Subtitling Sherlock: Exploring the problems connected to audiovisual translation

Abstract

When it comes to audiovisual translation, subtitling is the preferred method in the Netherlands. This thesis will explore the issues that can emerge during subtitling. The theoretical framework describes the history of the practice and goes into some of the rules and regulations that subtitlers have to abide by. To gain even more insight in subtitling, an episode of the BBC’s series Sherlock is used as a case study. The subtitles provided for the episode reveal that it can be rather difficult to provide a translation that conveys enough of the original message – including jokes and figures of speech – without being too lengthy.