Building Bridges Between Cultural Studies and Translation Studies: With Reference to the Audiovisual Field

Abstract

This article is based on an intercultural conception of what translating means. First, I illustrate some of the links between cultural studies and translation studies. Translation is defined as an intercultural practice, so the idea that both fields of study converge at a given point is supported. Second, I argue for the figure of the translator as an intercultural expert or mediator, a perception that stems directly from the conception of translation that underlies this paper. Finally, I reflect on the weight that certain cultural notions have in audiovisual translation, focusing on the key role of cultural referents and intertextual allusions. These elements are portrayed as possible restrictions (mainly because of the shared knowledge that is necessary for their comprehension), and their transmission (particularly in the case of cultural referents) is depicted as a consequence of cultural globalization. * This research has been conducted as a part of the research project HUM2007-65518/FILO, Estudio empírico y descriptivo de las normas profesionales de la traducción audiovisual para televisión en España, founded by the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia.