Specialists in the Translation Industry. Across Genres and Cultures
University of Palermo, 23 May 2019
Synopsis for the Palermo 4th EDITION of the International Symposium on Translation
The Department of Humanities at the University of Palermo takes great pleasure in announcing the fourth
edition of the International Symposium on Translation, which will be held on May 23rd at the Complesso
Monumentale di Sant’Antonino. The symposium, entitled Specialists in the Translation Industry. Across
Genres and Cultures, aims to explore translation issues in relation to legal texts and audiovisual products
by looking at cutting-edge research in translation, on the one hand, and at the professional dimension in
the translation industry, on the other. The event will be welcoming international scholars from various
European universities and experts from well-known translation agencies and associations. Our special
guests from the academic environment are Łucja Biel (University of Warsaw), Serenella Massidda
(University of Roehampton) and Annalisa Sandrelli (Università degli Studi Internazionali di Roma).
From the translation industry setting, experts in subtitling, subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing,
surtitling for the theatre and opera, and audio description for the blind and visually impaired are Vera
Arma (Director of ARTIS-Project and President of CulturAbile Onlus,Viterbo), Carlo Cafarella (CEO of
MovieReading), Mauro Conti (Director of Prescott Studio, Firenze), Maila Enea (Production
Supervisor, GoLocalise, London), Lonny Evans (Audio Describer, VocalEyes, London).
The 21stcentury scenario of wide multilingual and multicultural exposure, cultural and linguistic fluidity
and advances in networked communication has accelerated the diversification of translation practices
within different research areas. As a bridge and form of communication across cultures and languages,
translation activities applied to the different varieties of texts and visuals have proliferated on digital
platforms, and within public and institutional artistic spaces (cinema, museums, theatres, installations,
exhibitions, dance). Viewed as a broad, complex and multi-faceted phenomenon encompassing linguistic,
cultural and technical factors, translation is seen as a careful procedure of selection, combined with a
skillful attention to text types. Investigating how new technologies are changing the global market, as
well as the modalities by which we consume translation across and within languages, the scope of the
symposium will be to shed light on how translation is produced, accessed and made accessible to diverse
international, national and regional user groups with their varying backgrounds (with particular attention
to sensory disabilities).
Particular attention will be paid to Accessibility, Audiovisual Translation and Corpus-based Legal
Translation Studies from the aspect of the translators’ choices in relation to the different text types, with a
view to developing new tools and resources for translators, as well as providing a platform for exchanging
ideas and promoting cutting-edge research in the area of translation. The numerous contributions aim to
lead to an understanding of the new and old traditional mechanisms in translation, of the pros and cons of
the innovative technologies and developments and changes in the translation industry. In particular,
modes of audiovisual translation – i.e. audio description for the blind and visually impaired, subtitling for
the deaf and hard of hearing (ARTIS-Project, CulturAbile, MovieReading, VocalEyes), subtitling,
voice over (GoLocalise), and surtitling for the theatre and opera (Prescott Studio) – will be discussed
within the professional field of the translation industry.
Scientific Committee: Silvia Antosa (University of Enna “Kore”), Lindsay Bywood (University of
Westminster), Silvia Bruti (University of Pisa), Mikolaj Deckert (University of Łodz), Lucile Desblache
(University of Roehampton), Floriana Di Gesù (University of Palermo), Elena Di Giovanni (University of
Macerata), Sabine Hoffmann (University of Palermo), Dionysios Kapsaskis (University of Roehampton),
Giulia Adriana Pennisi (University of Palermo), Irene Ranzato (University of Rome “Sapienza”),
Alessandra Rizzo (University of Palermo), Oleg Rumyantsev (University of Palermo), Chiara Sciarrino
(University of Palermo), Maria Grazia Sciortino (University of Palermo), Lydia Sciriha (University of
Malta), Cinzia Spinzi (University of Bergamo), Massimo Sturiale (University of Catania), Antonino Velez
(University of Palermo), Marion Weerning (University of Palermo), Serenella Zanotti (University of
Roma TRE), Marianna Lya Zummo (University of Palermo).
23 May 2019
AULA MAGNA
Complesso Monumentale di Sant’Antonino
MORNING SESSION
h. 9.00
Greetings
Fabrizio Micari, Rector of the University of Palermo
Laura Auteri, Pro Rector of the University of Palermo
Francesca Piazza, Head of Department
Lucia Aliffi, Coordinator of the Second-cycle Degree Course in Modern Languages and
Translation for International Relations / Director of the Training Course in
Subtitling for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Audiodescription for the
Blind and Visually Impaired
Massimo Sturiale, AIA Board Member (Associazione Italiana di Anglistica)
Francesco
Giambrone, Massimo Theatre Manager (Palermo)
h. 10-10.55
Chair: Massimo Sturiale
Łucia Biel (University of Warsaw)
Corpora and legal translation: integrating theory with practice
h. 11-11.55
Chair: Cinzia Spinzi
Annalisa Sandrelli (Università degli Studi Internazionali di Roma)
Live subtitling via respeaking: an overview of the state-of-the-art
Break
h.12.20-13.15
Chair: Alessandra Rizzo
Serenella Massidda (University of Roehampton, London)
Latest trends in audiovisual translation technologies and localisation workflows
AFTERNOON SESSION
AULA MAGNA – Complesso Monumentale Sant’Antonino
Translation Services in the UK and Italy
Servizi di traduzione nel Regno Unito e in Italia
h. 15.00-16.30
Chair: Marianna Lya Zummo
[SURTITLING for the OPERA and THEATRE – Sopratitolazione per l’opera e il teatro
SUBTITLING/VOICE OVER FOR TV & CINEMA – Sottotitolazione / Voice Over per la televisione
il cinema]
Mauro Monti (Director of Prescott Studio, Firenze)
Leggere voci – L’esperienza della traduzione audiovisiva
nello spettacolo dal vivo
Maila Enea (Production Supervisor, GoLocalise -London)
Subtiling and Voice over: where one ends, the other begins.
Break
h. 17.00-19
Chair: Giulia Adriana Pennisi
[SUBTITLING FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING;
AUDIO DESCRIPTION FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED FOR THEATRES,
CINEMA & MUSEUMS- Sottotitolazione per sordi e ipoudenti, Audiodescrizione per ciechi e
ipovedenti per teatri, cinema e musei]
Lonny Evans (Audio Describer, VocalEyes, London)
Audio describing for the UK market:
conventions, online platforms, and public events
Vera Arma (Director of ARTIS Project and President of CulturAbile, Viterbo)
Audio description in Italy: between theory and professional practice.
Market outline and perspectives
Carlo Cafarella (CEO, Movie Reading, Viterbo)
MovieReading: il cinema a portata di “mano”.
Il ruolo delle app e del mondo ‘smart’ nell’accessibilità per le persone con disabilità sensoriali
h.19-19.30
Chair: Alessandra Rizzo
Closing Round Table
This event is organised by Giulia Adriana Pennisi, Alessandra Rizzo, Cinzia Spinzi and Marianna
Lya Zummo. It is sponsored by the Department of Humanities at the University of Palermo, and
acknowledged by the Association of English Studies in Italy (Giovanni Iamartino, President).