Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on formulaicity and translational routines in dubbing with a strong reference to the creativity of the dubbed versions of films, finding that if creativity starts where routinisation ends, "the opposite can also be true, whereby creativity gives way to routinisation". It analyses the metaphors as handled in subtitling by translators who are aware of transculturality and may "create new, and sometimes perplexing, target language metaphors". The book explores the levels of linguistic and functional equivalence achieved in the reformulations of socio-cultural and linguistic aspects of foreign characters as represented in three different audiovisual shows with humorous ends. It investigates a linguistic and socio-cultural point of view in their realisation on cinema and TV screens. The book analyses the mixture of accurate phonological facts and stereotyped features of relevant characters from significant films and TV series of different periods.