Relay Translation as Collaboration: A case study of how multilingual subtitling for global streaming services showcases a new mode of collaborative translation

Abstract

The present study aims to establish relay translation as a new representative mode of collaborative translation. The conventional stigmatic labeling of “indirect” “less authentic” translation and the prevalent myth of single translatorship have hindered research on the topic. Intriguingly, interest in the issue did not come from academia. The extension of the global network made possible by the advent of advanced technologies and the expansion of media access by worldwide viewers have given rise to an exploding need for subtitling audiovisual (AV) content being created around the globe. Global streaming service (GSS) providers immediately recognized the need to maximize the distribution of what they offer. Thus, the significance of the relay-based, centralized subtitling of AV content into multiple languages proliferated, with or without the sanctions of TS researchers.

Admittedly, “relay translation” is not a new coinage, but recently, albeit belatedly, there has been a surge in the number of international conferences, special journal issues, and independent publications. However, their focus is mainly on its relational nature vis-à-vis the original text, terminology differentiation, and remote case discussions centering around literary translation. The present study is a theoretical endeavor to place the issue in the appropriate research context by proposing a dual definition of relay translation: the broad, conventional definition of translating source texts indirectly and a narrower, audio-visual translation (AVT)-focused definition as an industrialized form of process-centered, collaborative work. The role of pivot templators, i.e., specialists responsible for the creation of pivot templates, stand out in the latter as “translators for subsequent translators” and cultural mediators. As a qualitative approach, the study introduces a case study of an in-depth semi-structured interview with a seasoned practitioner. In doing so, the collection of field-resonant data, the collaboration among agents, the process of creating and annotating pivot templates, and implications and challenges of relay translation as collaboration will be reported, leading to the salience of the topic as an emerging form of collaborative translation.

The study is an early endeavor to revisit and establish relay translation as a significant mode of collaborative translation. Enriching the findings by furthering research on multilingual subtitling and other forms of relay translation from a wider array of angles will be instrumental in understanding the complexity and significance of relay translation.