Exploring Intersemiotic Translation Models

This volume sets out a new paradigm in intersemiotic translation research, drawing on the films of Ang Lee to problematize the notion of films as the simple binary of transmission between the verbal and non-verbal.

The book surveys existing research as a jumping-off point from which to consider the role of audiovisual dimensions, going beyond the focus on the verbal as understood in Jakobsonian intersemiotic translation. The volume outlines a methodology comprising a system of various models which draw on both translation studies and film studies frameworks, with each model illustrated with examples from Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Lust, Caution; and Life of Pi. In situating the discussion within the work of a director whose own work straddles East and West and remediates between cultures and semiotic systems, Zhang argues for an understanding of intersemiotic translation in which films are not simply determined by verbal source material but through the process of intersemiotic translators mediating non-verbal, quality-determining materials into the final film. The volume looks ahead to implications for translation and film research more broadly as well as other audiovisual media.

This book will appeal to scholars interested in translation studies, film studies, media studies and cultural studies in general.