MODULATION AS A MULTIMODAL TRANSLATION STRATEGY OF GRAPHIC NOVEL PERSEPOLIS BY M. SATRAPI

Abstract

The article presents a specific perspective on modulation as a universal strategy for translating multimodal graphic novel, while exploring the interplay between visual and verbal elements in meaning construction. It explores how the interaction of these modes influences the interpretation of the work, considering the author’s intentions and cultural contexts. This study reformulates the concept of modulation (Vinay and Darbelnet), redefining it as a broader strategy of free sense-for-sense translation rather than merely a single technique. Thus, the research demonstrates modulation to function as a comprehensive strategy, resulting in pragmatic cultural adaptation by enhancing lexical equivalence, which is technically achieved through various translation transformations. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that modulation integrates multiple techniques, such as transposition, substitution, and reformulation among others, depending on the communicative needs and contextual demands of the translated text. The primary goal is to assess whether the main cultural references of the original text are preserved or diluted in translation with the strategy of modulation used, by means of identifying examples, outlining the components of the target text, and observing the modulated versions. Through the lens of modulation, a descriptive analysis of a historical graphic novel focuses on its pragmatic functions and the dissemination of historical and cultural concepts, examining how shifts in perspective influence meaning adaptation in translation. Specific objectives include observing the interaction between modes of expression, further analysing translation techniques, and conducting qualitative analyses of the corpus. The methodology, therefore, combines a qualitative approach with methods of observation, description, and comparison, alongside elements of multimodal discourse analysis. Redefining modulation as a key translation strategy allows for a more comprehensive and justified exploration of the translation process. Translation decisions are made through a meticulous process of analysis and evaluation, ensuring that the complexity and richness of the original text’s multimodal resources are preserved. Moreover, the modulated versions are validated through these multimodal resources, which serve as essential elements in shaping effective adaptation strategies. The study then proceeds to evaluate the data obtained from the selected corpus, carefully comparing the translated versions with the original and drawing conclusions based on the findings of the descriptive analysis. Through this process, the research aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the constraints imposed on cultural elements in translation. The research corpus includes the historical graphic novel Persepolis, its Russian version by A. Zaitseva (2007), and its English versions by M. Ripa (2003) and B. Ferris (2004) and has a thematic thread of historic moment depicted through visual narrative, where time and space are interpreted both visually and verbally. This selection considers the conceptualization of temporal and spatial dimensions within the narrative, focusing on how specific historic moments are represented and structured. Additionally, the study explores the role of the chronotope in shaping the relationship between these dimensions, analyzing how time and space intertwine to create meaning. The connection between temporal progression and spatial representation is examined in both the original and translated texts, highlighting the narrative strategies employed to convey historical contexts and cultural frameworks. It analyses the relationship between space and time as formally reflected in both languages, along with the expressive tools of the original and the translation strategies used in the Russian versions. The translation of multimodal sets involves a process of transposition and reconstruction of meaning that reveals the modal hierarchy of the translator and/or the publisher. In this process, one mode may be prioritized over another, as seen in the covers of Persepolis. Although the multimodal dimension of literary works remains intact, the perception of prioritizing one mode over another can be inferred from the components the translator chooses to alter. The results of the qualitative analysis show how the translator’s intervention influences the final effect of the target text, highlighting the importance of the translator’s agency in overcoming the linguistic and cultural gaps. In the corpus, the techniques of transposition, amplification, substitution, compensation, discursive creation, description, omission, generalization, particularization, and borrowing are demonstrated as being employed within the universal strategy of modulation, which involves shifting perspectives, modes of thinking, and ways of expressing ideas. This strategy encompasses a dynamic shift in perspective, altering not only how things and objects are viewed but also adjusting the modes of thinking and the ways ideas are expressed. By manipulating these elements, the translator ensures that the nuances of the original text are conveyed in a way that resonates with the cultural and linguistic context of the target audience. Through these techniques, modulation facilitates the pragmatic adaptation of the message, enabling both the translator and the reader of the target language to navigate complexities of meaning, cultural references, and expression in the translation process. This study demonstrates, through examples drawn from the corpus, the distinction between translation strategy and technique. It shows that these techniques function within the broader framework of the modulation strategy, facilitating the pragmatic adaptation of the original text. By employing techniques such as transposition, substitution, reformulation, amplification, generalization, description, compensation, and creation, the translator ensures lexical equivalence in the target language. These techniques allow for modifications to the grammatical category of a word or expression without altering its underlying meaning, thereby facilitating the adaptation of the text to the linguistic and cultural system of the target language. The translation of graphic novels is an expanding field that necessitates a multidisciplinary approach, integrating linguistics, semiotics, cultural studies, and translation theory. This study paves the way for future research in intersemiotic translation and cognitive studies, particularly in the translation of texts across diverse genres and styles. In conclusion, multimodal translation extends beyond the linguistic component and requires an understanding of the different multimodal levels at play, as well as a deep awareness of the cultural context of the languages involved. It also demands a high level of stylistic sensitivity and creativity from the translator. Ultimately, effective translation entails skilful interpretation and adaptation of the message to suit the target audience, using the most appropriate translation techniques.

Keywords

• translation strategies
• multimodality
• discourse
• graphic novel