the Korean version of Miranda," police must advise suspects of their right to silence
prior to interrogation. If police fail to do so, any resulting statement is inadmissible. Kuk Cho, The
Unfinished "Criminal Procedure Revolution" of PostDemocratization South Korea, 30 DENV. J.
NT'L L. & POL'Y 377, 383 (2002).
3 The Political Constitution of the Mexican United States, art. 20, provides that the defendant has
a right not to be compelled to give a statement and to be informed of his right to remain silent.
It further provides that any "confession rendered before whatever authority destined by the
Public Minister or the judge, or before these without the assistance of counsel of any value
shall be prohibited." INSTITUTO FEDERAL ELECTORAL, POLITICAL CONSTITUTION OF THE
MEXICAN UNITED STATES 14 (1994).
4 Craig M. Bradley, The Emerging International Consensus as to Criminal Procedure Rules, 14
MICH. J. INTIL L. 171, 198 (1993).
5 See generally Craig M. Bradley, Mapp Goes Abroad, 52 CASE W. RES. L. REV. 375 (2001)
(surveying the rules in more than ten countries); Gordon Van Kessel, Quieting the Guilty and
Acquitting the Innocent: A Close Look at a New Twist on the Right to Silence, 35 IND. L. REV.
925 (2002).
Throughout Europe, there is near-universal recognition of a right to silence ... that applies to
both the pretrial and trial stages of a criminal case. Those aspects of the right ... that require
advice of the right and prohibit adverse inferences from silence also are generally accepted.
Most civil law countries of continental Europe have adopted rules that require suspects be
informed of the right to remain silent prior to questioning as well as rules that prohibit courts
from considering [a] defendant's silence as evidence of guilt ....
Id. at 926.
Duke, Steven B., "Does Miranda Protect the Innocent or the Guilty?" (2007). Faculty Scholarship
Series. Paper 828. http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/fss_papers/828
61
APPENDIX VI
DO YOU KNOW THE MUFFIN MAN?
Oh do you know the Muffin Man?
The Muffin Man,
The Muffin Man?
Do you know the Muffin Man
That lives in Drury Lane?
Oh yes l know the Muffin Man,
The Muffin Man,
The Muffin Man.
Yes l know the Muffin Man
That lives in Drury Lane.
Oh now we know the Muffin Man,
The Muffin Man,
The Muffin Man.
Now we know the Muffin Man
That lives in Drury Lane.
APPENDIX VII
I SEE LONDON
I see London
I see France
I see someones' underpants
Be they white
Be they pink
I don't know but they sure do stink.
Online Dictionary of Playground Slaang (n/d)
http://odps.org/glossword/index.php?a=term&d=3&t=391
62