THE TRANSLATION OF PUNS – An analysis of the fate of puns in subtitling with Sex and the City as an empirical
example
Camilla Østergaard Pedersen
Bachelor thesis
December 1, 2010
Appendix 1: Linguistic structures
Phonological and graphological structure: Every language uses a limited number of phonemes (i.e. speech
sounds as for instance ‘b’ and ‘f’ in ‘bill’ and ‘fill’) and graphemes (i.e. a written letter or a group of letters),
which occurs in certain combinations only. As a result, every language has many pairs of totally unrelated
words with a similar or identical form. An example of a pun based on the similarity between phonemes is:
‘Love at first bite’ where the meaning is derived from the expression: ‘love at first sight’. Puns based on the
similarity of graphemes are based on spelling, as is shown in the following example: ‘Madam Curie: radium
came’ (Delabastita 1996:134).
Polysemic structure: Puns can be based on polysemic words, which are words with different meanings but
which derives from the same semantic root and thus still are felt to be related (Delabastita 1996:134). An
example of a pun which is based on the confrontation of the two different meanings that a word has is:
‘Dodgeball: a true underdog story’ (Díaz Pérez 2008:39). ‘Underdog’ can be used to refer to a) ‘a person,
team, or group that seems least likely to win a game, competition, selection, etc’ and b) ‘a person or a
group that has very little money, power or social status’ (McMillan Dictionary).
Idiomatic structure: Word combinations that are typically used in a figurative sense and which are being
seen as more or less fixed expressions are exploited. This type of pun is composed by an idiomatic
expression, meaning that a confrontation is established between the habitual meaning and the literal
meaning of an utterance. An example is: ‘What’s cooking’. The figurative meaning of this idiom is to be
understood as ‘what is going on,’ whereas the literal meaning refers to the preparation of a meal (Díaz
Peres 2008:39).
Morphological structure: Puns based on this linguistic structure are typically construed as compounds or
derivatives in a way that is etymologically ‘incorrect’ but semantically effective. An example of such pun is:
‘Is life worth living? It depends upon the liver’ (Delabastita 1993:130).
Syntactical structure: Puns that are based on this linguistic structure exploit phrases or sentences that
syntactically can be analyzed in more than one way, as is the case in the following example: ‘Players
Please’. This pun can be understood as a request to a shop assistant or as an utterance with which this
brand of cigarettes is praised (Delabastita 1993:130).
THE TRANSLATION OF PUNS – An analysis of the fate of puns in subtitling with Sex and the City as an empirical
example
Camilla Østergaard Pedersen
Bachelor thesis
December 1, 2010
Appendix 2: The formal classification of puns
Homonymy
VERTICAL
Homophony
VERTICAL
Homography
VERTICAL
Paronymy
VERTICAL
Pyromania: a burning
passion
Wedding belles
MessAge (name of mid1990’s rap band)
Come in for a faith lift
(slogan on church)
HORIZONTAL
HORIZONTAL
HORIZONTAL
HORIZONTAL
Carry on dancing carries
Carry to the top (article
on ambitious young
dancer named Carry)
Counsel for Council
home buyers
How the US put US to
shame
It’s G.B. for the BeeGees
(article on pop band
touring Britain)
(Delabastita 1993:81)
THE TRANSLATION OF PUNS – An analysis of the fate of puns in subtitling with Sex and the City as an empirical
example
Camilla Østergaard Pedersen
Bachelor thesis
December 1, 2010
Appendix 3: Delabastita’s translation strategies
1) Pun  pun
The ST pun is translated by a TL pun, which may be more or less different from the ST pun in terms of its
formal structure, semantic structure, or textual function. Consequently, it is sometimes necessary to alter
the contextual setting in order to give life to the TT pun (Delabastita 1996:134-5).This translation strategy
can be identified by way of the similar positions of the ST- and TT pun, and/or through eventual
comparable characteristics (Delabastita 1993:192).
2) Pun  non-pun
Using this translation strategy, the ST pun is substituted with a fragment in the TT that does not contain a
confrontation of linguistic meanings within similar forms, meaning that the pun is lost in the TT. There are
three different ways in which the ST pun can be rendered in a non-punning manner:
a) Non selective non-pun: Both meanings of the ST pun are rendered, but in a non-punning manner
b) Selective: Only one of the two meanings is retained in a more or less equivalently form while the
other has been deleted
c) Diffuse paraphrase: None of the meanings of the ST pun are maintained, but still it is evident that
the substituting TT fragment containing no pun is a translational solution to the particular ST
fragment (Delabastita 1993:205-6).
3) Pun  Punoid
In this case the pun is replaced by some wordplay-related rhetorical device (for instance repetition,
alliteration, rhyme, referential vagueness, irony, paradox, etc.), in order to try to recreate the effect of the
ST pun. This translation strategy is similar to strategy number 2 (pun  non-pun). What distinguishes the
two is the fact that the translator has tried to recapture the intended effect of the ST pun (Delabastita
1993:207).
THE TRANSLATION OF PUNS – An analysis of the fate of puns in subtitling with Sex and the City as an empirical
example
Camilla Østergaard Pedersen
Bachelor thesis
December 1, 2010
4) Pun  Zero
Applying this strategy, the fragment of the ST that contains a pun is simply omitted in the TT (Delabastita
1993:209).
5) Direct copy: Pun ST = Pun TT
In this case the ST pun, and sometimes even its immediate context, is copied directly to the TT. In other
words, it is not translated, but is transferred to the TL in its original formulation. This means that when
using this strategy, ST signifiers are brought into the TT without any concern for the semantic consequences
of such transfer (Delabastita 1993:210-212).
6) Transference: Pun ST = Pun TT
This strategy is related to strategy number 5 in that it also transfer linguistic material to the TL that does
not as such belong to the language in question. What distinguishes transference from direct copy is that
instead of ST signifiers, ST signifieds are brought to the TT. In other words, the ST ambiguity is transferred
into one that is semantically equivalent in the TL (Delabastita 1993:211-213).
7) Addition: Non-pun  Pun
By applying this strategy a pun is introduced in the TT even though the ST has no pun. This strategy can be
considered as an attempt to compensate for ST puns that have been lost elsewhere, but can also be used
for any other reason (Delabastita 1993:215).
8) Zero  Pun
Applying this strategy, new textual material containing a pun is added to the TT in spite of the fact that it is
impossible to identify a counterpart fragment in the ST. This strategy differs from strategy number 7 (even
though only in a gradual manner) in the sense that it introduces new textual material, which suggests that
the translator is willing to sacrifice a maximal degree of lexical and grammatical equivalence for the sake of
creating a playful TT (Delabastita 1993:217).
THE TRANSLATION OF PUNS – An analysis of the fate of puns in subtitling with Sex and the City as an empirical
example
Camilla Østergaard Pedersen
Bachelor thesis
December 1, 2010
9) Editorial techniques
This strategy can entail explanatory foot- or endnotes, comments provided in translators’ forewords, the
‘anthological’ presentation of different, supposedly complementary solutions to one and the same sourcetext problem, and so forth. In relation to the focus of this thesis, this strategy is not even an option, since
explanatory foot- or endnotes normally cannot be resorted to in subtitling (Veiga 2009:164).
Appendix 4: Transcripts in context
Segment 1
Carrie and her ex-boyfriend Aidan have just broken up, and as a consequence Carrie is forced to either buy
her apartment or move out. At the bank, she is told that she is not a ‘desirable candidate’ for a loan. Later
at a restaurant she opens a fortune cookie only to find out that it is empty. Therefore she states:
Character + time code
Source text version
Target text version
Carrie
I have no fortune. I didn’t need a
Jeg har ingen lykke. Det
cookie to tell me that
behøvede jeg ikke en lykkekage
00:17:30
for at vide
Season 4, episode 16: Ring a Ding Ding
Segment 2
As research for her next column, Carrie is to explore the newest pastime for singles in New York: swinging
through the air on a flying trapeze. Right before she is ‘set free’, the instructor asks:
Character + time code
Source text version
Target text version
Instructor 00:01:48
Are you ready to grab the bar?
Parat til at gribe stangen?
Carrie
I’m ready to go to the bar
Solgt til stanglakrids
Season 6, episode 8: The Catch
THE TRANSLATION OF PUNS – An analysis of the fate of puns in subtitling with Sex and the City as an empirical
example
Camilla Østergaard Pedersen
Bachelor thesis
December 1, 2010
Segment 3
Miranda faces the realities of being a single, hard working mother when her baby son Brady starts to see
his nanny as a mother figure. After another long day at the office, she enters her apartment hoping that
Brady is not asleep yet. But he is… Disappointed, she resumes the work on a case.
Character + time code
Source text version
Target text version
Carrie’s voice-over
That night the only thing Miranda
put to bed was the McKenziebrief
Den aften var det eneste Miranda
gav tørt på, McKenzie
00:17:02
Season 6, episode 6: Hop, Skip, and a Week
Segment 4
Carrie attends a party at a boat where “everyone who is someone” in New York is invited. Unexpectedly,
she bumps into Mr. Big, her ex-boyfriend, who she had trouble getting over. At the party old feelings seem
to overwhelm her, but:
Character + time code
Source text version
Target text version
Carrie’s voice-over
The next morning I recovered
from my see-Big-sickness
Næste morgen kom jeg mig over
min Big-søsyge
00:13:48
Season 3, episode 8: The Big Time
Segment 5
Carrie has got a job as a freelance writer for the fashion magazine ‘Vogue’, and full of optimism she hands
in her first article. Her fierce editor Enid is not impressed though, stating that the article is too ‘Carrie
Bradshaw’, and not focused enough on fashion…
THE TRANSLATION OF PUNS – An analysis of the fate of puns in subtitling with Sex and the City as an empirical
example
Camilla Østergaard Pedersen
Bachelor thesis
December 1, 2010
Character + time code
Source text version
Target text version
Enid
I want less Carrie Bradshaw and
more carry this bag with these
shoes, do you see what I mean?
Jeg vil have mindre Carrie
Bradshaw og mere: “bær denne
taske med disse sko”
00:02:30
Season 4, episode 17: A ’Vouge’ idea
Segment 6
Samantha has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is offended when her male physician indicates that
childless women may have an increased risk for the disease. Not putting up with anything, Samantha wants
a female doctor instead. In the waiting room of New York’s top female specialist, she falls into conversation
with a friendly woman, and asks her:
Character + time code
Source text version
Samantha 00:08:00
What kind of cancer do you have? Hvor har de kræft?
Woman in waiting room
Breast
I brystet
Samantha
Breast? Me Too. I’m curious. Do
you have children?
Ditto her. Har de børn?
Woman in waiting room
I’m a nun
Jeg er søster
Samantha
You have none?
De har en søster
Woman in waiting room
No no no, I am a nun
Nej, jeg er søster
Season 6, episode 15: Catch-38
Target text version
THE TRANSLATION OF PUNS – An analysis of the fate of puns in subtitling with Sex and the City as an empirical
example
Camilla Østergaard Pedersen
Bachelor thesis
December 1, 2010
Segment 7
Miranda meets the other girls at a café, and lets go of her frustrations about the ‘having a baby’-project.
She is not prepared for the baby at all, which means that she still has a lot of shopping to do. Meanwhile,
Carrie is frustrated because of the criticism she has received from her ‘Vogue’-editor Enid, who states that
the first column Carrie handed in was way too ‘Carrie Bradshaw’. This has left Carrie with the feeling that
the job as a freelance column-writer for ‘Vogue’ maybe is not something for her after all.
Character + time code
Source text version
Target text version
Charlotte 00:08:12
You don’t have a crib yet?
Har du ingen vugge endnu?
Miranda
No Charlotte, I have a job instead.
I’m sorry, but when am I
supposed to find time to prepare
for this baby? I don’t have a
vague idea how I’m gonna do any
of this.
Nej, Charlotte. Jeg har et job.
Hvornår skal jeg finde tid til at
forberede mig på babyen? Det
har jeg ingen vag idé om.
Carrie
Well, I don’t have a “Vouge” idea,
so “hello”
Det har jeg ingen “Vogue” idé
om.
Season 4, Episode 17: A ‘Vogue’ idea
Segment 8
Stanford, Carrie’s gay friend, and his boyfriend meet Samantha and her boyfriend Smith at a restaurant.
Samantha receives chemotherapy due to her breast cancer, and therefore she carries a wig. As a reply to
Stanford’s astonishment over this, she says:
Character + time code
Source text version
Target text version
THE TRANSLATION OF PUNS – An analysis of the fate of puns in subtitling with Sex and the City as an empirical
example
Camilla Østergaard Pedersen
Bachelor thesis
December 1, 2010
Samantha 00:05:29
Well, I decided to turn a little hair
loss into a lot of hair gain
Jeg besluttede at gøre hårtab til
hårforøgelse
Stanford
Oh, you’re getting wiggy with it
Du pa’rykker for vildt
Season 6, Episode 17: The Cold War
Segment 9
Carrie visits her ex-boyfriend Mr. Big one late night, and gets astonished by finding his apartment filled with
shipping boxes. Mr. Big breaks the news that he has bought a vineyard in Napa, California, and is moving in
a few days. Surprised, Carrie asks:
Character + time code
Source text version
Target text version
Carrie 00:04:18
But… Why?
Men… Hvorfor?
Mr. Big
I’m tired of old New York
Jeg er træt af gamle New York
Carrie
Well, if you are tired you take a
“napa”, you don’t move to Napa
Hvis du er træt, så “napa” en lur,
ikke flyt til Napa
Season 4, episode 18: I Heart New York
Segment 10
Carrie is having a book release party to celebrate the release of her book, which consist of a selection of her
columns. Under the preparations for the party, one of the servants passes Carrie, carrying a gigantic poster
of her.
Character + time code
Source text version
Target text version
Carrie’s voice over
When your career is going better
than ever, it’s hard not to get a
big head
Når ens karriere er på toppen, er
det svært ikke at blive indbildsk.
00:01:46
THE TRANSLATION OF PUNS – An analysis of the fate of puns in subtitling with Sex and the City as an empirical
example
Camilla Østergaard Pedersen
Bachelor thesis
December 1, 2010
(Carrie is looking at a gigantic
poster of herself and seems to
wonder)
Season 5, episode 5: Plus One is the Loneliest Number
Segment 11
Moving from a scene where Charlotte in frustration leaves her husband’s apartment after a fight, Carrie’s
voice-over brings the audience to Miranda’s apartment. Miranda cannot cope with another bad date, and is
therefore on “dating-strike”. Therefore, as a substitute to a man, she indulges herself with chocolate cake a lot of it…
Character + time code
Source text version
Target text version
Carrie’s voice over
Meanwhile, Miranda was getting
Miranda var også godt irriteret,
fed up as well, with herself…
på sig selv…
00:20:19
(We see Miranda taking yet
another piece of her chocolate
cake, and then, in frustration she
dumps it into the garbage can
only to pick it up a few seconds
later to have another bite of it)
Season 4, episode 4: What’s Sex Got to Do With It?
Segment 12
Carrie’s boyfriend Aidan has moved into Carrie’s apartment, but Carrie cannot wait until the apartment
next to hers, which Aidan has bought, gets available so that they will have more space. One day, when
meeting Mrs. Cohen (the neighbour who is to move out from the apartment next door) on the stairways,
Mrs. Cohen informs Carrie that they will not be able to take over the apartment for another month.
THE TRANSLATION OF PUNS – An analysis of the fate of puns in subtitling with Sex and the City as an empirical
example
Camilla Østergaard Pedersen
Bachelor thesis
December 1, 2010
Character + time code
Source text pun
Target text pun
Carrie’s voice-over
I didn’t think Mrs. Cohen could
move any slower. But apparently
she could…
Jeg troede ikke, Mrs. Cohen
kunne bevæge sig langsommere,
men det kunne hun åbenbart
00:01:10
(We see Mrs. Cohen walk very
slowly away from the stairway)
Season 4, episode 13: The Good Fight