Translation Studies Research Seminar Series: Aaliyah Charbenny and Katherine Heller

Abstracts

Interactive Game Sound in Translation: A Reflection on Localizing Game Accessibility into Arabic

by Aaliyah Charbenny

As part of gameplay mechanics, interactive game sound performs an essential function in video games. It instructs and assists players in devising strategies for completing and winning games. However, these interactive game sounds can be challenging for deaf and hard of hearing [DHH] players and localizers since their representation aligns with the gameplay theme and genre.

In this presentation, I make a case for interactive game sounds as unique instances of meaning transfer for DHH players. I devise an interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological framework for studying interactive game sound using multimodal analysis. This framework describes and compares how interactive game sounds are potentially received by DHH and hearing players and how they potentially impact their gameplay.

The study aims to contribute to a better understanding of accessibility to video games for DHH players in general and Arab DHH in particular.

Fan Culture and Retranslation: The Sailor Moon Franchise

by Katherine Heller

The popular manga series Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon) by Takeuchi Naoko was originally serialized between 1991 and 1997 and then promptly adapted as a television anime that aired 200 episodes between 1992 and 1997.

Several English-language translations of both manga and anime have been released since the mid-1990s. In addition to these professional translations, several fan translations have been produced and, to many, these have been central to the Sailor Moon fan experience.

My research aims to find how the expansion of fan audiences and the creation of fan translations has influenced the strategies used in professional translations, and what today’s fan audiences want from a retranslation of a ‘classic’ title. Thus far, there has been little research on manga and anime retranslation, and titles such as Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn, which fall under the shōjo demographic category and the mahō shōjo (magical girl) subgenre have been particularly underrepresented.

This presentation will demonstrate introduce the concepts of shōjo and mahō shōjo and highlight why it is important to include Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn in research on manga and anime (re)translation. I will also explain how I plan to use the materials to answer my research questions.

About the speakers

Aaliyah Charbenny is a third year Translation Studies student at the University of Edinburgh. Her research addresses accessibility to games with a strong emphasis on game sounds’ tactility and interactivity.

Katherine Heller is a second year full-time PhD student working in the language pair of Japanese-English. Her research is funded by the University’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science Research Award for Literatures, Languages and Cultures. It explores the impact that fan communities can have on commercial manga and anime translation strategies, and focuses specifically on the case of the Sailor Moon franchise.

About the seminar series

Each semester, we welcome a fantastic range of guest speakers and colleagues to present a seminar on their work in translation.

Our seminar series is run collaboratively by staff and postgraduate students, enabling our early career researchers to build networks and experience. This semester, the students are Katherine Heller and Aaliyah Charbenny.

Entry is free and no booking is required. Everyone is welcome.

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